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Amber Waves Awarded Snail of Approval

Jul 13, 2023 | In The News, Snail of Approval

On Friday, June 30th, the Slow Food East End team represented by board members, Maria McBride, Robin Tyson-Stoehr, and guest leader, Nicole Sinning, gathered at Amber Waves in Amagansett, NY to award owners Amanda Merrow and Katie Baldwin the Snail of Approval. The presentation coincided with an Amber Waves CSA potluck dinner where members and their families enjoyed a farm tour, homemade dishes, and wood-fire pizzas prepared by Amanda and the Amber Waves team. 

The coveted Snail of Approval (SoA) is granted to businesses internationally that embrace the principles of Slow Food, promoting the ideals of good, clean, and fair food. This esteemed award brings attention to outstanding food establishments that excel in multiple areas, such as sourcing, environmental impact, cultural connection, community involvement, staff support, and business values.

Amber Waves Farm began as a result of an apprenticeship that fostered a deep friendship, igniting a shared dream to nourish the local community. Situated by the ocean, Amber Waves seamlessly integrates food and community, striving to offer enriching agricultural education for aspiring growers, conscientious cooks, and individuals of all ages. As they enter their 15th season, Amber Waves is poised to become one of the foremost educational farm operations in the nation, brimming with boundless potential. What started as a team of two has blossomed into a diverse collective of farmers, educators, culinary experts, and market staff. With a thriving CSA membership comprising over 250 families, they actively organize captivating workshops and programs catering to both children and adults. Moreover, Amber Waves proudly houses a flourishing market and kitchen in a prime location on Main Street, epitomizing their commitment to their vision.

When our Snail of Approval team initially visited Amber Waves in the spring, we were met by team member Claudine Nayan who was to be our tour guide, who gave us an overview of the farm and spoke about her individual path to her current role. We listened quietly as she described her background which included her memories of being a food pantry customer as she grew up and the difference it made in her life. Each team member we met with on our tour aptly described the work of the farm but what was most stirring was the very personal connection they had with the farm’s commitment to the community around them. It is evident in every aspect of the operation.

Each day, they welcome community members to explore the farm, and tours are also provided.  Members are free to walk, picnic, and relax in the fields. They offer educational opportunities for children and families through robust programming and educational courses given on the farm.  It is a hands-on approach to enable families and children to see how food grows, meet the farmers who grow it, and learn about food and farming through classes. For example, there are toddlers, kids, and teens offerings on farming and cooking. There is an exploration section of the garden where kids can be hands-on with crops and growing practices and return throughout the season to see the progress.  Local schools often visit in addition to families. There is a robust 

The apprenticeship Program is an example of educating future generations to work in the food and food policy arena. There is also an emphasis on providing connection, development, and education to staff members. 

The farm store is stocked with produce they farm so sustainably and thoughtfully, delicious and healthy always changing with the seasons and feedback from their customers.  

Amanda, Katie, and the entire Amber Waves team have much to be proud of and we are awarding Amber Waves a Snail of Approval in recognition of their work in not only feeding the community but also nourishing hearts and minds at the same time.

To learn more about Amber Waves, visit www.amberwavesfarm.org and find them at 367 Main Street, Amagansett, NY 11930.

Thanks for Coming To Our Fundraising Dinner at 1760 Homestead Farm

Jul 5, 2023 | Blog, In The News

Thank you to everyone who helped make our amazing farm-to-plate fundraising dinner at 1760 Homestead Farm a success! Honestly, this was one for the books… so many attendees are already asking how to get their tickets for the next dinner! 

Slow Food East End welcomed guests to an intimate dinner for 40 diners at 1760 Homestead Farm in Riverhead. This event raised money to fund our Edible School Garden programs. Thanks to the Kaiser family at 1760 Farms, Chris Kelly of Promised Land Apiaries, Doublespeak Cocktail mixologist Joe Coleman and Long Island Wine Country for helping to make our honey-themed menu a beautiful star-lit, and delicious night at the farm.

We ate, we drank, we talked, we laughed, and we learned. And, so importantly, we raised money for our Edible School Gardens. 

Each year we offer $10,000 in grants to local schools so they can buy deer fencing, water systems, fruit trees, rain barrels, etc. for individual school gardens throughout the East End. Funds raised from this evening will go directly into growing these grants. 🌱

A huge thank you to 1760 Homestead Farm for hosting us and to Farmer and Chef Lary Kaiser for the delicious food from the first bite to the last. The creative menu used ingredients straight from the farm. This is what farm-to-plate is all about. And that grape pie tho… 🍇

Chris Kelly, master beekeeper extraordinaire at Promise Land Apiaries gave an informative talk about the bees and their valuable role in our ecosystem. Chris is always both entertaining and knowledgeable. We took a hayride into the fields and he taught us how to maintain the hives on the farm that produced the sweet honey that was the main ingredient in our dinner. 🍯

Joe Coleman at Doublespeak Craft Cocktails deserves a huge thank you for shaking up the most delicious spirit-free drinks. Their mocktails were so incredibly creative; the recipes for Honey I’m Home and Golden Hour were crafted with local ingredients including infusions of Mattituck mushrooms and 1760 honey, of course. These two signature drinks made with gin and whiskey alternatives proved a delicious alternative to their spirited counterparts.🍹

Last but not least a big shout out to the Long Island Wine Country for pairing our dinner with an amazing selection of local wines. As they continue to celebrate their 50th year here on their East End, we are proud and grateful for the continued partnership 🍷

It never ceases to amaze us when our community comes together and we have an opportunity to slow down and share what we love to do. So many different people, so many like minds, and so many amazing east enders… we love you all.

If you would like to make a donation towards our local school garden program please click the button below. No amount is too small and 💯 of donations go directly to our Feed the Forks initiatives on the East End.

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July 11: Slow Hour at Macari Vineyards

Jun 16, 2023 | Past Events, Slow Hour

Summer is here and we’re ready to celebrate! All are welcome to join us Tuesday, July 11, at 5:30pm at Macari Vineyards in Mattituck for “Slow Hour,” Slow Food East End’s version of happy hour.

Interested in knowing more about the benefits of composting and various methods for home composting?

In the five East End towns, nearly 60 tons of food scraps are generated daily, with much of it ending up as waste! Reducing food waste is crucial for reversing global overheating, nearly 40 percent of food in the U.S. becomes trash, emitting toxic methane when left in landfills. Did you know that households contribute to a staggering 70% of landfill food waste? Composting is a simple and efficient way to remove food waste from landfills and benefit the environment.   

The Long Island Organics Council has long encouraged reducing food waste and making compost as a beneficial lifestyle. We have invited LIOC, the Macari family (whose vineyard has received recognition for its composting program) and Mary Morgan, one of the founders of our Slow Food East End chapter (an expert on food waste solutions), to share in the conversation that evening.

The Macari Family’s waterfront farm, with sweeping views of the Long Island Sound, was established over 50 years ago. Since the first vines were planted in 1995, Macari Vineyards has been recognized as an industry leader in regenerative agriculture. The vineyard is home to a herd of cattle, used for composting, and grows grapes without the use of herbicides.

Although willing, many households are just not able to support a traditional compost system at their home. To help, counter compost units have been developed to dehydrate and grind food scraps to a small fraction of their original volume that is sterile, compact and usable as soil or compost amendments.   

FoodCycle Science is one company that manufactures counter composters, they are establishing pilot programs to encourage more home composting across the U.S. The East End is where their next pilot program will be launched. To help promote this effort our July Slow Hour will also feature a presentation about FoodCycle Science.  The goal of the pilot program is to track countertop-compost usage by households, the data will be used to encourage local municipalities to support food waste retention from our landfills.

The East End Countertop Recycler Pilot program is a partnership between the Long Island Organics Council and Food Cycle Science. The Pilot Program opens to the public on August 1, 2023. As a special partnership SFEE members are able to purchase a unit starting July 1st, 2023. During the “Early Snail Special” all members who purchase discounted FoodCycler units will also support Edible School Garden schools and food pantries. For every 50 participants who purchase a unit and take part in the trial survey, SFEE will donate a FoodCycler to a school or pantry.  For information contact: Mary Morgan, EastEndCountertopRecyclerPilot@gmail.com

“Slow Food East End has been actively supporting composting efforts for years now,” said Mary Morgan. “Our dream was to build an audience among our local food growers and makers, from farmers to fishers, beekeepers to bread bakers, which our SFEE local chapter has achieved so wonderfully. We all know delicious food is based on healthy soil. The composter program helps us all recycle food scraps and regenerate our soils.”  

To learn more, join us on July 11th at Macari Vineyards for our Slow Hour. Wine and snacks will be available for purchase, and joining the discussion is free.  

Together we can further Slow Food’s mission to seek good, clean, and fair food systems for all while supporting schools and food pantries and promoting policy change that encourages municipalities to establish compost drop-off centers for each town and eliminate food waste from our landfills. 

RSVP Here

June 28: Farm to Table Dinner at 1760 Homestead Farm

Jun 6, 2023 | Past Events

Help us raise funds to support Edible School Gardens on the East End with a honey-focused culinary feast!

A Farm-to-Plate Summer Dinner

at 1760 Homestead Farm

Wednesday, June 28, 2023 6pm-8:30pm

5412 Sound Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901

Celebrate the start of summer with a twilight dinner at the charming 1760 Farmstead. This moveable feast will feature flavors infused with their own farm-harvested honey. The night of feasting includes a farm tour aboard a tractor-pulled wagon and a chance to meet Promised Land Apiary owner Chris Kelly who tends the Homestead Farm hives and many more across the East End. Learn more about our favorite pollinator from this master beekeeper and taste fruits of the bees’ labor. 1760 Farm-harvested produce is the base of a delicious four-course meal prepared by the Kaiser family, the current stewards of this historic farm, established 1760.

Dinner includes a tasting of Long Island Wine Country wines, provided by premier local wineries celebrating a 50 years of wine making on the East End. Libations will include hand-crafted honey-infused mock-tails designed by Doublespeak mixologist Joe Coleman.

BUY TICKETS HERE!

Working together to keep our beaches clean!

Jun 6, 2023 | Blog, In The News

Slow Food East End is proud to sponsor a beach clean-up station in collaboration with Relic at 67 Steps Beach in Greenport.

Relic, established in 2016 by Westhampton brothers Aiden and Alex Kravitz, is a remarkable initiative dedicated to safeguarding our oceans. Among their numerous projects, one notable endeavor involves installing beach clean-up stations throughout Long Island. By partnering with local towns and communities, they facilitate voluntary trash collection efforts. With an impressive tally of approx 80 actively maintained clean-up stations across Long Island, they actively engage beachgoers in preserving our invaluable local resource—our beautiful beaches.

Furthermore, Relic is committed to preserving and restoring our marine ecosystems. They harness their artistic talents to design unique shirts that embody a global sustainability mission. For every shirt sold, Relic plants 5 oyster seeds. To date, they have contributed to planting over 15,000 oyster seeds in our local waters. It’s worth noting that a single oyster can filter approximately 50 gallons of water per day. With a target of filtering 1,000,000 gallons of water daily, Relic is tirelessly working towards a cleaner environment.

Next time you find yourself at one of our beautiful beaches dotting the East End be sure to check out their bright yellow baskets at the beach clean-up station! The baskets, similar to the handled ones you see in grocery stores, are easy to take along on beach walks. When you return you can empty its contents into a nearby trash can. Each station also features a QR code, where users can report what they’ve found or notify the team if maintenance is needed. To find a station near you, visit relic-sustainability.org.

We are excited and proud to be a part of keeping this initiative thriving and the incredible benefits it will bring forth to the East End and beyond.

Thank you to all our supporters, members and donors that participate in all of our fundraising efforts. Each time you buy a ticket to one of our events, make a donation,or spread the word about our efforts, it allows us to continue to do more. Together we can continue our support programs like these all around the East End and make a difference in our local community. 

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