Mon 12 Apr 2010
The Local Food Committee needs all hands on deck for four programs this summer and fall. All of these projects overlap and reinforce our efforts to create more demand and broader pathways for local food as part of a healthier, local business economy. These programs include:
1) ALLocal Dinners roughly every other month in various areas of metro Boston
2) outreach at a community event in support of farmers’ markets and the Bounty Bucks program
3) partnership with MassGrown and Restaurant Week Boston ® in August when there will be a “local food option” for the first time as part of Restaurant Week Boston’s 10th Anniversary celebration
4) Boston Local Food Festival on Saturday, October 2
As a humongous fun undertaking, the latter now has its own website loaded with information.
In the near term, in support of Restaurant Week Boston and the Boston Local Food Festival, we are organizing a free workshop and mini tradeshow to help Boston area restaurants find sources for more local food. This Buy Local Workshop will be held at the Seaport World Trade Center on Tuesday, July 13th in the morning. We are reaching out to all restaurants and any local farms, food producers and suppliers who sell wholesale to restaurants. Many volunteer hands are needed for this outreach. In addition, Boston Local Food Festival and the Buy Local Tradeshow are supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, (www.mass.gov/massgrown) that is always working to expand markets for its farmers.
All of these activities are engaging ways to make a shift toward more local food. If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact Fan@sbnboston.org! Every day new tasks arise!
Thu 28 Jan 2010
The Independent in Somerville is on Deck!
On Monday, March 15th, The Independent in Union Square in Somerville is carrying the ALLocal Dinner torch.
Currently, restaurant manager Jess Willis is scheming with her chef, local farms and possibly Organic Renaissance to locate locally grown and sourced food at a particularly difficult transition time between winter crops and spring sowing. With fish as a daily specialty at The Independent, we are betting fish will be an entree along with a vegan option. Dave of Dave’s Pasta attended the ALLocal Dinner at nourish Restaurant and we have challenged him to seek out the local flour available in Maine and more recently in western MA so that he can possibly provide not just fresh, but truly local pasta made from locally grown ingredients.
If you are interested in being on the mailing list when the invite goes out in early February, please send an email to fan@sbnboston.org.
Thu 28 Jan 2010
On January 12th, SBN hosted its third ALLocal Dinner in Lexington at Nourish, a new restaurant owned by former SBN board member, Karen Masterson. With many known food leaders already commited to joining the evening, the event sold out in three hours. All ingredients in the four course meal were sourced, processed, delivered, prepared and eaten as close to Lexington as possible, stretching out through MA into New England.
In January, an all local meal is a real challenge and Organic Renaissance of Lexington, a young company, sourced and provided the local ingredients as a sponsor. The menu included local wines from Turtle Creek Winery and Westport Rivers Vineyard, local cheeses and homemade crackers, roasted root vegetable soup, root vegetable salad, roasted chicken or baked beans, and if anyone had room, a mini root beer float and oat cakes with apple butter.
After the salad, guest shifted places for more meeting opportunities. Between courses, Karen spoke about her commitment as a community focused restaurant to work with area farms and businesses. She strives to have a reasonably priced menu that requires careful purchasing of a mixture of organic, sustainable and conventionally grown foods. JD Kemp explained Organic Renaissances’ provision of a free on-line market between growers and restaurants and optional transportation support charged in food miles. Niaz Dorry of Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance shared her organization’s efforts to help fishing communities move toward ecologically responsible fishing practices and policies in New England. Laury Hammel of SBN expressed his gratitude for such a wonderful joint effort by all to create the festive evening.
Guests went home with a full belly of deliciously fresh foods, a fresh perspective on what can be available locally in the middle of winter and many new connections.
Thu 10 Dec 2009
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SBN is hosting its third ALLocal Dinner in Lexington at Nourish, a new restaurant owned by former SBN board member, Karen Masterson. All ingredients in the four course meal will be sourced, processed, delivered, prepared and eaten! as close to Lexington as possible, stretching out through MA into New England. In January, an all local meal is a real challenge and Organic Renaissance of Lexington has agreed to source and provide the local ingredients as a sponsor. Between courses, guests will shift places for more meeting opportunities and Karen will speak about her commitment as a community focused restaurant to work with area farms and businesses.
This event is currently sold out! To be added to our list for the next dinner event, please email fan@sbnboston.org.
Tue 24 Nov 2009
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