Guests entering the auditorium to view FRESH

On a sunny yet crisp winter’s day at Audubon Greenwich last Saturday, over 100 guests gathered to attend a screening of the documentary food film FRESH.  This film is the perfect excuse to invite members of the local-sustainable food movement to serve on the guest panel and share their passions with the public. A complete list of all the panelists and exhibitors appears below, along with a photo gallery from the event.

The guest panel, from left to right: Dan Levinson, Amy Kalafa, Rachel Khanna, Melina Brown and Deb Marsden

Thoughtful audience questions during the panel discussion clearly demonstrate an ongoing need for continued dialog on this topic. Please read “How to Eat FRESH this Winter” to learn ways you can join or increase your participation in the local-sustainable food movement.  Please sign up for the e-newsletter and follow me on Facebook and Twitter so we can stay connected.

The cheese was e a big hit and this cheddar was my favorite. Many thanks to all the farmers who donated their cheese to the event and Deb Marsden for arranging the donation and getting it here!

I’m delighted to have received very positive emails from a number of guests, one of whom posted a fantastic review of the event on his blog. He’s become a fan of the Fairfield Green Food Guide and Audubon Greenwich and is looking forward to more events like FRESH. As a reminder, Jeff Cordulack at Audubon has planned  two more screenings that are worth the trip: ‘A Chemical Reaction’ on Sunday, March 28 from 3:30-5 pm and ‘Tapped’: A Movie About Bottled Water on Friday, April 23 from 7-9 pm.

Thank you Fairfield Bread Company for donating "The Flaxette" to the event.

Remember Russ Kremer? He’s the hog farmer from FRESH who’s also the poster boy for how sick superbugs passed from animals to humans can make us. Well an excellent op-ed piece in Sunday’s NYT by Nicholas Kristof opens our eyes to the disturbing fact that “70 percent of antibiotics are used to feed healthy livestock, with 14 percent more used to treat sick livestock. Only about 16 percent are used to treat humans and their pets, the study found.” Russ was lucky they could save him with a new generation antibiotic, but the article suggests that increasingly, we might not be so lucky. And so, the FRESH story continues.

Panelists:

Moderator: Analiese Paik, Founder of the Fairfield Green Food Guide

Dan Levinson, Co-founder and Chairman of Westport Green Village Initiative (GVI)

Dan is Founder and Chairman of Westport Green Village Initiative(GVI); and Founder/Chairman of Main Street Resources

www.westportgvi.org;  www.mainstreetresources.com

Deb Marsden, Founder, CT Farm Fresh Express

Deb Marsden is the founder of CT Farm Fresh Express, a farm-to-consumer company that sells exclusively CT grown and made food. Deb has been featured in article in the New York Times, the Faith Middleton Show on NPR, and NBC 30 News. www.ctffe.com

Amy Kalafa, co-producer school lunch documentary 2 Angry Moms, and a better school food advocate

Rachel Khanna, an organic chef and Certified Health Counselor

Melina Brown, a chicken expert and founder of the Southern CT/Westchester Backyard Poultry Meetup

Exhibitors:

Analiese Paik, Founder, Fairfield Green Food Guide, LLC

Analiese is a local-sustainable food advocate who helps consumers source local and sustainable food via her web site, blog, live events and regular guest appearances on News Ch. 8’s Good Morning CT Weekend. www.fairfieldgreenfoodguide.com

Deb Marsden, Founder, CT Farm Fresh Express

Deb Marsden is the founder of CT Farm Fresh Express, a farm-to-consumer company that sells exclusively CT grown and made food. Consumers place their custom order online once-a-week home delivery that Friday. Deb has been featured in article in the New York Times, the Faith Middleton Show on NPR, and NBC 30 News. www.ctffe.com

Amy Kalafa, a better school food advocate and co-producer of the school lunch documentary, 2 Angry Moms

Rachel Khanna, an organic chef and Certified Health Counselor

Melina Brown, a chicken expert and founder of the Southern CT/Westchester Backyard Poultry Meetup

Nick Mancini, Master Gardener, Founder Organic Gardening Simplfied

Nick is a Certified Master Gardener from the Cooperative Extension System of the University of Connecticut, and past head Master Gardener of Vegetables, Brambles and Fruit Frees at Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford, CT. He is a lecturer, educator and consultant that specializes in vegetables, brambles and espaliered fruit trees. Nick is a member of CT NOFA. www.organicgardeningsimplified.com

Fairfield Bread Company - a new artisan bakery making the bread served at the event, The Flaxette. Michael Mordecai can be reached via http://fairfieldbread.blogspot.com/

Artscape Organic Care LLC - Owner Mike Pappa is a CT NOFA Certified organic landcare specialist serving Fairfield County.

I’m so grateful for the support and generosity of Audubon Greenwich.  Special thanks go to Deb Marsden of CT Farm Fresh Express for arranging the cheese donations from the followingfarmers listed below and to Fairfield Bread Company for donating their “Flaxette” loaf to the event and Glenville Wines for the organic wines they donated to accompany the cheese tasting.

Connecticut cheeses served during the FRESH reception/exhibition:

Cato Corner Farm, Colchester (all cow’s milk)

Hooligan

Brigid’s Abbey

Aged Dutch Farmstead

Beltane Farm, Lebanon (all goat’s milk)

Feta

Dill chevre

Chive chevre

Sankow’s Beaver Brook Farm, Lyme

Pleasant Cow (cow’s milk)

Sun (cow’s milk)

Pleasant Valley (sheep’s milk)

M&K Dairy, Lebanon (all cow’s milk)

Black Pepper Queso Fresco

Chive Queso Fresco

Meadowstone Farm, Brooklyn (cow’s milk)

Cheddar

All these cheeses are available for online ordering and home delivery from CT Farm Fresh Express. See you at the movies!

The Garden Expo is presented annually by the Garden Expo Committee for the benefit of River-Lab, a program of the Mill River Wetland Committee, a unique hands-on program of environmental study.

Rumor has it the SUPER NEW mobile, wood-fired brick oven is coming to cook up some farm-fresh lunch for hungry visitors. I’m putting in my order now for whole wheat pizza with winter spinach and goat cheese! We can find him in the parking lot next to the kettle corn truck.

Admission:

Adult $6
Children $4
Sr. Citizen $5

Location:

Fairfield Ludlowe High School CONVENIENT LOCATION!
785 Unquowa Road
Fairfield, CT 06824
Free Parking
Map with directions
Launch Yahoo! Maps

Drawing:

There will be a drawing for a door prize each day. Last year’s door prizes were valued at $250 each.
Garden Expo Photos

The Mill River Wetland Committe, Inc. (MRWC) is an award winning non-profit organization founded in 1967 to strengthen environmental education through the study of the river basin system. Funds raised from THE GARDEN EXPO are used toward the operating budget of the organization and to fund curriculum development projects.

For more information, please contact us at 203-913-0172 or gardenexpoct@aol.com .

Neil Gluckin is a writer, communications consultant and local food advocate who lives in Wilton, CT. He explores the links between food, self and community in his blog at forageprimeval.com.

photos courtesy of Stephanie Webster, Founder/Editor CTBites

Tapping maples goes high tech

After firing up the generator that runs the vacuum pump, Mark Harran watches intently as liquid begins to flow through plastic tubing connected to a sleek spout protruding from the trunk of a tree. We are a long way from wooden buckets, tanks of sap on horse-drawn sleds and rustic smoke-filled sugar houses, but Harran is aiming at the same result: maple syrup, the addictive nectar that Americans have been distilling from the sap of the sugar maple since the legendary Chief Wokis first struck a tree with his tomahawk and made it weep sweet tears.

Sap being collected from a maple tree tap and bucket system

A 30-year veteran of the food industry, Harran, now retired, has returned to his roots. He grew up on a farm in upstate New York that hung buckets from 5,700 taps, and he lives on one now, in Litchfeld, where he does the same thing albeit on a smaller scale. In addition to being a private farmer, he also serves as President of the Maple Syrup Producers Association of Connecticut. In both roles, Harran is a zealous advocate of sustainable forest management and a promoter of modern production techniques.

It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon syrup, so efficiency matters.

But the issue that really engages this modern local food artisan goes considerably beyond a love of trees and technology. You’ll see it for yourself next time you buy maple syrup. Where does the stuff sold in your store come from? Vermont is sure to be represented, Canada without doubt, and possibly New York, Massachusetts or Pennsylvania. And how much syrup from Connecticut? Unless you’re at a farmers market, you’re not likely to find any.

“We currently tap about one-tenth of one percent of all the sugar maples in the state,” Harran says, noting that the resulting annual yield of syrup and other maple sugar products is worth about $1 million. That places Connecticut in last place behind the 9 other states where maple syrup is made. “If Connecticut tapped the same percentage of its trees as Vermont does - 2.1% — the annual contribution to the state’s economy would exceed $20 million in ten years,” he calculates. For that matter, Harran adds, if all the U.S. States producing maple products raised their tapping percentage to Vermont’s level (the current nationwide average is .4%), the value produced would exceed $300 million and the U.S would eclipse Quebec, the current world leader.

The evaporator at work boiling down the sap into maple syrup

No matter what the amount, the process of creating maple syrup from tree sap is a miracle of arboreal and human ingenuity. For most of the year, the sap of the sugar maple is an inedible mixture of water and various starches. But in February and March, in preparation for the growing season that lies ahead, enzymes in the tree convert starch to sugar. Taps and buckets (or vacuum tubing) at the ready, maple syrup makers everywhere pray the process will start early and continue as long as possible. “Typically the season begins on February 1 and continues for 6 to 8 weeks,” Harran explains, “although cold weather this year has delayed the start considerably. “My rule of thumb is that when the baseball season begins, the maple sugar season is over.”

Vats of rare CT maple syrup await storage and bottling for retail sale.

Daylight is the main driver of the process. At this time of the year, as the days get longer and the temperature of the wood reaches 40 degrees, the starch-converting enzymes get busy. Cold nights and sunny days cause pressure inside the tree to rise, driving energy-rich sap - as much as 200 to 300 gallons per day — upwards to still-dormant buds. The same pressure that pushes the sap up also pushes it out of the tree through the maple syrup maker’s taps and spouts. In mid to late March, when the temperature of the wood reaches 45 degrees, the starch-converting enzymes stop functioning, and shouts of “play ball!” are soon heard across the land.

At 66 brix, it's syrup!

While the sap is running, it needs to be collected frequently; otherwise it will begin to ferment, just as milk might if left out too long. On the same day as he collects sap, Mark Harran boils it, evaporating the water away until the sugar content of the resulting liquid reaches 66% (or “66 brix” in the lingo of the trade). Sap collected in the cooler, early part of season tends to have sugar content as high as 4% and relatively little fermentation. This sap therefore requires less cooking, and consequently produces the paler and more delicately flavored “A” grades of syrup. Sap collected later in the season has lower sugar and will tend to ferment more because daytime temperatures are higher. More boiling is required to get this later-season sap to 66 brix, which in turn produces the darker, more strongly-flavored “B” grade. Early or late, as the sap cooks, its various constituent sugars interact and the resulting chemical reaction creates both the color and depth of flavor that are the characteristic hallmarks of maple syrup.

Visit a farm that does maple sugaring demonstrations to learn about our food heritage and who the family farmers are that keep the tradition alive.

Harran’s approach to making maple syrup is a model of environmentally compatible technology. That means he employs techniques that produce more syrup without increasing energy use, carbon emissions or stress to either tree, forest or syrup maker. The newly developed vacuum-pumping system that he uses on 300 of his 500 trees, for instance, allows him to increase annual yields from 10 gallons of sap per tap to 40 or more.  In his sugarhouse, he saves energy by using the steam from his evaporator to pre-heat sap to 200 degrees as it flows into the boiling pan. The bottom line for these improvements is that Harran gets six times more syrup from the same amount of energy. He notes that there other techniques now being refined, such as using reverse osmosis to increase the brix of the sap before it gets to the evaporator, that further reduces the amount of cooking required. Considering that it takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup - in other words, a whole lot of boiling — these gains in efficiency are significant.

Mark Harran's efficient system for tapping trees

To turn Connecticut maple syrup into a $20+ million a year revenue generator, in Harran’s view, calls for more than sophisticated production techniques. Protecting not only the state’s sugar maples for the long haul (a single tree will be productive for 300 years or more) but also its forests is an obvious and essential requirement. And so is a modern marketing system, one in which farmers collaborate in order to guarantee uninterrupted supply and efficient order fulfillment to large grocery chains and other sizeable buyers here and abroad.

Harran is optimistic about the prospects for a robust local food infrastructure in our state. “There’s a new generation of farmers coming of age in Connecticut,” he says, “who combine technological smarts with business acumen. They’re the reason that smaller specialty farms are showing signs of growth.” For all his enthusiasm for 21st century farming, Mark Harran, who describes himself as a  “maple worshipper,” is clearly in love with making syrup, as he has been all his life. Says he: “there’s nothing like a night in the sugar house, producing a few gallons an hour, making the real stuff. There’s just no greater satisfaction.” Well, there might be just one satisfaction sweeter than making maple syrup, and that would be eating it.

Got a craving for syrup?

Maple syrup producers are normally happy to welcome visitors, explain the process and of course sell their products. This 2010 guide to Connecticut Sugarhouses [PDF] will help you locate one near you. There may also be other local maple sugar producers where you live running special programs. Ambler Farm in Wilton, CT, for instance, has a maple syrup open house from 12:30 to 1:30 this coming Saturday, March 6 (there’s more information on their website at www.amblerfarm.org), and a maple syrup sale on April 3. Winter Farmers’ Markets including Norwalk, Fairfield, Coventry, Litchfield and Wooster Square in New Haven sell local syrup. For a complete list of winter markets, visit this CT Department of Agriculture website at http://www.ct.gov/doag/cwp/view.asp?a=3260&q=449350.=

Editor’s Note: My family and I visited Warrup’s Farm in Redding last year to learn about maple sugaring and it was both fun and educational. Here’s a link to the story.

The CT Specialty Food Association (CSFA) held its ninth Product Awards Competition on Thursday, February 18, 2010, at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville. Two hundred thirty-seven specialty food items from Connecticut-based manufacturers were entered into 20 categories, with hopes of receiving the prestigious honor of CSFA Product Award Winner 2010. A complete list of Thursday’s winners appears below.

A panel of 30 judges consisting of local media personalities, food writers, and chefs from the CT Department of Agriculture’s Farm-to-Chef Program scored products on overall taste, originality, variety, and flavor. Each judge was assigned to specific categories, responsible for evaluating an average of approximately 30 different products.

Categories included beverages, confections, dairy, gift packs, gluten-free, pasta sauces, savory condiments, snack foods, and a dozen others. The wide array of products featured fine chocolates, ice cream sauces, pestos, pickles, hot teas and coffees, flavored seeds, breads, and much, much more.

“It is always amazing to see the diversity and quality of fine foods made by producers right here in Connecticut,” said Tricia Levesque, CSFA Director. “This competition showcases the best of the best in the state. Not only are these products perfect for everyday meals and parties, they also make wonderful gifts. Who wouldn’t be delighted to receive a package filled with such fabulous gourmet foods?”

“Purchasing products from Connecticut companies also fuels our local economy and helps create jobs here in our state, which is more important now than ever before,” Ms. Levesque continued. “It really is a win-win for everyone - consumers get the best quality foods available and Connecticut companies stay strong.”

Consumers looking for CT specialty food products can visit the Connecticut Food Association’s web site and ask for them at local markets and grocers. (Editor’s Note: I’ve added a partial list of retailers plus links to more for some of the winners.) The Connecticut Creative - A General Store in Hartford and Well Baskets in Newtown offer a selection of CT specialty foods an CT-themed gift baskets featuring numerous CT specialty food items and can ship baskets anywhere in the country.

CSFA is a subdivision of the CT Food Association and is a non-profit organization that represents small food businesses based in the state. The CT Department of Agriculture attends CSFA meetings and provides information to the organization as appropriate.

To learn more, visit www.ctfood.org or email ctfood@ctfood.org.

THE CT SPECIALTY FOOD ASSOCIATION

2010 PRODUCT AWARDS COMPETITION WINNERS

2010 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

The Purple Pear by Tina, Willington, CT

Buttered Almond Cream

OUTSTANDING BARBECUE SAUCE

1st Place

Gourmet Conveniences, Ltd., Litchfield, CT

Sweet Sunshine Sauce - Sweet

2nd Place

RGN Sales, Inc., Coventry, CT

Rich’s Sweet Heat

3rd Place (The Pantry in Fairfield, Walter Stewart’s Market in New Canaan and Palmer’s Market in Darien & others carry this product)

The Gracious Gourmet, Bridgewater, CT

Sweet Tomato Grilling Sauce

OUTSTANDING BEVERAGE

1st Place

Willoughby’s Coffee & Tea, Branford, CT

Sumatra Mandheling French Roast Organic Coffee

2nd Place

Willoughby’s Coffee & Tea, Branford, CT

Super Keemun Hao Ya “A” Tea

3rd Place

Willoughby’s Coffee & Tea, Branford, CT

English Breakfast Tea

OUTSTANDING BREAD

1st Place

Michele’s Pies, Norwalk, CT (Walter Stewart’s Market in New Canaan & others carry this brand )

Zucchini Nut Bread

2nd Place

Wave Hill Breads (New England Bread Company, LLC), Wilton, CT (Available at The Pantry in Fairfield , Balducci’s, Whole Foods & more plus area farmers’ markets)

Three Grain Pain du Campagne - Country Bread

3rd Place

Wave Hill Breads (New England Bread Company, LLC), Wilton, CT

Three Grain Petit EPI

OUTSTANDING CONFECTION, BAKED FOOD, COOKIE OR CRACKER

1st Place

Michele’s Pies, Norwalk, CT (available at Walter Stewart’s Market, New Canaan & others)

Pear Cranberry with Walnut Crumb Pie

2nd Place

Willoughby’s Coffee & Tea, Branford, CT

Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans

3rd Place

Kathie’s Kitchen, LLC, Newtown, CT

Mucha Superseedz

OUTSTANDING DAIRY

1st Place

Cato Corner Farm, LLC, Colchester, CT (available at Walter Stewart’s Market, New Canaan; CT Farm Fresh Express, Village Market in Wilton and more)

Black Ledge Blue Cheese

2nd Place

Cato Corner Farm, LLC, Colchester, CT

Bridgid’s Abbey Cheese

3rd Place

Cato Corner Farm, LLC, Colchester, CT

Bloomsday Cheese

OUTSTANDING FROZEN FOOD

1st Place

Michele’s Pies, Norwalk, CT (available at Walter Stewart’s Market in New Canaan & others)

Australian Beef Pie

2nd Place

Michele’s Pies, Norwalk, CT

Quiche Lorraine

3rd Place

Michele’s Pies, Norwalk, CT

Chicken Pot Pie

OUTSTANDING GLUTEN FREE

1st Place

Gilbert’s Gourmet Goodies, Sandy Hook, CT (click here for a full list of retailers). Click here for a previous post about the company.

Apple Crumb Pie

2nd Place

Can’t Beet It, LLC, South Windsor, CT

Can’t Beet It - Medium Beet Horseradish

3rd Place

Can’t Beet It, LLC, South Windsor, CT

Can’t Beet It - Hot Beet Horseradish

OUTSTANDING GIFT PACK

1st Place

The Purple Pear by Tina, Willington, CT

Two & Four Box Dessert Topping Gift Pack

2nd Place

Sweet Maven’s, LLC, East Hartford, CT

Biscotti Jar (Valentine’s Day)

3rd Place (Available at Walter Stewart’s in New Canaan, Caraluzzi’s , A&J Farmstand in Westport and more)

Ola! Foods, LLC, Redding, CT

Ola! Granola Gift Jars

OUTSTANDING HERB, SEASONING OR SPICE BLEND

1st Place

Passage Foods, Collinsville, CT

Pad Thai

2nd Place (Available at Walter Stewart’s in New Canaan, Palmer’s, Whole Foods Markets & more)

El’s Kitchen, Inc., Weston, CT

Moroccan Lamb Spice Rub

3rd Place

Passage Foods, Collinsville, CT

Red Thai Curry

OUTSTANDING HORS D’OEUVRE

1st Place

Can’t Beet It, LLC, South Windsor, CT

Can’t Beet It - Hot Beet Horseradish

2nd Place

Artisan C.S.F., Colchester, CT

Lobster Lover’s Dip

3rd Place

Can’t Beet It, LLC, South Windsor, CT

Can’t Beet It - Medium Beet Horseradish

OUTSTANDING JAM, HONEY OR SWEET TOPPING

1st Place

The Purple Pear By Tina, Willington, CT

Buttered Almond Cream

2nd Place

Twin Pines Farm, Thomaston, CT

Raspberry Rhubarb Jam

3rd Place

Twin Pines Farm, Thomaston, CT

Raspberry Peach Jam

OUTSTANDING OIL, VINEGAR OR SALAD DRESSING

1st Place

Capa di Roma, East Hartford, CT

Aged Balsamic Vinegar

2nd Place

Stark Naked, Inc., Monroe, CT

Japanese Ginger Dressing

3rd Place

Ariston Specialties, LLC, New Britain, CT

Ariston Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar

OUTSTANDING PACKAGING OR DESIGN

1st Place

May Cookie Company, Newington, CT

Hearty & Wholesome Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie Mix

Rich & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Triple Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Mix

2nd Place

Bridgewater Chocolate, Brookfield, CT

Cherry Hearts

3rd Place

Cookie Wishes, LLC/Les Oliviers, LLC, Newtown, CT

Winton Farms Wildflower Honey

OUTSTANDING PASTA SAUCE

1st Place

Frank’s Marinara, Amston, CT

NY Style Sicilian Gravy

2nd Place

Frank’s Marinara, Amston, CT

Original Marinara Sauce

3rd Place

Chef Silvio’s of Wooster Street/New Med Foods, LLC, Guilford, CT

FraDiavolo Sauce

OUTSTANDING PASTA, RICE OR SOUP

1st Place

Boxed Goodes, LLC, Litchfield, CT

Sunny Dahl

2nd Place

Artisan C.S.F., Colchester, CT

Jambalaya Soup

3rd Place

Artisan C.S.F., Colchester, CT

Tortilla Soup

OUTSTANDING PICKLE, RELISH OR TAPENADE

1st Place (The Pantry in Fairfield, Walter Stewart’s Market in New Canaan and Palmer’s Market in Darien & others carry this product)

The Gracious Gourmet, Bridgewater, CT

Artichoke Parmesan Tapenade

2nd Place

The Gracious Gourmet, Bridgewater, CT

Dilled Carrot Tomato Tapenade

3rd Place

The Gracious Gourmet, Bridgewater, CT

Roasted Vegetable Tapenade

OUTSTANDING PRODUCT LINE

1st Place

Boxed Goodes, LLC, Litchfield, CT

Herbs, Rice, Snacks & Soup

– TIE –

Twin Pines Farm, Thomaston, CT

Jams, Pickles, Relish & Vinegar

2nd Place

The Olive Oil Factory, LLC, Watertown, CT

Flavored Oils

3rd Place

Gourmet Conveniences, Ltd., Litchfield, CT

Sweet Sunshine Sauce

OUTSTANDING SALSA OR HOT SAUCE

1st Place

Mama Manju’s Salsa, Chester, CT

Fandango Mango Salsa

2nd Place

Fresh Trak Foods, LLC, East Granby, CT

Salsa Loca - Just Right

– TIE –

Giff’s Original, LLC, Cheshire, CT

Mango Spice Salsa

3rd Place

Gourmet Conveniences, Ltd., Litchfield, CT

Sweet Sunshine Sauce - Atomic

OUTSTANDING SAVORY CONDIMENT

1st Place (The Pantry in Fairfield, Walter Stewart’s Market in New Canaan and Palmer’s Market in Darien & others carry this product)

The Gracious Gourmet, Bridgewater, CT

Gingered Peach Apricot Spread

2nd Place

Can’t Beet It, LLC, South Windsor, CT

Can’t Beet It - Medium Beet Horseradish

3rd Place

Can’t Beet It, LLC, South Windsor, CT

Can’t Beet It - Hot Beet Horseradish

OUTSTANDING SNACK FOOD

1st Place

Aurora Products, Inc., Stratford, CT

Wizard’s Mix

2nd Place (Walter Stewart’s Market in New Canaan & others carry this brand)

Michele’s Pies, Norwalk, CT

Sweet & Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

3rd Place

Aurora Products, Inc., Stratford, CT

Spicy Pub Mix

CONNECTICUT GROWN - The Local Flavor

Visit us at www.CTGrown.gov

1)      Shop at a winter farmers’ market and stock up for the week. Both Fairfield and Norwalk have indoor winter farmers’ markets that run on Saturdays from 10-2 and offer a wide variety of CT Grown produce, cheese, yogurt, eggs, meat, bread, and artisan made foods. Fairfield’s is held inside the Fairfield Theater Company on Sanford Street and Norwalk’s is held at 61-65 Wall St., near the Garden Cinemas.

2)      Buy CT Grown foods online for home delivery. Order online from CT Farm Fresh Express (CTFFE) by noon Tuesday for a Friday home delivery. You pick what and how much CT-grown food you want from their online store and they deliver it to your door. No minimums, no membership fees and no ongoing commitment. Leave a cooler with ice packs on your doorstep if you won’t be home to receive the delivery. New: Order your CSA from CTFFE for home delivery.

3)      Buy from local, family-owned specialty or independent grocers that make it a point to carry locally grown and produced food. Palmer’s Market in Darien, The Village Market of Wilton Fairfield Cheese Company and The Pantry in Fairfield, and Walter Stewart’s Market in New Canaan carry a selection of local fruits, vegetables, breads, cheeses, honey, and artisanal foods.

4)      Buy from national retailers that are committed to selling locally grown and other sustainably grown and harvested foods. Whole Foods Markets in Greenwich and Westport proudly feature produce from local farms, artisan products from local producers, and a wide range of organic and Fair Trade Certified foods like coffee, tea and chocolate.

5)      Dine at restaurants that source local and organic ingredients. Farm-to-Chef restaurants in the county include: The Boxcar Cantina in Greenwich uses local and sustainably grown food and is Fairfield County’s first restaurant to receive a Green Restaurant Certification from the Green Restaurant Association. Health in a Hurry and Catch a Healthy Habit Cafe in Fairfield, The Dressing Room and the newly minted Le Farm in Westport, Bloodroot in Bridgeport, Cobbs Mill Inn in Weston, David’s Catering and Napa & Co. in Stamford, and Woodway Country Club in Darien all cook with the seasons using fresh, local ingredients. Look for The Filling Station to open soon in New Canaan; it will feature grass-fed burgers, nitrate-free hot dogs, organic French fries and antibiotic and hormone-free milk shakes.

6)      Buy some Connecticut wine directly from a winery or buy organic and biodynamic wines from a wine shop like Glenville Wine & Spirits in Greenwich and Harry’s Wines & Spirits in Southport. Some standouts from the Connecticut Wine Festival were Sharpe Hill Vineyard’s Ballet of Angels, the award-winning wines of Hopkins Vineyards, Miranda Vineyard’s Seyval Blanc and Woodridge White, Land of Nod’s Bianca, Taylor Brooke’s Traminette and Connecticut Valley Winery’s Chianti and port-style Black Bear.

7) Join a spring, summer or winter 2010 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture program).  Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a means for consumers to buy a share in a farm’s seasonal production directly from the farmer. Consumers benefit from buying local, farm fresh, high quality produce at an attractive price and farmers benefit from pre-selling the harvest. Click here for a complete Guide to Fairfield County 2010 CSAs.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a means for consumers to buy a share in a farm’s seasonal production directly from the farmer. Consumers benefit from buying local, farm fresh, high quality produce at an attractive price and farmers benefit from pre-selling the harvest. CSA members pick up their weekly shares either at the farm or a location in their community. Community pick up locations generally involve a small volunteer commitment, perhaps two hours per season, during which the site is readied and broken down for weekly share distribution. CSA membership is not for everyone because in such a partnership arrangement, the consumer shares both the bounty of the farm’s harvest and some of the risks inherent in farming.

We have lost so much farmland in Connecticut that less than one percent of our residents earn a living by farming. Eat well, support your local farmer and do your bit to preserve farmland by buying a CSA share in one of our precious organic or IPM (Integrated Pest Management) farms.

Back in January I announced that it was CSA registration month and shared that two organic farms were expanding and had opened their lists to new CSA families: Sport Hill Farm in Easton and The Hickories in Ridgefield. The CSAs from these two farms quickly sold out. The good news is that there are still a few CSAs open for new subscribers, but you should act quickly if you want to secure a share.

Stoneledge Farm Certified Organic CSA has drop/pick up locations in Stamford, Wilton/Norwalk and Southport. As of today there are a few CSA shares available in each location.

The shares from this 90 acre, NOFA-NY certified organic farm located in South Cairo, New York are varied and generous. I particularly liked all the herbs last summer because I learned to use more of them in my cooking. Each week the farm email CSA members with a list of the week’s harvest along with delicious recipes using the ingredients.  If you don’t pick your own fruit during the summer, I suggest signing up for a fruit share too. The plums, cherries and other tree fruit were gorgeous and I saw varieties that were new to me.

Stamford pick up is at Zion Lutheran Church, 132 Glenbrook Road on Wednesdays, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. Visit the farm’s site for a brochure describing the program or just keep reading below.

Wilton/Norwalk pick up is at 345 Belden Hill Road on Wednesdays, from 4:15 - 6:30 pm.

Thanks to the dedication and passion for local, organic food of Sarah Bollman and Leann Weaver of Fairfield, a CSA location was added last year at Trinity Southport Church, 651 Pequot Avenue on Wednesdays, from 4:30-6:30 pm.

The cost is $490 for 24 weeks, June through November. That’s $20.42 a week for an abundance of fresh, local, organic produce! Fruit shares are available to vegetable share members for $225 and run for 20 weeks. Berries are grown at Stoneledge Farm and orchard fruit is grown by Stoneledge Farm’s neighbors, who take a light approach in protecting their crops.

Visit their web site to register online by credit card or check. Click here to sign up online. The farmer keeps members very involved, emailing about crop yields and what’s included in the current week’s share. Every week at least one or two herbs are included in the share. Any unclaimed shares will be donated to programs including Operation Hope and the Connecticut Food Bank. Members share recipes and the Fairfield Green Food Guide will post them too because I renewed my share!

Visit the web site to learn more, register for a share or join the waiting list.

Web Site: http://www.stoneledgefarmny.org/locations/

Stone Gardens Farm, Shelton

Last year Westport Green Village Initiative (GVI) began offering summer CSA shares supplied by Stone Gardens Farm in Shelton as part of their mission to “create a new food model - a relationship between local farmers and consumers- that offers local/healthy food to people at reasonable prices.” The program has been so successful that the farm is greatly expanding their CSA program this year. Stone Gardens is not an organic farm but their growing practices are IPM, (integrated pest management) which means they only spray when necessary and try to use organic spray.

The Westport pickup location is NO LONGER at the Unitarian Church; it will be at the Wakeman Farm on 134 Cross Highway, Westport. Westport GVI Town Farm, Inc. has leased the historic Wakeman Farm from the Town of Westport to create a sustainable community farm that includes a barn to house this CSA program.

If you are interested in learning more about or signing up for the summer CSA share offered by Stone Gardens for pickup at the farm in Shelton or at Wakeman Farm in Westport, please visit the farm’s  site.

Hidden Brook Gardens is offering a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share this spring, with CTFFE delivering shares to participating families!

How Does It Work?

For this CSA with Hidden Brook Gardens, the 2010 season will run for 15 weeks beginning on Friday, June 18th and ending Friday, September 24th. CTFFE will deliver your share directly to your door each week! The weekly pick-up fee will be $5.00 and the delivery fee will be based on the proximity of your home to our distribution center in East Haddam. To determine your specific delivery fee, please contact CTFFE at 860-873-8760. The pick up and delivery fees will be paid directly to CTFFE each week when we deliver your share.

What Will You Get?

So far Hidden Brook Gardens is planning crops ranging from beans, beets, and broccoli to carrots, collards,  and cucumbers and on to squash, scallions and strawberries! For a full list of planned produce, click here and follow to request the farm’s CSA brochure. Full Shares (15 weeks) are priced at $450, and Half Shares (15 weeks) are $225. A great deal, a great way to support a local farm, and great farm-fresh produce for your table. How cool is that?!

The pick-up and delivery fees will be paid directly to CTFFE each week when they deliver your share.  You can order any other products from their website to compliment that week’s CSA offering, which helps to offset the price of delivery.

Please visit the farm’s site to request a CSA brochure.

Gazy Brothers Farm

Gazy Brothers Farm CSA, Oxford

Locations: New Canaan, Darien, Fairfield, Westport, Greenwich, Monroe, Stratford, Bridgeport, Norwalk, Shelton, Danbury, Stamford, Trumbull and Westport

Status: Open, Please Contact the Farm for Drop Points in Each Town

Web Site: www.gazybrothersfarm.net

Gazy Brothers Farm is a fourth generation family farm in Oxford using integrated pest management (IPM) growing practices, which means they use a sustainable approach to managing pests. They offer different pick ups and deliveries for each community, so contact the farm directly for that information. Click here to download the Gazy Brothers 2010 CSA registration form. Their spring CSA is nearly full and runs April 1- June 10 offering 10 weeks of fresh greens, cherry tomatoes, and much more. One box of 5-6 veggies per week for 10 weeks is $200.  Gazy’s Summer CSA runs from July 1- September 16, giving you 12 weeks of summertime fruits, flowers and/or veggies.

Vegetable Share: 1 box of 7-8 veggies a week for 12 weeks is $250. 2 boxes of veggies per week for 12 weeks is $425.
Flower Share (starts the end of July): 1 bouquet of flowers a week for 10+ weeks is $100.
Fruit Share (starts mid-July): 8-12 pieces of fruit per week for 12+ weeks is $100.

Fall/Winter Program (October 7-December 9): Enjoy the last harvests of the season, like hearty root veggies and greens. Note that it may not be consecutive weeks due to weather conditions. 1 box of 5-6 veggies and apples for 10 weeks is $200.

Squash is abundant, inexpensive, eat to cook, delicious and good for you. This recipe can be used for any kind of squash: acorn, dumpling, delicata, butternut, etc. The larger and thicker the squash, the longer it will take to roast.

Wash, dry, and place on cutting board. Cut off each end if you’d like. Split lengthwise with a heavy chef’s knife or serrated bread or meat slicing knife using sawing action. Remove seeds, place on baking sheet and coat lightly with olive oil or butter, sprinkle with s&p, add some brown sugar and butter to the cavity and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until pierced easily with a knife. You can certainly omit the brown sugar and butter or replace it with maple syrup or another natural sweetener.

Serve as is if it’s a small squash or scoop out the flesh to make a puree or add to another dish. Roasted squash is delicious as a pizza topping or folded into a pasta dish.

Look for squash at your local farmers’ market. Winter markets in Fairfield County are held in Fairfield and Norwalk on Saturdays from 10-2.

Most eco-conscious consumers have already sworn off bottled water, wouldn’t be caught shopping without a reusable bag, and are in the habit of recycling their metal, plastic and glass containers. But #5 containers, which are used to package foods like yogurt, hummus and cottage cheese, are not recycled by many municipalities.  Whole Foods Markets collects #5 containers in their stores for recycling into new consumer products under their Gimme 5 program. So save your #5 containers and recycle them at the store instead of letting them end up in a landfill. If you don’t live near a Whole Foods Market, you can ship them directly to the recycling center.

For more tips on how to go green in your kitchen, watch the video Green Food Resolutions for the New Year.