Join us for an 11.8 mile ride through some of South Dade's most beautiful farms, including Paradise Farms, Teena's Pride and Fancy Koi. Sample bites prepared by local chefs at each farm using ingredients produced and farmed on site. Check in at Bee Heaven farm and meet farmer, Margie Pikarsky, who is a wealth of information about all things fresh and local. As we love to say...know your farmer, know your food! Hope to see you there.

Join us for an informal meet-up at The Local in Coral Gables. Bring your appetite and ideas for Slow Food Miami! These monthly social hours give us an opportunity to get together and hear your thoughts on the Slow Food movement, what you'd like to see from our chapter and how we can continue to support good, clean and fair food. 

Slow Food Miami is working hard to raise funds for the 2012-2013 edible school garden season. Last year we planted 91 gardens in just a few short weeks and our goal is to make sure that every school that wants a garden is able to have one this year. Here's our calendar for the last events of the season and we'd love for you to join us. 

Slow Food Miami is unvailing our innaugural Snail of Approval program winners! The Snail of Approval program is designed to guide Miami locals and visitors to food that is good, clean and fair, all of which are qualities at the root of the Slow Food movement. Join us for an exclusive Awards Party honoring this group of chefs, artisans and purveyors who are being recognized for their commitment to quality, authenticity and sustainability in the food and drink we enjoy in Miami. Tickets will sell fast!

We are getting really excited about our upcoming benefit dinner featuring Top Chef Master Suvir Saran, who is joining us at the Miami Culinary Institute by invitation of Chef Norman Van Aken. Devi, Chef Suran's New York City restaurant, is America's first Michelin rated Indian restaurant in that city. This farm-to-table Indian dinner will be a really special night. We just can't wait to hear more about Chef Suran's is 68 acre upstate New York farm! We hope you'll join us for this event that benefits our Edible School Garden program. 

Despite some chilly days and nights recently, our gardens throughout Miami-Dade schools and communities are faring well this growing season. Stephanie Douglas, a teacher from South Miami High School, sent us this photo of the amazing salad they created from their recent harvest. It contained heirloom white carrots, rasishes, many different types of greens and lettuces, nasturtium leaves, dill, sorrel, orgegano, cilantro and thyme. The students dressed their salad in a healthy dressing with no high fructose corn syrup or MSG and they loved it. Stephanie said, "Thank you for making this possible for our kids, they really enjoyed the salads and are looking forward to next month when the tomatoes start coming (we already have one green one)!". With three beds from Slow Food Miami, the students are in the process of supplementing it with a sizable butterfly garden in the same area to attract pollinators. We can't wait to see the pictures!

It's fun, informal and a way to meet with other Slow Food movement supporters in Miami! Join us tomorrow night, January 9th, for our first informal Slur at Sustain restaurant + bar! Meet fellow Slow Food Miami members, the leadership of our chapter, share ideas and have fun!   Slurs will be held at bars and restaurants that share our commitment to crafted cocktails, local beers and wines, traditional methods or all of the above. We are thrilled to kick off at Sustain, located at 3252 NE 1st Avenue in Midtown Miami.  They are offering us $6 house drinks, $3 bar bites and some wines and beer at 1/2 off until 8 p.m.  Hope to see you there!