Check out this video on the 2008 Northern Michigan Wine Summit, held April 28 at the Park Place Hotel in Traverse City, Michigan.
In another summit follow-up, Cari Noga writes on her blog Michigan Grapevine today about No.Mi.Wi., which organized the summit for sponsors the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association and the Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula. No.Mi.Wi. is now looking to become a permanent organization to market both the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas' wines with a unified voice, and better yet, the region as a destination.
Just knowing the Empire Asparagus Festival is but a week away makes me smile. Plentiful local produce will soon be here!
Now in its fifth year, the festival is scheduled for May 16-18, and includes a poetry contest, cook off, fun run, Asparagus Fest dinner, local wine tasting, kids games and of course, the Asparagus Parade, where saluting asparagus is required!
Food for Thought just posted this recipe for Blueberry Lavender Swirled Coffee Cake on their blog from Chef Perry Harmon's Peninsula Kitchen, which airs on the fourth Monday of the month on 7&4 News Today and 7&4 News at 5pm. Chef Harmon and the station have teamed up to bring us great recipes using local products. Make sure to check out the Peninsula Kitchen website, which archives the recipes and includes video of Chef Harmon at work. The coffee cake features Food for Thought's Organic Blueberry Lavender Preserves and Shetler's milk. This one looks great for a Mother's Day Brunch!
Congratulations to winemaker Shawn Walters and Forty-Five North, Michigan's newest winery, for snagging three "Double Gold - Best of Class" medals and a "Best of Show" distinction at last week's 2008 Pacific Rim International Wine Competition in California.
Festival of Tables to benefit Child & Family Services is slated for May 9 & 10 at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons in Traverse City. The festival is the primary fundraising event for Child & Family Services of Northwestern Michigan. Festival of Tables celebrates the art of home entertaining. Highlights include gourmet hors d'oeuvres Friday evening by many of the area's finest restaurants, and a gourmet luncheon on Saturday created by Grandview Catering. Tickets are $100 for the Friday night Gala Preview, and $50 for the Saturday luncheon. That money supports a good cause: an organization that helps children and families in our community.
For years, Leelanau County celebrated the Cherry Blossom Tour, but had long been discontinued the practice. Until this year, that is. Next Saturday, May 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. you can get on board a BATA bus to tour one of the most beautiful spots on Earth. It's easy to get jaded when you live in the midst of it, but take the time to stop and savor the blossoms this spring. You won't regret it. And those are the memories that help get us through February!
Rising costs put the squeeze on local farmers as they face a growing season unlike any other. Check out Input costs skyrocket, hurt farmers in today's Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Check out Cari Noga's coverage of this week's Michigan Wine Summit in Wines & Vines, where she notes that "Michigan wineries could be ideally positioned to capitalize on the locavore trend--but they might have to be a little sneaky about it at first. That paradox emerged at the second annual Northern Michigan Wine Summit."
Also see Bill O'Brien's article in the Record-Eagle, where he writes that "One national wine author said a key to growing the region's wine market is to highlight the spectacular views and venues for wineries on the Old Mission Peninsula and Leelanau County, surroundings that other wine-making regions find hard to match."
The new Cooking Live! series kicks off May 13 at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa with "Cooking with Morels." Each monthly demo will be approximately 45 minutes long and will feature Executive Chef Ted Cizma and his culinary staff from Aerie Restaurant and Lounge. Other offerings will include Cherry Desserts; Local, Sustainable, Organic; Cooking with Beer; Cooking Wild Game, and more.
Manna Food Project helps feed almost 30,000 local families each year by distributing food to 37 pantries and agencies throughout Emmet, Charlevoix and Antrim counties. The nonprofit has partnered with Leadership Little Traverse on the "Feeding our Future" project, which will support expanding Manna's building.
Kudos to the Michigan Land Use Institute for spurring action in Lansing to address Michigan's restrictive food rules. Diane Conners reports that a state legislator and the state agricultural commission are each trying to change state bidding requirements that hamper a school's ability to buy significant amounts of foods from local farms. MLUI's Farm to School: Healthy Kids, Thriving Farms conference shone a light on this situation last month, and MLUI further hammered it home in a follow-up essay by Beth Collins.
The Cherry Marketing Institute's "Eat Red" marketing campaign to get cherries into the mainstream is seeing promising results, according to Phil Korson of the Cherry Marketing Institute.
Check out these thought provokers in support of local economies, including local food economies that encompass buying local seasonal foods. Then buy local. It just makes sense.
The phones are ringing off the hook at the Leelanau Cheese Company after the Detroit Free Press did a story on its aged raclette, It's the best cheese in America. The cheese was judged best in show at last summer's 24th annual American Cheese Society's competition.
