Join Idaho’s Bounty on Saturday,  August 21st as we visit three Fairfield area farms: Petra, Prairie Sun and Fair Mountain Farm.

Participants will carpool to meet at Petra at 10 a.m., where Teri Backstrom will introduce us to her herd of goats, give us a milking demonstration and give us some goat cheese samples.

Next stop will be at Carol and Jeff Rast’s Prairie Sun Farm where we’ll learn about growing vegetables - including Carol’s famous carrots - in the harsh climate of the camas prairie.

Our final stop will be up towards Soldier Mountain at Fair Mountain Farm, owned and run by Clarence and Tona Stilwill. Clarence and Tona will show us their ancient orchard, herb garden, and gorgeous beds of greens.

Idaho’s Bounty will coordinate carpooling from the Wood River Valley. Please bring water and snacks if needed, and wear appropriate outdoor clothing. This event is suitable for people of all ages, and children are encouraged to attend and learn about where food comes from!

The cost is $5/person or $15/car, payable to Idaho’s Bounty. For more questions and to register, please call Julia Augustus at  208.721.1412 or email jaugustus@idahosbounty.org More information is also available at www.idahosbounty.org

The Advocates' Raffle Prize Winners Richard and Judith Smooke Donate $1500 Idaho's Bounty Gift Certificate to feed the hungry 

Idaho's Bounty, a local food co-op based out of the Wood River Valley that provides healthy, local and ethically produced food to customers direct from producers in Southwest Idaho, today announced that the Co-op's raffle prize support of The Advocates' 2010 Gala resulted in $1,500 in food from Idaho's Bounty being donated to the Hunger Coalition. 

"The 2010 Advocates Annual Gala: Black & White Soiree raised $200,000 this year with strong support from Idaho's Bounty," said The Advocates Executive Director Tricia Swartling. "The funds that Idaho's Bounty helped generate through its raffle prize donation and raffle ticket sales will help us continue to provide free education, shelter and support services for women and children in need and will also feed the hungry fresh, local foods from Idaho's Bounty." 

The Advocates' teamed with Idaho's Bounty to offer a $1,500 gift certificate to Idaho's Bounty Co-op as one of the annual raffle's large raffle prizes. One half or $750 of the $1,500 certificate was purchased and donated to The Advocates by Idaho's Bounty members Leslie and Neil Bradshaw. The Advocate's purchased the other half. 

Idaho's Bounty sold 30 tickets to its members to help support The Advocates' fund raising efforts. Richard and Judith Smooke, Idaho's Bounty co-op members, purchased five The Advocates raffle tickets and on the evening of the Gala, they won the $1,500 Idaho's Bounty gift certificate. In a  wonderful show of generosity, the Smookes donated the gift certificate to the Hunger Coalition. 

Because of this collaboration between the  Advocates and Idaho's Bounty, the Hunger Coalition now has a $1500 credit towards fresh, local food. The Hunger Coalition strives to end hunger in our community by providing wholesome food to those in need and by promoting solutions to the underlying causes of hunger through collaboration, education and advocacy.

“This gift from the Smookes truly illustrates the value of compassion in our community and offers real hope to those who most need it...the ones experiencing hunger,” Hunger Coalition Executive Director Jeanne Liston explained.  This generosity is part of a local trend, as Jeanne has realized that “Despite the continuing economic difficulties facing so many, the Hunger Coalition is witnessing greater acts of kindness and thoughtfulness from across our community.”  

To learn more about supporting The Hunger Coalition: www.thehungercoalition.org

To learn more about The Advocates for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault:www.theadvocates-aplacetogo.org

To learn more about Idaho's Bounty Co-op membership: www.idahosbounty.org

Idaho’s Bounty Co-op, the local, online food cooperative based in Ketchum, will be hosting a Spring Farm Tour on Saturday, June 19th. The Spring Farm Tour gives residents an opportunity to get to know some of our local producers and see exactly how their food is produced.

The Spring Farm Tour will begin at Ballard Cheese in Gooding, continuing to The Ecology Patch outside Buhl, and finishing at Fish Breeders of Idaho outside Hagerman. The tour will begin  in Gooding at 11 am and finish by 5:30 p.m. We will arrange for carpooling from the Wood River and Treasure valleys. The tour is suitable for all ages and is a great family activity.

The first stop will be at Ballard Cheese. The Ballards control every aspect of production from the farm to the table. Steve grows the feed, and the family milks and feeds their 75 Jersey Cows themselves, with the help of some part time employees to milk and package the cheese. Ballard’s cows produce 2500 lbs of milk per week, which results in  about 1000 lbs of cheese per week. We will visit the dairy, learn about the cheese making process and taste samples of award-winning Ballard cheese.

Next we will visit The Ecology Patch. Theresa Strolberg has been selling fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, pies, and pickles since 1992.  At 63 years old, Theresa doesn’t want to expand her business but would like start teaching - to pass on the knowledge of food preservation, baking, gardening and marketing that she has accumulated over the years. Theresa doesn’t just talk about sustainability, she lives it.  She chooses an organic, sustainable way of life to protect the environment and have healthy food. Theresa will show us her organic orchard and garden and we will learn about her hand-made insect traps.

The tour will finish at Fish Breeders of Idaho, where Leo Ray produces and processes high quality rainbow trout, catfish, tilapia and sturgeon, as well as sturgeon caviar. The tilapia and catfish swim in 80 degree geothermal water, while the trout and sturgeon swim in cold spring water, constantly flowing through concrete raceways.  We’ll meet Leo and visit the sturgeon streams and fish hatchery.

Idaho’s Bounty’s mission is to develop and promote a local food system for the communities of Southern Idaho that will ensure safe, consistent, fresh, and ethically cultivated products, delivered directly from local producers.

Please bring a sack lunch, water and enthusiasm! Price: $5 per person or $15 per car. For more info and to sign up, please call Julia Augustus at 721-1412, email jaugustus@idahosbounty.org or visit www.idahosbounty.org/events.php

Editor's Note: Wednesday's issue of our e-mail newsletter erroneously stated that this event is taking place tonight (4/21). This is incorrect - the screening is on Thursday, April 22nd. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

Join Idaho’s Bounty on April 22nd for an Earth Day showing of FRESH, a documentary that celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision of our food and our planet’s future. FRESH addresses an ethos that has been sweeping the nation and is a call to action America has been waiting for. The film was directed by Ana Sophia Joanes, a Swiss-born documentary filmmaker whose work addresses pressing social issues through character-driven narratives.

The 72 minute film will show in the YMCA Community Room at 6:00 p.m. and be followed by a short discussion and Q & A with area farmers, including Mike Heath of M&M Heath Farms. The film costs $5 (cash or check) at the door.

As part of a community Earth Day celebration, starting at 5:00 p.m., area non-profits will be there with free, fun, educational activities for kids 8 and up. Children 7 and under are welcome with parental supervision. The YMCA child watch center will have extended hours during the film, to be open until 7:30.

Among several main characters, FRESH features:

Will Allen, a 6ft 7” former professional basketball player is now one of the most influential leaders of the food security & urban farming movement. His farm and not-for-profit, Growing Power, have trained and inspired people in every corner of the US to start growing food sustainably.

Joel Salatin, the world-famous sustainable farmer and entrepreneur made famous by Michael Pollan (who is also in the movie), the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Joel Salatin writes in his website that he is “in the redemption business: healing the land, healing the food, healing the economy, and healing the culture.”

David Ball, a supermarket owner who is challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy. With the rise of Wal-Mart and other big chains, David Ball saw his family-run supermarket dying, along with a once-thriving local farm community. So he reinvented his business, partnering with area farmers to sell locally-grown food and specialty food products at an affordable price. His plan has brought the local economy back to life.

Announcing the 2nd Annual Idaho’s Bounty Locavore Festival, from April 9th to May 13th, 2010.  Each week will highlight an area restaurant that prioritizes fresh, local food, as they offer a local menu special.

Schedule

 CIRO  April 9 to 15

 Globus  April 16 to 22

 Lunch at Glow  April 23 to 29

 Ketchum Grill  April 30 to May 6

 CK's  May 7 to 13

The first week starts Friday April 9th and features CIRO, who will be offering grilled Idaho trout with a lemon caper beurre blanc, roasted M&M Heath new potatoes and Purple Sage flat leaf spinach. 

The following week is at Globus, where the local specials will be Idaho black beluga lentil salad and braised organic Lava Lake Lamb massaman curry.

Week three will feature a local soup and special lunch at Glow Live Food Cafe.  Ketchum Grill will have flat iron steak from Mesquite Ranch in week four. CK’s will complete the festival with a slow food beef brisket from King’s Crown Organics in week 5. Each menu will be made of the freshest food from local and sustainable growers and producers.

Support local restaurants and enter to win local food. Punch-cards will be available at each restaurant, and you will get a punch if you eat at a restaurant during its featured week. With 3 punches you can be entered into a drawing for a $35 gift certificate good at Idaho’s Bounty Co-op. If you get punches from all 5 restaurants,  you’ll be entered to win a $55 gift certificate. The drawing is not limited to Idaho’s Bounty members, and will be held on May 26th.

For more questions, please contact Idaho’s Bounty at 721-8074, or see our website, www.idahosbounty.org/events.php

Join Dale Bates of Living Architecture & James Reed of Onsen Farm: Winter Gardens for an exciting weekend beginning with an interactive workshop and ending with a greenhouse tour. Presented by Idaho's Bounty and the Banbury Institute.

Workshop: Saturday March 6th - 9:30am-5:00pm

Dale Bates and James Reed will facilitate this two day Greenhouse Workshop and Tour. Bring your projects or ideas and share them with others in the group. You will be exploring a variety of greenhouse concepts, along with looking at several existing working greenhouses in the area.

The workshop will be located at Steve and Kathleen Wilson's home in Bellevue Farms (South of Bellevue) at 122 Quarter Horse Dr.

Tour: Sunday March 7th - 12:30 to 4:00pm

We will meet at Arden Schmitt's farm, 1421S-1800E Gooding, at 12:30 to see his greenhouse, then we will drive to Onsen Farm: Winter Gardens, 4799B River Road B. Hagerman, the starting off point of our walking tour, visiting three other greenhouses.

Both Days:

 $35 for both days/$25 for Saturday's workshop only, payable to James Reed. Please call James to register at 208.543.9987 or 208.720.0673 or email jamescreed@mindspring.com

Tour Only:

 $10 for Sunday's tour only, payable to Idaho's Bounty Co-op.

Please call Julia Augustus to register at  208.721.1412 or email jaugustus@idahosbounty.org

Carpooling to the tour will take place from the Wood River Valley. Please bring water, a sack lunch or snacks if needed, and wear appropriate outdoor clothing.

Please see www.idahosbounty.org/events.php or contact Julia for more information: 208 721 1412 or jaugustus@idahosbounty.org

Kids, bring your parents to a free screening of “What’s On Your Plate?," a documentary for children about food and its sources, sponsored by Idaho's Bounty.

 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18th at The Community Library in Ketchum.

Directed by Catharine Gund, “What’s On Your Plate?” features two 11-year-old- Manhattan girls (one of whom is the director’s daughter, Sadie) as they traverse the city and visit farms on a search to educate themselves and others about what’s actually on one’s plate. The film is charming, smart and accessible for children as young as five, and comes in at just over an hour of viewing time.

Catherine and Sadie will attend the screening, introduce the film and be available for casual question and answer afterwards.  There will be a reception after the film with light refreshments and hors d'oeuvres.

The documentary’s relevance is apparent from the moment it begins. Childhood obesity is at an all time high. Medical issues that come from a diet high in saturated fats, corn products and processed foods, such as heart disease and diabetes, are rampant. Experts discuss the many aspects of eating food grown close to your home. Small farms and local food is healthier and fresher, but for many hard to find. The movie shows how, from a child’s point of view, the situation can be handled and perhaps even changed.

Contact Julia Augustus for more info: jaugustus@idahosbounty.org,  721-1412