As our prime farmland continues to be retired for developed uses, and as food costs continue to increase due to high transportation costs, supporting local food production is now more important than ever.  When you buy locally grown foods, you not only get the freshest and best tasting food around, but you also help to keep land in agricultural production and support local growers and producers.  Supporting our local food movement does not just have to be about buying local groceries and shopping at the farmers’ markets-- it’s also about celebrating local foods. And what better way to do that than at the 2008 Local Food Festival and Field Day!

Celebrating Local Foods from the Ground Up

The Mid-Region Council of Governments’ Agriculture Collaborative has developed the 2008 Local Food Festival and Field Day as a way to bring the entire community together to celebrate local foods and agriculture.  The festival is designed for families, backyard gardeners, urban agriculturalists, anyone interested in healthful foods, cooking, bee keeping, jelly-making, and educational opportunities for adults and children.  One of the primary goals of the festival is to raise awareness about our foodshed so that there is an increased appreciation for the energy required to grow, store and transport food.  Another is to put a “face” to the food by showcasing the people who grow and prepare local food in our region.  Most importantly, the festival is about having fun! 

Eat, Learn, Enjoy, Celebrate

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.

Partners

The Agribusiness Collaborative is pleased to be working with numerous partners on this event including the La Montanita Co-op, the University of New Mexico’s Sustainability Program, Bernalillo County and the Hubbell House Alliance.  Funding for the project is from the New Mexico State Legislature and the McCune Foundation.   

Festival Details

The festival is on May 17th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Historic Guitierrez-Hubbell House and Demonstration Farm in Albuquerque’s South Valley (6029 Isleta Blvd SW, 3 miles south of Rio Bravo).  The festival is a free family event that is open to the public.  For more information contact Ann Simon at 724-3617 or KT LaBadie and Jen Silverman at 724-3619.