March 21, 2012
Issue No. 48
header  
The Abundance Foundation's Chef Challenge, Briar Chapel 5k,  Activism via Film Workshop, and more!
O' Abundant Ones,

Spring is in. Winter is out. Blueberry bushes, pear trees, redbuds and dogwoods are all blooming, and judging by the formerly black mini-vans cruising down the road these days, yellow is the new black. May your seasonal allergy symptoms be minor and your neti pot near. 

As exciting as spring time is, our programs are in full bloom too! Our Chef Challenge is underway and tomorrow (Thursday, March 22) all the chefs meet with all 17 Chatham County School cafeteria managers to share their new, healthier, and creative recipes using more whole foods and local ingredients- all in the name of healthier school lunches!

We have an "Activism Via Film" Workshop and a "Grow & Make Your Own Medicine" Workshop this weekend! Register to reserve your spot before they fill up!

Folks are coming out to our Pun Runs every Monday and having a blast! Thanks go out to the Pittsboro Running Club for collaborating with us to get these going, and to all the folks already supporting us! Spring's here - C'mon & join us!
first pub run  

If you would like to volunteer with us, or have any great ideas we could help with, please contact us! We always appreciate your feedback and support.

Check out our list of upcoming events and activities!
Training for our  

 

On April 21stBriar Chapel will be hosting a 5k race and kids' run to benefit The Abundance Foundation.
Advance race registration is $20 (includes organic TS Designs t-shirt, sponsor goodie bag + a Fullsteam beer ticket to redeem at the afternoon's event). The first race will start at 9am, with race day registration ($25) beginning at 8am. 
 
Special Thanks to our Sponsors who support local food, renewable energy & community!
briar chapel
lynn
kimley
Loving Heart LLC
Whole Foods
Great Outdoor Provisions
Fleet Feet of Carrboro
*Pre-race stretching by Galloway Ridge
*Post-race massages by Carey Reynolds & Scotty Young.

*Dogs and strollers are welcome!

  

*Want to learn about sponsoring the race?
 Please review the attached PDF for details on sponsorship possibilities & contact us.
******************************************
Briar Chapel Earth Day  
Briar Chapel Community Park; April 21, 3-5pm
  • exhibitions from local businesses & organizations
  • Demos from local artists & holistic health practitioners
  • Mountain bike freestyle tricks by TORC
  • Local food and drink artisans
  • Bubbles, hooping, and face painting 
  • Live bands all afternoon
  • Chatham County's first ever food truck rodeo!!
The event is free, and the more you support the food & beer trucks, the more you support us! 
Bring your hungry friends and family!

 

From 6-8pm, some short films from Briar Chapel's sustainability PSA contest will be shown and then there will be a screening of Wall-E on the lawn! 
Guaranteed fun for all ages!

 

Chatham County Chef Challenge Training Day:
March 22nd!
special thanks to all the partners!

 
chef




 
Thursday is the day when all the Chefs and Lunch Staff Managers come together @ CCCC Natural Chef's Kitchen and start doing a test run as well as teaching the others how to make their recipes. 

It's sure to be a fun day with lots of learning and we'll leave ready to put on the 2012 Chatham County Chef Challenge.

The dates for the menus in all 17 schools are as follows:
1. Chef Colin's Team and Lunch Managers from
Siler City, Virginia Cross, Silk Hope, Jordan Matthews and Sage Academy will be in all the cafeterias on April 19th.  The box ingredients (think about the culinary tv show, "chopped") will be ground beef, northern beans in a can, canned peaches, whole wheat pasta and local sweet potatoes. 
2.  Chef Gregory Hamm from CCCC's Natural Chef Program and Bennett, Bonlee, J.S. Waters, Chatham Middle, Chatham Central's menu will be in all the schools on April 26th.

3.  Chef Jay Pierce of Lucky 32
will be collaborating with Northwood, Perry Harrison, Pittsboro Elementary and Horton.  Their menu will be in all cafeterias on May 3rd.

4.  Chefs from the Chatham County Schools and they'll be working with Pollard, North Chatham Elementary and Moncure.  Their menu will be in all schools on May 10th.
More info, click here!
morels and tick-checks, 

Tami, Camille, and Jenny,
The Abundance Foundation 
220 Lorax Lane #5 Pittsboro, NC 27312
919-533-5181  
Building our local foodshed, modeling renewable energy and inspiring community. 
 
abundance logo
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
View our videos on YouTube 
workshops_logo

 

Saturday, March 24~ Communicating via Film - 
David Hughen 
 david 
 ~ Perfect Scones and Biscuits
 ~ Karen Birbeck

 

Sunday, Mar 25 ~ Growing & using medicinal herbs - Kim Calhoun

 

Saturday, Apr 14 ~ 

Fungi 101 - Bob Armantrout - in cooperation with Company Shops Market and held in Burlington! 

company shops

Sunday, April 15 - Do-it-yourself Cheese Making with Laurel Shulman

 

Sunday, April 22 -  Advanced Cheese Making with Laurel Shulman

 

Saturday, Apr 21 ~ Easy Breads - Andrea Williams  

 

Saturday & Sunday April 28 & 29 ~ Building small scale off-grid photovoltaic systems 

with Rebekah Hren 

   

 Register! for workshops here 

  
Youth Sustainability Summer Camp  
Ages 10-15;
July 9th-13th(M-F)

 

 

green building

biodiesel

campsustainable agriculture

local economy & finance 

seed saving

making snacks from local ingredients

medicinal herbs

composting

and more!

 

 ...to empower the next generation of environmental stewards and community leaders!

 

REGISTER HERE

Pickards Mountain Eco-Institute Upcoming Workshops: 
pmei
    

SAVE THE DATE!

Calendar of Upcoming Activites:

 

March 24 - Effective Communication Using Video

March 25 - Growing & Making your own herbal medicine

March 26 - Pub Run (The City Tap) - 6pm 

March 31 - Perfect Biscuits and Scones

April 14 - (Burlington) Fungi 101

April 15 - Do-it-yourself Cheesemaking

April 21 - Easy Breads

April 21 - Earth Day 5K at Briar Chapel 

April 22 - Advanced Cheesemaking

April 28 and 29 - Intoduction to Photovoltaic Systems

May 5 - Vermiculture

May 12 - Permiculture

May 12 - (Burlington) Make your own Baby Food

June 9 - Seed Saving

June 16 - Organic Gardening

July 7-13th - Youth Sustainability Summer Camp

October 7- 5th Annual Pepper Festival

 

   *color key: workshop/skill building

  fundraising event

  youth education

 

More information at http://theabundancefoundation.org/ 

 

 

Enjoy running? 
How about a pint of beer?
 Then join us for...
���PUB RUNS!!!
 EVERY MONDAY @ 6pm
89 Hillsboro St, downtown Pittsboro. 
All people + all experience levels welcome!
 Come for a nice 3 or 5 mile run and join us for food and beer at The City Tap afterward!
 A Portion of the profits from food
and beer sold go to benefit 
The Abundance Foundation. 

city tap

 

Mr. [Sweet] Potato Head!

We like to make local food education fun!  Special thanks to Jenny, Eliza and Chef Hamm for making some amazing Mr. Sweet Potato Heads and to Chef Hamm and his culinary students for delivering to all the schools as a pre-Chef Challenge communications.  The kids in the schools were chanting to the chefs, they were so excited about the upcoming lunches!

potato