Culturing Community: Inaugural Ferment Festival of Marshall, N.C.

Press release from Fermenti Foods: 

MARSHALL, N.C. – A uniquely “tasteful” event will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, at the Madison County Cooperative Extension Center, 258 Carolina Lane. The event is free to attend, with proceeds benefiting the local food pantry, Beacon of Hope.
Vendors ranging from local farms to artisans and crafters will join regional fermenters to showcase products such as kraut, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, apple cider vinegar, chocolates and pet food. Presentations are scheduled on the process of fermentation and the benefits of eating these probiotic-rich foods, with special guest, Dr. Fred Breidt from NC State University joining the event via tele-com. In celebration of Marshall food and fermentation, Mad Co Brewing is creating a unique beer to sample at the event that will also be available for purchase at their downtown Brewery.

Meg Chamberlain of Fermenti Foods says of the event: “Preserving food through fermentation is a heritage skill and It’s our hope to highlight and preserve this, through providing the resources needed to create these living foods locally.”

This family-friendly event is designed to bring members of Marshall and surrounding communities together in ways that honor each other and to honor the land through support of fermentation, food preservation, farming and food security.  A focus on culture includes local musicians who will perform Appalachian Jazz and Blues ballads featuring guest artists Alina Quu and Erica Joy Olsen. The event is kid-friendly, with childcare and activities planned to allow parents the time to take advantage of educational pieces of the program.

“We want to provide a fun space for the curious and celebrate our community’s strengths and unique heritage. It’s exciting to think about what this event will bubble together in terms of community building and the support of a more sustainable local food system,” says Jenny Eby, local artisan. “Ferments are more nutritious than the produce they are made from, they are inexpensive, and anyone can make them!”

For up-to-date information on demo’s, kids activities, music and Beacon of Hope, visit our Facebook Event page. Or contact Meg Chamberlain: fermentifoods@gmail.com.

Our sponsors include the Appalachian Guild of Healing Arts, Serotonin Ferments, Fermenti Foods, 33 Ferments, Our Daily Kraut, Eat Pique Mustard, Davis Roasters and the NC Cooperative Extension

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About Thomas Calder
Thomas Calder received his MFA in Fiction from the University of Houston's Creative Writing Program. His writing has appeared in Gulf Coast, the Miracle Monocle, Juked and elsewhere. His debut novel, The Wind Under the Door, is now available.

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