Events

The 2nd annual Brooklyn Brewery Mash tour hits Austin November 15 – 22

/ Ren

BROOKLYN BREWERY MASH

Slow Food USA

 

BROOKLYN BREWERY MASH EVENTS RETURN TO AUSTIN

Award-winning craft brewery visits Austin to celebrate neighborhood culture, emerging artists and local food scene in week-long series of food, beer and community events

What: The second annual Brooklyn Brewery Mash tour hits Austin, November 15 – 22, 2014 to celebrate what’s next in food, film, comedy, music, books and beer. The Mash tour is the largest traveling food, beer and arts festival, stopping in ten US cities as well as London and Stockholm in 2014. Brooklyn Brewery has collaborated with Austin chefs, artists and craft brewers to create one-of-a-kind entertainment experiences for the whole community to enjoy.   In partnership with Slow Food USA as well as select event partners and performers from both Brooklyn and Austin, the week-long series features exclusive dinners, concerts and lots of craft beers. Austin Mash partners include: Central Market Westgate, Easy Tiger, Simmons Family Farm, School House Pub, The Grackle, Alamo Drafthouse Ritz and Red 7.  

Who:   Various spokespeople and Mash tour partners, including:

  • Steve Hindy, President and Co-Founder of Brooklyn Brewery, who will discuss his new book, The Craft Beer Revolution offering insight and perspective as a pioneer of America’s craft beer movement.
  • Brooklyn Brewery Chef Andrew Gerson has joined forces with Austin’s chefs to offer unique community dining experiences that celebrate local flavors and explore alternative eating spaces in Austin.

 Where/When:  Check out the list of events for #AustinMash November 15 – 22 below.

 Watch:  Check out the Mash video trailer, link here.

 Mash tickets are available at BrooklynBreweryMash.com

 For information, press passes or interviews with Brooklyn Brewery or any of the Mash partners, please contact Jennifer Robenalt in Austin at (512) 653-9656 or Kate Johnston at (212) 601-8249 or [email protected]. 

 Austin Mash Tour Schedule

 Saturday, November 15, 2014: 

Eat, Drink & Learn with Chef Andrew Gerson   

What and Who:  Chef Andrew Gerson returns to his roots to bring his beer and food knowledge to the good people of Austin. Armed with some of his favorite pairings from his journeys on the Mash tour, Andrew will speak on the delicate balance of malt and hops and how they interplay with a wide variety of edibles.

  • Where:  Central Market Westgate, 4477 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX
  • When:  Starts at 2:00 PM (Tickets: Free)

Sunday, November 16, 2014: 

Brooklyn Easy Sunday

  • What and Who:  Austin Mash is staying easy like Sunday morning – or, in this case, like Sunday afternoon. The folks at Easy Tiger will have $1 Brooklyn Lager & East IPA cans, plus Brooklyn beers on tap.
  • Where: Easy Tiger, 709 Easy 6th Street., Austin, TX
  • When:  Starts at 2:00 PM

 Dinner on the Farm with Odd Duck & Brooklyn Brewery Chef Andrew Gerson

  • What and Who:  Our week of cultural happenings gets off and running with this agrarian dining experience. Through roaming culinary events, Dinner on the Farm works to connect people back to the land and to the farmers and artisans who are making our communities a better place to live. There will be a tour of Simmons Family Farm, a feast prepared in collaboration with the Odd Duck chefs and Chef Andrew Gerson (Brooklyn Brewery) and enough beer for all.
  • Where:  Simmons Family Farm, 2483 Holz Rd., Lockhart, TX
  • When:  Starts at 3:00 PM (Tickets: $55)

Tuesday, November 18, 2014:                                                                     

Craft Beer Revolution with Brooklyn Brewery

  • What and Who:  Brooklyn Brewery co-founder Steve Hindy looks back with his fellow craft beer comrades to discuss the circumstances and ambitions that allowed a handful of individuals across the country to challenge one of the largest corporate dynasties in American history. Then they’ll look ahead to the future of good beer and talk about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for American craft beer.
  • Where: TBA
  • When: Starts at 7:00 PM (Tickets: $6)

Wednesday, November 19, 2014:

MASH EDU: Beer & Spice, Making Nice

  • What and Who:  Perhaps you’ve just been turned on to the art of pairing beer and food. Perhaps you’re an old hand at joining together the world’s most versatile beverage and your favorite dish. Either way, Brooklyn Brewery Chef Andrew Gerson will impart some of the knowledge he’s picked up while touring and collaborating with some of the most exciting chefs in the U.S.
  • Where: School House Pub, 2207 Manor Rd., Austin, TX
  • When: Starts at 6:30 PM (Tickets: $6)

 Brooklyn Ha Ha: NYC Stand-Up with Josh Gondelman & Jesse Popp    

  • What and Who:  In true Brooklyn style, Brooklyn Ha Ha introduces some of the NYC standup scene’s best under-the-radar talent and brings their act to the looser, more freewheeling environment of The Grackle. Co-headlining will be Josh Gondelman and Jesse Popp.
  • Where: The Grackle, 1700 E 6th St., Austin, TX
  • When: Starts at 8:00 PM (Tickets: $6)

Thursday, November 20, 2014:

Found Footage Festival  

  • What and Who:  The Found Footage Festival celebrates its tenth anniversary with a brand-new show and DVD (Volume 7). Hosts Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett, whose credits include The Onion and the Late Show with David Letterman, are excited to show off their new lineup of found video clips and live comedy. They love Austin so much that they’ve decided to host two shows: 7:30pm and 9:30pm.
  • Where: Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, 320 E 6th St., Austin, TX
  • When: Starts at 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM (Tickets: $12)

Friday, November 21, 2014:

Slow Supper with Dinner Lab

  • What and Who: This pop-up dinner party, hosted in a unique, non-traditional location, embodies The Mash. The curated evening brings people together around a common table to share cuisine crafted by Brooklyn Brewery Chef Andrew Gerson in collaboration with Dinner Lab’s Chris Bailey to bring you playful, seasonal fare paired Brooklyn beer styles both familiar and rare.
  • Where:  Surprise location, announced day-of
  • When:  Starts at 7:00 PM (Tickets: TBA)

 Saturday, November 22, 2014:

Mash EDU: Homebrewer Edition

  • What and Who: Homebrewing: the art of conjuring magic in liquid form. Whether you are a learned veteran with more brewing equipment than living space a brewing novice, this is the event for you. The pros in Austin will guide you through the process of making beer from the comfort of your own home, and clone a Brooklyn Brewery beer.
  • Where: TBA
  • When: Starts at 2:00 PM (Tickets: TBA)

Mash Bash with Marnie Stern, Feral Further & Ghetto Ghouls

  • What and Who: At the end of the day, The Mash is a festival. And what festival is complete without a soundtrack? Certainly not this one. That’s why after a full week of feasting on good food, expanding our minds at panels and classes, and filling our bellies with delicious brews, we celebrate our last evening in town with a Bash; a Mash Bash. We’re bringing the noise with Marnie Stern, Feral Future and Ghetto Ghouls.
  • Where: Red 7, 611 E 7th St., Austin, TX
  • When: Starts at 8:00 PM (Tickets: Free)

 

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Jennifer Hill Robenalt
Vice President
P 512-241-2240  M 512-653-9656
[email protected]

Porter Novelli
828 W. 6th Street, Suite 101, Austin, TX  78703 | porternovelli.com
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Celebrating the Farm Fresh Accessibility Project

/ Ren

WHAT: Celebrating the Farm Fresh Accessibility Project – An Organic Partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank
WHERE: Heart of Gold Farms, 18220 Camino Real, Dale, Texas 78616
WHEN: November 22, 2014
WEB: heartofgoldorganics.com | facebook.com/heartofgoldfamilyfarm
MEDIA: For access, interviews and photos, email [email protected]

Heart of Gold Organics

Capital Area Food Bank of TexasAustin, TX— Snuggly nestled between Austin and Lockhart, Texas sits a six-acre aquaponic farm packed tight with rainbow chard, kale, basil and a variety of lettuce. Helmed by Mike and Vanessa Torres, Heart of Gold Organics is bringing a fresh approach to food sustainability and accessibility. The farm–one of only a few in the nation–has the capacity to grow approximately a half-ton of food each month with the sole purpose of donating it to charity. Wanting to share their passion and success, the Torres’ have made it their mission to help others become independently sustainable and depend less on a culture that puts profits before people. With this principle in mind, Heart of Gold Organics is proud to announce the launch of the Farm Fresh Accessibility Project–a partnership between the farm and the Capital Area Food Bank that aims to make freshly grown food accessible to the 300+ food pantries that the food bank serves. In the spirit of the upcoming holiday season of giving, Heart of Gold Organics will be hosting an afternoon fundraiser for the Farm Fresh Accessibility Project, inviting Central Texas out for a day of fun that will help sustain the longevity of the project and its participants.

10301123_494479274031606_4521419669639269833_nChanging the way people think about farming wasn’t always Mike and Vanessa’s mission. The fulltime filmmaker and photographer, respectively, stumbled upon aquaponic farming–a system of aquaculture in which the waste produced by farmed fish or other aquatic animals supplies nutrients for plants grown hydroponically, which in turn purify the water–while trying to grow their own garden through a miserable drought. “I was looking for a way to conserve water and it seemed too wasteful to water my tiny garden every day only to have it fail,” Mike says. It didn’t take long for the Torres’ to start researching alternatives. At first the couple turned to hydroponics–the process of growing plants in sand, gravel, or liquid, with added nutrients but without soil–but found the method to be wasteful as well. It was after a trip to Europe that the Torres’ became inspired by the use and efficiency of aquaponic farming. “With aquaponics we use 95% less water and plant production is eight to ten times higher than traditional farming, making it a much more affordable and sustainable method for all,” Vanessa adds. Soon the Torres’ ever-growing garden provided them with much more than their family needed. Knowing that they had to share their abundance with the community, Heart of Gold Organics was born.

“Healthy food shouldn’t come at a premium,” Mike says. “Everyone deserves to have fresh vegetables on their plates, regardless of income or social status.”

With a surplus of homegrown, organic food on their hands, the Torres’ knew that their crops could make a difference in the lives of those in need. “Healthy food shouldn’t come at a premium,” Mike says. “Everyone deserves to have fresh vegetables on their plates, regardless of income or social status.” Armed with their firm beliefs, Heart of Gold Organics formed the Farm Fresh Accessibility Project in partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB), donating their entire harvest to CAFB. Through this collaboration, Heart of Gold Organics is flipping the script on the traditional agricultural model, providing a crop of freshly gown leafy greens to the food band about every 45 days, which then goes on to serve over 300 non-profit and social service agencies across 21 counties in Central Texas.

The need for fresh and healthy food is real across the Central Texas region. According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service, Austin and several areas surrounding the city have locations that are considered to be food deserts–rural towns or urban areas without access to fresh, healthy, affordable food. These areas qualify as food deserts by meeting low income–poverty rate of 20% or greater, or the median family income is below 80% of the area–and low access–at least 500 people or 33% of the population live more than one mile from the grocery store–community requirements.

The Torres’ are currently working on a program, complete with aquaponic system schematics and growing guides, to help teach others how to grow for the sake of good. “The great thing about this is that anyone can grow fresh and healthy food for their community, on a small and large scale,” Vanessa states. The family plans to hold workshops and give guidance on how to cook and consume the food they’re donating. “We’re excited to take Heart of Gold Organics to the next level, we’re working with sponsors to get this program off the ground as soon as possible,” Vanessa adds.

Central Texans can get a taste of what’s to come from the Heart of Gold Organics at their Farm Fresh Accessibility Project launch celebration on November 22. Visitors can listen to live music while dining on food truck fare and getting a first-hand look at the farm, complete with greenhouse tours, aquaponic farming discussions, hayrides, lawn games, and a petting zoo. Donations are suggested for admittance. For more information about the event and Heart of Gold Organics, please visit heartofgoldorganics.com.

About Heart of Gold Organics

Through the Farm Fresh Accessibility Project, Heart of Gold Organics provides organic, sustainably grown vegetables and tilapia to Capital Area Food Bank, serving 21 counties across Central Texas. They specialize in climate-controlled aquaponics and strive to be the most eco-friendly farm possible while providing fresh food to community-serving organizations.

Owned by husband and wife Mike and Vanessa Torres, Heart of Gold Organics seeks to promote self-sufficient farming practices for the community. After researching sustainable and productive farming systems, the Torres’ discovered aquaponics uses up to 95% less water than traditional farming methods. The Torres’ dreams grew into larger goals when they were able to provide food not only for themselves, but for surrounding communities in need as well.

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Fair Food Austin – Now is the Time!

/ Ren

Now is the Time!Hello All,

We bring you exciting news from the national front veritably transforming our nation’s agricultural industry!

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, on the heels of inking a far-reaching agreement with Walmart, the world’s largest retailer — now the 12th multi-billiondollar food company committed to working together with CIW to implement its groundbreaking Fair Food Program, ensuring higher pay & a multitude of new rights & labor protections for tomato harvesters — is holding a major protest this weekend in Florida!

A caravan of Texas-based CIW supporters — from San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, the Rio Grande Valley & Austin — leaves early Thursday to join Florida farmworkers for a 24-hour vigil and march held in the HQ town of Publix, the largest supermarket chain in the southeast corner of the country.  Our Texas caravan includes members of Workers Defense Project and the Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition as well as students and community members.

Upon the caravan’s return, we will be hosting a gathering of people interested in advancing the CIW’s campaign here in Austin!  Join us on Monday, March 24th at 5:30 PM at Monkeywrench Books, located at 110 E. North Loop (basically 53rd St., a few blocks west of Duval).

Already, there is preliminary discussion of organizing a protest at a local Wendy’s (the only major fast food chain to not have yet signed with CIW) in the coming weeks as well as a pro-CIW party around International Workers’ Day, the first weekend in May.  Please join us to collectively consider and develop these and other ideas!

Also, in case you’d like to make a financial gift to assist our Texas caravan as they head to reinforce the ranks of Immokalee farmworker supporters, a donation can be made here — and will be genuinely appreciated!

Looking forward to meeting with many of you Monday after next, the 24th, as we plot farmworker solidarity efforts here in Austin,

Sincerely,

Kandace Vallejo, Jordan Buckley, Heather Vega for Austin Fair Food

A Sense of Place

/ Ren

In the long, proud tradition of southern literature, writers have often drawn on the region’s unique natural heritage for inspiration and insight—from the haunting cypress swamps of Georgia, to the tall mountains of western North Carolina, to the rolling fields of the Virginia piedmont. As the South grows and changes, southern writers are increasingly exploring the relationship between nature and man. SELC’s Reed Environmental Writing Award honors these storytellers who capture in words our landscapes and traditions in transition.

A Sense of Place

Amplify Austin for Meals on Wheels and More

/ Ren
March 20-21, 2014

Amplify AustinMeals on Wheels and More

Did you know that the Austin area has the second fastest growing senior citizen population in the nation? This explosive growth means demand for Meals on Wheels and More’s life-sustaining services will continue to grow as the number of older adults living here increases. Your generous support of our mission helps us meet that need and allows our clients to stay in their own homes instead of living in an assisted living facility.