In Celebration of

Fairfield Green Food Guide & Slow Food Metro North Present:

Overcoming Obstacles to Improving School Food

With Nationally Recognized Experts Amy Kalafa and John Turenne

Join nationally recognized experts Amy Kalafa, author of Lunch Wars: How to Start a School Food Revolution and Win the Battle for Our Children’s Health, and John Turenne, Founder & President of Sustainable Food Systems, for a high impact workshop that teaches attendees successful approaches for overcoming common obstacles to making school meals more healthful and sustainable. This workshop is designed for all stakeholders in our children’s health and wellness.

“We really cannot rely on the federal government to fix school food; the government provides a baseline and it is up to each individual school district to determine the quality of each school’s food environment. This is a grassroots issue and there are any number of local solutions. The solutions are found when members of the school community start paying attention and taking action.” – Amy Kalafa

“As long as school food is provided limited funding, cost will always be a factor.  However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t simple ways to overcome inadequate  food.  We can start by step by step substituting real, whole and fresh ingredients for processed.” – John Turenne

Choose from Two Sessions:

Greenwich at Audubon Greenwich, 12:00 noon-1:00 pm. $10 admission includes a Slow Food Metro North $5 Challenge lunch catered by Concierge Foods of Bedford Hills. RSVP required.

Fairfield at Pequot Library, 7:00-8:00 pm. $10 admission includes light refreshments. RSVP required.

Both events will be followed by a Q&A session and book sale and signing.

To RSVP:

Greenwich only:

Tickets must be purchased online in advance so we can obtain an accurate lunch count. This is a working lunch. Vegetarian and vegan lunch options are available. Walk-ins cannot be guaranteed a seat or lunch. Click here to register and pay online by October 23.

Admission: $10 per person fee includes a  local farm-to-fork lunch which celebrates Slow Food Metro North’s $5 Challenge.

Time: 12:00 noon until 1:00, followed by a Q&A session, book sale and signing of Lunch Wars, and networking.

Important: Kindly arrive at 11:45 to register, pick up your lunch and beverage and be seated. This is a working lunch.

Location: Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich, CT. Please call event organizer Analiese Paik at 203.520.3451 with any questions.

Fairfield only:

Admission: $10 per person fee includes the workshop and light refreshments.Click here to register and pay online by October 23.

Time: 7:00 to 8:00 pm, followed by a Q&A session, book sale and signing of Lunch Wars, and networking.

Important: Kindly arrive at 6:45 to register and be seated.

Location: Pequot Library, 720 Pequot Avenue, Southport, CT. Please call event organizer Analiese Paik at 203.520.3451 with any questions.

This event is organized by Fairfield Green Food Guide, LLC and Slow Food Metro North and made possible through the generous support of Audubon Greenwich, Pequot Library and Concierge Foods.

About Our Guest Presenters:

Amy Kalafa

Amy Kalafa has produced award-winning films and television programs, and has written magazine articles related to health education for more than twenty-five years. The producer/director of the acclaimed documentary film Two Angry Moms: Fighting for the Health of America’s Children, she has been featured on Good Morning America, Rachael Ray, and Fox News Live, and in USA Today and The New York Times. Kalafa lives with her family in Weston, Connecticut. http://angrymoms.org/

LUNCH WARS: How to Start A School Food Revolution and Win the Battle for Our Children’s Health (Tarcher/Penguin, August 2011) not only exposes the scary, hidden truth behind school lunches, but also gives parents the tools to do something about it. After author Amy Kalafa produced and directed the acclaimed documentary, Two Angry Moms, she was flooded with questions from parents who saw the film and wanted to know how to rid their own children’s schools of unhealthy—and sometimes dangerous—food. LUNCH WARS is Kalafa’s definitive response and an all-inclusive guide to help parents stage their own cafeteria coup.

LUNCH WARS is an invaluable reference. From First Lady Michelle Obama and her Let’s Move! campaign against childhood obesity to the average parent who’s struggling to instill good habits in their children, every American family has a stake in the book’s message. The next—and most crucial—step is to learn what LUNCH WARS teaches and integrate it into every school in America, on every day of the year.

John Turenne

John Turenne, founder and President of Sustainable Food Systems, is a nationally recognized leader and innovator in sustainable food practices. In his role as Executive Chef at Yale University and in the creation of the Yale Sustainable Food Project, John recognized the impact of food service decision-making on the world around us. His consulting company is on the cutting edge in developing best-practices tailored to benefit both the planet and the bottom line for clients. Turenne led the behind-the-scenes team that made Jamie Oliver’s “Food Revolution” work in the Huntington, West Virginia school system.

John and his team at Sustainable Food Systems have worked with visionaries across the country who have had the desire to make positive changes to the way they do business. Sustainable Food Systems brings those ideas and desires to reality through careful assessment, planning, teaching and development.

Sustainable Food Systems’ client list includes The Culinary Institute of America; Yale University; Harvard Medical School; The East Harlem School; Jamie Oliver Ltd.; Cabell County, WV Public Schools;  St. Lukes Wood River Medical Center as well as multiple other public hospital and school systems.

John Turenne and Sustainable Food Systems were also instrumental in working with the Obama Administration in the development of the USDA’s Chefs Move to Schools initiative and continue to harvest national and international recognition. http://www.sustainablefoodsystems.com/

Resources:

Amy Kalafa: http://angrymoms.org/, http://www.tarcherbooks.net/?tag=lunch-wars

John Turenne: http://www.sustainablefoodsystems.com/

Fairfield Green Food Guide: http://fairfieldgreenfoodguide.com/

Slow Food Metro North: http://slowfoodmetronorth.org/

Food Day: http://foodday.org/

What is Food Day?

Aimed at promoting healthy, sustainable, affordable, and just food systems in America, Food Day is a national grassroots mobilization backed by some of the most prominent voices for energizing the food movement. On October 24, 2011, people will gather at events big and small and from coast to coast in homes, schools, colleges, churches, city halls, farmers’ markets, supermarkets, and elsewhere to raise awareness about food issues and advocate for change. Think of it as an Earth Day for food!

Spearheaded by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Day is organized around six main policy goals:

1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods

2. Support sustainable farms and limit subsidies to big agribusiness

3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger

4. Protect the environment and animals by reforming factory farms

5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids

6. Support fair working conditions for food and farm workers

Who is partnering with Food Day?

Food Day’s advisory board is co-chaired by Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa and Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and includes such members as Michael Pollan, Alice Waters, Marion Nestle, David Kessler, and Professor Walter Willett. Partners include the American Dietetic Association, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, UNITE Here, Humane Society of the U.S., Sierra Club, and Slow Food USA. A full list of advisors and partner organizations can be found at www.FoodDay.org.

Always wanted to learn how to can? Now is your chance to master the boiling water method which allows seasonal eaters to preserve their own jams, jellies, salsas, relishes, tomatoes, fruit and more. Join Sherri Brooks Vinton, author of “Put ‘em Up!”, at the gorgeous Sport Hill Farm for one of the four classes she will be offering there on July 30 (rain date July 31) at 9, 11, 1, and 3:00 pm. Come solo or bring some friends.

A light lunch will be served by Cecily Gans of The Main Course Catering, who will also be on hand to serve up and answer your questions about cooking with local foods. $50 per person includes one class, lunch, a small sample to take home and a gorgeous farm view. Class size will be small so sign up today to get a spot. You can send payment to, or drop it off at, Sport Hill Farm or register online using Brown Paper Tickets.

Who:	Patti Popp
Email:	farmgal596@yahoo.com
Web:	http://sporthillfarm.com

Sport Hill Farm, 596 Sport Hill Road, Easton, CT  06612

Sat. 7/30/11 : A CANNING PARTY (rain date July 31)

Class times: 9, 11, 1, and 3:00 pm

Fee: $50 per person which includes a chance to win a subscription to Edible Nutmeg, the event co-sponsor.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sherri Brooks Vinton in the founder of FarmFriendly LLC, which helps eaters, restaurateurs, and organizations support local agriculture. She is a former governor of Slow Food USA and a member of the Chef’s Collaborative, Women’s Chefs and Restaurateurs, Northeast Organic Farmers Association, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals. She is the author of The Real Food Revival and lives in Easton, Connecticut. Her Website is sherribrooksvinton.com

ABOUT THE BOOK

Put ‘em Up! A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook, from Drying and Freezing to Canning and Pickling

Put ‘em Up! by Sherri Brooks Vinton moves canning out of Grandma’s kitchen and into the twenty-first century, with recipes for Szechuan Beans, Sweet Pepper Jam, and Berry Bourbon. With detailed information for the most timid beginner, Vinton takes the fear out of canning, and all that encompasses the preserving method. Her step-by-step illustrations and helpful graphics keep first-timers on track.

Millstone Farm in Wilton is hosting an excellent educational event that will teach you how to compost your food waste at home. Learn what to compost, how to compost it, and how to use the finished product in your yard. Composting is the smartest way to take food waste and turn it into an enhancement for your yard and garden.

Food that’s thrown out instead of composted releases methane gas, contributing to global warming and climate change. Compost is a fantastic soil amendment and it costs you nothing, so you’re saving money in the end. Use an empty flour container, bowl or other receptacle to gather your food scraps in the kitchen (or a dedicated kitchen compost pail) and empty them regularly into your compost pile. Not sure how to compost and can’t make it to the workshop?  Visit Rodale’s web site for some immediate expert advice.

Two members of the Fairfield Organic Teaching Farm (FOTF), one a former herb farmer, Gene Banks, and the other a pioneer in establishing organic school gardens in Fairfield, Annelise McCay, will be answering your gardening questions at Fairfield Woods Branch Library this Saturday afternoon as part of the Seed to Seed Library program. The Seed to Seed Library lends seeds to library patrons, who in turn save seeds at the end of the season and return some to the library to replenish seed stocks. The Seed to Seed Library was launched last month and is one of the many programs available to the community thanks to a partnership between the FOTF and the Library. Registration is suggested and the program is free.

Red Bee honey tastings are formal, white linen events organized and led by owner, beekeeper, and author Marina Marchese. Guest are treated to a tour of Red Bee Apiary & Gardens, a honeybee talk, and finally a formal honey tasting at farmhouse style tables en plain air. Participants are encouraged to engage their curiosity through discussions while learning about the many types and styles of unique nectar source honeys. The menu is a carefully orchestrated “Tasting Flight” of seven single-origin, local honeys perfectly paired with locally produced, seasonal accompaniments including cheese, fruit, chocolate, nuts, bread, spices or herbs.

Event: Honey Tasting Laboratory Workshop with Honey Sommelier Marina Marchese

Location: Red Bee ® Apiary and Gardens, Weston, CT MAP QUEST

When: Sunday, May 29, 2011 from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm. This event takes place outside at Red Bee in the apiary gardens.

Cost: $35.00 per guest and includes all food and beverage, including a welcome glass of Prosecco.

RSVP and pre-payment are required to reserve your spot.
Please visit Red Bee’s website, scroll down to the event listing, and click “Add to Cart” to reserve your seat.

Questions? Email Marina Marchese at redbeehoney@gmail.com

Marina Marchese’s  book, “Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper” has just been released in paperback after a successful publication in hardcover. Carol Herman, the Books Editor at The Washington Times, named Marchese’s HONEYBEE as one of the “Books We Loved” in 2009.  Red Bee Honey is listed in the most recent edition of Patricia Brook’s “Food Lovers’ Guide to Connecticut”, a best of the best foodie guide to Connecticut.

Red Bee Honeys can be purchased at: the New Canaan farmers’ market (Sat. 10-2), Fairfield’s Brick Walk farmers’ market (Sat. 9-12), Fairfield Cheese Company (Fairfield), Catch a Healthy Habit Café (Fairfield), Aux Delices (Greenwich/Darien), Plum Pure Foods (Old Greenwich),  Practically Green (Ridgefield), Jones Family Winery (Shelton), Artisan Foods (Southbury), and McLaughlin Vineyard (Sandy Hook).

Restaurants using Red Bee Honey include LeFarm (Westport), Scoozi (New Haven), Winvian Luxury Resort (Litchfield), Billy Grants (East Haven), and The Unquowa School (Fairfield).

A beautiful new magazine called Sustainable Connecticut has launched. This  special preview in the April issue of Connecticut Cottages & Gardens magazine (CTC&G) profiles local leaders of the sustainable food movement who are inspiring all of us to change. They are creating a wonderful ripple effect that can be felt throughout the state, and beyond. Perhaps you know some of them or they have touched your lives, or maybe even the food you eat.

Video from WTNH’s Good Morning Connecticut show introducing Sustainable Connecticut magazine on Saturday April 2 with Analiese Paik, Founder & Editor of the Fairfield Green Food Guide, and WTNH’s Steve Villanueva.

Sustainable Farmer Sustainable Connecticut magazine begins on page 49 of CTC&G with a beautiful photo of Master Farmer Annie Farrell of Millstone Farm in Wilton with one of their heritage breed hens.  Annie Farrell, the subject of the magazine’s cover story, has spent her life establishing sustainable farms and sharing her knowledge with others as a consultant. Millstone Farm was founded by Betsy and Jesse Fink and they hired Farrell to help them build “a sustainable farm whose mission it is to build a healthy local food system that enhances the natural and social environment” according to the article.

Betsy is an environmentalist and philanthropist and runs the 75-acre farm which has a small CSA and supplies the highest quality fresh produce to top farm-to-table restaurants including the Dressing Room and Le Farm in Westport, Schoolhouse at Cannondale in Wilton, the Boathouse at Saugatuck, and the Barcelona restaurant group. Millstone Farm regularly hosts teachers, students and educational events at the farm where participants can learn directly from Master Farmer Annie Farrell. If you’re a beginning gardener, don’t miss Millstone’s Backyard Workshop on April 16.

Farm-to-Table Chefs & Whole Animal Butcher In the Locavore column “Staying Hungry”, I interviewed a few chefs who are leaders in the farm-to-table movement to share their latest news with readers. James Beard award-winning chef and sustainable food pioneer Michel Nischan presented at TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat” and was recently elected to Ashoka’s global fellowship of leading social entrepreneurs in more than 60 countries in recognition of his work at Wholesome Wave.

Bill Taibe, chef/owner of LeFarm restaurant in Westport and a James Beard Foundation award semifinalist for Best Chef: Northeast is finalizing his restaurant’s green certification process and is planning a second restaurant. Alex Gunuey caters farm-to-school meals at the Friends School in Wilton and started Bone A Part to provide discerning canines with gourmet, locavore dog food.

Fairfield County is welcoming two new sustainable food businesses – Mario Batali’s  Tarry Lodge Enoteca Pizzeria is due to open early summer in Westport and Ryan Fibiger, a graduate of Fleischer’s Grass-Fed and Organic Meats in Kingston, NY, will be opening a sustainable butcher shop specializing in whole animal (aka nose-to-tail) butchery soon in either Westport or Fairfield. Naturally chef Gunuey will be buying trimmings from Fibiger for his dog food, thereby ensuring that no part of the animal goes to waste.

In “Spring Lettuce” author and farmer Bill Duesing encourages us to plant some lettuce soon since it’s an excellent early spring crop that likes cool weather. Duesing is Executive Director of the Connecticut Chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association (CT NOFA) and recommends planting every 2-3 weeks so gardeners can enjoy lettuce through October. CT-NOFA is not just for farmers (I’m a member!) so please take a look at their upcoming workshops and events-one might be just right for you.

“The Great School Food Makeover” spotlights the success of The Unquowa School in Fairfield in making over their lunch menu to feature locally sourced foods from sustainable family farms. John Turenne, who helped create Yale’s sustainable dining program, left the university to found Sustainable Food Systems and took on the school as his first client. The Unquowa School has embraced Alice Waters’ edible schoolyard philosophy by not only putting in a school garden, but also by partnering with Sport Hill Farm in Easton to offer a summer farm camp that teach kids from early on where their food comes from and how to plant, cultivate and harvest it. Campers prepare a farm fresh lunch with school chef Peter Gorman on Fridays from food they picked that morning.

Pick up the magazine at the usual drop sites for CTC&G or visit the web site for a digital copy at sustainablethemagazine.com.

Enjoy the hard work of our farmers by seeking out the bounty of Connecticut Grown this spring. Foods that are special to the season like Spring parsnips, early lettuces, and fresh goat’s milk cheeses are a treat.

Displayed on the Ch. 8 set are the following CT Grown foods purchased on closing day of the Westport Winter Farmers’ Market:

• Fresh Spring goat’s milk cheese (chevre) and yogurt from Beltane Farm
• Soft ripened goat’s milk cheese from Beltane Farm called Danse de la Lune
• Cow’s milk and yogurt from Ladies of Levita Road dairy farm
• Certified Organic kale, mesclun greens (mixed salad greens), and flowering tarragon from 2 Guys from Woodbridge farm
• Certified Organic Spring parsnips, carrots, heirloom tomato sauce and bread and butter pickles from Riverbank Farm
• Certified Organic mixed baby greens and spinach from Star Light Gardens farm
• Loin lamb chops and lamb Bolognese sauce from Sankow’s Beaver Brook Farm

Please come back and let us know how you like Sustainable Connecticut magazine and what spring foods you’re enjoying now. Planting a garden? Share your garden photos with us on Facebook.

Whether you’re planning to start a backyard garden or are a seasoned gardener, there’s always something new to learn from Master Farmer Annie Farrell at Millstone Farm in Wilton. There’s so much to think about – where to plant, what to plant, how to plant (raised beds or not?), companion planting, watering and fertilizing (without chemicals), and how to deal with disease and pests. Learn best practices to ensure your gardening success during this 3-hours workshop where you’ll also enjoy a farm tour.

Please call 203.834.2605 or email fmasani@millstonefarm.org to reserve a spot (limited space).

Raising Backyard Chickens -An Interactive Workshop at Millstone Farm

With Master Farmer Annie Farrell

An informative workshop that will teach you all you need to know about raising your own backyard chickens

• Learn how to incubate, brood, and gather eggs in your very own back yard
• Become familiar with each critical step in caring for your chicks, providing the right environment and nurturing them to lay eggs
• You will get a resource book teaching you every step of the way as well as Millstone farm expertise
• Tour the farm and see our state of the art mobile chicken coop
• Interactive hands-on learning

When: March 12^th 2011

1:00 PM to 4:00PM

Where: Millstone Farm – 180 Millstone Road, Wilton CT 06897

Please contact Farah to register at

fmasani@millstonefarm.org or 203 834 2605

Cost:  $30 payable to Millstone Farm

Discount available for the first 5 spots for non-profit organizations and educators.

Space is limited

About Millstone Farm:

Millstone Farm is a 75-acre property in Wilton, CT. We are a working farm whose mission is to achieve a sustainable and economic farm model. The farm also serves as a hub for education and outreach, where we host workshops and action-learning activities, and partner with farmers, community organizations, school groups, restaurateurs, and others interested in learning about diverse, chemical-free farming. Our practices are geared towards achieving a closed loop system where the farm’s varied parts contribute to the whole working body. Our activities include; organic pasture management, rare breed animal husbandry for eggs, meat, wool, and breeding, bio-intensive vegetable and fruit production, maple syrup harvest, and more. We produce for local restaurants, Wilton’s only family-owned supermarket, and a small CSA. We strive to use best farm practices, encourage their implementation, and promote awareness about their positive impact on local economies, the community, and quality of life.

On February 12, 2011, Chef Michel Nischan, CEO, President & Founder of Wholesome Wave,  will speak at TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat” in New York City.   This one-day TEDx event aims to explore the US food system — from what happened, to where we are, to what we are doing to change to a more sustainable way of eating and farming.  In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.  The Glynwood Institute for Sustainable Food and Farming is the lead sponsor for “Changing the Way We Eat.”

“It is possible to create real change in our nation’s food system by establishing healthy food commerce where ‘food deserts’ now exist,” says James Beard Award-winning chef and author Nischan, whose nonprofit’s mission is to empower historically excluded urban and rural communities to make better food choices by increasing access to and affordability of fresh, locally grown food.

The day includes a world-class line-up of inspiring speakers from all disciplines of the sustainable food world, including:

• Lucas Knowles, USDA Coordinator of “Know Your Farmer Know Your Food”
• Laurie David, Environmental Author and Activist
• Professor Frederick Kaufman, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
• Curt Ellis, Filmmaker and star of the Peabody Award-winning film King Corn, co-Founder FoodCorps
• Josh Viertel, President of Slow Food USA
• Cheryl Rogowski, Small Family Farmer & the first US farmer awarded a MacArthur Genius Award
• Kenneth Cook, President of the Environmental Working Group
• Dr. William Li, President of the Angiogenesis Foundation
• Karen Hudson, President of the Dairy Education Alliance
• Britta Riley, Windowfarms creator and artist
• Brian Halweil, editor of Edible East End, publisher of Edible Brooklyn and Edible Manhattan, senior fellow at the Worldwatch Institute and Co-Director of the Nourishing the Planet project
• Barbara Askins, President of the 125^th St Business Improvement District [Harlem
• Ian Cheney, founding Board member of Food Corps, filmmaker [Truck Farm, The Greening of Southie, King Corn], urban truck farmer
• Michael Conard, Asst Director at the Urban Design Lab & Adjunct Assoc Professor, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at Columbia University.
• John Fraser, Chef/Proprietor of Dovetail restaurant and What Happens When, NYC
• Kathy Lawrence, Program Director of the national collaborative School Food FOCUS
• Elizabeth Ü, Executive Director of Finance for Food, a solutions-oriented innovator at the intersection of sustainable food systems and social finance
• Entertainment by ETHEL

Please click here for a complete WebCast schedule.

In an effort to have as many people as possible participate in TEDxManhattan, the day will be webcast live, with over 60 ‘viewing parties’ already confirmed around the world.  To find out if there is a viewing party near you, visit www.TEDxManhattan.org/viewing-parties.  And there’s still time to organize an event in your area – details can be found on the website.

You can also watch the event live from your home on February 12^th from 10:30am – 6:00pm EST at www.livestream.com/tedx.  Nischan is scheduled to speak at 5:30pm EST.

For more information about TEDxManhattan, visit www.TEDxManhattan.org ; media can contact geralyn@resourcescommunications.com, telephone 281.980.6643.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like* experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place in Long Beach, California, with simulcast in Palm Springs; TEDGlobal is held each year in Oxford, UK. TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to organize local, independent TED-like events around the world; and the TEDFellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

Follow TED on Twitter at twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at facebook.com/TED.

Find a Viewing Party in your Area to Listen to the Live Webcast

TEDx is encouraging everyone to set up viewing parties or attend one in your area. Visit the TEDxManhattan MeetUp Everywhere page to register your event and to see events around you. If you are planning an event, please email TEDxManhattan@gmail.com to have our event registered on the site.

If you find you can’t attend a local viewing party, you can watch TEDxManhattan live on your computer at http://livestream.com/tedx.

How to Host a Viewing Party

Please adhere to the following rules:

• Viewing parties must be held in a non-commercial venue. This means in a home, office, school, library, nonprofit organization, or community center. You cannot hold a TEDx in a commercial venue such as a restaurant or coffee shop.
• TEDx viewing parties must be free of charge to all attendees.
• Events cannot hold more than 100 people without prior approval. Please email TEDxManhattan@gmail.com if you think your event will exceed 100 people.
• You cannot attach any type of advertising or sponsor messages to the webcast.

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By Analiese Paik
If you’ve resolved to lower your carbon footprint in 2011, the kitchen is one of the best places to start. Numerous opportunities to reduce, reuse, recycle – and even compost – are created each day as we  shop, prepare and cook meals at home.

On Saturday, January 15, 2011 WTNH’s Good Morning CT Show news anchor Ted Koppy interviewed Fairfield Green Food Guide Founder Analiese Paik about Greening Your Kitchen. Watch to learn some simple steps to lower your “foodprint”!

What if I told you that some of these eco-conscious practices can actually save you money while reducing your family’s impact on the Earth? These money-saving choices are highlighted in green below. I invite you to choose three action items from the list below that you can resolve to incorporate into your kitchen management practices this year. Please let us know how you do!

Stop throwing away food.

Make “Use it or Freeze It” your mantra. Learn not to buy more than you need, use your freezer to save food for another day, and start a “Clean Out the Refrigerator Night” once a week. You will save money by cutting down on wasted food.

Recycle everything you can.

Recycle glass, plastic, metal (even cleaned aluminum foil) curbside; Whole Foods collects #5s and cork for recycling (feel free to pop in just to drop off your recycling). Recycling costs you nothing but is a huge gift to the environment.

Use recycled products.

Use post-consumer recycled aluminum foil and paper products (napkins & paper towels), phosphate-free dishwashing liquid and dishwasher soap, and biodegradable garbage bags.

Compost your food scraps – even in the winter.

Food that’s thrown out instead of composted releases methane gas, contributing to global warming and climate change. Compost is a fantastic soil amendment and it costs you nothing, so you’re saving money in the end. Use an empty flour container, bowl or other receptacle to gather your food scraps in the kitchen (or a dedicated kitchen compost pail) and empty them regularly into your compost pile.

Not sure how to compost? Sign up for the Fairfield Organic Teaching Farm’s composting workshop on January 15 from 9:30-11:00 am with Master Gardener and organic gardening expert Nick Mancini to learn how. Or visit Rodale’s web site for some immediate expert advice.

Buy local in season

Buy locally grown food in season to reduce the “food miles” your food has to travel to reach your plate and cut down on food packaging. Fewer food miles translate into reduced use of fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Less packaging means you create less waste. You’ll also be providing a living wage to our farmers, ensuring farmland preservation, and encouraging the cultivation of a diversity of species, including heritage and heirloom varietals.

CSAs (community supported agriculture) programs are the most economical way to source locally grown foods and January is the time to add your name to waiting lists. Please visit our CSA page for more information. Winter farmers’ markets offer more flexibility because, unlike CSAs, you only buy the items you want in a quantity that’s just right for you. CSAs on the other hand encourage us to try new foods and eat more fruits and vegetables.

Choose organic.

Choose organic whenever possible to protect the environment and human health. Organic foods and wines are cultivated without the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides so they do not deplete the soil, damage the environment or pose threats to human health. Local organic CSAs are the most economical ways to buy fresh local produce and fruit.

Choose grass-fed meat.

Grass is the natural diet of cows and other ruminants, not corn and other grains. Most of the meat found in supermarkets is feedlot meat that has been fed industrial corn and soy (usually GMO) that’s been sprayed with pesticides and grown with synthetic fertilizers. Feedlots, also known as CAFOs (Contained Animal Feeding Operations) do not use the manure they produce as fertilizer because it is too concentrated and filled with antibiotics routinely fed to the cows to prevent them from getting sick due to their close living quarters.

Grass-fed meat is raised on pasture and the cow patties are used as manure for crops, in many cases after chickens have had a chance to eat the bugs from them. Closing the nutrient cycle means that cow manure returns to the soil as an amendment rather than stagnating as waste that runs off and fouls waterways. Grass-fed beef has been found to contain less saturated fat (and therefore fewer calories) and many times more Omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef, so it’s better for your health too. Laurel Ridge Farm offers a grass-fed beef CSA and grass-fed meat is available from several CT farms through CT Farm Fresh Express.

Stop using single use plastic storage bags.

Use Lunch Skins to store lunches and snacks to go. Lunch Skins are an eco-chic, reusable and dishwasher- safe alternative to disposable plastic sandwich and snack bags made from a high quality, moisture-proof German fabric used worldwide in the food industry.They can be used hundreds of times, unlike single use plastic bags which wind up in landfills and take somewhere between 500 and 1,000 years to decompose. Buying Lunch Skins snack and sandwich bags once and reusing them for years saves you money.

Consider Lunch Skins when planning school and other fundraisers. The company’s unique co-branding program enables you to put your group’s logo on the bag for a small minimum order. What a great way to raise money, spread sustainable practices, and show your organization’s commitment to greening our world.

Start a garden this Spring.

Even if you just plant peas in a container on St. Patrick’s Day, you will enjoy the freshest, most delicious peas you’ve ever had because you’ve grown them yourself. Research has shown that children who grow and pick their own food tend to eat it. That means they’ll eat more vegetables!

Seeds are very inexpensive, and if you make your own compost, you’ll likely wind up saving money by growing your own. A fantastic source of inspiration and advice for home gardeners is Kitchen Gardeners International, the group behind the campaign to replant a kitchen garden at the White House. Comstock Ferre & Co., a 200-year-old seed company in Wethersfield, CT, offers a wide variety of heirloom seeds via their catalog or online store. Read more about Comstock here.

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