So, it turns out that there’s a big event regarding local foods and their sourcing right in my backyard. Considering I went “all the way to California”:http://metacookbook.com/archives/177-Where-Ive-been-and-where-Im-going..html to learn more about so much about all of this, it only made sense to find a way to get to “Family Farmed Expo”:http://www.familyfarmedexpo.com/ as well.
It wasn’t in the budget, much as I wanted it to be, to get the 3-day all-access passes. However, I got very lucky and won a pair of tickets to the “localicious party”:http://www.familyfarmedexpo.com/localicious/localiciousoverview.html and I managed to finagle the budget to go to the days of the conference as well. I’ll only be going to the “policy” part of Friday (which has three parts to it, a “trade show” for farmers & restaurateurs, a “school food summit” and a “policy summit”), which dropped the cost dramatically. I also will not be going to the “Sally Fallon lecture,”:http://www.familyfarmedexpo.com/bio11sallyfallon.html as what little I’ve seen of the Weston A Price Foundation makes me wonder about how good they are with their science. Also, honestly, because I’m doing workshops ALL of the rest of Saturday, and I’d like a couple of hours to wander around the actual “food festival.”:http://www.familyfarmedexpo.com/festival/festivaloverview.html Though, because of the timing of the workshops, I’m going to miss basically all of the chef’s demos. I’d weep, but the workshops look SO APPEALING.
I honestly expect that most of Thursday and Friday will go over my head. Just as I expected that of State of the Plate and Edible Institute. And, truthfully, most of it did. But I learned and grew and expanded, and I expect nothing less of this upcoming weekend.
Of course, Sunday I’ll also learn something, as I’m taking a Sunday afternoon wine & food pairing course. I think this week is supposed to be on pairing “big” red wines. I’m two classes in, and it’s been a blast. I’ve enjoyed it immensely. I’m sad there’s only three classes left!
So, the cooking and the blogging might be low-level this week (except for the black bean soup I mentioned in yesterday’s post). I hope you all will forgive me.
Finally, something to read. I’ve not really followed this blog much, so I only discovered this post today because I was talking to Angelique about a different blog which linked to this one, but I liked it. I liked that it touched on being pretty sure this “local foods” thing is the right approach to food, but finding yourself questioning, and taking a circuitous route to learn about it. I liked that the author, at least in this post (I presume others as well), admits to not knowing and to buying things outside this system (sounds familiar). But, most of all, I liked the last comment. It’s by one of my favorite farmers from my local market, and he has such a distinctive way of talking and thinking that I can literally “hear” his voice speaking this comment in my head. It makes me very happy.
“So, check it out and consider ‘how big is small?’”:http://myfoodshed.com/2011/01/14/how-big-is-small/