Sometimes being a local food activist can be difficult. It means getting up before dawn, putting on work clothes, and driving for miles to chat with a farmer and slog through muddy fields. After that, I come home and spend hours transcribing the interview and crafting some semblance of a thoughtful piece for my readers. Also, there’s the reduced discretionary income because so much of my budget goes to buying real food. Then, there’s the occasional fast food indiscretion which not only makes me feel physically bad—but now there’s the added value that I’m a hypocrite who is eating the very thing I’m campaigning against.
Mostly, it’s this deep awareness that there is so much to do and so many good things that need to be shared with you. I often feel overwhelmed that I just can’t make it all happen. But…
Sometimes supporting local food is really really fun. Recently, I had the opportunity to go hang out with my friends at Seedleaf in Lexington for their HarvestFest fundraiser held at Thai Orchid. If you weren’t there, you missed a great party—but there’s always a good time to be had when the people from Seedleaf are at the helm.
I had never had the pleasure of dining at Thai Orchid before, but I’m so glad I got to try it out. Everything was delicious and they had gone to great lengths to source food for the event locally. I can’t wait to go back and enjoy some of their food again if this event was any indication of how good this place is! In fact, I think the fact that I somehow forgot to take pictures of the food is a reflection of how darn much I enjoyed it.
My friends from Good Foods were there, too, serving up all kinds of goodness—including this crazy delicious (and unique) limed cabbage. Just another reminder why Good Foods is the place to be for a great local food buffet anytime you are in Lexington. It also happens to be where I stock up on my favorite Kentucky Proud products whenever I can.
Elmwood Stock Farm was there promoting their CSA and showing their support for Seedleaf. It takes so many people to make great things happen. Once you get into the local food movement, you’ll learn pretty quickly that there is the same core group of people devoted to making real change. (You’ll know because you will keep bumping into them everywhere you go!)
Based on a very informal survey that I took of participants, I believe the most popular menu item for the over-21 crowd was this homemade ice cream featuring West Sixth stout and coffee plus JD Country Milk and Cream.
The food was delicious, the crowd was large, the music was lively (and included some local farm celebrities). It was such a fantastic evening, it was easy to forget why we there: to support the important work that Seedleaf is doing across the city of Lexington. They are doing the tough job of nourishing communities by building gardens, maintaining them, and teaching young and old alike how to grow and prepare healthy, whole foods. To learn more about this organization, read my original post about Seedleaf.
I love the work that Seedleaf is doing and want to support them in any way that I can! Seedleaf will be celebrating their fifth birthday on October 27th and they would love for you to stop by and say hello. This would be a great opportunity for you to connect with them and see what you can do to lend a helping hand if you are in the Lexington area. (It’s also the same day as the Kentucky Proud Incredible Food Show, so just make a day of it and plan to attend both.) Here’s what you need to know about the birthday party:
- October 27th, 4-7pm
- Where: Loudoun House (Home of Lexington Art League–209 Castlewood Dr)
- RSVP to ryan@seedleaf.org to let him know that you are coming!
