Down on the Farm Picnic July 24
5th Annual Slow Food Down-on-the-Farm Summer Picnic
A fun family event created to teach, taste and touch biodiversity in our region.
When: Sunday July 24th 11:30 am - 3:30 pm
Where: Touching Earth Farm - 22 Stevenson Rd. Kittery ME
What: A potluck picnic event. An afternoon to relax with friends and learn about small farms in the Seacoast.
Cost: $5 per adult and a potluck dish made with at least one local ingredient to serve 8 - 10 people.
Raspberries, both sweet and tart, are one of the many wonderful, local tastes of summer
Celebrate the diversity of summer with Slow Food Seacoast at our fifth annual Down on the Farm Picnic, Sunday July 24 at Touching Earth Farm in Kittery ME. Learn about and enjoy the biodiversity of small farm agriculture, the rainbow of colors in the summer landscape, diversity of landuse, people, plant and animal species and how these components come together to create unique regional foods and flavors!
Touching Earth Farm is a successful example of how new farmers reclaimed fallow suburban land to build a viable year round business. In only three seasons, they have grown the farm to feed 75 households through a CSA while providing produce and plants for weekly farmer’s markets in the Seacoast. Touching Earth exemplifies ecosystem biodiversity through their gardens, fields, forest, and wetland. Taste why heirloom varieties have endured for generations and learn the importance of saving your own seed from year to year. Meet many of Slow Food’s partner organizations and pick-up your copy of the 2011 Seacoast Harvest Local Food Guide.
Planned activities include: (See schedule at bottom of page)
- Farm tour with Touching Earth farmer Suddhayu Shafer
- Wild Plant and Herb Walk with Touching Earth herbalist Lona Kovacs
- Save-your-own-heirloom seeds workshop with John Forti
- Heirloom produce tasting with Evan Mallett of Black Trumpet Bistro
- Creating artwork with natural plant dyes
- Kids’ games and family crafts
- Meet and talk with folks from many Seacoast partner organizations
And as always, an amazing potluck summer picnic made from the local flavors of summer!
What to Bring:
- Slow Food requests a $5 fee per adult; children are free.
- Each family-group should also bring a labeled potluck dish made using at least one local ingredient with serving utensils to complete the price of admission.
- To minimize cleanup time and waste, please BYO mess kit (plate, bowl, cup, cutlery, & napkin).
- Lawn chairs, picnic blanket, beverages, and bug repellent are also recommended.
Parking:
Touching Earth Farm is located in a suburban setting so parking is limited. What better reason to carpool with a friend!
Volunteers:
We are always grateful for extra hands to lighten the workload of running an event. If interested please contact us at slowfoodseacoast@gmail.com
Volunteers Amy, Dick and Ursula at our 2010 picnic.
Schedule of Events:
9:30 – 11:30. Set up - all volunteers welcome!
11:30 – 12:00: Collaborative sun-printing fabric banner
11:30 – 12:00: Heirloom Vegetable Tastings with Evan Mallett
12:15 – 1:00: Potluck lunch begins; introduction to biodiversity
1:00 – 2:00: Farm Tour with Suddhayu
1:00 – 2:00: Kids activities – making garden ornaments; tie dying and flags
2:00 – 2:30: Hands-on seed saving demonstration with John
2:30 - 3:00: Kids field day games
2:45 – 3:30: Herb walk with Lona
3:00 – 3:30: Sun printing banner completion.
