Slow Food Upstate
A local chapter of Slow Food USA in the Upstate of South Carolina
What is the Ark of Taste?
Describing and Promoting Forgotten Flavors
The US Ark of Taste is a catalog of over 200 delicious foods in danger of extinction. By promoting and eating Ark products we help ensure they remain in production and on our plates.
The Ark is an international catalog of foods that are threatened by industrial standardization, the regulations of large-scale distribution and environmental damage. In an effort to cultivate consumer demand—key to agricultural conservation—only the best tasting endangered foods make it onto the Ark.
Since 1996, more than 800 products from over 50 countries have been added to the international Ark of Taste. The US Ark of Taste profiles over 200 rare regional foods, and is a tool that helps farmers, ranchers, fishers, chefs, retail grocers, educators and consumers celebrate our country's diverse biological, cultural and culinary heritage.
Download the list of USA Ark foods by region
Search for producers of Ark products in the Local Harvest Directory
Slow Food Upstate Farms with Ark of Taste Products
Patient Wait Farms, Piedmont, SC
309 Trotter Road
Piedmont, SC 29673
Gail Cooley
864-947-8881
Cherokee Purple Tomato Orange Oxheart Tomato Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter Tomato Yellow-Meated Watermelon Jersey Buff Turkey Narragansett TurkeyPutney Farms Donna and Lenard Putney 1624 Taylor Road Putney Farm Free-range Eggs may now be found at Whole Foods, Woodruff Rd. exit in Greenville, SC, and online at www.upstatesc.locallygrown.net . Our farm is in rolling hills of the Friendship area of Honea Path, SC. Our heritage breed birds are humanely treated, never caged, kept warm, safe, and naturally raised. We do all phases of our operation by hand, including feeding, collecting eggs, washing, sorting, and packaging the eggs. In the daytime our hens and roosters range on pasture and wooded areas, free-choice, returning to the hen house to lay eggs and at liberty. As evening approaches, our hens return to roost in their building , and we close the doors, to keep them comfortable and safe from predators. Our eggs are fertile. We use a deep- litter method of hen- housekeeping , in which we build up a deep layer of organic matter, such as leaves, and let the hens compost it all winter. This produces warmth in the winter. By spring, we have plenty of rich compost on our hen-house floor. Produce and herbs are available through our on-line farmer's market, Upstate SC Locally Grown We raise plants in gallon pots,Which we sell through the Downtown Greenville SC Saturday Market and through our on line market. We also use them in our garden design business. We use no chemicals on our farm. We use companion planting and natural plant-based repellents, when necessary. We love the earth and want to keep it, and us, well. Aunt Ruby's German Green Tomato Cherokee Purple Tomato Bourbon Red Turkey Plymouth Rock chicken Broken Wing Farms-Honea Path, SC 331 Penson Road We are a small family farm located in the upstate of South Carolina and we will have the land will be certifed Organic in 2007. We raise 100 percent Tamworth Pork* a old world meat pig that is on pasture not in a lot, We have slow growth chicken meat birds . The farm is also home to a small flock of Bourbon Red* Turkeys and breed them as they * are on the endangered species list. We are also a CSA in the upstate and you can call or email for more information. We have 2 farm tours a year as part of the Heritage Corridor. Bourbon Red Turkey Delaware Chicken Dominique Chicken Old Type Rhode Island Red Chicken Plymouth Rock chicken Wyandotte Chicken Tupelo Honey Garden Delights-Moore, SC Julie Adolf 104 S. Staunton Ct. Garden Delights specializes in growing heirloom vegetable plants--those funky, delicious tomatoes your grandma grew, those fiery peppers passed down through generations! We offer more than 90 heirloom tomato plant varieties, 30+ varieties of heirloom sweet and hot peppers, and numerous herbs. Many of our plants are listed in the Slow Foods Ark of Taste--delicious veggies rated for their taste by experts who hope to keep them from extinction. Amish Paste Tomato, Aunt Ruby's German Green Tomato, Beaver Dam Peppers, Brandywine (Sudduth's Strain) Tomatoes, Bull Nose Peppers, Cherokee Purple Tomato, Fish Peppers, German Pink Tomato, Hinkelhatz Peppers, Jimmy Nardello Italian Peppers
Red Fern Farm 2031 Harris Grove Church Road Katherine Mizell Ark of Taste Products: |
Soby's Farm at Dark Hollow
North Saluda, GreenvilleCounty
Shaun Garcia
shaungarcia.blogspot.com
864-237-0165
http://www.estespr.com/tag/slow-foods-ark-of-taste/
Ark of Taste Products:
Amish Paste Tomato,Aunt Ruby's German Green Tomato, Cherokee Purple Tomato , German Pink Tomato, Moon & Stars Watermelon, Yellow-Meated Watermelon
Brick House Farms
Eve and Jim Lyle
1139 Brick House Rd.
Gaffney, SC 29340
brickhousefarms1943.com
864-490-7108
Ark of Taste Products:
Amish Paste Tomato, Aunt Ruby's German Green Tomato, Moon & Stars Watermelon, Cherokee Purple Tomato, Delaware Chicken, Fish Peppers, German Pink Tomato, Milking Devon Cattle Red Wattle Hog, Royal Palm Turkey
Healthy Farms
488 N Barton Rd
Taylors, SC 29687
Bob Persson
healthyfarms.raveservices.com
(864) 895-6751
Ark of Taste Products:
Amish Paste Tomato, Cherokee Purple Tomato, Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter Tomato , Old Type Rhode Island Red Chicken, Wyandotte Chicken
400 High Farm Rd.
Landrum, SC 29356
Emilie Frohlich
864-921-1999
High Farms is a family farm devoted to using sustainable small-scale agricultural practices to produce the highest quality pasture based meat and eggs. We focus on Heritage breeds and raise all animals outdoors using rotational grazing techniques. We are producing 'Poulet Rouge' type chickens, Bourbon Red Turkeys, forest raised Berkshire pork, and grass fed Devon beef. All of the breeds we raise are chosen for superior table quality. They are also hardy in outdoor ranging conditions, and we feel that it is important to perpetuate these heirloom breeds. Our chickens are moved through fresh pasture and our turkeys range freely. They eat grass as well as a vegetarian feed which is locally produced (no drugs, chemicals, added hormones or antibiotics).
Ark of Taste Products:
Description of Ark of Taste Products found in the Upstate of South Carolina:
Aunt Ruby's German Green Tomato
The Aunt's Ruby's German Green is a sweet, juicy tomato with a piquant bite. The heirloom is a large beefsteak-type tomato, pale green in color with a hint of yellow striping. This large tomato often weighs one pound or more. Aunt Ruby's German Green has the wetness of a melon and boasts a deep, robust flavor. It is generally used in salads, but is also a wonderful tomato to fry.
Amish Paste Tomato This heirloom tomato was discovered in Wisconsin, although its origins are in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in the heart of the Amish Country. The tomatoes are teardrop or heart-shaped with a brilliant red-orange color. The Amish Paste tomato has a gentle balance of acid and sweetness. When it is sliced fresh the juicy flesh sparkles and has a solid texture. The Amish Paste is eaten fresh or in sauces. Hungarian heirloom brought to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin in 1912 by the Joe Hussli family. Excellent for stuffed peppers. Crunchy, flavorful fruits are mildly hot when seeded. Bourbon Red Turkey The Bourbon Red turkey, also known as the Bourbon Butternut or Kentucky Red, was named for Bourbon County, Kentucky, in the Bluegrass Region, where it originated. This large, handsome variety was developed from the Buff, an historic variety of turkey known in the Mid-Atlantic States. It resulted from stocks taken to Kentucky and selected for improved meat production and a darker red color. The American Poultry Association recognized the Bourbon Red variety in 1909, and it was ambitiously promoted. The Bourbon Red's supporters emphasized its production-oriented conformation, including a heavy breast and richly flavored meat. A favorite heirloom of tomato lovers, Brandywine is considered by many gardeners to be the best tasting tomato in the world and has won many taste tests. Large fruit provide superb flavor on this potato leaf variety. Grown at Monticello by Thomas Jefferson and listed in 1863 by Fearing Burr. Good flavor, crisp fruits ripen from green to red. Productive, sturdy plants. Slow Food Ark of Taste.
Size: Up to 2 lb
Uses: Fresh, slicing, all purpose
Flavor: Sweet
Indeterminate; 80 days
Origin: An old Amish heirloom tomato dating back to 1885.
80 days
Cherokee Purple Tomato The Cherokee Purple tomato, after years of dormancy, was rediscovered by tomato grower Craig LeHoullier, who reports that it originated with the Cherokee people over a century ago. The Cherokee Purple has a unique dusty rose color, and an extremely sweet flavor with a rich smoky taste. The Cherokee Purple has a refreshing acid, is watery, thick-skinned and earthy with a lingering flavor. The Cherokee Purple plants are very prolific, making this plant a good heirloom for gardeners and farmers. The Delaware Chicken is a dual purpose chicken that produces good meat and eggs. In 1940, George Ellis originally produced this chicken calling it the Indian River Chicken. This almost entirely white bird was once one of the most popular broiler chickens in its area. Starting in the late 1950's, the Cornish Rock cross came to dominate the industry. Delaware Chickens are noted for their rapid growth and fast feathering of the chicks. The birds are calm, friendly and fast growing. Dominique Chicken The Dominique chicken, a moderate-sized breed, has black and white barring over the entire body and distinguishing rose comb (the comb is flat and flower-like). The Dominique's heavy plumage protects the bird in cold weather and is used commercially as material for pillows and featherbeds. Developed from introduced breeds from early New England settlements, the Dominique was widely distributed across the eastern US by mid-19th century. The Dominique is hardy, does well on the open range as well as in confinement, and is generally a calm bird. As a dual purpose bird, the hens lay light to dark brown eggs. Fish Peppers Lovely colored peppers are surpassed only by their beautiful, mottled foliage! The fruit ranges in color from green, orange, brown, white and red—and is quite spicy and hot. An African-American heirloom popular in the Philadelphia/Baltimore area and used in fish and shellfish dishes. The German pink tomato is a Bavarian variety that is currently grown in Festina, Iowa and in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The plants produce large 1-2 pound meaty fruits with few seeds. The German Pink tomato has a full sweet flavor, even floral, and it is tender skinned. The tomato is an extremely versatile fruit, as it is excellent for canning and freezing but also slicing and juicing. Cultivated by the Pennsylvania Dutch for over 150 years. Traditionally used for pickling and making pepper vinegar. Ripens from green to red, fruits measure ¾" wide by 1½" - 2" long. The Buff, or Jersey Buff, is an historic variety of the mid-Atlantic region named for the beautiful color of its feathers. It was accepted by the American Poultry Association in 1874 but was never widespread. One obstacle to the breed's success was the difficulty of breeding birds to fit the color standard, which called for even buff throughout with light flight feathers. The breed's color was advantageous for processing because of the nearly white pinfeathers, though the Buff was not extensively selected for other performance qualities. Today there are very few Buff turkeys kept at the seasonal hatcheries in the US. A small number are being raised by exhibition breeders. Jimmy Nardello Italian Peppers A long, thin-skinned frying pepper that dries easily. The rich flavor of this variety earned it a place on “The Ark of Taste” by the Slow Food organization. Ripens to deep red and does well in most climates. In 1623 the first Milking Devon were brought to Massachusetts from North Devonshire, England, where they were valued for their production of both high quality beef and the rich milk used in Devonshire cream. Their agility when working on hilly, rocky terrain contributed to their popularity in the New England colonies. But with the market for dual-purpose cattle dwindling in the mid-1900s, the Milking Devon cattle mostly disappeared. A few select traditional breeders continued multi-purpose selection, which resulted in a new breed renamed the American Milking Devon, which is a medium-sized, red-hued breed with black-tipped white horns. This historical, efficient, hardy, multi-purpose breed is listed as critically endangered by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Common names include: Cherokee Moon and Stars, Long Milky Way Moon and Stars, Moon and Stars, Pink Flesh Amish Moon and Stars, Sun, Van Doren’s Moon and Stars, Yellow Flesh Moon and Stars A magical melon, the dark green and yellow speckled skin of the Moon and Stars watermelon evokes a living galaxy while its happenstance return suggests a storybook ending. The Moon and Stars’ oval to oblong shape resembles Black Diamond, but its trademark silver dollar to pea-sized golden bursts set it apart. Graced with white seeds and a slightly ridged, thick rind, this watermelon can reach up to forty pounds in weight when thump-ready for eating. When heirloom aficionados such as Roger Yepsen and Benjamin Watson describe Moon and Stars, the discussion always returns to flavor, given that this pinkish red variant is extraordinarily sweet and flavorful. But flavor is not the entire attraction of this peculiar melon: it is legendary for many reasons. The Moon & Stars Yellow-Fleshed Watermelon has a dark green skin flecked with yellow speckles and golden burst spots, giving it the appearance of a living galaxy. Graced with white seeds and a slightly ridged, thick rind, the Moon & Stars can reach up to forty pounds when thump-ready for eating. Its flesh is extraordinarily sweet and flavorful. The seeds for this watermelon, though popular in the before 1900, were thought to be gone forever until the 1980s, when Kent Whealy of Seed Savers Exchange, in collaboration with a Missouri farmer named Merle Van Doren, helped to resuscitate the breed and widely spread its popularity. The Narragansett turkey is named for Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. It descends from a cross between native Eastern Wild turkeys and domestic turkeys brought by English and European colonists. Improved and standardized for production qualities, the Narragansett was the foundation of the turkey industry in New England. The Narragansett variety is similar in color to the Bronze breed, though it is lighter in color and in build. The Narragansett is known for its calm disposition and maternal qualities, as well as early maturation, good laying, and excellent meat quality. Old Type Rhode Island Red Chicken The rich, reddish-black plumage and red comb of the "Old-Type" Rhode Island Red chicken is an iconic symbol of American agriculture. It is a successful dual-purpose bird, and an excellent-tempered farm chicken, with a highly productive brown egg-laying rate. Since the 1940's, the Rhode Island Red has been selectively bred for more efficient egg production, becoming smaller, lighter colored, and less broody as a result. Of greatest conservation interest are the "Old-Type" Rhode Island Reds, which are larger, darker, and more broody. The "Old-Type" Rhode Island Red chicken has an incredibly rich flavor that is most appropriate for (and best released in) stews. The Orange Oxheart tomato is a family heirloom from the Virginias region. This fruit has a deep orange skin, which hides a dense, orange flesh. The Oxheart is appropriately heart-shaped and can grow to a large size, often weighing in at one pound or more. The meat of the tomato is dense with a rich aroma. This heirloom tomato has superior flavor and its meatiness makes it excellent for salsas and canning. As a hardy, docile, broody and excellent producer of both meat and eggs, which it lays year-round, the Plymouth Rock Chicken is a quintessential American breed. This bird was developed in the mid-19th century as a dual-purpose chicken. The chicken has yellow skin and lays eggs that are varying shades of brown. The Plymouth Rock was probably developed in Massachusetts, hence its name, but until World War II, the Plymouth Rock chicken was not known in the US. The ALBC classifies the Plymouth Rock in the recovering category and emphasizes that the bird is still in need of continuing support, promotion and conservation.
Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter TomatoThis tomato was developed by Charlie Byles of Logan, West Virgina in the 1930s. Charlie owned a radiator repair shop and had no plant breeding experience - this tomato was the only breeding work he ever did. After years of experimenting and selling off his seedlings, he was able to pay off the mortgage on his house. This tomato�??s story has helped keep the strain alive. This large beefsteak fruit is very meaty with few seeds. It has a spicy flavor and low acidity. The taste starts off mild and then builds, with a long finish on the palate. It has a roasted, fruity and slightly salty flavor. The Red Wattle hog is a large, red hog with a fleshy, decorative, wattle attached to each side of its neck that has no known function. They were quite popular in the US in the 1700s, but unfortunately, as settlers moved west, the breed began to fall out of favor because settlers came into contact with breeds that boasted a higher fat content. Red Wattle hogs are known for their hardiness, foraging activity, and rapid growth rate. They adapt well to a wide range of climates, making them a good choice for consideration in outdoor or pasture-based swine production. Red Wattle pork is exceptionally lean and juicy with a rich beef-like taste and texture. The Royal Palm Turkey is active, thrifty, an excellent forager, and good flyer. The standard weights for these turkeys are 16 pounds for young toms and 10 pounds for young hens. Royal Palms play a valuable role on small farms, both as a producer of meat and controller of insects. The Royal Palm turkey is white with sharply contrasting metallic black edging on the feathers. The Royal Palm is a strikingly attractive and small-sized turkey variety. The first birds in America to have the Palm color pattern appeared in a mixed flock of Black, Bronze, Narragansett, and Wild turkeys on the farm of Enoch Carson of Lake Worth, Florida in the 1920s. Further selection has been made since then to stabilize the consistency of color and other characteristics. The Royal Palm turkey is listed as “Threatened” in the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy’s Conservation Priority List. This list defines a “Threatened” variety as having fewer than 1,000 breeding birds in the US with 7 or fewer primary breeding flocks. These varieties are considered globally endangered. Slate Turkey The Slate or Blue Slate variety is named for its color, which is solid to ashy blue over the entire body, with or without a few black flecks. It is also called the Blue or Lavender turkey. The Standard weight for a young tom is 23 pounds and 14 pounds for a young hen. Since, however, the Slate has not been selected for production attributes, including weight gain, in years, many birds may be smaller than the standard. Careful selection for good health, ability to mate naturally, and production attributes will return this variety to its former stature. Tupelo honey is produced from the blossoms of the white Ogeechee tupelo tree, which only blooms for 2-3 weeks every year. These trees are distributed along the borders of rivers, swamps, and ponds mainly in the remote wetlands of Georgia and Florida. Pure tupelo honey is light amber in color, with a pear-like and hoppy aroma and a coveted flavor that fans describe as mild, delicate, buttery, floral, like cotton candy and like rosewater. Because of its unusually high fructose content (versus sucrose), tupelo honey will not granulate. Also because of its low sucrose content, some diabetics may eat it. Certified tupelo honey is not heated, processed, or filtered. This beautiful, medium-sized, rose-combed bird was developed in the 1880s. It is described as a "bird of curves" because it's loose, white feathering is defined by an outline of chocolate-brown color feather tips, which produce a swirling effect. The bird is full breasted and has a broad back, with females weighing 6 ½ pounds and males 8 ½. The breed is named after the Wyandotte American Indian tribe of the Iroquois Nation. Undersized individuals, narrow backs and relatively poor hatches are all characteristics of this breed. Consequently, very few farmers bred the Wyandotte chicken. The Tohono O'Odham people, who are now the watermelon's cultural stewards, originally cultivated this yellow-meated fruit. The Yellow-meated watermelon is also known as Gepi by the Tohono Oodham people and as Sikyatko by the Hopi people. Watermelons were among the most important crops to the Piman and Hopi peoples, who ate them for six months of the year in the dry Arizona climate. The large oval watermelons have mottled green skin and bright orange-yellow meat. The prolific vines sprawl in all directions and are able to survive the high summer temperatures that are common to the desert environment.
|
Upcoming Events
News
We are all frustrated and horrified by the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In the last FOOD CHAIN, Slow Food USA offered a few avenues for giving support both financial and otherwise.
•Donate: Oxfam, Gulf Aid, Gulf Coast Fund and the Gulf Restoration Network
•Volunteer: Sierra Club is hosting clean-ups
Upstate Locally Grown
www.upstatesc.locallygrown.net
Need a volunteer support staff; people to pack and transport the orders to different drop-off sites.
Slow Food Upstate is featured on One Cause, a web site that allows you to shop on line and your selected merchants will contribute a percentage of the sale to Slow Food Upstate. Go to www.onecause.com and become a member, then select Slow Food Upstate as your Cause to support. Add the One Cause browser tab to your computer and select your merchants through the One Cause web site. One Cause will then send Slow Food Upstate the contributions. You must however, access the merchant through the One Cause web site to participate.
These contributions will help further the Slow Food Upstate missions in our area.
The South Carolina General Assembly will be voting on a bill that would create the ability for farms to have signs posted. This would aid farmers in SC very much, so please voice your opinion to your State Representative.
More information:
http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess118_2009-2010/prever/4904_20100428.htm
Launch of Edible Upcountry Magazine
Published quarterly with the seasons, edible Upcountry focuses on local, sustainable food sources and the people who work the land to bring this bounty to our tables in the Upstate region of South Carolina.
With beautiful photography and thoughtful content, the magazine and website will help us to savor and appreciate our region's food culture. An indispensable guide for people who are passionate about food, edible Upcountry will be a feast for the eyes, the intellect and the palate.
Board Members
Jennifer Sparks, Convivium Leader
Janette Wesley, Convivium Secretary
Ann Marshall, Convivium Treasurer
Debbie Cooke
Tom and Linda Trantham
Marnie Record
Renato Vicario
