School teaches women small-scale farming

Posted on January 25, 2012 by didaniel

Private farm schools are cropping up like cucumbers in August, it seems. Now we have one in North Carolina, one for women only. It sounds pretty cool. Here’s the press release, issued this month out of Chapel Hill:

NC Women of the Land Agricultural Network (NC WOLAN) is offering The Farm School for Women, a residential on-farm training program designed specifically for women who, through knowledge and experience, value their connection to and stewardship of the land, have a passion for sustainable agriculture and are committed to the values of small-scale farming.

The residential program is located on Genesis Farm, a twenty-acre market and educational farm located near Chapel Hill, NC. For about ten hours each week, students will engage in formal classes, on-farm workshops, and field trips. The students will also spend approximately 20 hours a week working on the farm, applying the concepts learned in classes: to growing the vegetables,caring for barnyard animals and learning practical, business and homesteading skills.

Applicants are evaluated and accepted by a review panel based on background, desire and commitment to the program. The program is scheduled to run March to October, 2012. Application forms and more information are available online at www.ncwolan.org. The School is a sponsored program of the Genesis Farm Educational Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the mission to further agricultural and small farm life through education, awareness, support, outreach and service, especially to women and youth; and to respect nature in a safe and sustainable environment.

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Your chance to set the table at Durham’s CenterFest

Posted on January 18, 2012 by didaniel

Durhamites,

Come talk food and drink on Monday, Jan. 23, at 6:30! The Durham Arts Council is holding focus groups for its expanded CenterFest, to be held this fall. One of the groups is all about food and beverage elements. These could include locally sourced foods, wine festival, beer garden, food truck rodeo, chef competitions, and other foodie ideas. I’m co-moderating this particular group, along with Shelly Green, head of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Here’s the link to all the focus groups on the table, and from there you’ll need to scroll to the food one on Jan. 23: http://www.durhamarts.org/cf_focusgroups.htm

Here’s the link to the RSVP form. You can also submit a suggestion here, even if you can’t attend the group. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CBWVNHQ

Hope to see you there!

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Posted in Durham County | 1 Comment

The best collard greens you’ll ever eat

Posted on January 1, 2012 by didaniel

Happy New Year from Farm Fresh North Carolina! Looking back, kudos to everyone who supported farmers and dedicated themselves to fresh food in 2011. And to those who bought my book, a special thanks! What a fantastic year I had promoting it — meeting farmers and chefs and farmers markets managers and customers from around the state.

As we Southerners know, today is the day we eat black-eyed peas and collards. Here’s a recipe from my book for the best collards I’ve ever tasted. Make them yourself or get to Lucky 32 in Greensboro or Cary by midnight to ensure a fabulous 2012!

To the collard averse from the recipe’s creator, Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen chef Jay Pierce: “These are different; you should try them.” He’s right. Jay’s flavorful treatment of this much-maligned green will turn you into a collard convert.

Southern Collard Greens

Serves 4

1 pound collard greens

1/4 pound pork fatback, rinsed well and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 yellow onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick

2 medium carrots, sliced (about 1 1/2 cup)

1 ham hock

5 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pick through the collards and discard any old and discolored leaves. Strip the leaves off the stems by grasping the base in one hand and pulling the leaves away from the stem with the other.

To clean the collards, fill the sink with cold water. Add the collards and stir vigorously with your hand; let the dirt fall to the bottom of the sink. Let the collards sit undisturbed for a minute or two. Carefully remove the collards from the water and place in a colander. Rinse out the sink and repeat the washing process 2 more times. After the third cleaning, carefully lift the collards out of the water, place in a salad spinner, and spin until dry.

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the fatback and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until it renders some fat. Add the onions, carrots, and ham hock and cook until the onion is a dark golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Add the greens to the pan and cook, stirring, until wilted. Add the broth, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, thyme, and pepper. Cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes, until the greens are tender.

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Posted in Cooking, Guilford County, Recipes, Wake County | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Culinary/ag education in Charlotte and beyond

Posted on December 16, 2011 by didaniel

Thought I’d share this recent email and my answer, as it contains some good farm-fresh culinary/agricultural education resources in Charlotte and beyond.

Dear Diane,

My brother is an aspiring chef living in Charlotte. He is very passionate about sustainable farming and farm to table dining. I have already bought him your book as a Christmas gift but was wondering if you knew of any workshops that I could send him too that would enhance his education and passion. Thanks, Justin

Hi Justin,

Thanks for gifting my book!

One option, which is focused on farming as opposed to dining, is here http://farmfreshnorthcarolina.com/2011/12/davidson-county-offers-intro-to-sustainable-farming-program/. The focus is on people who are seriously interested in farming, so I’m not sure that would be right, but maybe? 

Other options would be to see if Johnson and Wales has anything that would fit. http://jwu.edu/charlotte/chefschoice/. Also at the Art Institute of Charlotte, http://www.artinstitutes.edu/charlotte/culinary-802.aspx, but I’m not sure if they offer any classes to the non-degree seekers. If you look in the book under Charlotte dining options, they run Artisan, a student-run farm-to-table restaurant. They do A LOT with sustainable cooking. There’s also a phenomenal program at the community college in Chatham County, but that’s probably too far for you. http://www.cccc.edu/naturalchef/

You could also get him involved in Slow Food Charlotte, if he’s not already. http://slowfoodcharlotte.org/

Best of luck, and if these don’t fit the bill let me know and I’ll see what else I can tell you.

Keep it fresh in NC!

Diane

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Posted in Chatham County, Cooking, Food, Mecklenburg County | Leave a comment

Home Grown Hand Made videos are online

Posted on December 4, 2011 by didaniel

Wow, a big shout-out to Axel Foley of the The Peoples Channel and Durham Community Media for making videos of all the vendors at the group’s fall fund-raiser, Home Grown Hand Made, at Fullsteam Brewery in Durham. The one for Farm Fresh North Carolina is below. (Others include Coon  Rock Farm, Benjamin Winery, and The Cookery.) Thank you, Axel!

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Posted in Durham County, Farm Fresh book events, Food | Leave a comment

Davidson County offers intro to sustainable farming program

Posted on December 4, 2011 by didaniel

This is a great program for people seriously interested in farming and within driving range of Lexigton, NC.  The Davidson County  Cooperative Extension is inviting prospective, beginning, and transitioning farmers to attend the 2012 Piedmont Farm School. The seven-month program is for individuals seriously considering or currently involved in farming and is designed to provide training in production practices and business planning, in order to help people operate successful small-scale, sustainable farms. Each month from February to June and September to October, the group will meet one evening for business training and on another day for a field trip to local farms. The cost is *very* reasonable and you can find all the details here.

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Posted in Charlotte area, Farmers, Food policy, Gardening, Livestock, Organics | 1 Comment

It’s a Farm Fresh weekend! (holiday gifts, anyone?)

Posted on December 2, 2011 by didaniel

I don’t usually post my own events here (which are always listed under Author Appearances, above), but it’s such a big FFNC weekend that I thought I would. On Saturday, Dec. 3, I’ll start the day bright and early at the Chapel Hill Farmers’ Market, from 8 to noon. My foot warmers are already packed! That market is across from the K&W Cafeteria at the University Mall, 201 S. Estes Drive.

From there, I dash back home to Durham for my 3 p.m. appearance at the Durham County Library, 300 N. Roxboro St., downtown, where I’ll give a narrated photo journey of the book. Great scenery, fascinating farmers, and outstanding sources of local food, wine, and more! Followed by book signing!

On Sunday, Dec. 4, I’m back in Chapel Hill, at the Southern Village Farmers Market’s special Craft Market, from 1 to 4 p.m. on the village green. The address  400 Market St., Chapel Hill, will get you close.

While I have you on the line … I’ll also be at the wonderful Parker and Otis gourmet food shop on Friday, Dec. 9, from 11:30 to 1:30, chatting up lunchgoers and signing books. That’s at 112 S. Duke St., in Brightleaf Square. I’ll be the one eating the pimento cheese sandwich. They are the BEST!

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Meet the folks of ‘American Meat’

Posted on November 28, 2011 by didaniel

Suzanne at Cozi Farms in Saxapahaw wrote today to spread the word about a special event at the awesome Haw River Ballroom on Thursday, Dec. 8.

They’re screening the new documentary film “American Meat,” along with a local foods feast beforehand and discussion following. Film only is $10 and with the meal is $25. Ticket info here.

The meal features pastured, organically fed chicken, pork, veggies and greens, all grown across the street and prepared by the outstanding cooks at the Saxapahaw General Store and Eddy Pub. Film and conversation to follow.

Here’s what Suzanne says about “American Meat”: “I was surprised at how enjoyable this movie is to watch. Film director Graham Meriweather doesn’t gloss over the difficulty of the subject, yet he also manages to bring it down to a human scale, and in the process reminds us that raising livestock for food doesn’t have to be inhumane but rather a reflection of our common humanity. Graham does something that I have yet to see in any film of this genre: chronicle where we’ve been and where we’re going in the raising of livestock for food in a way that not only allows but encourages dialogue from participants of all sectors. And that’s just what we plan to do after the screening: confinement livestock producers will sit next to, discuss and take questions from the audience, next to pastured livestock producers, in a wide-ranging conversation that will include the filmmaker himself.”

This sounds like a very special event, especially the Q&A portion. Confinement farmers and pasture farmers answering audience questions?  Admirable.

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Posted in Alamance County, Films | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Green-light specials at holiday markets

Posted on November 17, 2011 by didaniel

Thanksgiving shoppers can be grateful for the number of farmers’ markets holding special market events specifically for the holidays. Not only that, the Triangle and Western NC local-food communities have put together websites giving overviews of holiday markets.  The mountain version, organized by our friends at Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, is called From Here. Its holiday market listing is here. I’m not sure who is organizing the Triangle Farmers’ Markets listings, but I’m sure happy to see it — here. That, too, has a list of holiday markets from the top producer markets, meaning that everything is guaranteed to be local. Happy shopping!

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Posted in Buncombe County, Chatham County, Durham County, Henderson County, Madison County, Orange County, Wake County, Watauga County | Leave a comment

We already knew they were good; now it’s official

Posted on November 15, 2011 by didaniel

Congrats to the four North Carolina companies named finalists in the second annual Good Food Awards. Escazu Artisan Chocolates in Raleigh (where I cannot believe I haven’t been yet!), Counter Culture Coffee in Durham, Miss Jenny’s Pickles in Kernersville, and Farmers’ Daughter Brand (aka April McGreger) in Hillsborough. April is also a star of the Carrboro Farmers’ Market.

The winners will be announced Jan. 13. Good luck, all. Make us proud! (Though we already are.)

While we’re at it, a big shout-out to John Vollmer of Vollmer Farms for being named Farmer of the Year by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association.

Woo-hoo all!

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Posted in Durham County, Forsyth County, Franklin County, Orange County, Wake County | Leave a comment

Say cheese! And then learn how to make it

Posted on October 28, 2011 by didaniel

I used to hear about a cheese-making class once or twice a year. Now they’re popping up like mold spores on your favorite Stilton. Here are a couple in NC in November.

Sleepy Goat Farm in Pelham (Caswell County) has just started beginner cheesemaking classes on the farm. Four full-day courses in November, on the 4th, 5th, 26th, and 27th). The course includes hands-on instruction on making chevre and aged cheeses, written instructions and supply lists for home use, a starter kit for your first batch at home, and lunch with a sampling of their cheeses. Cost is $125. Call 336-388-1120 or email sleepygoatfarm@gmail.com to reserve or ask questions.

The other course, Do-It-Yourself Cheese Making, is an afternoon event on Nov. 13, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. in Pittsboro (Chatham County), at The Plant, 192 Lorax Lane with local cheesemaker Laurel Shulman. It costs $40. Laurel will begin with a broad introduction to cheese, discussing its chemistry as well as the culture and history that surrounds it. This includes how traditional types of cheeses reflect the environmental conditions of certain regions. (French cheeses are typically small, fresh and soft, as the French usually had a milking animal at home to produce the cheese, whereas Swiss cheeses are usually low moisture hard cheeses that travel well, since milking animals were grazed far away and were transported larger distances.) The cheese-making process will be broken down into a series of steps  for each type of cheese. The cheese-making portion of this workshop will include processing fresh cow’s milk into two different cheeses – mozzarella and farmer’s cheese. Students will learn how to make cheese at home, and each participant will take home two pieces of cheese. Preregistration is required. Proceeds support the Abundance Foundation’s mission of promoting local food, renewable energy and community. For more information or to register online, go to: http://theabundancefoundation.org/diy-2011/cheese-nov, call 919-533-5181, or email wow@theabundancefoundation.org.

Happy cheese making!

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Posted in Caswell County, Chatham County, Cooking, Dining, Goats | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Farm Fresh NC on UNC-TV’s ‘Bookwatch’

Posted on October 6, 2011 by didaniel

D.G. Martin interviewed me in the summer for his author-focused show, “Bookwatch,” on UNC-TV. We had a wide-ranging talk about agritourism, farm-to-table restaurants, farmers markets, etc. It was a fun show, and I’m grateful for the opportunity! It first aired Sept. 23, 2011, but you can always find it here.

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Posted in Books, Charlotte area, Coastal Region-Sandhills, Dining, Farmers' markets, Food, Mountains, Triad, Triangle, Wine | Leave a comment

Fall harvest brings more fall events

Posted on September 23, 2011 by didaniel

Wow, the list of fall events keeps growing. Check these out!

SEPTEMBER:

Sept. 23 and 25: Diane Daniel discusses sustainable farming, agritourism and more on ”Bookwatch” with D.G. Martin on UNC-TV. Airs Friday and repeats Sunday.

Sept. 24: Terra Vita returns! Grand Tasting on the Green is back, where chefs from across the state are on hand to chat and share samples from 1 to 4 p.m. at Southern Village in Chapel Hill. New this year is the “Sustainable Classroom,” a great lineup of speakers and workshops. Tickets are available now.

Sept. 30: Deadline for signing up for TS Designs 4th annual Cotton of Carolinas field trip at Rolling Hills Gin in New London, N.C. The outing is on Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Details and signup here.

Continuing through fall, Poplar Ridge Farm in the Charlotte area (Union County) offers cooking classes and also farm dinners. All info here.

Also continuing through fall, the ultra-cool Cookery in Durham is offering an interesting lineup of reasonably priced culinary workshops, from fruit tarts to cooking whole animals. Check ‘em out here.

OCTOBER

Oct. 2: 4th Annual Amazing Pittsboro Pepper Festival, 4 to 7 p.m. It keeps getting bigger and better. (And I keep being out of town for every one of them!) Featuring: music, food, farmers, and, yes, peppers!

Oct. 2: One of my favorite twice-yearly events (spring and fall) is the combo Open Farm Day at Goat Lady Dairy and Rising Meadow Farm in Randolph County, 30 miles southeast of Greensboro. From 1 to 5 p.m. Goats, lambs, cheese, meat, music, pottery, and more! Goat Lady also has a ongoing series of on-farm dinners that come with a deluxe tour, not to mention wonderful food and good cheer.

Oct. 3: Lexicon of Sustainability at Watts Grocery from 5 to 8 p.m. This art exhibit and silent auction features artwork by Douglas Gayeton and is one of 100 such shows taking place around the country. For the past two years the California multimedia artist has been photographing practitioners of sustainability in food and farming, which he presents in large-format photo collages. This show is hosted by Walking Fish with local sponsors and includes locally sourced apps and a cash bar. You must RSVP to info AT walking-fish.org to attend.

Oct. 8: TS Designs’ 4th annual Cotton of Carolinas field trip at Rolling Hills Gin in New London, N.C. The outing is on Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Details and signup here. (Sign-up by Sept. 30!)

Oct. 15: Yam Jam! is an annual gleaning extravaganza in Johnston and Harnett counties sponsored by our friends Society of St. Andrew.

Oct. 15: Farm dinner at Capt. John S. Pope’s Farm in Cedar Grove, featuring the farm’s grass-fed lamb and catered by Jason Smith of 18 Seaboard and Cantina 18 in Raleigh. Four-course dinner with wine served in 150-year-old farmhouse costs a very reasonable $65, all inclusive. For reservations, call 919-621-1150.

October 27-29: The national Farm Sanctuary is hosting its first National Conference to End Factory Factory, to be held in Washington, DC.  The conference will explore factory farming’s detrimental effects on human health, animal welfare and our environment through a diverse program of speakers from each of these movements.

NOVEMBER

Nov. 9: Diane Daniel will present her lively “Farm Fresh North Carolina” narrated photo show at 7 p.m. at the East Regional/Knightdale branch of the Wake County Public Library.

Nov. 11: In Durham, Local Foods Feast and speaker Joan Dye Gussow, author of This Organic Life and, most recently, Growing, Older. You can pay $45 to benefit Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. (Cost is $35 if you’re part of conference, below.) Event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Imperial.

Nov. 11-13: Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s annual conference, this year in Durham. Speakers, workshops, networking and more! This is an awesome annual gathering, with the location rotating yearly across North Carolina and upstate South Carolina.

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Posted in Chatham County, Dining, Durham County, Farm Fresh book events, Media, Orange County | Leave a comment

This NC field trip is 100-percent cotton

Posted on September 6, 2011 by didaniel

I’m a big fan of TS Designs  in Burlington and their Cotton of the Carolinas initiative, especially now that they’re planting organic cotton. If you’re curious about cotton harvesting, here’s your chance to see it upclose and personal, thanks to TS. For the fourth year, the company is hosting a field trip to  Rolling Hills Gin in New London, N.C. to celebrate the current cotton harvest for Cotton of the Carolinas (this is not the organic harvest).  This year it’s Saturday, Oct. 8, but you need to sign up by Sept. 30. You’ll get to meet the farmers behind the T-shirts, learn about how cotton is grown, harvested, and ginned, and you’ll get to see, according to TS, “a really cool harvester in action.” The event lasts from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes lunch. Unfortunately, I’ll be out of town and will miss it, which has now happened every year, dangitall.

I wrote this little ditty about Cotton of the Carolinas and TS Designs for Ode Magazine . It was reported before the organic seeds were planted, so doesn’t mention that cool addition. The company also holds open houses at its sustainable site, so you can see firsthand how this is truly a different kind of enterprise.

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Posted in Alamance County | Leave a comment

Farm films: pass the (local) popcorn

Posted on August 30, 2011 by didaniel

Two farm-focused films are in the news. First, the long-awaited documentary about young farmers, “The Greenhorns,” premiered in Brooklyn this summer and will being shown in at least one  community screenings in North Carolina, on Sept. 18 in Chatham County. All details here. The Greenhorns is also a nonprofit group, and its founder and director, Severine von Tscharner Fleming, will be at the Chatham screening.

Here’s a brief description of film: “The Greenhorns” documents America’s young farmers, or greenhorns, reinventing and reinstituting our country’s broken food system, their individual stories of living and working on the land revealing a patchwork social movement of fierce, fresh, and savvy agrarians.

Here’s info on the Sept. 18 showing: The Greenhorns Film Night presented by Chatham County Cooperative Extension and the CCCC Sustainable Agriculture Program will be from 6 to 9 at the Silk Hope Farm Heritage Center in Silk Hope. Participants will enjoy a local dinner, view the documentary, then hear from a panel of young local farmers. Registration required! 

Also, a cool film project is in the making here in NC, specifically in Black Mountain. “The Farmers’ Film,” a video that examines the logistics and economics of farming in Western North Carolina is being filmed by four farmers while they’re working the fields and the markets. Producers are multimedia journalists John and Cinnamon Kennedy, who I met at the Black Mountain Tailgate Market in July. I’m looking forward to seeing the end result. I told them the Triangle would be a great place for the sequel!

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Posted in Buncombe County, Chatham County, Films | Leave a comment

Veritable cornucopia of fall news and happenings

Posted on August 28, 2011 by didaniel

It’s time again for Quick Bites, a harvest of Farm Fresh news and calendar listings.

Here are a few items of interest, followed by calendar of events:

*  Yay for one of my favorite restaurants, Knife & Fork, which won the WNC Chef’s Challenge at the recent Asheville Wine & Food festival! The restaurant, in Spruce Pine, relies almost solely on western NC farms for its ingredients. It opened only two years ago and has been full steam ahead since. I’ll be dining there on Oct. 15. Yes, planning ahead!

*  More than 1,000 new farmers markets have been recorded across the country, according to results released in August in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2011 National Farmers Market Directory. The annual report indicates a total of 7,175 farmers markets operate throughout the United States as more farmers are marketing their products directly to consumers than ever before. More info here.

*  My pals Noah Ranells and Ben Bergmann at Fickle Creek Farm in Efland got more great press in August. The Herald Sun had an article about their Great Pyrenees livestock guard dogs (saw some of their pups in the spring!), and the News and Observer profiled Noah for its Tarheel of the Week column.

HAPPENINGS

Wow, there are so many great events this fall, especially in September. I’ll add to October and November listings closer to the time. Here you go!

SEPTEMBER:

Sept. 3: Flavor, NC, a new NC food road show debuts at 10:30 a.m. on UNC-TV.

Sept. 3: NC Hops and Roots Fest at Shikori Hills, outside of Pittsboro

Sept. 7: Starting now and continuing through fall, Poplar Ridge Farm in the Charlotte area (Union County) offers cooking classes and also farm dinners.  All info here.

Sept. 8 and beyond: The ultra-cool Cookery in Durham is offering an interesting lineup of culinary workshops, from fruit tarts to cooking whole animals. Check ‘em out here.

Sept. 10: Ninth Annual Chefs Event at Carrboro Farmers’ Market, from 9 a.m. until the yummy samples run out.

Sept. 10: Western Wake Farmers’ Market is holding its pig-pickin fund-raiser featuring all local pork, pups and even local BBQ sauce.

Sept. 12-18: CEFS, the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, is hosting a weeklong celebration focusing on the importance of sustainable agriculture and locally grown foods. Events, held in different regions around the state, include workshops and films. For details, visit the CEFS website.  

Sept. 17-18: Charlotte Area Farm Tour. This is a great one that keeps growing, sponsored by the ever-impressive Know Your Farms.

Sept. 17-18: Eastern Triangle Farm Tour. Yes, two farm tours in one weekend! This long-standing one is sponsored by the wonderful  Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and features 25 farms.

Sept. 18: The Greenhorns Film Night presented by Chatham County Cooperative Extension and the CCCC Sustainable Agriculture Program from 6 to 9 pm at the Silk Hope Farm Heritage Center in Silk Hope, NC. Participants will enjoy a local dinner, view the documentary, then hear from a panel of young local farmers. Registration required. Details here. 

Sept. 24: Terra Vita returns! Grand Tasting on the Green is back, where chefs from across the state are on hand to chat and share samples from 1 to 4 p.m. at Southern Village in Chapel Hill. New this year is the “Sustainable Classroom,” a great lineup of speakers and workshops. Tickets are available now.

Sept. 30: Deadline for signing up for TS Designs 4th annual Cotton of Carolinas field trip at Rolling Hills Gin in New London, N.C. The outing is on Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Details and signup here.

OCTOBER

Oct. 2: 4th Annual Amazing Pittsboro Pepper Festival, 4 to 7 p.m. It keeps getting bigger and better. (And I keep being out of town for every one of them!) Featuring: music, food, farmers, and, yes, peppers!

Oct. 2: One of my favorite twice-yearly events (spring and fall) is the combo Open Farm Day at Goat Lady Dairy and Rising Meadow Farm in Randolph County, 30 miles southeast of Greensboro. From 1 to 5 p.m. Goats, lambs, cheese, meat, music, pottery, and more! Goat Lady also has a ongoing series of on-farm dinners that come with a deluxe tour, not to mention wonderful food and good cheer.

Oct. 8: TS Designs 4th annual Cotton of Carolinas field trip at Rolling Hills Gin in New London, N.C. The outing is on Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Details and signup here. (Sign-up by Sept. 30!)

Oct. 15: Yam Jam! is an annual gleaning extravaganza in Johnston and Harnett counties sponsored by our friends Society of St. Andrew.

NOVEMBER

Nov. 11: In Durham, Local Foods Feast and speaker Joan Dye Gussow, author of This Organic Life and, most recent, Growing, Older. You can pay $45 to benefit Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. (Cost is $35 if you’re part of conference, below.) Event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Imperial.

Nov. 11-13: Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s annual conference, this year in Durham. Speakers, workshops, networking and more! This is an awesome annual gathering, with the location rotating yearly across North Carolina and upstate South Carolina.

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Posted in Buncombe County, Chatham County, Durham County, Johnston County, Mecklenburg County, Orange County, Rowan County, Stanly County, Wake County | 1 Comment

Farm tours on two wheels

Posted on August 26, 2011 by didaniel

We need to do this in NC — mix farms and bicycles!

The Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network, or ACORN, which promotes organic agriculture and education in the Maritime Provinces, has developed a series of one-day bicycle tours to organic farms in the region. Each “Meet Your Farmer” bike ride showcases an array of farms situated along scenic routes accessible by all levels of riders, including families with kids. As a farm and food lover and as a cyclist, I applaud this initiative (but not while riding my bike, though some people can)!

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Posted in Bicycling, Road travel | Leave a comment

Summer, and Farm Fresh tour, are winding down

Posted on August 19, 2011 by didaniel

It must be the end of summer — tomorrow is my last day of Farm Fresh promotion for a month. Now that’s a switch, after a busy schedule from March through July.

Diane during the farewell-to-summer tour at the Wake Forest Farmers` Market

So tomorrow please join me for the farewell-to-summer tour (I love summer! Waaaaaah!). I’ll start from 9 a.m. to noon at the lovely Wake Forest Farmers’ Market in that town’s historic downtown. It’s a great market and several of the vendors are in the book, so that’s always a bonus.

From there I scoot over to A Southern Season in Chapel Hill for my second visit at the awesome gourmet grocer and kitchenware store. Again, they’ll be cooking up a demo dish from the book and I’ll be signing books and chatting with folks, from about 1 to 3 p.m. This time I have vowed to buy a quality knife while I’m there. I desperately need one!

Hope to see you at one of these stops. If not, there’s always the FRANK gallery TGIT (Thank God It’s Thursday) event on Sept. 15, followed by my  appearance at the Orange County Library in Hillsborough on Sept. 18. (Click onto Author Appearances above for details.) At both I’ll be showing my slide show, which is a lot more interesting than the description “slide show” implies. Actually, it’s a Powerpoint, but that sounds even more boring. It’s not; trust me!

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Food and race; High Country tour; learn to write, paint and cook in a day; food classes; and more!

Posted on August 2, 2011 by didaniel

Mark your calendars for these farm-food events in the Tiangle and the mountains: 

Thursday, Aug. 4: “Eating the Other: Food, Race and You,” discussion of race as it relates to agribusiness, farmers’ markets and the slow food culture. At Southwest Regional Library in Durham, with Dr. Sharon P. Holland, associate professor of African and African-American Studies at Duke University. Sounds very interesting. Details here.

Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 6 and 7, 2-6 p.m.: High Country Farm Tour. Sponsored by the Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, this very scenic farm tour has stops in Watauga, Ashe, Wilkes, Avery and Alleghany counties. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 if purchased at a farm and entitle the passengers of one vehicle to visit farms on both days of the tour—or pay $10 per farm. Details here. Or, interested in touring farms by bicycle? The guide includes a map with a suggested bicycle route for experienced riders (with those hills, I’ll say!). Pay $10 at the first farm that you visit to receive a ticket that will allow you to visit any of the participating farms on both days of the tour. More information at www.boonebikeinitiative.org.

Saturday, Aug. 20 (with Aug. 13 deadline): Feast of Your Life is putting on a day of writing, eating, and cooking in Durham. Deadline Aug. 13 for Aug. 20 event featuring classes in memoir writing by Miriam Sauls, painting by Vernessa Foelix, and cooking by Amy Tornquist of Watts Grocery. Cost: $140. Details here.

Cool classes coming up in the Triangle, so sign up soon:  Earthwise‘s “Living Arts” series focuses on planning, planting, cultivating, harvesting, preparing, and eating a fall organic garden. Details here. And more good stuff from Carrboro Greenspace, on cheese making, grains, wild fermentation and more. Details here.

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Posted in Alleghany County, Ashe County, Avery County, Bicycling, Cooking, Dining, Durham County, Family travel, Farmers, Food, Road travel, Watauga County, Wilkes County | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Guidebook author’s dream come true

Posted on July 29, 2011 by didaniel

A guidebook writer couldn’t ask for more than this blog post   from pastry chef and local-food lover Jenni Field for SavorNC magazine.  She writes about how her husband bought her my book for their anniversary (thank you, husband!) and, more importantly, how they actually used it! I appreciate the positive feedback on how my book looks and reads, but the highest compliment, of course, is when readers get out and visit places in the book. That makes me so happy!

Triple B Farms in Bullock, Granville County

Jenni and her husband visited Bailey Newton at Triple B Farms in Bullock, in Granville County near Virginia. Bailey showed them around, talked about his sustainable farming practices, and answered all their questions. They bought bacon, sausage and ground beef from him, making this a win-win stop for all.

Check out her article on Triple B, which has great photos, and you really get a feel for the farm. Here’s her pastry chef blog, as well.

Thanks, Jenni, for using my book and spreading the word about our great farmers and their tasty food!

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Posted in Family travel, Farmers, Food, Granville County, Livestock, Meat, Road travel | 2 Comments