Calendar
Organizations in Baja Arizona are welcome to list their local food and sustainable agriculture workshops, events and celebrations here. Send information to Calender Listings.
2008
June 28 - Mesquite Harvest Workshop. 8:30 am - noon, Tucson. Mesquite is a life giving tree for desert people and a veritable wealth of medicines and food can be found in all its parts. The time is right to harvest and use mesquite pods. We will harvest and quick-dry the pods to grind a small amount of flour. We will make a brunch using mesquite-based foods, prepare a dye and an eyewash from the pitch and leaves. Bring gloves, a hat and water, wear long sleeves and covered shoes. Cost: $40, includes all materials and foods, scholarships available. To register, call Laurie Melrood at 884-5202 or lamidbar@gmail.com Location: 1415 E. Prince - west of Campbell, north side of street, light blue stand-up mailbox, and sign saying "Rancho Prince" drive in, park and walk back to the site about 100 yards. We will be in the shade.
July 13 - Mesquite Harvest Workshop. 10:00 am - 1:30 pm, Tucson. Mesquite is a life giving tree for desert people and a veritable wealth of medicines and food can be found in all its parts. The time is right to harvest and use mesquite pods. We will harvest and quick-dry the pods to grind a small amount of flour. We will make a brunch using mesquite-based foods, prepare a dye and an eyewash from the pitch and leaves. Bring gloves, a hat and water, wear long sleeves and covered shoes. Cost: $40, includes all materials and foods, scholarships available. To register, call Laurie Melrood at 884-5202 or lamidbar@gmail.com Location: 1991 W. Calle Campana de Plata, between Speedway and Grant, off Silverbell.
July 19 – Native Seeds Day at Bisbee Farmers Market with desert ethnobotanist and herbalist Martha "Muffin" Burgess, Vista Park, Bisbee, 8 a.m. to noon. Muffin will bring a huge selection of dried beans, seeds, chiles, wooden bowls and baskets and much more from Native Seeds/SEARCH and her own Flor De Mayo herbal products.
July 20 – Mesquite Pod Harvesting Workshop with ethnobotanist Martha "Muffin" Burgess and Baja AZ, Ramsey Canyon trailhead, Sierra Vista, 9 to noon. Call (520)378-2973 for information and registration.
August 3 – Bellotas (Acorn) Harvest Workshop with ethnobotanist Muffin Burgess & Baja AZ, Calle Metate, Sierra Vista, 9 to noon. Experience the traditional harvesting of acorns from the Emory oak. Unlike the bitter acorn it is edible and sweet as well as a very nutritious "slow" food. Call (520)378-2973 for information and registration.
August 23 – Sixth Annual Chile Festival at Bisbee Farmers Market, Vista Park, Bisbee, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Put some spice in your life! Local grower, Jane Wyatt of San Simon Chile Company will roast green chiles on site. Roasted green chiles available by the pound, half sack or sack. Fresh hot chiles and jalapeno chile products also for sale. Salsa Contest. Salsa cooking demonstration. Hot fiddle music by The Jones Gang Family Band. For more information contact valerie.mccaffrey@bajaaz.org or Laura Smith at the Bisbee Farmers Market at laura.smith@bajaaz.org or (520)227-5060.
August 24 – Baja Arizona Sustainable Agriculture’s Summer Organic Garden Tour, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tour of three backyard organic gardens in the south Sierra Vista area (off Hwy 92). Open house with scheduled presentations at each garden. For more information contact valerie.mccaffrey@bajaaz.org or call (520)378-2973.
September 6 – Prickly Pear Tuna (Fruit) Harvesting Workshop with ethnobotanist Martha Burgess and Baja AZ, Sierra Vista, 8 a.m. to noon. Call (520)378-2973 for information and registration.
October 5 - Mesquite Milling at Colossal Cave as part of Sunday in the Park series, 16721 E. Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, 2 to 4p.m. Event is free with park use fee of $5 per carload up to 6 people. For more information contact JJ at (520)647-7121 or jerrie@colossalcave.com.
October 11 – 15th Annual Fiber Arts Festival, Bisbee Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bisbee Fiber Arts Guild, demonstrations of weaving, spinning, carding and dyeing, fiber animals, finished fiber creations, jsruane@aol.com.
October 18 – 3rd Annual Mesquite Milling & Pancake Breakfast at Bisbee Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Bring clean, dry mesquite pods that snap in half for milling by hammermill. Breakfast includes mesquite pancakes with sugar-free prickly pear syrup or agave nectar & local apple cider. Take home some mesquite goodies from Mesquite Bake Sale. By Baja AZ Sustainable Ag, (520)378-2973 or valerie.mccaffrey@bajaaz.org.
November 8 - 6th Annual Desert Harvesters Mesquite Milling Fiesta and Mesquite Pancake Breakfast, Dunbar/Spring Organic Community Garden, corner of 11th Ave. & University Blvd.,Tucson, Pancake breakfast from 9 a.m. to noon. Milling from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. whole wheat mesquite pancakes for breakfast made with all organic local ingredients with organic wheat from Crooked Sky Farm in Glendale, AZ. Live music, playground, raffle, sale of local, organic and wild foods & herbal medicines. Annual fund raiser for Desert Harvesters. Milling fee of $3 up to 3 gallons of mesquite pods. Breakfast ($1 per pancake) includes prickly pear, mesquite, and possibly saguaro syrups or agave nectar, drinks.
November 15 – 10th Annual Cascabel Mesquite Milling Festival with Mesquite Pancake & Waffle Breakfast. Desert & Local food potluck. Cascabel Community Center Cascabel. Breakfast from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Milling from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free milling for non-commercial home use, though donations gratefully accepted. Hosted by Cascabel Hermitage Association Education Program. For more information contact David and Pearl at david@omick.com or (520)212-4628.
Directions to Cascabel Community Center: Take I-10 Exit 306 just east of Benson and go north on Pomerene Road. Turn right at stop sign in Pomerene and proceed north on Cascabel Road to mile marker 23. About halfway between mile markers 23 and 24, look on right side for the green and white county address sign #5871 and a "Mesquite Milling" sign. Proceed up the lane to the community center.
November 20 - 4th Annual Santa Cruz River Farmers' Market Mesquite Milling and Mesquite Pancake Fiesta, Tucson, Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. This event will occur at the Santa Cruz Farmers' Market just off Speedway west of the Santa Cruz River. It is hosted by the Southside Food Production Network and the Tucson Community Food Bank. For more information call Dana or Kelley at (520)622-0525.
