Slow Food Katy Trail: July 2014

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Slow Food Katy Trail's Farm Tour Series, Part 3: Honey Creek Farm, Terra Bella Farm & Bluebird Composting

Slow Food Katy Trail’s

2014 Farm Tour Series

Part 3: Honey Creek Farm, Terra Bella Farm & Bluebird Composting

The third tour is on SUNDAY, AUGUST 3 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. and features:

HONEY CREEK FARM in Hallsville

(guided tour begins at 12:30 p.m.)

TERRA BELLA FARM in Auxvasse

(guided tour begins at 2 p.m.)

and BLUEBIRD COMPOSTING

(guided tour begins at 3:30 p.m.)

Note: There will be no bring-your-own picnic lunch period this time.

This is a family-friendly event, so please bring the kids and enjoy a day in the country.

Click here to print or download a handy single-page pdf flyer to take with you on the day of the tour.

First stop: HONEY CREEK FARM (Hallsville)

Honey Creek Farm is a small diversified farm northeast of Columbia, nestled among pastures divided by a winding creek. Farmers Dan and Laura Pugh grow vegetables and fruit, graze sheep on grass, raise chickens for eggs, and keep honeybees. Their goal is to be sustainable and produce the healthiest food possible by the practices they use. This is their third year farming, and they say they are still learning constantly. Honey Creek Farm sells free-range eggs and produce at the Columbia Farmers Market.

☛ Directions to the Honey Creek Farm (7541 N. Ballew Road, Hallsville) from Columbia: Go east on I-70 to Exit 133 (Missouri Z). At the end of the ramp, turn left (north) onto State Hwy. Z North/North Rangeline Rd. Drive 1 mile; at the traffic circle, continue straight onto N. Rte. Z. Continue on Z for 5.7 miles, then turn left onto State Rd. HH. Continue for 1/2 mile, then take the first left onto N. Ballew Road. Take Ballew about 1/2 mile to 7541 N. Ballew Road, on the right. The house sits back from the road, but look for the mailbox and the Slow Food Katy Trail Farm Tour sign.

Second stop: TERRA BELLA FARM (Auxvasse)

Next stop on the tour is Terra Bella Farm, near Hatton on State Highway M. Terra Bella is a diverse 160-acre farm with several projects aimed at increasing the public’s access to locally raised foods and increasing interest in the rural community. Owner Margot McMillen, who will lead the tour, is the long-time co-host of KOPN's Farm and Fiddle radio show, a weekly program that "celebrates and explores rural life for today and tomorrow" with guests from our rural area and all over the world.

Terra Bella has been an organic farm since 1999, and though they still follow strictly no-chemical practices, they dropped their certification a few years ago. According to their mission, they are “dedicated to food for the local community, arts for all and the health of the rural ecosystem, including our farmers.” They have vegetable gardens, bee hives, a timber-stand-improvement project, and pasture for cattle and sheep. This year, they're also raising a few red-wattle hogs. The Missouri Grain Project has been buying and selling local grains to local consumers since 2007 and also sponsors a heritage wheat project,now in its fourth year. Terra Bella is also home to the mid-Missouri Barn Quilt Project. Two of their buildings are solar, and their irrigation system is partially solar. Their products, including their local wheat flour and produce, are sold at Shlafly and Clayton Markets in St. Louis and at the Brick District Farmers Market in Fulton.

☛ Directions from Honey Creek Farm to Terra Bella Farm: Turn left onto N. Ballew Rd. and head north for one-half mile. Turn right (east) onto State Rd. HH, and after another half-mile turn left (heading north) onto N. Rte. Z. Go 5.2 miles, then turn right (heading east) onto State Hwy. D/E Rte. D, and continue to follow D for 6 miles. Turn right on State Hwy. M, heading south for 4 miles, then turn left (east) onto State Hwy. E/State Hwy. M. Follow E/M for 1.3 miles, then turn right (south) onto State Hwy. M. The destination, 1303 Rte. M, will be .8 mile down the road on the right. Look for the Slow Food Katy Trail Farm Tour sign. (The trip from Honey Creek to Terra Bella takes about 25 minutes.)

Warning: Their address is 1303 State Hwy. M, Auxvasse, but unless you key in that exact wording, Google will take you to the wrong place. Follow the directions above to get from Honey Creek to Terra Bella. Or you can use these map coordinates to get to Terra Bella from anywhere using your GPS or Google map: 39.014599,-92.011067

Photo by Matt Jernigan

Final stop: BLUEBIRD COMPOSTING (Fulton)

Bluebird Composting helps local farmers, food vendors and families manage their waste, preventing tons of material from ending up wasted in landfills. By combining the various types of waste products (food scraps, wood chips, manure, etc.) in specific amounts, under special conditions, something magical occurs, transforming ordinary waste into premium compost. Bluebird Composting sells their compost, free range eggs, and produce at both the Columbia Farmers Market and the Brick District Farmers Market in Fulton, and you can learn more about them in this profile on the CFM web site. Bluebird compost is available by the bag or in bulk, and bags will be available for sale on tour day.

On tour day they’ll demonstrate how their compost is made, and participants will also find free range chickens, pygmy goats, vegetable and herb beds grown following sustainable agricultural practices, and a high tunnel.

Photo by Matt Jernigan

☛ Directions from Terra Bella Farm to Bluebird Composting (4657 State Highway HH, Fulton): From Terra Bella Farm, turn right (heading south) onto State Hwy. M and continue for 4.4 miles, crossing over the I-70 overpass at exit 144 (M/HH). Immediately after crossing the overpass, turn right onto Jade Rd. (I-70 access road) and head west for 1.3 miles. Turn left onto State Hwy. HH and drive for 6.5 miles. Your destination will be on the right, marked by the Slow Food Katy Trail Farm Tour sign.

**** Please leave your dogs at home! • Smoking is prohibited on all farms. ****

Slow Food Katy Trail

is the mid-Missouri chapter of Slow Food USA,

and part of a global movement.

Slow Food advocates for food and farming policy that is good for the public, good for the planet, and good for farmers and workers. Food that is good, clean and fair. Slow Food Katy Trail heartily welcomes new members and new energy for the cause. To join our chapter, please go to www.slowfoodusa.org and click on Donate. Send us an email at: slowfoodkatytrail@yahoo.com. Follow us on Facebook. Come talk to us on the tour and learn more!

See the Slow Food Katy Trail Facebook page for more info and updates.

There is no rain date, so check Facebook or the web site for tour cancellation info

in the event of heavy rain or storms. You can also email laura@modeeproots.com for more info,

or call 573-220-5354 on the day of the tour.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Farm Tour #2 downloadable flyer link below

Follow this link to print or download a handy single-page pdf flyer that contains all the info you need about the July 13 farm tour featuring The Wine Cellar Garden Project and Mighty Acorn. But be sure to also read the more comprehensive post below for more information about what you'll find and pictures of our destinations.

Click here to download or print.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Part 2 of the SFKT 2014 Farm Tour Series: The Wine Cellar Garden Project and Mighty Acorn

Slow Food Katy Trail’s

2014 Farm Tour Series

Part 2: The Wine Cellar Garden Project & Mighty Acorn

The second tour is on SUNDAY, JULY 13 from noon to 4 p.m. and features:

THE WINE CELLAR GARDEN PROJECT

(This guided tour begins at 1 p.m., but come at noon for a bring-your-own gardenside picnic lunch)

and MIGHTY ACORN

(guided tour begins at 2:45 p.m.)

Both farms are in the Columbia area, so this tour is an easy drive from CoMo.

Click here to print or download a handy single-page pdf flyer to take with you on the day of the tour.

First stop: THE WINE CELLAR GARDEN PROJECT

Come visit The Wine Cellar Garden Project, the home and farm of Craig and Sarah Cyr, following the directions below (or follow Google map directions to 8151 West Highway UU, Columbia). The farm is a few miles southwest of Columbia, and it takes just 12 minutes or so to get there from the Columbia Farmers Market. Come at noon if you’re lunching there (don’t forget to bring your own picnic lunch), or show up by 12:45 if you simply want to take the guided tour at 1 p.m.

At The Wine Cellar Garden Project, visitors will be welcomed by Craig and Sarah Cyr, co-owners (Executive Chef & Sommelier) of The Wine Cellar & Bistro, a tasty locavore eatery in downtown Columbia, since 2003. After 10 years of business, Craig and Sarah decided to start The Wine Cellar Garden Project in 2013 to learn more about organic gardening, and invited customers to join them. They partnered with CCUA (Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture) to teach classes in the garden, every other Saturday, throughout the growing season. Each class includes a short lecture by professional gardeners of CCUA, hands-on gardening experience, a garden-inspired lunch from Chef Craig, and a wine pairing by Sarah. (If you'd like to see Chef Craig making a grilled carrot salad, or learn how to pair food with Missouri wine in a series of three videos, see the cooking video section of the MO Deep Roots web site.)

Since then, The Garden Project has expanded to a fully functioning small farm, which focuses on organic growing methods and sustainability for the farm and restaurant. Craig and Sarah, joined by Liberty Hunter from CCUA, will lead the tour throughout the farm, where visitors can see the large, diverse garden, the 40 heritage chickens, the rain barrel system, and more. There also will be a tasting of organic and biodynamic wines, which Sarah recently has added to the Wine Cellar & Bistro's wine list; those will be available for purchase by the glass or bottle.

☛ Directions to the Wine Cellar Garden Project (8151 West Highway UU, Columbia) from Columbia: Head west on I-70. Take exit 121 for US-40/MO-240 toward Missouri UU/Fayette. Turn left at the top of the ramp onto MO-240 East/US-40 East, and go .3 mile before turning right onto S. State Hwy. UU/N. Hwy. UU. Continue to follow S. State Hwy. UU for almost 4 miles. Your destination, #8151, is on the right; look for the Slow Food Farm Tour sign.

Next stop: MIGHTY ACORN

Photo by Matt Jernigan.

Next it’s time to visit Mighty Acorn, a small diversified farm just north of Columbia run by John Corn and Sandra Gummersheimer. Arrive at the farm by 2:30 to catch the guided tour that begins at 2:45 p.m. At Mighty Acorn, John and Sandy will show you how they grow the beautiful array of vegetables they sell every Saturday at the Columbia Farmers Market. Their produce has been grown with sustainable inputs since they purchased the property in 2009. A bonus attraction for guests, and on display for the tour, will be John's collection of ingenious farm-built, labor-saving gadgets.

John and Sandy have been growing for the market for the past five years, and they have established a loyal customer base. Their love of good-quality food extends to their kitchen, where they love to come up with new ways to make the best of their seasonal produce. (Here’s a link to videos of John making his garden pesto and his tomato basil bisque, from the MO Deep Roots web site.)

John says, “We are committed to good tasting, local, healthy food and firmly believe that this is one of the few ways our customers are able to obtain optimum nutrition. One of our greatest pleasures with farming is exposing those who are unfamiliar with fresh tastes to a healthy way of eating.”

The tour ends at 4 p.m. Hope to see you there!

☛ Directions to Mighty Acorn starting from 8151 West State Highway UU: Take a left (head east) out of the Cyrs’ driveway onto State Hwy. UU/W Rte. UU. Continue to follow State Hwy. UU for 3.9 miles. Turn right to merge onto I-70 E/US-40 E and continue for 2.7 miles. Take exit 124 for Missouri E/MO-740/Stadium Blvd. toward Columbia. Turn left (north) onto N. Route E/N. Stadium Blvd. Continue to follow N. Route E (past the golf course) for 3.1 miles. Turn left onto W. Driskel Rd. just after the Perche Creek bridge and continue another half mile. Take the first left onto N. Moreau Rd. and watch for the farm driveway, which is about a half mile down the road on the right. This is just a farm with no home on site, so there is no address, but follow the Slow Food Katy Trail signs. This link will take you to a Google map leading to the farm too. The high tunnel is visible from the road, and that is the landmark to watch for.