Joe's, Ivy Tech, and More Miscellaney

Joe's Butcher Shop Closed for Routine Maintenance: Don't panic! (with props to my man, Arthur Dent). If you went by Joe's this weekend and found them closed, don't worry. Joe is taking advantage of his slowest time of year for some specialized butcher shop maintenance. They're only expecting to be closed for seven days, so plan to stop in for great fresh meat and tidbits maybe as early as next weekend.

Ivy Tech's Culinary Expressions Cafe: It's time again for Ivy Tech's Culinary Expressions Cafe. The inhouse cafe is a chance for culinary students to run their own restaurant and they need actual customers to serve. Plan to stop in for lunch this Thursday (1/31) or Friday (2/1) for an extensive looking hot and cold Asian Buffet. They'll continue with lunches every Thursday and Friday though the spring featuring Mexican, Middle Eastern, Spanish, French, and more. For reservations or more info, contact Chef Thom England at 317.921-4619.

2008 Indiana Horticulture Congress: If you're interested in taking your knowledge about local foods and production to the next level, you might investigate the Indiana Horticultural Congress which starts Monday and runs through Wednesday at the Adam's Mark Hotel by the airport. The conference, sponsored by Purdue and featuring mainly Purdue speakers, has sessions and tracks for farmers markets, organics, wine grapes, fruit, raw agriculture, agritourism, vegetables, and botanicals. Look for some practical sessions (like labor and immigration compliance and grant funding for farmer's markets) and some growers specifics (like Apples: Where We've Been and Where We're Headed.) Additional sessions include details on organic certifications, land management, sustainability, and even weed management. The conference also serves as the annual meeting for the Indiana Winegrowers Guild with tracks each day on wine making and grapes. The conference is hosted by the Indiana Vegetable Growers Association, the Indiana Horticulture Society, Indiana Farm Market Association, the Indiana Wine Grape Council and others.) Registration, full schedule, and details available in a downloadable program from the site.