To walk or run in the race, visit slowfoodfastrunners.wordpress.com

To volunteer to spread the news about Slow Food and serve local apples, e-mail Margie Mansure at margie.mansure@gmail.com

Hope to see you there!

 

Our convivium showed the documentary “Pig Business” on September 11th, which is summarized in Mountain Times column, Serves You Right.

http://mountaintimes.com/columns-serves-you-right

Come join Slow Food, Boone, High Country on Sunday, September 11, 2001 for an afternoon about Healthy Pork!

Beginning at 2:00 PM at the Watauga Agricultural Conference Center, 252 Poplar Grove Rd., we will watch the film, “Pig Business”, an international investigation regarding the rise of factory pig farming – beginning in North Carolina and spreading across the sea to Europe.

Following the film, we will carpool to Lansing.
There we will first view happy and healthy pigs enjoying the life they deserve, then enjoy a ‘Pig Pickin’ potluck dinner at Virginia Tate’s lovely property. Ann Rose will prepare the pig for us.

So, come enjoy a social and enlightening afternoon!

Bring a dish to complement the main course (we have a fridge at the conference center or bring cooler) along with a $5.00 donation (to cover the cost of the pork)  and have a great time.

RSVP by Thursday, September 8th to Margie Mansure, margie_mansure@ncsu.edu

 

Directions from Boone to Virginia Tate’s  property:

Take 421 South to 221 East, toward West Jefferson.  (It is twelve miles from the intersection of 421 and 221 to West Jefferson)

At the intersection, turn left on to 88/194 and go through town (note: not all the stop signs are in place – take note of  new traffic pattern of four way stops).

Continue out of town on Rt.  88/194 to Lansing.

Once in Lansing, continue straight through the traffic light – do not turn on to 194 –and continue for twelve miles.

The road is Big Horse Creek Road and will change names a few times from that point on; just continue on that road following the creek all the way up to the drive called Buddy’s Run.

Our destination will be on the left.

The event has changed dates but everything else remains the same.

The ASU Running Club is sponsoring a 5k run on September 24th on the Boone Greenway trail.

The Slow Food Fast Runners 5k’s mission is to promote students and residents in Boone to embrace a healthy lifestyle that sustains our local agriculture and economy. All proceeds from the race will be donated to the Slow Food USA chapter of the High Country.

You may register on-line at slowfoodfastrunners.wordpress.com or mail to ASU running club, P.O. Box 9017, Boone, NC  28608

Time: Registration/Packet Pick up starts at 7:30am

Race Start is at 8:30am

After the race, we will have a short yoga stretch session, raffles and awards for the top race finishers! Vendors and local organizations will also have tables of information before and after the race.

Race Fee: Early Bird Registration before 9/4 is $15 with your choice of t-shirt size and color guaranteed! After 9/4, the price goes up to $20 and t-shirts are first come first serve. (Note: when paying with paypal online, there will be an extra dollar charge for service fees).

Location:

Mayors Clawson & Burnley Park at the Greenway

After turning on Hunting Hills Drive, continue past the parking lot for the Swim Complex and then the park will be on your left. It’s the one with the new shelters and gravel track loop around the natural pond area. This is where the race start and finish will be!

 

Hands-on Canning Class

Saturday, June 18, 1 – 5 p.m.

Agricultural Conference Center

252 Poplar Grove Rd., Boone

 

NC Cooperative Extension is offering a hands-on canning class. We will learn how to safely can using a pressure canner and a boiling water bath.  Register by paying $5.00 in advance at N.C. Cooperative Extension, 971 West King St., 264-3061. Space is limited.

9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. each day

Designed for beginning gardeners or those who would like to switch to organic methods. Topics include garden planning, seed starting, companion planting, how to attract beneficial bugs, pest management, soil tests and amendments, composting and vermi-composting, and dealing with common plant problems. Held at the ASU Sustainable Development Farm in Valle Crucis, 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., Monday, June 6th through Friday, June 10th. Cost is 20.00 for first 4 days, with optional session on keeping backyard chickens on Friday for an additional 5.00. Space is limited, so reserve your spot by paying in advance, NC Cooperative Extension, 971 West King St., Boone. For more information call 264-3061.

Could Agroecology Save our Bees?

Learn More at Free Lecture, Sunday, April 17th

If you attended the recent showing of Vanishing of the Bees, you are well aware that there are many factors causing colony collapse disorder, which has killed off one third of the honey bee population throughout the world. One in every three bites of food we eat is the direct result of honeybee pollination.

Ecology is the scientific study of the relation of living organisms with each other and their surroundings. Throw agriculture into that study and you have agroecology. Of course, the relationship between bees and food is intricately meshed.

Agroecology promotes secure and sustainable food systems. Methods from natural and social sciences are integrated to deal with the complex challenges of meeting human food needs in a resource-efficient manner that is economically sound, environmentally benign and socially acceptable.

On Sunday, April 17^th at 4:30 p.m. at the Agricultural Conference Center, 252 Poplar Grove Rd., professors from the Agroecology program will share their perspectives on sustainable agriculture.  The public is invited to this free event, sponsored by Slow Food Boone-High Country. A potluck dinner will immediately follow. Information will also be shared about the sustainable development farm that was recently donated to Appalachian State University. ASU offers a B.S. degree in Agroecology through the Sustainable Development program, which has exploded in popularity.

A group of foodies met on January 23rd over an excellent potluck lunch and attempted to map out 2011 events for our convivium. Please contact Margie Mansure, margie.mansure@gmail.com or Ken McKinney, mckinneyfk@yahoo.com if you have suggestions for planned events or would like to volunteer to help. Events listed are still in the evolutionary process, but here’s what we are thinking:

1. Sunday, April 17th at 1:00 p.m. potluck, then panel discussion with ASU professors on “What is Agroecology?” Information about the new ASU Sustainable Development farm will also be shared. Agricultural Conference Center in Boone.

2. Showing of documentary, Vanishing of the Bees, discussion with local bee keeping experts, and perhaps a honey tasting.

3. Showing of Pig Business, a revealing documentary about our industrialized meat system. May tour a farm where livestock is treated well and sustainably raised, then enjoy a pig pickin’.

4. Tour the Waldesian Winery near Valdese, which was begun by the Waldensian sect who immigrated in the late 19th century from the Cottian mountains southwest of Turn, Italy.

5. Visit the Art of Oil for an olive oil tasting.

6. Hold a mini-Salone del Gusto, which is Slow Food’s food festival in Italy, where producers offer samples and information about their production, and patrons have the opportunity to purchase yummies. Combine with a festival that already exists, such as the Farm Heritage Day Festival.

7. ASU running club is organizing a benefit for us. Slow Food Fast Run 5K will be on the Boone Greenway probably on September 17th.

8. Would like to establish a Slow Food on campus group. Jana Carp, professor in geography and planning is interested in helping. This group could organize some of their own social events as well as join as many of ours as they choose.

9. Enjoy a nice gathering with as much locally produced food as possible at a delicious restaurant.

Events organized by Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture:
Showing of the documentary Greenhorns on ASU campus. This is about young people choosing farming as a profession.
Beer Making Workshop in May
Farm Tour in August

Heirloom Apple Tasting with Locally Produced Wine and Cheese
Sunday, October 3, 3:00 until 5:30
Boone Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
381 East King St., Boone, NC
Join two of our local apple growers, Ron Joyner and Bill Moretz, as they share their knowledge and harvest of old apple varieties for a tasting. An incredible diversity of apples was once a part of the cultural heritage of the Appalachian region. Now, many of us are familiar with less than 10 varieties that are offered in grocery stores.
For the tasting, the history and subtleties of each variety will be discussed in detail. The New River Winery, Stick Boy Bread Company, Ripshin Goat Dairy, Heritage Homestead Goat Cheese Dairy are donating products to enhance the experience.
A donation of $15.00 per person or $25.00 per couple is requested to benefit Slow Food Boone, High Country and the National Committee for the New River.
RSVP by calling NC Cooperative Extension at 828.264.3061 or e-mailing Margie Mansure, Margie_mansure@ncsu.edu by Friday, October 1st.