'Locavores' feast on knowledge

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

By Lucille Rice

Jackson Hole, Wyo--According to local-food connoisseur Sue Muncaster, the average food item travels approximately 1,200 miles from producer to consumer. That’s gallons of fossil fuel burned and pounds of harmful emissions emitted into the Earth’s atmosphere.

By purchasing produce at the grocery store, the average American supports such environmental degradation. Slow Foods in the Tetons is a local nonprofit that aims to curb this phenomenon and educating the public about the benefits of eating locally harvested, produced, bottled and baked foods.

As part of the Spring Earth Festival, the Murie Center and Slow Food in the Tetons are hosting a “Locavore’s Evening Out” on Tuesday, a festive event aimed at linking local producers with consumers.

The event will take place at the Wildroom in Driggs, Idaho, and will feature local food booths, education, kids’ gardening activity, locally produced beer and wine, and a raffle.

Attendees are encouraged to peruse stands, schmooze, and take the opportunity to meet those in the community who are working to bring food production home 5-7 p.m. before settling in to watch “Media that Matters: Good Food,” a collection of short films on food and sustainability.

Muncaster is not only a food enthusiast but also is cofounder and “convivium leader” of Slow Foods in the Tetons, the local chapter of Slow Foods International. The nonprofit, ecogastronomic organization supports a biodiverse and sustainable food supply, local producers, heritage foods, and rediscovery of the pleasures of the table, encompassing a slower, more harmonious rhythm of life.

“Ecogastronomy takes into account the health and taste of food as well as the environmental impact of harvesting the food and the social implications that can be involved such as worker’s rights and ethnic traditions,” said Muncaster.

The United States suffers from being a fast food nation, said Muncaster. Taking the time to sit down with family and friends to enjoy a meal has become a four-time-a-year, holiday occurrence, and that has had a negative impact on our health, environment and society, she said.

Conserving heritage foods has been a challenge for those who eat at their desks, behind the wheel, or on the go. Heritage foods reflect the naturally sustainable foods specific to each region of the world. In Jackson Hole, heritage foods include those hunted and gathered, such as wild game, huckleberries and mushrooms.

In a region where land is such a valued commodity, farmers don’t see much use in conserving their farmland. With the middleman cutting profits from their pockets, farmers see more financial security in selling their land to developers than they do in food production.

Muncaster and other locavores – people who eat locally produced food – are fighting to create a local market where farmers can thrive, conserving farmland and preventing our valleys from turning into suburbia.

“A Locavore’s Evening Out” will bring local producers and consumers from the Greater Yellowstone Region together in an effort to support the local economy, preserve our cultural heritage, conserve our land and sustain our community.

Mountain Valley Mushrooms, Beyond Broccoli, Snake River Brewing Company and Dunn Angus Beef are just a few local names that will be present.

Indian Creek Wine is a family-owned and -operated winery in Idaho and a prime example of the success local producers can enjoy. It was established in 1982 when the Stowe family planted their 20-acre vineyard in Kuna, Idaho.

They make a wide variety of wines, including a popular Chardonnay that won the “Best Wine of Idaho” gold medal at the Northwestern Wine Summit.

Bill Boney, owner of the Wildwood Room and Dining In Catering, will be creating a menu from foods provided by local producers participating and selling dishes throughout the event.

Local producers can still sign up to participate in the event by calling Sue Muncaster at (208) 787-2610. For more information on the Slow Foods initiative, visit http://www.slowfood.com. For more information about the event or other Spring Earth Festival activities, contact the Murie Center at 739-2246.
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'Locavores' feast on knowledge | Planet JH News Article: General Environment

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