Local Foods Tasting and Book Event with Gary Nabhan and Stephanie Mills

If you care about developing a strong local foods economy, or you just like to eat good food, or you want to get inspired and informed listening to two wise voices, including the man dubbed "father of the locavore movement" plan to be at Horizon Books Lower Level on October 10. Enjoy a local foods tasting, followed by a book signing and reading with Gary Nabhan and Stephanie Mills, rounded out by music from Barbara Jordan. What's not to love? Read on for details...

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Eat it to Save it: An Interview with Gary Nabhan

From roasted tomato hornworm larvae, to pit-roasted cactus flowers, Gary Paul Nabhan has sampled his share of foods unfamiliar to most of us in northern Michigan. A renowned ethnobiologist, conservationist, MacArthur "genius grant" recipient and author, Nabhan has traveled the globe, searching out the stories and tastes of many a region's traditional foods. But his efforts aren't about saving these foods for the museum shelves; instead, he aims to get these foods back on our plates to savor and enjoy. "Eat it to save it" sums up the approach. Read on for our interview with Gary and his upcoming visit to northern Michigan. (This piece will also appear in next week's Northern Express.)

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Ethnic food up north? Oh my!

The one thing I hear more than anything else from people who move to northern Michigan, or move back to northern Michigan, is that they miss ethnic foods...Indian, Thai, Middle Eastern...you name it, we want it!

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March of Dimes Chef’s Dinner

Great event supporting an even better cause. Check out the 6th annual dinner at the Hagerty Center on Wednesday, October 1st.

McKibben calls us to action. Push 350!

Bill McKibben, one of the world's leading experts on climate change, recently paid a visit to Traverse City to galvanize action to reduce carbon emissions as part of his new global movement 350.org. He shared his vision of what the world would look like after we get past our dependency on cheap fossil fuels, and it looked pretty darn attractive. Part of the solution is to eat local foods, and I've included some of the highlights here. It's well worth listening to the speech in its entirety, which Michigan Land Use Institute recently put online.

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Food, Fuel, Climate series at NCMC

This fall North Central Michigan College in Petoskey tackles three pressing issues in its Food, Fuel, Climate lecture series.

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A Chef’s Thought Process

Chef Eric Patterson blogs about his thought process in preparing items he gets from the farmer's market. It's the subject of a class he and Jen Blakeslee will be teaching at the Epicurean Classic.

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Beer gets billing at Epicurean Classic

In addition to the wealth of food and wine classes and two public receptions at the 2008 Traverse Epicurean Classic, a selection of classes and a gourmet dinner will focus on the vast world of beer.

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Star struck at the Epicurean Classic

Check out Press Food Editor Jaye Beeler's article on MLive.com, Traverse City Epicurean Classic a star-studded event.

Forgotten Fruits for Up North Foodies: Remembering the Shiawassee Beauty

In this essay, Gary Paul Nabhan, founder of Renewing America's Food Traditions, recounts the birth of a native Michigan apple, the Shiawassee Beauty. In so doing, he urges us not only to get reacquainted with historic fruits that might be tucked away in an abandoned orchard nearby, but to restore them too. Find out what you can do!

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Food Network to feature Graceland Fruit

Graceland Fruit Inc. and its signature line of infused dried cherries will be featured in the new television series, How'd That Get On My Plate? scheduled to air August 25 at 8:30 ET on the Food Network.

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Local Food Distributor Filling the Niche…and then some!

Great article in the Traverse City Business News about Cherry Capital Foods. Since Eric Hahn started the business 15 months ago, sales have gone up 800 percent. And what's good for his business is good for the farmers participating. Since working with Cherry Capital Foods, five farmers have had to expand their growing operations. Currently, more than 150 area farmers sell their produce directly to Cherry Capital Foods, which then delivers the goods to businesses throughout Northern Michigan, as well as Detroit, Chicago and Grand Rapids. Nice to know more businesses are serving fresh local foods to their customers. It's a win-win for all concerned.

Tell Obama, McCain to start planting!

Sign on to national "Eat the View" campaign for next president to plant the White House lawn to food!

Bill McKibben to visit Traverse City

Noted author and the "godfather of global warming awareness," Bill McKibben is coming to Traverse City on September 7 for a Rally for Local Solutions to Global Warming.

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