Grab Your Calendars: It's Farm, Food & Wine Season in Central Texas

Spring has definitely arrived in Austin as evidenced by my overflowing calendar of events.  This is the perfect time to get out in the community and learn more about where your food (and wine) comes from, meet the producers and taste some terrific treats.  There are events to accommodate every budget so grab your calendar and go explore!

Slow Food Austin Farm Tours.  Slow Food Austin is a wonderful organization that hosts informational sessions, happy hours and farm tours all focused on local and sustainable food practices.  Their farm tours are a fantastic way to explore one of our area farms and get to know your food better.  Spring tours start this Saturday 3/26 at Urban Roots Farm with a tour and work day.  You'll learn how the hardworking kids at Urban Roots run their farm, get to pitch in and take home a bag of crunchy veggies for your donation and effort. Tours continue throughout the Spring with trips planned to Sand Creek Farm in Georgetown, Home Sweet Farm in Brenham, Thunderheart Bison Ranch Overnight Farm Tour in South Texas and Pure Luck Goat Dairy Farm Tour in Dripping Springs.







Chef David Bull demo at 2010 Sunday Fair at Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival

Margerum Wine Tasting & Wine Dinner.  During my recent trip to Santa Barbara, I had the opportunity to taste the lovely wines from Margerum Wine Company, a winery focused on making wines in a hand-crafted, natural way.  I was lucky enough to win a bottle of their wine at a drawing and was able to share with a few friends.  Now you can join in on the fun as Doug Margerum visits Austin in mid-April for a wine tasting and wine dinner.



On Wednesday 4/13 from 6:00-8:00 pm, The Austin Wine Merchant is hosting a tasting of Margerum Wines.  For a more in depth experience, you can join Doug for a wine dinner at Mirabelle Thursday 4/14 at 7 pm.  The featured wines at the dinner include: KLICKITAT Pinot Gris 09, SYBAIRTE Sauvignon Blanc 09, M5 08, Colson Canyon Syrah 07, UBER Syrah 07.  The dinner is $65 per person; contact the restaurant at (512) 346-7900 to make your reservations.  I'm honored to be Doug's guest at the dinner and hope to see you there!



Sunset Valley Farmers Market Farm. Fresh.Taste. Event, April 16th 9 am to 1 pm, at Toney Burger Center.   A Nine-Chef Tasting Extravaganza with dozens of prizes, and, Green Easter Egg Hunt! A blow out of nine chefs will make dishes made directly from farmers, ranchers and dairy farmers from the Sunset Valley vendors.  Rumor has it that Chefs Todd Duplechan from Trio and Jack Gilmore from Jack Allen's are among the chefs cooking up treats that day.  I can't wait!

East Austin Urban Farm Tour benefitting the Farm & Ranch Freedom Alliance was one of the most fun events I went to last year.  My niece and nephew fell in love with the farms and beg me to go back and visit whenever we can.  You can explore these urban farm gems on Sunday, April 17th, from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm.  Tickets are a bargain $35 as each tour also include treats from local chefs made with ingredients from the farm.  Children under 12 free.  Farm tours depart on the quarter hour at each farm and you can pick up tickets during the tour at any of the four farms:



Boggy Creek Farm, 3414 Lyons Rd.

Rain Lily Farm, 914 Shady Ln.

Springdale Farm, 755 Springdale Rd.

Hausbar Farm, 3300 Govalle Rd.



View photos from last year's tour on Flickr.

Funky Chicken Coop Tour is another fun, family-friendly event.  Austin's backyard chicken community grows daily, as you may learned from Addie Broyles' own accounts in the Statesman of raising chickens.  I loved visiting the different coops last year and was surprised to learn that backyard chickens are a part of Austin's culture in neighborhoods all over town. This year's tour is  Saturday, April 23rd from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.  The tour map will be posted closer to the date of the event.  You can start at any venue and visit as many locations as you desire.  Prepare to be chicken charmed!



Here's my post from the 2010 Funky Chicken Coop Tour.

View photos from last year's tour on Flickr.



Farm to Plate Dinner on Thursday, May 12th from 6:30-9:30 pm at the historic Barr Mansion is the crown jewel for me in Spring sustainable food events.  It benefits the Sustainable Food Center, a nonprofit that works tirelessly to expand our local food system by running three of our area farmers markets, the Happy Kitchen program, farm to work and farm to cafeteria programs and so much more.   This year's event pairs your favorite local farms with over 20 area chefs to create a lovely evening of food and celebration.  Tickets are $100 and worth every penny to further the work of a terrific organization.



Phew!  You better rest up.  We have a lot of touring and tasting to do to support our local food community.  See you at an event soon!