Spring is almost here--so much to do!

(post submitted by Leah, our newest Garden Director)

Hello FH Kingers! I'm the newest Garden Director and am looking forward to the growing season ahead and to meeting members like you. John, I, and Gabrielle (our intern) have been planning our planting dates and we start today, February 17 in the Walnut Street Greenhouse. It is so exciting and I hope that some of you can make it. We are planning to plant about once a week for the next month or so. Keep your eye on your inbox and our calendar of events here on the website and come lend a hand. No experience necessary, but have experience? Great! Come share that knowledge and meet those who share your passions for food--growers and eaters alike.

I was able to attend Monday night's Come to the Table event at the Memorial Union. If you haven't been you should try to go. They're held in Tripp Commons, a handsome room, you'll enjoy a fine dining experience with delicious locally sourced food for only $7.50. That's a heckuva deal if you ask me. My favorite was the potato-leek soup, cranberry cous-cous salad and the cream puff. What a beautiful cream puff. The night's speaker was Terese Allen, author, columnist, chair of REAP, and foodway enthusiast. Terese spoke on Wisconsin's culinary traditions, emphasizing the foodways we have here: cornish pasties from the Mineral Point area, hand harvested wild rice going back centuries with Native American tribes like the Ojibwe and food festivals.

Food festivals are great; I learned of a few new ones including the Morel Mushroom festival in Muscoda, Wisconsin held in May each year. I'm looking forward to my personal favorite that's held in Sun Prairie in August: The Sweet Corn Festival! But before I get too far ahead of myself, I will try to remember to celebrate all the little food festivals along the way. I hope you can join us on the journey from seed to seed.