Chefs confirmed:
Christy Augustin (Pint Size Bakery)
Tony Busekrus (Bread Head Baking)
Anthony Devoti (Five Bistro)
Carl Hazel (Scottish Arms)
Gerard Craft (Craft Restaurants)
Ed Heath (Cleveland Heath)
Sam Hilmer & Joanna Duley (Claverach Farm)
Rick Lewis (Quincy Street Bistro)
Claire Mendez & Kaleigh Brundick (Perennial Artisan Ales)
Michael Miller & Chris Meyer (Kitchen Kulture)
John Perkins (entre)
Ben Poremba (Elaia & Olio)
Jamey Tochtrop (Stellina)
Cassy Vires (Home Wine Kitchen)
Kevin Willmann (Farmhaus)
Robert Zugmaier (Sidney Street Cafe)

We welcome back Perennial Artisan Ales, Schlafly Beer, Matt Sorrell with Cocktails Are Go, and wine will be provided by Claverach Farm & Vineyard. A warm Thank You to Andrey Ivanov of Elaia & Olio for coordinating front of the house service.

AGAIN THIS YEAR: Due to the number of people attending and working at this event, Slow Food St. Louis will be transporting all dinner guests on chartered vans from a parking location near Claverach’s Eureka Farm. Details will be sent to ticket holders the week of the event so please be sure to include an updated email when purchasing tickets.

All revenue from this event goes towards SFSTL micro-grants for farmers, eater educational programming, and the promotion of food that is good, clean, and fair.

This is an adult only event.

Slow Food St. Louis, a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and supporting food traditions, is pleased to announce Food on Film, a series of films that will not only whet your appetite for local, sustainable food, but will bring out the activist in you as well. All films will be screened on the fourth Monday of the month at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood at 7:30pm (doors open at 7:00). The cost of each film is a suggested donation of $5.00. Proceeds benefit Slow Food St. Louis’ Small Farm Micro Biodiversity Grant, which has given $47,000 to local farmers. Food on Film Series is sponsored by: Chipotle Mexican Grill* and Schlafly Beer.

Barbie Izquierdo and kids in A PLACE AT THE TABLE, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

From the people who brought you Food, Inc. – A Place at the Table shows us how hunger poses serious economic, social and cultural implication for our nation, and that it could be solved once and for all, if the American public decides, as they have in the past, that making healthy food available and affordable is in the best interest of us all.

JULY 22 – In Organic We Trust, (2013) – 81 min.

Most Americans now purchase organic food in some form, but don’t know what “organic” really means. In Organic We Trust follows filmmaker Kip Pastor on a journey to answer the essential questions about organic: What exactly is certified organic? Is it really better for us, or just marketing hype? Is organic the key to transforming our food system?

AUGUST 26 – American Meat, (2012) – 85 min.

American Meat is a pro-farmer look at chicken, hog and cattle production in America. Beginning with a history of our current industrial system, the feedlots and confinement operations are unveiled, not through hidden cameras, but through the eyes of the farmers who live and work there. From there the story shifts of Polyface Farms, where the Salatin family has developed an alternative agricultural model based on rotational grazing and local distribution. Nationwide, a local food movement of farmers, chefs, and everyday people has taken root… But could it ever feed us all?

SEPTEMBER 23 – Food Stamped (2011) – 62 min

Food Stamped is a documentary film following a couple as they attempt to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet on a food stamp budget. Through their adventures they consult with members of U.S. Congress, food justice organizations, nutrition experts, and people living on food stamps to take a deep look at America’s broken food system.

OCTOBER 28 – Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives (2012) – 85 min.

You won’t look at food the same way again. Genetic Roulette exposes the dirt behind Big-Biotech’s big failed experiment. Awarded Solari Best Film of the Year, 2012. Never before seen evidence points to genetically engineered foods as a major contributor to rising disease rates in the US population, especially among children. Gastrointestinal disorders, allergies, inflammatory diseases, and infertility are just some of the problem implicated in humans, pets, livestock, and lab animals that eat genetically modified soybeans and corn.

NOVEMBER 25 – Growing Cities, (2013) unreleased

Growing Cities is a documentary film that examines the role of urban farming in America and asks how much power it has to revitalize our cities and change the way we eat.

*About our 2013 program sponsor, Chipotle Mexican Grill:
Steve Ellis, founder, chairman and co-CEO, started Chipotle with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through our vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food from using ingredients that are not only fresh, but that – where possible – are sustainably grown and naturally raised with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the food. A similarly focused people culture, with an emphasis on identifying and empowering top performing employees, enables us to develop future leaders from within. Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in 1993 and currently operates more than 1,400 restaurants. For more information visit Chipotle.com.

Raintree’s nutritional program is built on the cornerstone of students needing good food to fuel them to learn and excel. Their program begins with their in-house chef who prepares wholesome cuisine for the kids and transforms the kitchen into a dynamic learning environment. Chef Art prepares nutritious meals using all seasonal produce and as local as possible ingredients including from their school’s own garden. They also are part of a Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) program and buy from local farmers which allows them to stock their kitchen with organic dairy, organic eggs, local jam and local honey.

The kids not only eat good food but they help to grow and make it too. Children work with Raintree’s farmer to design the garden and then plant and harvest it. They also help to cook meals and prepare snacks including homemade bread every Thursday.

Children learn how to be creative by preparing a range of recipes, practice science by watching food change states of matter, and achieve positive self-esteem. They apply mathematics through measuring out ingredients, embrace world cultures by tasting different cuisines and discover healthy habits that they take on for the rest of their lives.

Parents can learn too as Raintree offers cooking classes and encourages them to bring the same food literacy learning and experiences into their homes.
Raintree recognizes the importance of food for their students and their families, and even expands the food focused mission beyond their school grounds. They run workshops to teach other early childhood centers how to follow in their footsteps, sponsor Ellisville’s Farmers’ Market, host movie screenings and encourage parent participation in a CSA.

This is an incredible example of a school that recognizes the importance of food for a healthy learning mind and as a knowledge base that needs to be taught to children so they live to be happy, healthy adults.

Raintree Learning Community educates children ages 2-6 and is located in Ballwin, Missouri. To learn more about Raintree and their nutritional program, please visit www.undertheraintree.org.

The Slow Spotlight is a series of regular blog posts exploring the story of our food. The series reports on local farms, “slow” food products/businesses, and the preservation (or creation) of food traditions with occasional coverage of relevant organizations, issues, and events.

Weidner Farm celebrates its fifth season of farming and beekeeping, thanks to Mary Ellen Raymond. From mortgage banker to farmer, agriculture and beekeeping are part of Mary Ellen’s heritage. Growing up in the small farming community of Bunker Hill, Illinois on the Weidner centennial farm, Mary Ellen learned farming and bee keeping traditions first hand from her family.

Mary Ellen grows a variety of unique heirloom plants, harvests a bounty of honey each year, and produces a line of beeswax products. Organic farming techniques are practiced, including crop rotation and biological pest control. The bees are also kept in a natural and holistic manner. Mary Ellen tends bees in Wildwood, Chesterfield, and Illinois, where most of the produce is grown.

With the assistance of the Slow Food biodiversity grant last year, Weidner Farm grew a variety of heirloom produce not typically available at farmers markets or in local restaurants. The bounty included Toyha and Butterbean Edamame, Cutting Celery, Spigarello, Roquencort French Filet Beans, Valentine and Canada Rhubarb, and Keifer Pears. These unique items were grown in addition to Weidner Farm’s usual crop of garlic, potatoes, leeks, onions, and heirloom tomatoes, peppers, and sweet potatoes.

Honey from spring to fall.

Through farmers markets, local chefs and other avenues, Weidner Farm is exposing foodies to flavorful produce and delectable honey. Most recently, Mary Ellen hosted a Local Honey Tasting & Pairing at Kakao Chocolate in Maplewood where participants experienced many local and varietal honeys, paired with local cheese, yogurt, nuts, and of course, Kakao chocolate and confections.

You can find produce, honey and beeswax products from Weidner Farm at the Schlafly Farmers Market, and typically among local restaurants in the St. Louis area including Farmhaus, and Veritas. Weidner Farm honey is also available at Local Harvest Grocery and Kakao Chocolate.

As the cold weather fades away, Mary Ellen is busy as a bee planting diverse crops and caring for her apiaries. With this hard work, comes a true love for exposing people to unique varieties of produce and raw honey.

The Slow Spotlight is a series of regular blog posts exploring the story of our food. The series reports on local farms, “slow” food products/businesses, and the preservation (or creation) of food traditions with occasional coverage of relevant organizations, issues, and events. Thank you to Chipotle Mexican Grill for a $5000 sponsorship of the 2012 Biodiversity Grant Program.

St. Louis CSA and CCSA Directory

So you want to join a CSA? We are now so very fortunate to have lots of options for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in and around the St. Louis area. The number of CSAs has more than doubled in the last five years. If you aren’t familiar with the CSA relationship, here is some quick info to get you started on your way to receiving fresh, healthy, and seasonal food from local farmers.

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture): the consumer purchases a “share” of the harvest for a growing season directly from a farm. This share is distributed to the consumer on a weekly (or bi-weekly) basis and typically includes produce and fruit but may also include eggs, flowers, and sometimes meat. We are starting to see more collaborative CSAs where a “share” may include a small percentage of items that your farmer sourced from additional farms. The consumer has a direct relationship with the farm they purchase a share in, offers the support directly to the farm, has the opportunity to typically visit the farm and even sometimes work on the farm.

CCSA (Combined Community Supported Agriculture): The consumer purchases a weekly or biweekly “share” from a middleman who sources from a multitude of local farmers and food producers. These shares may include everything from produce to meat to locally roasted coffee to eggs to value added products (sauces, jams, etc). Often, CCSAs have a number of options from vegetarian to paleo focused shares and the consumer can sometimes trade items out of a particular share for other items. This option offers consumers the most flexibility with the broadest range of items yet removes the consumer one step away from supporting the farmers directly. However, CCSAs often create events and opportunities for “share” holders to meet the producers and CCSA owners and employees maintain very close relationships to the producers they source from.

We know the majority of these farms and CCSAs and are aware that they all share a concern for sustainability. However, as with all of your food, you should conduct your own inquiries into the production practices behind the food you consume. For a list of questions you should consider, please review our Ask Before You Eat! brochure and films. The following list is in alphabetical order. As additional CSAs send us information, we will continue to update this list throughout the spring. Please contact valerie.valli@yahoo.com to have your CSA added or updated.

Name: Earthdance Farms
Food pick-up location: The Mueller Farm (Ferguson, MO)
Duration of CSA season: May through October
Products included in CSA: Vegetables
Accepting new members? Yes
Contact information: 314.521.1006 or Rachel@earthdancefarms.org
Anything else you would like us to know? Members are asked to contribute 4 volunteer hours per membership, per season, toward the success of the farm’s harvest or field work endeavors.

Name: Fair Shares
Food pick-up location: Kingshighway and Highway 44 (headquarters), Kirkwood, University City
Duration of CSA season: 11 months, April-March (no pick-ups in March)
Products included in CSA: Produce, Eggs, Meat, Chocolate, Coffee, Cheese, Bread, and many additional staples.
Accepting new members? Yes
Contact information: http://fairshares.org/contact
Anything else you would like us to know? Flexibility in weekly and bi-weekly as well as ability to trade some items in particular shares.

[...]

To see the entire listing of CSA programs, click here.

There are two sides to the story that is our annual Biodiversity Farmer and Producer Micro-Grants. The easiest to appreciate are the success stories, and the changes that accompany them. Things like an ever more diverse bounty of vibrant greens and lettuces, filling baskets at our farmers markets throughout the growing season. An award winning chef serves up a dish punctuated with a slender, needle like radish that looks a bit like okra yet is both tender and meaty like a fresh picked green bean. A Sunday supper of roasted chicken shared with friends that is flavorful not because of what it was injected with during processing, but because it wandered about, eating the grass, clovers and bugs that it found beneath its feet.

The flip side of our grant program is the idea that to achieve these changes, to contribute to the outcomes described above, risk and financial investments are assumed by farmers and producers undertaking them. Indeed, for every success story there is the potential for a crop to be lost to drought, to discover that animals do not thrive or do not appeal to consumers, that a well conceived project does not turn out as planned. A cornerstone of our grant program is to distribute this risk, with the hope that by spreading out investments, positive outcomes end up outnumbering the negative ones in the long run.

There may be no better example of both aspects of our grant program than Slow Food St. Louis’s long term relationship with Yellowtree Farm and its owner, Justin Leszcz, recipient of 3 grants.

Yellowtree Farm’s first grant was an investment in heirloom seeds, which formed the foundation of Leszcz’s farm as it exists today; 150 varieties of vegetables that end up at the Schlafly Farmers Market, filling CSA bags, at restaurants like Niche, Farmhaus and Blood and Sand, and thanks to seed saving, Leszcz’s fields as one growing season turns to the next.

A second approved grant was to raise a rare breed of squabbing pigeon for distribution to local chefs. Over the course of raising his pigeons, Leszcz discovered that that value of a pigeon for breeding exceeded their processed value to his farm several times over. After two years, a handful of locals have taken Leszcz’s breeders and raised their own flocks, increasing the overall population of a bird that does not get heritage protection in the process.

Yellowtree Farm’s most recent grant was to build a mobile chicken processing unit to help local producers manage the cost of slaughtering and packaging their birds in a USDA approved environment. Processing has always been costly for small farmers, resulting in high prices for consumers and tighter margins for business owners. The ultimate goal was to help bring down the cost of production, potentially lowering prices for the consumer while increasing the profits these producers can glean from each bird through the reduction of travel time (the nearest USDA approved processing plant was several hours away) and by allowing farms to harvest smaller numbers of birds at one time. At the same time as Leszcz was assembling the equipment for his processing unit, a local processor began serving local farmers at a price and convenience level that placed the commercial viability of a mobile processing unit into question. Faced with this, Leszcz has channeled his efforts and what is left of the grant money into new opportunities, most notable being a locally milled flour project, derived from Yellowtree Farm’s own soft and hard wheat that Leszcz hopes to sell to local bakeries and to create value-added products like pancake and jonnycake mixes.

Three grants, three different outcomes that not only helped Leszcz build his business, but to grow it, sometimes in ways that he could not have imagined at the onset. At the same time, our food community is better off because of his tireless efforts to try new things. And in the end, Slow Food St. Louis can’t ask for a better return than that.

YellowTree Farm is a biointensive farm located in Fenton, Missouri, specializing in the sale of produce to local restaurants and breweries; including Niche, Blood & Sand, Farmhaus, Perennial Artesian Ales, and servicing the public though participation in farmers markets and community supported agriculture. YellowTree Farm grows a wide selection of unique items, emphasizing on old time heirloom vegetables and foraged mushrooms and wild edibles.

The Slow Spotlight is a series of regular blog posts exploring the story of our food. The series reports on local farms, “slow” food products/businesses, and the preservation (or creation) of food traditions with occasional coverage of relevant organizations, issues, and events. Thank you to Chipotle Mexican Grill for a $5000 sponsorship of the 2012 Biodiversity Grant Program.

RSVP and spread the word on Facebook here.

Start Time: 19:00
Date: 2013-01-29

Slow Food St. Louis Small Farm Biodiversity Micro Grant Program has been supporting the preservation of biodiversity in the St. Louis (and surrounding area) food system since 2009. To date they have awarded $30,000 to small scale, local farmers, supporting more than 200 heirloom varieties and heritage breeds.

The program awards grants to farmers and producers for growing heirloom varieties and/or raising heritage breeds. Multiple grants are available each year up to the amount of $2,000. This initiative encourages farmers to grow heirloom produce and raise heritage breed animals by taking on all or part of the financial risk of the project. The program also encourages farmers to explore more niche product offerings, as many heirlooms and heritage breeds are unique to the marketplace, distinguishing their businesses.

Heirloom varieties are defined as a horticultural variety that has survived for several generations and is not used in large-scale agriculture. Many varieties are listed with the Slow Food Ark of Taste, Seed Savers Exchange, and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Heritage breeds are traditional livestock breeds that date back several generations, before the drastic reduction of breed variety caused by the rise of industrial agriculture. The preservation of diversity in our food system is important not only for nutrition and taste, but also as a tool of flexibility as we face crop disease and climate change issues.

These grants have been awarded to over 35 different farms over the past four years. Some of the recipients include YellowTree Farm who produces heirloom tomatoes, practices seed saving techniques and is developing a portable poultry processing facility, Weidner Farm that produces dried beans and fruit and Riverbend Roots Farm that focuses on finding heirloom varieties that can be scaled for production. The success of the program has made these varieties available to St. Louisans at Farmer’s Markets, in CSAs (community supported agriculture programs), at grocers like Local Harvest and Maude’s Market, and on the menus of locally sourcing restaurants in St. Louis such as Farmhaus and Niche.

Download a PDF of the Grant Application

About our 2012 program sponsor, Chipotle Mexican Grill: Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO, started Chipotle with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through our vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food from using ingredients that are not only fresh, but that—where possible—are sustainably grown and naturally raised with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the food. A similarly focused people culture, with an emphasis on identifying and empowering top performing employees, enables us to develop future leaders from within. Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in 1993 and currently operates more than 1,300 restaurants. For more information, visit Chipotle.com.

Sassafras Valley Farm is a family farm located near Morrison, Missouri that raises not your average fowl—they specialize in Embden Geese, an animal rich in Missouri history. The idea for the farm was conceived six years ago by two siblings, Connie & Bob Cunningham, as they shared a heritage turkey at their mother’s Thanksgiving table.

With the Christmas season fast approaching, they wondered where they could find a goose, their favorite holiday tradition. Then the clever siblings had a thought…why not raise heritage geese themselves! Connie took on the day-to-day responsibilities of the farm, her brother Bob agreed to handle the business side, and Sassafras Valley Farm was born. Now, as the only commercial geese farm in Missouri and one of the few in the country, they have grown from an original investment of 35 geese to now selling over 400 per year.

Featured in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and as a favorite dish in Hanukkah celebrations, geese have a special place in history as a traditional holiday food. Embden geese, as any water fowl, are unique in that they have a layer of fat beneath their skin, which results in a deliciously rich, dark meat. That coupled with the husbandry processes practiced by the farm, delivers an animal product lower in fat than most of their commercially produced brothers.

Sassafras Valley Farm prides itself on their commitment to low-impact, sustainable agriculture. They keep a low population density of 36 geese per acre so the geese always have fresh pasture and water. Pasture is free of chemicals and hormones, and is made of a variety of indigenous grasses and plants. They are proudly certified by AWA (Animal Welfare Approved) demonstrating their dedication to the humane treatment of their animals.

In addition to geese, the Cunninghams sell specialty products including pastured Angus veal, local Missouri caviar and a recent expansion into Rouen ducks. Rouen ducks are a heritage breed similar to Mallards and smaller and far superior in flavor to Pekins. Ducks will be available for sale November 2012.

Sassafras Valley Farm products are readily available through their website and ship frozen via UPS 2nd Day Air anywhere in the US. For those in the Hermann and St. Louis areas, products are available in-store at Swiss Meat and Sausage and Local Harvest Market in Kirkwood. Maudes Market is currently taking orders for holiday delivery.

To find more information about Sassafras Valley Farm please contact Robert and Connie Cunningham at 866-684-2188 or visit their website. Support a special farm right here in Missouri and order a Sassafras bird for your next celebratory meal!

The Slow Spotlight is a series of regular blog posts exploring the story of our food. The series reports on local farms, “slow” food products/businesses, and the preservation (or creation) of food traditions with occasional coverage of relevant organizations, issues, and events.

Ozark Forest Mushrooms are grown on the Hellmuth family farm, Timber Farms The Sinks, located in what the Nature Conservancy designated as one of the “Last Great Places” along Sinking Creek in the Missouri Ozark Big Springs Region.

Nicola Macpherson, the owner of Ozark Forest Mushrooms specializes in growing oak-log shiitake mushrooms. The oak logs are harvested following a strict sustainable forestry protocol that includes practicing “rotational thinning” and is administered by the Missouri Dept of Conservation. When the family began following these practices for the benefit of their forest land, the question of what to do with the tree tops wood was posed. Lucky for us the answer was
to grow mushrooms! The farm utilizes a “slow” growing method that provides “meaty and woodsy” tasting mushrooms, says Macpherson, especially compared to sawdust grown supermarket varieties. You can taste the difference! They integrate permaculture principles and have created a holistic system where mushroom spent logs heat the greenhouse for winter production and creates compost for their vegetable garden. There are very few commercial oak
log shiitake mushroom farms that exist like this in the US. and truly need to be supported as a Slow Food!

Their mushrooms are also heirloom varieties. Snowcap which only fruits in the spring and fall, large meaty caps the size of portabellas you can’t find these in a supermarket!! Ozark Forest uses organic processes but they are not certified organic, they also employ a local workforce for woodcutting, inoculation, production, harvesting and packaging of value added products which contributes to the local rural economy of Shannon County in the Ozarks.

In addition to mushroom production; they grow greens, vegetables and wild edibles to turn into pestos, pickles and condiments. Local food enthusiasts will be excited to hear that the farm is presently experimenting with a truffle orchard in conjunction with the University of Missouri-Columbia through a Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grant.

As if that was not enough, they also offer ecological holidays including tours and a vacation getaway spot at the Beaver Lake Guesthouse. This holiday home is ideal for foodies as it is situated on their farm, and for nature lovers to come and appreciate the beautiful Ozarks. This four person home was built with stone sourced from the farm and is temperature-controlled by a unique geothermal heat pump that uses the lake to heat and cool the house. Vacationing here gives you days to explore the lake, forest and creek and nights to bbq under the stars, while being surrounded by Ozark wildlife, humming birds, bald eagles, herons, ducks, and beavers.

To find out more about Ozark Forest Mushrooms or about booking your getaway at the Beaver Lake Guesthouse, please check out their websites or contact Nicola Macpherson at nicola@ozarkforest.com. You can find Ozark Forest Mushroom products at the Schlafly Farmers Market, Tower Grove Farmers’ Market, Fair Shares CSA and Local Harvest Grocery Store.

The Slow Spotlight is a series of regular blog posts exploring the story of our food. The series reports on local farms, “slow” food products/businesses, and the preservation (or creation) of food traditions with occasional coverage of relevant organizations, issues, and events.