Work For Food program at Thistlehair Farm

Vicky Tewes of Thistlehair Farm has a really interesting program she's offering in addition to the traditional CSA she offers: a Work For Food program.

Under this program, a few hours' work translates into a week's CSA share. That's right -- work five hours a week at Thistlehair Farm and get an entire CSA share's worth of food, a box of whatever is growing on the farm that week, in exchange. Plus the satisfaction of helping grow your own food and whatever knowledge and expertise you can absorb working alongside an organic farmer.

This is a great idea for those who'd like to eat more locally but have more time than money, for those who are worried that fresh, local ingredients will cost more than the industrial outputs they normally buy at the supermarket, and for those who'd like to learn how to garden organically.

Contact Vicky for more information.

Slow Food Cincinnati Looking for Volunteers

Slow Food Cincinnati is looking for volunteers interested in helping with marketing, fundraising, grant writing, and other projects. 

Local Wineries at 2009 Wine Festival

With thanks to Michelle & Kevin at My Wine Education who did all the work for me, these are
the local wineries who will have booths at the 19th Annual Cincinnati Wine Festival this weekend:

• Vinoklet Winery (Booth 4)
• Elk Creek Vineyards (Booth 11)
• Henke Winery (Booth 12)
• Burnet Ridge (Booth 24)
• Firelands Winery (Booth 25)
• Meier's Wine Cellars (Booth 78)
• Oliver Winery (Booth 120)
• Valley Vineyard (Booth 128)
• Tino Vino (Booth 131)
• Meranda-Nixon Winery (Booth 133)

Imago Offers Table Talk Series

Imago, the Earth-issues organization in East Price Hill, is offering Table Talk: Saving the Earth One Meal at a Time, a series of educational events "designed to address the practical issues of finding and preparing food in healthful, budget sensitive and earth friendly ways."

Events include Commercial Farming vs. Natural Methods, a guided discussion by Nathan Back of Grass Fed Farms; What's Wrong With The Way We Eat, a talk by New York Times food writer Mark Bittman about our too-much-meat, too-few-plants, too-much-fast-food, and too-little-home-cooking lifestyles; a family-friendly Wild Edibles Hike and Dinner; Menu For The Future, a six-session course exploring the connection between food and sustainability; a showing of What Will We Eat: A Search For Healthy Local Foods, a 30-minute video investigating the growing failure of the industrial food system; and a Farm Field Trip to Grailville and Turner Farms.

Preregistration required; prices range from free to $20 depending on the event and whether you're already a member of Imago. For more information, visit the website or call Ansa at 513.921.5124.

Virgils Cafe in Bellevue to Serve Locally-Sourced Foods

Virgils Cafe (710 Fairfield Ave, Bellevue 41073), which will be sourcing local ingredients and wines for their menu, is now open. Hours are M/W/Th 11 - 10, Fri/Sat 11-11, Sun 11-4.

Chef owner Matt Buschle is interested in working with local growers. If you're interested in selling to him, give him a call at 859.491.3287.

Ohio Proud Marketing Meeting at Bigg's

Growers and producers interested in selling to Bigg's as part of their "local products" program are invited to attend a marketing meeting set up by the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Ohio Proud program at the Mason Bigg's (9600 Mason Montgomery Rd, Mason, OH 45040) on Thursday March 26th from noon - 3pm. Registration fee is $10 (box lunch included.)  Pre-registration is required; deadline for receipt of checks is March 20th.  For more information contact Lori Panda or call Ohio Proud at 800.467.7683.

Cooking with Maple Syrup/Class at Rowe Woods

The Cincinnati Nature Center is offering Cooking with Maple Syrup at their Rowe Woods location.  Dan Berger of Maple Grove Farm will demonstrate mixed greens with maple balsamic vinaigrette, pan-seared maple salmon, maple sauteed apples, and maple pecan tarts.  March 11th 6:30 - 8:30 pm.  Members $10, nonmembers $15. For more information or to reserve a spot, visit the website.

Great Sunflower Project 2009

It's time again to sign up for the Great Sunflower Project, which tracks bee visits to a particular species of native sunflower (helianthus annuus) which will be planted by volunteers all over the country to help gauge the health of wild bee populations. This year, organizers are collecting addresses of volunteers quite a bit earlier than they started last year, so with any luck we'll all get our seeds early.

If you'd like to participate -- volunteers plant sunflowers, then on a specified date or dates throughout the summer count the number of bees that visit one of their flowers over a period of 30 minutes and report their findings back via an online form -- visit the project's website and sign up!

Canning Classes

The Jam-and-Jelly Lady in Lebanon is offering hands-on beginning and advanced canning classes. The beginning class is a two-evening series that covers both water bath and pressure canning and is being offered March 17th & 19th and again May 19th & 21st for $65. Advanced classes are single-evening sessions for $25 and cover specific types of canning, including a class on canning with honey and one on marmalades.

Slow Food Cincinnati

Slow Food is forming a local convivium, Slow Food Cincinnati. The group is looking for volunteers who are interested in promoting local foods in our area.

Volunteer opportunities include:

• Vice President (Co – Leader)
• Recording Secretary: Takes minutes of meetings.
• Corresponding Secretary: Maintains database of and communicates with members. Works closely with the Membership Coordinator.
• Treasurer: Keeps the books, files the tax return. (The group is a non-profit.)
• Fundraising: Looks for way to raise money. The convivium has $0 right now and is awaiting a small start up check from the national organization.
• Grant writer: Applies for grant money on behalf of Slow Food Cincinnati. One opportunity has been identified and is due in March.
• Web Site Administrator: Establishes and maintains the Slow Food Cincinnati website. Responsible for the content on the website and keeping it current. Works with all other positions to seek solicitations. (A couple of people may want to share this position.)
• Membership Coordinator: Maintains membership email list and shares updates with the Database Administrator and Corresponding Secretary. Works to provide added value for members. Considers how to communicate with members w/o email addresses.
• Program Chair: Works to develop programs & events. The convivium's goal is three events in 2009.
• Community Liaison: Investigates community events and shares with members via the group's website. Partners between Slow Food Cincinnati and other local groups.
• Meeting Site Coordinator – keeps an active list of places to meet that are non-profit friendly. When meetings/events are scheduled, works with the hosting group to execute arrangements.

Anyone interested in becoming involved should contact the volunteer coordinator. Volunteers will meet for the first time in January.