Rebecca's Natural Food, Wolf Creek Farm, and Brightwood Vineyard & Farm have teamed up with PEC to bring you this series on local food. Please join us for one or all of these talks! They are free and open to the public.

 

 

 

The Series Schedule:

 

Wednesday, July 10th, 6:30-7:30PM:

Agricultural Landscape of the Piedmont

Sue Ellen Johnson, Piedmont Environmental Council

Sue Ellen is the Director of Agriculture and Rural Economies for the Piedmont Environmental Council.  She will talk about the state of agriculture in the Piedmont and discuss the barriers and many opportunities that our local producers and food system faces.

 

Tuesday, July 30th, 6:30-7:30PM:

Brewing Culture: How to Make Kombucha

Ethan Zuckerman, Barefoot Bucha

Ethan Zuckerman, Master Brewer at Barefoot Bucha, will share recipes and expertise from his tried and true home brewing method, a process that is easy for participants to replicate at home.  He will also talk about Barefoot Bucha's low waste business model, and encourage creative thought amongst participants of how to take similar steps in their own lives or businesses. As a company we believe in good health, sustainable business practices, and the ability of both business owners and consumers to positively impact the world through the choices we make every day. This session is appropriate for beginning and seasoned kombucha brewers, those interested in conscious consumerism, and local food aficionados.

 

Tuesday, August 6th. 6:30-7:30PM:

Farming with Fungal Allies (Mushrooms!)

Mark Jones, Sharondale Farm

Fungi are important allies for human agriculture and environmental systems.  They provide food, medicine, ecological stability, and earth healing.  Explore some increasingly important human-fungus symbioses and how you can participate.  Mark will discuss ways to incorporate mushrooms and fungi into gardens and small farms using ecological design principles, and why it's important to eat more mushrooms.

 

Wednesday, August 21, 6:30-7:30PM:

The Big Picture of a Small Farm

Erica Hellen, Free Union Grass Farm

Free Union Grass Farm is a small-scale, sustainable, diversified livestock operation in Free Union, VA.  Run by late 20-somethings Erica Hellen and Joel Slezak, the farm is in its 4th season of production and striving to meet the demands of eager Charlottesville eaters. The talk will discuss the many animal, vegetable, and compost elements on the farm and the importance of their respective roles in a diversified operation.  It will also address the role of scale, given the farm's size and growth potential.  This will be a flexible talk, great talk for anyone interested in starting their own small farming operation, learning about the daily choreography of the farm, or learning more about a sustainable food lifestyle.  Questions encouraged!

 

Tuesday, September 10th, 6:30-7:30PM:

Local Food--Getting Your Money's Worth

Susan & Dean Vidal, Brightwood Vineyards & Farm

So, how do you know if local food is nutritious, healthy and worth the money? During this session, local farmers Susan and Dean Vidal will discuss with you the things to look for and simple questions to ask to help you purchase clean, nutritious and tasty local food.  Please join us. You don’t need to hesitate in expanding beyond franchised food.  In addition to benefiting your community, buying nutritious food locally can benefit your health and eating pleasure. 

 

Thursday, September 19th, 6:30-7:30PM:

Our Kitchen is Your Kitchen: Local Resources for Food Processing and Packing

Allie Hill, Virginia Food Works

Virginia Food Works is a non-profit organization providing people with guidance on the steps involved from product development to final production.  Food Works is currently operating out of the Prince Edward Cannery and Commercial Kitchen, which is available to rent for $10 per hour, including all equipment and overhead.   This session will discuss the regulations of commercial food production, services available through Virginia Food Works and processing possibilities in the Kitchen facility.  Contract packing through Homegrown Virginia will be discussed as well.