Tip# 19: Be a NoFo Foodie

Today from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm the North Fork Foodie Tour takes place from Jamesport to Orient.  Want to see the best of the local, artisinal producers and growers?  Spend this beautiful Sunday on a self-guided tour and visit organic farms, boutique wineries, even a dairy and lavender farm.   All are opening their doors and many are providing special, insider visits to those on the tour not offered to the public.   

Not to miss  are two cooking demonstrations by local, 'celebrity' chefs Tom Schaudel (A Lure and A Mano) and veteran John Ross (now a Suffolk Times food columnist) this afternoon.  If you have read Tom Schaudel's book, Playing With Fire, than you know to expect a laugh or two along with some innovative recipes featuring local ingredients and exotic flavors.  And John Ross is considered the historian of Long Island regional cuisine.  Both talks take place at Charnews Farms in Southold, with Tom at 1pm and John at 3pm.  At 2pm, Chris will be speaking about Browder's Birds, and raising our pastured chickens along with the benefits of such. 

Other highlights on the tour:  

 
Tomato tasting at 11am with Stephanie of Invincible Summer Farms and her incredible array of heirloom tomatoes (at Charnews Farms)
Special Vineyard walk at Shinn Estate Vineyards at noon with Barbara Shinn
Catapano Dairy offers guided tours of their goats, dairy and cheesemaking facility at 11:00a, 1:00p and 3:00 pm
Take an old-fashioned hayride at the Harbes Farms and learn about the farm and family history
At McCall Wines, Russ McCall is giving a tour of his 100 acre-farmstead that includes vineyards and grass-fed Charolias cattle at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30
Guided Tour and talk with Karen Lee at Sang Lee Farms at 2:00pm and tastings all day
KK's The Farm will have tours on the half hour focusing on biodynamic growing from 10:30 - 2:30

Find the full line-up here: http://www.northforkreformsynagogue.org/calendar/events/
 

Don't miss this rare opportunity to get to know the extraordinary people producing local foods that make the North Fork such a unique and special place!

Tickets may be purchased on the day of the tour, after 9 a.m. at The Peconic Land Trust Ag Center at Charnews Farm or after 10 a.m. at any place participating in the tour. Children under 12 are free. 

Purchase price benefits the North Fork Synagogue Reform. For more information: Call 631.722.5712

Tip#82: Go Beyond Organic

When Chris first started working as an apprentice on an organic farm over 3 years ago neither of us were familiar with the term biodynamics.  Even after I started working at Shinn Estate Vineyards, it took me almost a year to understand the concept. And then another year to begin to learn the principles and techniques of biodynamics. Why did I have to stir that compost tea in one direction and then another for 20 minutes in the tasting room that one time - what was the point?

A very simple description of biodynamics is a type of organic farming that incorporates an understanding of “dynamic” forces in nature not yet fully understood by science. The origins date back to the 1920s when Rudolf Steiner, a scientist, developed the fundamental principles of biodynamic farming and gardening during a series of lectures given in Poland.  Like organic approaches, manures and compost are good while chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides are bad. In addition, preparations made from minerals and herbs are added to compost, soil and plants.

2011 marks the 150th anniversary of Rudolf Steiner's birth, so what better time than now to learn about biodynamic growing?  An good introductory book that I'd recommend is Gardening For Life - The Biodynamic Way by Maria Thun.  If your interest lies in wine -  either as a wine grower or wine lover - then definitely read Wine from Sky to Earth by Nicolas Joly.

The North Fork is home to many biodynamic and organic growers and this Saturday, Shinn Estate Vineyards is hosting a panel discussion on "Biodynamics, Organic Practices and Sustainability" that includes a vineyard walk and wine tasting.  The panel speakers will be Barbara Shinn, K.K. Haspel of The Farm in Southold, Steven Storch of Natural Science Organics  and Mary Woltz of Bees' Needs. Scott Chaskey of Quail Hill Farm will be the moderator.  With so much experience and knowledge in one group you can expect an enlightening discussion.

"Biodynamics, Organic Practices and Sustainability" is part of the Wine Salon series for Harvest East End. For more information and to reserve online: www.harvesteastend.com

For more information on biodynamics, or to purchase books and preparations, check out the Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Bio-dynamics at:  http://www.jpibiodynamics.org/