June 23, 2024 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Blackbird Farm hosts an annual farmers market produced by Eat Drink RI at our Farm Stand & Ice Cream Trailer location. The 2024 farmers market will take place every Sunday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. from June 16 through September 29, (weather permitting). Follow Eat Drink RI and Blackbird Farm on Facebook for Market updates and any possible weather cancellations.
See https://www.blackbirdfarmmeat.com/farmers-market.html for more vendors and more info.
Current news releases—Eat Drink RI is not the source for these items—please follow any links for more information.
GottaQ Smokehouse BBQ, based in Cumberland, RI, is poised to take home yet another award in Mobile Cuisine’s national Best Food Truck BBQ contest. Their authentic wood-smoked barbecue is served up on two food trucks, a BBQ trailer and a mobile smoker, as well as two brick & mortar locations, and a successful catering business. After placing 3rd in the annual contest three years in a row, GottaQ is ready to bring the top prize home to Little Rhody. The gang kindly asks for your support! This poll will wrap up on Friday, June 16, 2017 at 9:59 PM EST. Fans can vote daily via: https://mobile-cuisine.com/contest/2017-food-truck-bbq-of-the-year/.
“When we launched the company on April 25th, 2014 we had no idea how much of an impact we would have on the New England BBQ and food truck communities. People couldn’t get enough of GottaQ and their voice was strong enough to get us nominated as one of the top 10 BBQ food trucks in the country! We finished third, behind trucks from El Paso and Los Angeles.” said owner Michael Strout. “We’ve grown tremendously, and have continued to place third in the nation each year. We are so grateful to receive recognition and respect from our peers in the professional BBQ and food truck communities and have earned the chance to say that we are the #1 BBQ Food Truck in the USA. Please vote!”
In addition to GottaQ’s two brick & mortar locations, you can find the Q-Crew out and about on one of their food trucks, with their Festival BBQ trailer and soon from a new mobile smoker. Enjoy lunch in downtown Providence at Kennedy Plaza every Tuesday and Thursday from 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., or check them out at Food Truck Friday at Roger Williams Park Carousel Village every Friday night starting at 5 p.m. You can also find GottaQ serving at special events and festivals by following them on social media.
Hosting a summer party and want GottaQ to come to you? GottaQ offers simple solutions for all your catering needs with everything from easy pick-up platters, delivery upon request, to full on-site vending from one of their food trucks or the giant BBQ trailer. For more details and pricing, please visit: https://gottaq.com/catering.
Follow GottaQ Smokehouse BBQ on Facebook @GottaQ, Twitter @IGottaQ, and Instagram @GottaQbbq.
Eat Drink RI is thrilled to present a series of exclusive culinary experiences showcasing the bounty of summer in the Ocean State. The culinary marketing and events company, fresh off the successful sixth annual Eat Drink RI Festival, is partnering with Blackbird Farm in Smithfield, RI and Matunuck Oyster & Vegetable Farm in South Kingstown, RI for a series of eight open-air explorations. These curated, one-of-a-kind culinary adventures can only be experienced with Eat Drink RI.
Celebrate Independence Day weekend at one of the most-acclaimed beef and pork farms in New England, Blackbird Farm. Relax with a welcoming adult beverage and wander the idyllic farm pastures with a personal tour by farmer/owner Ann Marie Bouthillette. Learn about where your food comes from, how it’s raised and cared for, and enjoy a menu featuring the humanely raised 100% Black Angus beef and 100% American Heritage Berkshire pork.
This dinner experience begins at 4pm, with a cocktail hour and passed hors d’oeuvres, followed by a multi-course seated dinner with friends, paired with wine and beer by Jonathan Edwards Winery and Revival Brewing Company. Finish the evening with dessert and gorgeous sunset views. Tickets are $139 per guest, all inclusive.
The 2017 Blackbird Farm Dinner Series
Friday, June 30th | Chef Ashley Vanasse | Easy Entertaining
Saturday, July 1st | Chefs Eli Dunn & Jordan Goldsmith | Eli’s Kitchen & Moonrose Farm
Sunday, July 2nd | Chef Nick Rabar | Avenue N American Kitchen
Monday, July 3rd | Chef Maria Meza | El Rancho Grande
Oysters, bubbles, and a sea breeze more your style? Join us for the pond to plate Matunuck Oyster & Vegetable Farm series in South Kingstown. This experience begins at 3pm with a personalized tour of the organic vegetable farm at the edge of Potter Pond with owner Perry Raso followed by the freshest raw bar in town, with oysters harvested directly from the pond, paired with bubbles. Enjoy a seated dinner in Matunuck’s lush vegetable garden, overlooking the coastal lagoon. Chefs will prepare a four-course meal, paired with wines from The Wine Bros. and The Savory Grape, and beer by Narragansett Brewery. Tickets are $189 per guest, all inclusive.
The 2017 Matunuck Oyster & Vegetable Farm Dinner Series
Monday, July 24th | Chef Chris Kleyla | Statesman Tavern
Tuesday, July 25th | Chef Antonio Franco | Basta
Monday, August 21st | Chef Rick Allaire | Metacom Kitchen
Tuesday, August 22nd | Chef Derek Wagner | Nicks on Broadway
To purchase tickets, please visit www.eatdrinkri.com/landandsea.
Local Families Can Celebrate with Dads & Grads at ‘Schoolyard Market’
Hope & Main, Rhode Island’s first nonprofit food business incubator, announces its third Schoolyard Market season, open weekly on Sundays starting June 18 with a farmers-makers marketplace fit for families looking to enjoy their Sunday Funday focused on food. Locals can stock up on an unmatched variety of specialty foods and beverages all summer long with a cast of 48 Rhode Island and Massachusetts-based vendors including 30 Hope & Main members.
Schoolyard Market features a unique, interactive experience where market-goers can sample and purchase products made by many small food start-ups who create their products onsite at Hope & Main in their shared-use, commercial kitchens. Says Hope & Main Founder, Lisa Raiola, “The Schoolyard Market consumer is actually part of the incubation process by providing input and feedback to these budding food entrepreneurs. We have had many companies crowd source and perfect their recipes, packaging and branding during the Schoolyard Market season. That makes this market unlike any other local food experience.”
Sip on coffee, cold-pressed juice, kombucha and sodas over brunch or lunch. Chefs are cooking on-site making meals to order as well as offering pre-prepared packaged foods ready for picnics and family occasions. Find fresh doughnuts, savory and sweet pastries, specialty confections, traditional sourdough breads, as well as handcrafted packaged items like granola, sauces, spreads, jams and pickles. Also find farm fresh fruits and vegetables, honey, eggs, meat and poultry raised within just 25 miles of Warren.
Market day activities promise fun for everyone all season, including live music, cooking demonstrations, “FEEDback” customer taste-test surveys, backyard games, face painting, storytelling and facility tours. Locals can look forward to additional specials events occurring monthly like chef competitions, talks and interactive demonstrations with experts in food, agriculture and gardening.
Especially for Father’s Day, Schoolyard Market will offer a great selection of “Dude Food” including favorites like tacos and chili. Backyard aficionados will be glad to meet Master Gardener Valerie Harvey, the keeper of Hope & Main’s organic garden classroom. Valerie will share sage wisdom with aspiring farmers and gardeners eager to dig in to their own backyards.
Schoolyard Market welcomes customers with EBT/SNAP/WIC and/or Senior Citizen vouchers using the Farm Fresh Rhode Island “Fresh Bucks” market coin system.
Schoolyard Market happens at Hope & Main, 691 Main Street, Warren, RI 02885. Free and open to the public every Sunday until October 29, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Rain or shine. Public parking. Dog friendly. More information is available at http://www.makefoodyourbusiness.org/market
Sage Cellars brings world famous winemaker Heidi Barrett’s label to the Rhode Island market
It is with great excitement that Sage Cellars introduces La Sirena Winery to their portfolio of worldly wines. La Sirena is created by world renowned winemaker, Heidi Barrett, the first female winemaker from the Napa region. Barrett has earned five 100 point wines from Wine Advocate critic Robert Parker, who has called her “The First Lady of Wine”. Prior to starting La Sirena, Barrett was a winemaker for Screaming Eagle in Napa Valley, CA. Her Screaming Eagle 1992 6L vintage bottle sold for $500,000 at the 2000 Napa Valley Auction, setting the world record for the highest price paid for a single bottle of wine.
La Sirena varietals are made in small production in Barrett’s hometown of Calistoga, California. Living among her vineyards, the wines are near and dear to her heart and are “made with great care and the highest quality in mind”. Barrett creates varietals for some of the most prestigious labels, while continuing to produce for her own labels, Barrett & Barrett and, of course, La Sirena.
Sage Cellars is proud to introduce 4 varietals from La Sirena to the Rhode Island market. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is the “crown jewel” of La Sirena, and this elegant yet balanced wine will not disappoint. The 2015 Moscato Azul, the only white wine from La Sirena, is a fan favorite that has a perfumey aroma with crisp acidity and pairs well with many dishes during those warm summer nights. The popular 2012 Le Barrettage is a Syrah-based blend with rich, velvety, earthy and ripe flavors. Last, but not least, the 2013 Pirate TreasuRED is a big, bold and complex red blend. The base of this wine is Cabernet and Syrah, but also features Grenache and Merlot, as well as small amounts of Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, and Petite Syrah.
Sage Cellars is a Rhode Island based company owned and operated by trained professionals in wine and beer. As owners Anne Sage and Jesse Sgro explain: “Our passion for great craftsmanship runs deep and is born out of a life of dedicated study. Our business model is based on a simple premise: We choose to work with companies with whom we feel an equal excitement for their wines or beers and believe pairs well with the Rhode Island consumer. Our focus has been with family run vineyards, we are also a family business and understand the value in our industry. We listen closely, provide genuine and valuable support both for our quality products in our portfolio and our customers who sustain us.”
For Release: October 29, 2013
Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402
DEM ANNOUNCES AWARD OF $205,311 IN FARM VIABILITY GRANTS TO ENHANCE AND PROMOTE RHODE ISLAND SPECIALTY CROPS
PROVIDENCE – The Department of Environmental Management has announced the award of farm viability grants totaling $205,311 for projects that will enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops grown in Rhode Island. The funds are from the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant program. Specialty crops are defined by this federally-supported program as fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, and nursery crops including floriculture and turf grass production.
“We’re pleased to award these grants for projects that will help strengthen markets for specialty crops, sustain the livelihood of Rhode Island farmers, and promote the long-term viability of agriculture in our state,” said DEM Director Janet Coit.
The farm viability grants will be used for a wide range of purposes, such as increasing purchase of specialty crops by local schools, creating African vegetable markets in select stores in African and Latino neighborhoods, and supporting agricultural research at the University of Rhode Island.
DEM’s Division of Agriculture and Resources Marketing received 11 applications for the grants. Following is a list of projects awarded funding through the grant round:
In addition to the grants, $40,946 in funding is provided to DEM’s Division of Agriculture, to continue to increase demand and consumption of Rhode Island-grown specialty crops by expanding on the “Rhode Island Grown Get Fresh Buy Local” initiative through produce preparation demonstrations featuring local celebrity chefs at all RI farmers markets and participating roadside stands; updating its RI agricultural display; enhancing the marketing program by making point-of-purchase advertising material available to farmers; and introducing electronic benefit transfer banking to farmers markets to allow federal nutrition benefit recipients to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Matching funds will be used to cover non-specialty crops and producers.
RI School Districts Spend 11 Percent of Food Budgets Buying Local Products, According to New USDA Report
Director Coit pointed to Farm Fresh Rhode Island as a good example of an effort that is regularly supported by the specialty crop grant program. Today, Farm Fresh Rhode Island is a successful organization supporting the local food system that sponsors the Farm to School program, which is aimed at increasing the consumption of locally-harvested fruits and vegetables by Rhode Island school students. In addition, Farm Fresh Rhode Island also sponsors a host of farmers’ markets including one year-round market; distribution channels for bringing locally-grown products to restaurants, worksites, hospitals, grocers, schools, food pantries and community centers; and special events such as the Local Food Forum held annually at Brown University.
As indicated in USDA’s first-ever Farm to School Census which was released today, Rhode Island has a very high participation rate in farm-to-school programs, which was reported at 100 percent among the census respondents. The state’s responding school districts spent $1.1 million, or approximately 11 percent of their school food budgets buying local fruits and vegetables. “There’s nothing better than biting into a freshly-picked apple or ear of sweet corn from a local farm, and thanks to the farm-to-school program, students across Rhode Island can enjoy these delicious, healthy foods as part of their school lunch,” said Director Coit. “Plus, more than 95 percent of the responding school districts said they will but more local foods in the future. This is a real win-win for our students and Rhode Island’s agriculture industry.”
Sheri Griffin, co-executive director of Farm Fresh Rhode Island said, “Support from the specialty crop program has created important successes for the RI Farm to School program. All of Rhode Island’s public school districts purchase locally-grown specialty crops, with support from Farm to School Coordinator Kim Clark providing technical assistance to school purchasers and farmers alike. Kim is also able to provide agricultural education programs for students in these districts, with lessons that touch on math, history, business and environmental topics. We are so fortunate to be able to secure this funding for this important work.”
DEM’s Division of Agriculture oversees numerous efforts designed to maintain the viability of farming in Rhode Island, including locally-produced milk, meats and locally-harvested seafood, farmers’ markets, and buy local and agri-tourism programs. “All across our state we can see the tremendous growth of agriculture, from the expanded network of farmers’ markets to the promotion of local foods in our outstanding restaurants,” noted DEM Director Janet Coit. “Rhode Island’s $1.7 billion green industry – and the 12,300 jobs it supports – is a bright spot in the economy of our beautiful state, thanks to growing consumer interest in products grown locally. On top of these economic benefits, agriculture also contributes to tourism, open space, quality of life, and access to local foods and horticultural products.”
While walking me through one of the geodesic dome greenhouses at New Urban Farmers in Pawtucket, Bleu Grijalva stopped to look at a stray tomato plant that was growing up the side of a table. “Sometimes when we accidentally drop a seed on the ground, it will grow on its own,” Grijalva said. “I like to let them grow there. It serves as a good reminder that no matter how many hours and sweat we put into growing food and making perfect rows of plants, the food wants to grow on it’s own, and maybe that’s what we need to do sometimes—just go with the flow. Grow where we fall.” That is just one of the life lessons that can be pulled from farm work, and the team at New Urban Farmers have found the perfect audience for these lessons.
Originally started with the intention of becoming a local farm and community garden, the small plot of land situated behind a housing project near the Pawtucket/Central Falls border, has evolved into a “living classroom” for the 500+ children who live here. While the responsibility of watching over children can certainly add to the farm work—especially when they’re being mischievous, as all children are—it’s nothing short of inspiring to see that there is a group of people here to provide these kids with some guidance and structure that they may not have at home. It’s even more inspiring to see that these kids, who could be on the couch watching television or on the streets getting into some very negative situations, are choosing to come to the farm instead.
Closing in on their five-year anniversary, New Urban Farmers now has four locations throughout Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts, all utilizing sustainable growing techniques. When Grijalva walked us past a table with growing plants, one of the kids with us grabbed a fistful of fish food and threw it under the table into a tank of water. Immediately, as the pebbles of food touched the surface of the water, the tank erupted into a tumult of frenzied fish, all racing to grab the first bits. “This is our aquaponics system. It holds over one thousand tilapia,” said Grijalva. Aquaponics is a mix of aquaculture and hydroponics, in which the waste from a fish tank is converted to nitrates by bacteria and is used to feed plants. The plants clean the water, which is then cycled back into the fish tank, creating a sustainable fish farm and vegetable garden.
Along one of the edges of the fenced-in farm, is a row of community garden plots. Although there were some less-than-perfect looking garden plots, it was obvious that some of the gardeners had developed green thumbs, and were learning to grow everything from flowers to vegetables. While they sell most of the plots, they also give some to the older residents in the housing project who are interested in gardening. “We provide then with the seeds and the know-how,” said Grijalva. “It’s really nice to see that some of these people who might not have jobs, or a whole lot of accomplishments, now have something to be proud of. But we’re still looking to find that perfect balance between doing good in the community and making enough money to keep doing good.”
Although the farm has become a classroom for so many, there is no set curriculum. Grijalva emphasized that as we finished our tour. “There are no textbooks here,” he said as he took a bite of a fresh tomato, just picked from another stray plant growing out of a pile of fertilizer. “We just try to teach the kids whatever lessons can be taken from what’s happening in the garden.”
Scroll down for more photos from New Urban Farmers.
