On July 9, NOFA NJ and Sourland Bread teamed up to kick off a series of food events focused on fermentation.
Hosted at Hopewell Fare in Mercer County, NOFA NJ’s Sour Hour series will focus on living foods (sourdough, lacto-fermented vegetables, kombucha, cultured dairy etc..) and how to source local ingredients to make them.
During this kick-off event, 40+ attendees enjoyed hands-on education and Q&A with:
- Scott Morgan (Morganics Family Farm) – Small-scale Organic grain production and processing
- Maria Stewart (Gorgeous Goat Creamery) – Small-scale goat dairy production and processing
- Mary Parr (Sourland Bread) – Sourdough basics and starter culture maintenance
- Gabby Aron (Autumn Olive Food Works) – Live Vegetable Fermentation and Pickling Demonstration
- Ethan Unick (Chubby’s Project) – Food Security Work in the Hopewell Valley
As part of the event, NOFA NJ and Sourland Bread donated 50 loaves to The Chubby’s Project for their weekly deliveries to food-insecure neighbors. 20+ varieties of fermented food products were available for attendees to sample, sourced from the following community businesses:
- Sourland Bread
- Gorgeous Goat Creamery
- The Kombucha Bar
- Drifter Ferments
- Fishtown Pickles
- Basil Bandwagon
This event was made possible with support from the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum along with grant funding from Hopewell Harvest Fair and the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) in partnership with Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO). Partnering organizations in six regions connect farmers with local mentors and provide education and technical assistance on agronomy, certification, extension, conservation planning, business development, regulations, and marketing. Interested in becoming a Mentor, Mentee, or a project partner through TOPP? Learn more about how you can participate Here.
