Autumn Event: Harvest Gathering

“Season of mist and meadow fruitfulness”

John Keats - To Autumn

Sunday, 23rd September 1:00 to 5:00 pm
Monivea, Galway

Come and join us with your own apples for:

• Apple pressing (bring your own apples to be pressed)
• Cider making demonstration
• Picking of hops
• Organic farm walk and talk
• Lunch of wild venison and other treats

Price: €15 (members) / €20 (non-members)

Location: Carol and Tony Killarney’s Organic Farm, Rye Hill Demesne, Monivea, County Galway

Directions: Please enter Eircode H65 AX79 into Google Maps

To book please text Geraldine 087-2020481

Places are limited please book early to avoid disappointment

Please bring a small starter or accompaniment to the venison along with your own apples and wellingtons for the farm walk.

Next Event: Slow Food Galway Bus Trip to Birr

Image via Wild Irish Foragers

Our next event is a bus trip to Birr, Co. Offaly and will take place on Sunday, August 26th 2018.

First venue:

Mossfield Organic Farm where we will meet owner and farmer Ralph Haslam who will give a talk on his conversion to Organic Farming as well as a tasting of his award winning Mossfield Cheese, non-homogenized milk and yogurt.

Second venue:

Wild Irish Foragers Mill House Farm. Owners and foragers Gordon and Sharon Greene will guide a forage walk and talk to include history of wild foods in Irish culture, a tour of their  kitchen with tastings and recipes. Sharon will also offer a 10% discount on her award winning syrups, preserves, fruit cheeses, pontiac and shrubs.

Please bring a picnic lunch to share (tea and coffee will be available).


R.V.S.P. by 18TH AUGUST by text to Geraldine Williams 087-2020481.


Price: €32.50 members, €37.50 non members, includes return bus fare.

Note limited spaces available.


Departure time 9.45am from Salthill Promenade opposite The Aquarium.

image via Mossfield Farm

July Event: Visit to Slieve Aught Centre and Sliabh Aughty Honey

Some Photos from our July event. Thank you to Esther in Slieve Aughty Centre where Slow Food Galway gathered last Sunday for a walk through the lovely organic kitchen garden followed by a three course lunch in the Tree Top Restaurant.

Next Event: Visit to Slieve Aughty Centre Organic Restaurant and Sliabh Aughty Honey and Beekeepers

Photo Credit: leahybeekeeping.com

The next Slow Food Galway event will take place on Sunday the 29th of July 2018.

Starting at 1:30 with a tour of the Slieve Aughty organic gardens and Eco Resort, owner Esther Zyderlaan will provide insights into the running of the resort, followed by a three-course lunch in the centres Three Towers Certified Organic Restaurant.

April Event: Galway Hooker Artisan Brewery Tour and Screening of “Atlantic”

Some photos from our April event. Thanks to Risteard O’Donnell for allowing us to screen his documentary Atlantic and for joining us for a Q&A. We were all struck by its powerfulness and the issues covered, particularly the ongoing and longterm impact on fishing.

And of course thanks again to Aidan of Galway Hooker Brewery for hosting.

Regenerate: Art, Activism & Agroecology Event

Third Space Galway are hosting an event Regenerate: Art, Activism & Agroecology that may be of interest this coming Thursday, the 12th of April.

"Regenerate will be an exciting and original platform highlighting the growing awareness and appreciation of regenerative arts and cultural practices, ecological living and food production. We aim to utilise this creative platform to engage the many already existing projects working in the areas of artistic and civic engagement and transdisciplinary collaborative practices, locally and internationally with a particular emphasis on arts and environmental activism." 

TSG has invited internationally renowned artist, urban activist and curator Jeanne Van Heeswijk and acclaimed A Field of Wheat artists, Anne-Marie Culhane and Ruth Levene to Galway to participate in events comprising of a symposium, workshops, consultations, and food presentations which explore our local community food systems and foster an atmosphere of conviviality and community around these issues in a local context.

Mechanical Seaweed Harvesting

A mechanical seaweed harvesting trial licence was granted in 2014 to a company called Bio Atlantis for an area of roughly 1800 acres in the Bantry Bay area. Mechanical harvesting is done from a specially adapted ship that cuts the kelp forest with cutters and vacuums the seaweed aboard.

Seaweed has been hand harvested in Ireland in the tidal zone and has provided employment on a seasonal basis for many people along the coasts. Mechanical harvesting on such an industrial scale is worrying for several reasons:

• The kelp forest sustains larval and juvenile stages of many marine animals

• It acts as a buffer against the force of Atlantic storms

• It absorbs nutrients from other activities

There is a campaign calling for the minister to withdraw the licence for reasons outlined on the website www.bantrybaykelpforest.com. Acadian Seaplants has bought the seaweed factory in Cill Chiarain from Udaras na Gaeltachta in a deal, the details of which cannot be divulged for ten years.

It seems that they intend to seek a harvesting licence for certain species for the Mayo and Galway coasts but no specific licence has been approved yet as far as we know. There seems to be an intent on the part of Government to continue with the policy of facilitating large companies in taking possession of the resource.

It is important to keep an eye on this valuable resource and to ensure that it does not get into the hands of corporate entities for industrial scale exploitation. Currently there is a Foreshore Amendment Act working its way through the Dáil to update the 1933 Act.

Good, clean and fair the current situation is not!

Slow food has a negative position on Salmon Farming and its associated activities. This should be the position on Mechanical Harvesting on an industrial scale as well.

Statement drafted by Slow Food Galway member Enda Conneely.

Next Event: Galway Hooker Artisan Brewery Tour and Screening of “Atlantic”

Via Galway Hooker Facebook Page

Aidan Murphy, of Galway Hooker, will give us with a tour of their Oranmore brewery and provide an opportunity to taste the award winning Galway Hooker range.

Adjudication of Grandmother's Day Competitions Entries

We had a big job on Wednesday reading all the fantastic entrants to our Grandmothers Day Competition.

March Event: Masterclass in Fermentation

Guga's fermented drinks

Some photos from our second event of the year, a Masterclass in Fermentation with Slow Food member Michelle from The Kitchen and Guga Lisik. Guga and Michelle talked us through fermented drinks from kombuca to kefir and brought lots of tasty samples of fermented and pickled veg. Thanks to everyone who attended and to Cait for hosting. Recipes to follow. 

Slow Food Galway Donates to COPE

This week, Slow Food Galway Leader Geraldine Williams presented a cheque for €144 on behalf of Slow Food Galway to Geraldine Ryan of COPE Galway The money was raised at our January Sourdough Community Baking Event and will go towards COPE's Community Catering Programme. 

Thanks to everyone who donated! 

Next Event: Another Masterclass in Fermentation

Slow Food Galway member Michelle Crehan and Guga Lisik of The Kitchen Restaurant, Galway Museum will talk us through a masterclass in fermentation followed by the Slow Food Galway annual AGM
12pm, Sunday 11th March at Cait Curran Síol Centre, Loughwell, Moycullen

Michelle and Guga will present fermented rhubarb to drink, fermented mushrooms and Polish pickles.


Spaces limited. Members €20 Non members €25

To book a place please text Geraldine Williams 087-2020481


If anyone is fermenting and wants to bring some samples to taste, please do. If not, please bring a small dessert.

Photo Credit: The Kitchen Galway Facebook

Grandmothers Day Competition 2018

We invite you to explore food with your Grandmother (Grandfather, Aunt , Uncle or Parent).We would like you to talk to your Grandmother about food ie. What she(he )liked to eat when she(he) was small, Any food stories she(he) has from your family, Any traditional recipes she(he) has that have been passed down in your family.We would like you to record any stories you share and cook one of her recipes on Grandmother’s Day and tell us why you chose that recipe.
This year we are picking the 10 best entries to come and show their project and their dish at The Kitchen Restaurant at the Museum on Good Friday 30th March the start of The Galway Food Festival weekend. The four best entries will talk about their story and recipe and the winner chosen at the end of the evening. We will taste and share all the dishes. Grannies welcome!The winner and runner-up will win a cookery demo with one of Galway’s top chefs for themselves and their school class. All entrants will receive a Slow Food Galway certificate of entry.
Closing date for competition – 14/03/2018
Please present your entry on a page no bigger than A3. On your entry we would like to see your food story... a recipe and drawing or photograph of you making the recipe with your grandmother.You can present these items any way you like through word or picture, using any media you like.You can be as colourful as you like. Have fun!!It is very important to put your name, age, address and school name on back of your entry.Competition open to children in 3rd and 4th class Primary school.
Please send entries to Kate O Dwyer ,Slow Food Galway, Ballycasey, Kilcoona, Headford Co Galway or Michelle Smyth, 24 Maunsells Park, Maunsells Rd ,Galway

1st Event 2018

SLOW FOOD GALWAY

2018

COMMUNITY BAKE

SUNDAY 28th January 12pm

at Slow Food Galway leader home Ballycasey, Kilcoona, Headford, Co Galway

Are you a regular bread baker or interested in learning?

Kate and Marian of Marian Nutrition Therapy will demonstrate how to make a sourdough bread including the starter. All will go home with starter.

We will also make and taste two other breads.

The aim is to build a community of bread bakers by meeting regularly, baking and learning from each other. 

Please bring a 1kg bag of strong flour white/brown or spelt flour with you, a large spoon and a large bowl for your dough.

Spaces limited

To book a place please text Geraldine 0872020481 RSVP by 25th Jan

Directions

From Galway drive towards Headford for 10miles/20 mins.

After turn for Luimnagh take next right turn signposted Kilcoona.

Follow the road to T junction,passing national school.

Turn left and then 1st right at Ballycasey stone. Take a tight right turn here up the hill. It is then the 4th house on right, campervan in driveway.