Bioneers

May 17: Local Food Festival and Field Day - Eat, Learn, Enjoy

Celebrating Local Foods from the Ground Up

No matter what your age or interests, the 2008 Local Food Festival and Field Day has something for everyone.  Here’s a preview of the festival’s different themes and activities:

  • Tasting: Taste fresh local seasonal foods prepared by chefs Bob Peterson from Savoy Bar and Grille, Jennifer James from Chef du Jour, and Joseph Schuster from Marcello’s Chop House.  Taste cookies from Native Foods specialist Lois Ellen Frank.  Sample and purchase honey, pasta, salsa, arugula, strawberries, asparagus and more. 
  • Learning: Attend a mini-workshop to learn about gardening, jelly making, tree pruning, permaculture, bee-keeping, and more. Be sure also to take a tour of the historic Gutierrez-Hubbell House and Demonstration Farm, a historic highlight along El Camino Real. The once private residence, which later served as a trading post, a stagecoach stop and a local post office, is now part of the Bernalillo County Open Space Program.  This restored adobe treasure is a must see!
  • Growing: Check out the demonstration garden and orchard, and purchase some seedlings to take home and plant.  Grow your knowledge of local foods as well as resources and organizations that are involved in promoting local agriculture and sustainability. 
  • Enjoying: Relax in the shade while listening to the live music of Young Edward and Jaraneros del Valle de Norte. Check out all the excitement in the kids’ activity area, such as face painting and sac races.  Be sure to explore the nature trail with the whole family (kids who complete the loop win a prize).   
  • Sustaining: Purchase goods from local growers and help keep our agricultural lands in production.  Watch for the UNM Sustainability Program’s solar kiosk which will be powering the band.  Learn about all the ways that local foods contribute to sustainability.
  • Cooking: Get tips from local food author Deborah Madison about buying, preparing, and cooking with fresh foods from local farmers markets.  She will also be doing a book signing for her cookbook Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers Markets.  Watch and learn from the local chefs on hand.  And, learn how to make butter with the kids! 
  • Meeting: Meet local growers and producers and other members of our community.  Be sure to meet some live farm animals, such as baby goats and chickens, as they are part of the foodshed too.