Local Fare Gluten-Free Workshop, Monday, June 15 (Platteville)

Are you curious about the Gluten-Free lifestyle? Local Fare is sponsoring this learning event and we invite you to come and learn about the gluten- free lifestyle and diet, where to find products and get recipes.

Monday, June 15th, 5-8pm in Doudna Hall at UW-Platteville.

Call April at 608-342-1314 for information or accommodations

Local Foods Dinner Saturday, June 6th Mineral Point

The Old Royal in on 43 High Street will be serving Local Burgers made from a variety of local meats, as well as Local Salads to complement. Food will be served from 5-10pm and Open Mic performances with local artists are from 8-10pm.
Reservations are recommended but not required. For more information call 608-987-4530
It's going to be a GREAT TIME! We hope to see you there!

The Great Chocolate & Wine Trail of Southwest Wisconsin May 23 & 24

May 23 & 24, 2009 from 10AM-5PM. Stop by Burr Oak Winery, Weggy Winery, Spurgeon Vineyards & Winery and Bauer-Kearns Winery for a tasting of wine and decadent chocolates. For more information stop by the Platteville Chamber office for a brochure.

Taste of Barley Brewfest Saturday May 23 (Platteville)

Hop on over to the Tri-State Taste of Barley at the Governor Dodge Convention Center from 1-5PM and sample some of the best brews the tri-state has to offer. Entertainment, Souvenir Beer Glass, Door Prizes, Special Presentation, FREE Designated Driver Program with paid admission, Silent Aution, 50/50 Raffle and more! Ticket are available for $25.00 at the Platteville Chamber of Commerce or for $30.00 at the door the day of the event. Sponsored by: Platteville Area Chamber of Commerce and the American Breweriana Association.

Burgers and Brew: May 30th (Madison)

When: Saturday May 30th, 2009 from 4-7pm
Where: Capital Brewery Bier Garten 7734 Terrace Ave Middleton, WI
What: Locally grown and produced mini-burgers paired with beer samples and served up with fun, music and good times!
Why: To celebrate great local food and raise money for REAP Food Group
Who: Some of Southern Wisconsin's finest chefs, brewers and farmers!

Go to the website for more information!
www.reapfoodgroup.org

Introduction to Pastured Poultry Workshop

Area farmers and others interested in raising pastured poultry are encouraged to attend the upcoming workshop on Monday, June 1, 2009, from 1-4pm in Ladysmith. This half-day local workshop will feature a short erview of the rising demand for local food and other farm products, and Coon Creek Family Farm owner, Vince Maro, of Mondovi. Vince and his wife, Julie, own a small family farm and are committed to producing great tasting, healthy food for their local community; they utilize organic farming practices - working in harmony with nature. Vince and Julie have been raising pastured poultry for many years and enjoy teaching others about how to start and enhance their farm system.



The workshop will include case study information from other local farmers raising pastured poultry and an optional visit to a local farm at the end of the day. Cost of the half-day workshop is $10 per person and includes a sustainable agriculture food systems resource packet. For more information and to register for the workshop, please visit www.barron.uwc.edu/ce.

Dodgeville Marketplace Thursday, May 21

Local Fare Spring Marketplace is coming to Dodgeville on Thursday, May 21, from 3PM to 7PM at the Ley Pavilion at Harris Park. Come celebrate local foods! Vendors will include growers, restaurants, grocers, CSA farms, greenhouses, wineries, breweries, cheese makers. Everyone will be welcome to visit the vendor displays, enjoy educational activities and purchase local products . Samples of local foods will be available for free on a first come, first served basis. Again admission is free!!

If you would like to attend as a vendor, sign up on-line at http://www.uwplatt.edu/cont_ed/LocalFare/vendorform.html or contact April Fuhr at localfare@uwplatt.edu

Spanish Language Producer Directory is now available to print!

We recently undertook a project to translate the producer directory into Spanish. It was just completed and while we only currently have a few paper copies, the directory is available for print. This directory contains the same information as the English language directory. We hope the people of the region find this helpful and please give us any feedback you have. Thank you!!
www.uwplatt.edu/cont_ed/LocalFare

Producer Grants!!!

Attention: Wisconsin Local Food Producers

* Do you want to increase your sales and/or profitability?
* Do you want to enter new local food markets?
* Do you have a need for one-on-one technical assistance on your farm?
* Do you know an expert consultant that can assist you with your needs?

Producers First is a pilot program that is accepting applications from Wisconsin local food producers to work with expert consultants who will provide one-on-one technical assistance with the goal of increasing farm operation capacity, efficiency, sales, and profitability.

Applicants to the program will need to identify both a technical assistance need within their farm operation and a qualified, committed consultant to address that need.

Deadline for applications is July 1st, 2009. Please see the attached documents for program details and application forms. Questions about the program may be directed to Teresa Cuperus, 608-224-5101, teresa.cuperus@wi.gov

*Project awards are contingent on receipt of anticipated federal funding.*

Uplands Garden Club Plant Sale Saturday May 16, 2009

The 11th Annual Uplands Garden Club Plant Sale
Saturday May 16, 2009 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Ley Pavilion at Harris Park Dodgeville, WI

Items offered for Sale include:
Annuals and Perennials; Sun and Shade, Vegetables: Many Heirlooms,
Herbs Prairie Plants, Woodland Plants, Rock Garden Plants, Trees,
Shrubs, House Plants, Going Green Garden Treasures
Wonderful Door Prizes
Bring your plant questions to our Master Gardeners

Contact Persons:
Colleen O’Brien 608-924-3793
Judie Gibbon 608-935-9399

Green County Kitchen Survey Results (Monroe)

Mark your calendars for the release of the Green County Commercial Kitchen Survey results! On Monday, June 1 at 5:30 p.m., Green County UW Extension will showcase the results of the Community Commercial Kitchen Needs Survey. This public meeting will be held at the Amcore Bank community meeting room, 1625 10th Street (north side of Monroe’s Historic Square).
“A community commercial kitchen would enable local residents to produce food products for sale,” explained Cara Carper, Community Resource Development Educator at Green County UW Extension. “Anyone who completed the survey, is interested in launching a food-based business or supportive of the local food movement here in Green County is encouraged to attend.” More than 100 people indicated their interest in a shared-use commercial kitchen facility through the Green County Community Commercial Kitchen Survey.
“We were very thrilled and encouraged by the number of people who filled out the survey, as well as the large number of different products they would like to produce for sale,” explains Carper. “The potential economic impact of a community kitchen is great.”
Forty eight of the respondents indicated in the survey their desired sales goals for products that would be made at the facility. If each of them met their goals, the impact would be more than $650,000 per year in sales.
“Even if a small percentage of those who would were interested in starting a food business met their goals, we’re looking at a significant impact here in Green County.”
Community-based, “incubator” commercial kitchens are gaining popularity both throughout Wisconsin and the nation as these ventures help stimulate local economic vitality and promote regional food through the creation of small business enterprises. As part of the survey, people were asked to indicate educational classes and other assistance they may need to make their businesses successful.
Discussion at the June 1 meeting will be encouraged regarding survey results, potential user needs and next steps. Focus group discussions with those who completed the survey will be scheduled the week of June 8. If you completed a survey, but did not include contact information, please contact Cara Carper, UW–Extension at (608) 328-9441 or cara.carper@ces.uwex.edu.

Producer Directory is now available to print!

The print directory, which contains the information of 120 local food businesses in eight counties in southwest Wisconsin, including producers and businesses like bakeries, cheese factories and others that grow, use, and make local products. The directory is available for printing at the Local Fare website.
www.uwplatt.edu/cont_ed/LocalFare

Tuesdays in MAY, 6:30 p.m. (Dodgeville) WOOD, STREAM AND PRAIRIE WALKS

On May 5, 12, 19 or 26, meet at the Friendship Center, 2973 Evans Quarry Road and enjoy a relaxing walk to observe and identify wild plants, animals and ecosystems. The walks will be led by Brian Pruka, ecologist and coordinator for the Friendship Center camps. Wear sturdy shoes to walk up some rather steep hills. FREE For info contact Brian at 575-2009 or Dave and Gretchen Pearson at 935-3613 or info@friendshipcentercamp.com.

The New Hot Sheet!

Hello Everyone,

As the Coordinator of Local Fare I am very excited and pleased to tell you about the launching of the new Hot Sheet Blog! Technology can be a wonderful thing and this will allow me to share information with you in a more complete and timely fashion and I hope you will check it regularly. There are many exciting things going on with Local Fare right now and in the near future, so please be watching for updates. As always please contact me if I can be of assistance or you have thoughts or questions about anything related to local foods. So thanks again and please enjoy!!

April Fuhr