This year's Food + Farm event at Space Gallery features four days of enlightening discussions about sustainable food, a preview of an important new film, and lots of hands-on workshops focusing on urban and small-space food production.
Well-known Stonington lobsterman and McArthur "genius grant" recipient Ted Ames kicks off the event with an overview of his research on Gulf of Maine fisheries populations at 7:30 p.m. May 7 at Space, 538 Congress St., Portland.
Don't let your eyes glaze over. If you've ever read the profile of Ames the New Yorker published a couple of years ago (or any of the pieces written by our own reporters), you'll know that his approach of combining marine science with interviews of fishermen to map fish populations and their movements is truly fascinating.
Along with Ames' talk, there will be a screening of a short film, "Fishing Voices: Insight Into the Future," by Cecily Pingree. Admission for the evening is $6.
At 7:30 p.m. May 8, there will be an advance screening of a new documentary, "Food, Inc.," that opens nationwide June 12. The film goes behind the scenes of the modern food industry and features interviews with Michael Pollan, author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma," and Eric Schlosser, author of "Fast Food Nation." Russell Libby, executive director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, will lead a discussion afterward. This event costs $8.
On May 9, take in the Cultivating Community Urban Garden Fair from 9 a.m. to noon at the Boyd Street Urban Farm on the corner of Franklin Arterial and Cumberland Avenue. This free event includes live music and demonstrations on garden preparations, composting, container gardening, rainwater collection and raised bed gardening.
Later that night, listen to Bryant Terry at the Space Gallery as he shares stories of his work as an eco-chef and food-justice activist. Terry's talk will begin at 7:30 p.m. and costs $8.
Food + Farm ends on May 10 with "Food+ Farm University," a series of intensive workshops designed to give people the skills to start producing their own food. This year, the focus will be on food production in urban and suburban areas, and the topics will include small-space gardening, beekeeping, chicken care, root cellars, fruit for small spaces and vermicomposting.
An all-day pass for this final event, which runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., costs $25.
For tickets or more information, go to www.space538.org or call 828-5600.
STONE TURTLE RAISING DOUGH
Stone Turtle Baking and Cooking School in Lyman is hosting a pizza class 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday to benefit Heifer International, a nonprofit organization that fights hunger.
The class costs $65 (lunch is included) and includes instruction on how to make pizza dough, calzones, foccacia, mozarella and more. (You get to use the school's wood-fired oven to boot.) All profits will go to Heifer International. It's limited to 10 students, so if you're interested, call 324-7558 to sign up, or e-mail michael@stoneturtlebaking.com.
If you miss the pizza class, Flatbread Company in Portland will be doing one of its fundraising nights for Heifer International 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday. A portion of all sales that evening will benefit the charity.
SUPPER AND SUDS
The menu is out for Five Fifty-Five's May 5 Allagash beer dinner, and it's a doozy.
As you may already know, chef Steve Corry got his start brewing beer. Now he's teaming up with Rob Tod, brewmaster at Allagash Brewing, for a dinner that pairs his food with Rob's hand-crafted beers. The dinner is $75 per person and starts at 6:30 p.m.
One course at the restaurant, 555 Congress St., features "beer and tiger frog hot wings."
What's that, you say?
It's paprika-dusted, ale-battered Florida wild-caught frog legs with sizzling chorizo oil...
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