Fairchild’s Edible Garden Festival and Scarecrow Contest!

fairchildCome and Celebrate This Weekend at Fairchild’s Edible Garden Festival and Scarecrow Contest!

Coral Gables, FL, October 20, 2009—Come celebrate gardening, organic food and cooking with local, seasonal produce this Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25 at Fairchild’s Edible Garden Festival and Scarecrow Contest. You’ll learn all you need to know about growing your own backyard garden including herbs and vegetables that lend well to the South Florida climate. During the Festival, Fairchild will host its first ever scarecrow contest this year too! The competition is open to everyone—individuals, groups and businesses.
 
While at the Festival, gather new tips and recipes from our popular culinary demonstrations taught by local chefs using local products. There will also be a farmers’ market where local growers will showcase the best fruits, vegetables and herbs available in South Florida. Invite your whole family to come out and have fun while learning how to plant your own garden and enjoy fresh, local food that’s in season.
 
Here is a schedule of events for the weekend:
 
Lectures
Saturday, October 24

10:00 a.m. The Sustainable Edible Garden, Ginny Stibolt
11:00 a.m. Creative Container Gardening, Carolyne Coppolo
12:00 p.m. Growing Organic Heirloom Tomatoes, Margie Pikarsky
1:00 p.m.  Edible Landscaping in Paradise, Gabriele Marewski
2:00 p.m.  Organic Pest and Disease Management, Andres Mejides
3:00 p.m.  Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening, Adrian Hunsberger
4:00 p.m.  Growing the Chocolate Pudding Fruit in South Florida, Noris Ledesma
 
Sunday, October 25
10:00 a.m. Get Your Veggie Garden Growing!, Angela Garrison
11:00 a.m. Creative Container Gardening, Carolyne Coppolo
12:00 p.m. Sustainable Gardening: Rain Gardens, Ginny Stibolt
1:00 p.m.  South Florida Gardening with Fruits and Vegetables, Dr. Richard J. Campbell
2:00 p.m.  Counter Top Gardening with Sprouts, Keith Seidler
3:00 p.m.  Easy as Takeout: Asian Edibles in the Landscape!,Ron Mossman
4:00 p.m.  Extreme Edible Landscaping: Urban Homesteading!, Melissa Contreras
 

Gardening Demonstrations
Saturday, October 24
11:30 a.m. The Fall Veggie Garden: South Beach Style, Danny Ackell
1:30  p.m. Composting and Worms, Lanette Sobel

Sunday, October 25
10:00 a.m. Slow Food School Gardens, Hunter Reno
1:30 p.m.  Square Foot Gardening with Kids, Hunter Reno

Tours
Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25
11:30 a.m. Tropical Fruit Pavilion Tour, GROW

Coral Gables, FL, October 20, 2009

Cooking Demos
Saturday, October 24
11:30 a.m. Johnson & Wales
12:30 p.m. Chef Sean Bernal of Oceanaire Seafood Room
1:30 p.m.  Herb Pesto, Chef Kira Volz of Creek 28
2:30 p.m.  Avocado Tartar, Chef Elizabeth Barlow of Canyon Ranch
Sunday, October 25
11:30 a.m. Chef Adri Garcia of Green Rocks Foods and Mise en Place
1:30 p.m.  Chef Giancarla Bodoni from Escopazzo
2:30 p.m. Chef Lori Moldovan, Certified Holistic Health Counselor
 
About the Scarecrow Competition
The Fairchild Garden-to-Garden volunteer fundraising committee has organized Fairchild’s Scarecrow Competition as a part of the Edible Garden Festival taking place on October 24 – 25, 2009. One hundred percent of all entry fees, ballot sales and donations from the contest will benefit Project Restock (PR). PR is a new initiative designed to improve the quality of Fairchild’s lakes and to encourage local and migrating birds to pay the garden a visit.
 
Scarecrow displays will be set up around the garden on October 18, 19 and 20, and will remain in place through Halloween. A $1 donation will allow anyone the opportunity to vote on their favorite scarecrow in all three categories listed below. The voting period is from Wednesday through Sunday, October 21-25, 2009.
 
About Fairchild
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is dedicated to exploring, explaining and conserving the world of tropical plants. It is one of the premier conservation and education-based gardens in the world and a recognized international leader in both Florida and international conservation. Currently Fairchild has field programs in over 20 countries including support to protected areas in Madagascar and Africa and botanic garden development and renovation projects in South and Central America, the Caribbean and Middle East. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden houses the National Palm Collection as recognized by the American Public Gardens Association (APGA), has the world’s greatest living collection of palms and cycads; an education program reaching more than 50,000 school children per year; hosts popular events like the International Chocolate Festival, International Mango Festival and International Orchid Festival, the Ramble, concerts, affiliated plant society shows and sales and more; and, is a not-for-profit organization relying on the support of its 40,000 members and benefactors. Fairchild hosts major art events such as Mark di Suvero, Fernando Botero, Dale Chihuly and Kris Martin at Fairchild this year, Botero, Lichtenstein and Chihuly at Fairchild in 2008 and Chihuly at Fairchild in 2005 and 2006. Fairchild is located at 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables (Miami), Florida 33156. Day admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for children 6-17 and free to children 5 and under and Fairchild members.

For more information, please visit us at www.fairchildgarden.org and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fairchild-Tropical-Botanic-Garden/21557931711.

Spread the love!