Slow food farm tour hits SCC

On Sunday, March 31, the Phoenix slow food farm tour began and ended at Scottsdale Community College.

With approximately 100 participants, the first busload left the parking lot, with tour guide Pamela Hamilton en route to five locals to see and taste locally grown produce prepared by some of the finest chefs in the Phoenix area.

First it was off to the ASU campus, where the group was taken on a tour of the ASU garden grown by individuals and school clubs. Then they were introduced to some of the other edibles growing on campus.

Following the walking tour, participants stopped in at a beautiful designed restaurant in the MU, for a salad and desert, prepared by French chef Jerom Fressinier.

From there, the bus traveled the 202 Freeway to Lehi, the original Mormon settlement in the East Valley, where Love Grows Farms owner Michael Thompson gave a walking tour of his farm, complete with greenhouse-grown tomatoes and free range chickens, then chef Michael Stebner of The Biltmore's True Food Kitchen, sliced up a selection of vegetables grown at the farm, and with a bit of oil, vinegar, and sea salt, prepared a delicious salad for the now-hungry crowd.

Then it was off a few miles to The Orange Patch, a local citrus farm, which has a store offering dried fruits, nuts, candies and citrus.

Owner Allen Freeman explained the operation to the tour and then gave a demonstration of his mechanized citrus sorting machine.

Afterward, everyone was treated to a dessert created by pastry chef Tracy Dempsey, who works with four restaurants in downtown Scottsdale's restaurant row.

Just a short drive down the road, the bus stopped at Greenfield Citrus Nursery, where co- owner John Babiarz spoke about his nursery and growing and maintaining citrus.

Arriving back at SCC, guests were given a tour of the Scottsdale Community Garden Club's garden, located at the northeast corner of campus, [by club secretary John Clark.]

For a finale, James Porter, chef and owner of Scottsdale's Tapino Kitchen and Wine Bar, gave a talk about the contrast in eating locally produced vegetables and meats versus imported and transported products. He demonstrated how to make spring rolls from ingredients picked fresh from the garden, and served them to participants with a dish of locally produced pork.

For more information on Slow Foods, check their website at www.slowfoodsphoenix.org.