GORHAM, MAINE – Save the date! The third annual Chili and Chowder Cook-Off will be held on Thursday, September 16, 2010 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at the Odd Fellows Building at the corner of School Street and College Avenue In Gorham.

The Gorham Business Exchange and Hannaford invite you and your family to celebrate autumn and join in the fun. Sample chili and chowder entries and help choose Gorham Businesses’ Top Chefs! Two awards will be given, one for each category. Besides popular judging, the entries will also be judged by members of the Gorham Town Council.

Last year, Trish Moulton from the Dance Studio and Music School of Maine was awarded “Best Chef – Chili, 2009.” Bruce Hodgkin from Thatcher’s Sports Pub was awarded “Best Chef – Chowder, 2009.”

Who will win this year? Stop by, enjoy great food and the company of colleagues, friends, and neighbors, and cast your vote!

If you’re a member of the Gorham Business Exchange and would like to enter the competition, please call 892-5515 or email dede@gorhambusiness.org.

The origin of this massive upheaval? Portland’s own Maine Kombucha Company. Maine Kombucha Company’s beverage “The Booch” has been gaining popularity across Portland for close to a year now, but the company has struggled to get licensed from the State. After forcing the issue, regulators in Maine tested all available brands and discovered the alcohol violations.

“Fermented beverages are tremendously healthy,” Chris Hallweaver, one of the founders of Maine Kombucha explained in a press release Thursday. “Look, the reality is that fermentation creates a by-product of alcohol. How other companies got licensed is unclear. Maine Kombucha Company will offer authentic, unadulterated, full-strength Booch. We don’t want to pasteurize; we want to retain the full benefits of the drink.” Hallweaver went on to add “We will make our kombucha the traditional way – the way we always have and “The Booch” will have a low-alcohol content, above the limit, but still very low, perhaps one-third the alcohol of an average beer”.

Maine Kombucha Company was started by a father-daughter team, Chris and Taryn Hallweaver, and a fellow brewer Reid Emmerich. The company fits closely into Portland’s rich history of microbreweries, and taps into the movement of the buy-local and the slow and functional food movements. The Booch is flavored with local Maine organic cranberries, rhubarb, and elderberry, and flavors change seasonally.

“Small local craft-brewers like us can offer seasonal varieties of exceptional quality. We love talking to people about what flavors to experiment with, what farmers to buy fruit from, and where to offer The Booch. We are very excited to announce the first low-alcohol kombucha.”

Maine Kombucha Company plans on moving forward with an alcohol license and selling The Booch on tap and by the bottle with plans of being on the market in October 2010.
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Contact:  Chris Hallweaver, co-founder of Maine Kombucha Company
207 329 5048
chris@mainekombucha.com

For additional background:
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/blogs/no-kombucha-in-the-stores-heres-why
http://www.portlanddailysun.me/cgi/story2.pl?storyid=20100706056301000691
http://www.bevnet.com/news/2010/6-22-2010-kombucha_honest_GT_Hain
http://www.ttb.gov/pdf/kombucha.pdf
http://www.mainekombucha.com/

For Immediate Release:

Sunday, July 25

Emma’s Family Farm Open for Visitors

Windsor Maine:

We’ll be open and ready for Visitors on Open Farm Day July 25 from 9 AM to 4PM.

Our family Farm welcomes very young children, families and elders. . We offer age appropriate information for everyone and visits with our animals.
Handouts will be available; coloring pages, recipes, information on food quality, safety and storage.

We raise our animals on pasture here on this 70 acre farm located in Windsor Maine. We will gladly answer any questions about our practices.
Attendees will see heritage turkeys of various breeds; Pekin, Muscovy, and Khaki Campbell ducks; Emden and Toulouse geese; Americana and Rhode Island Red laying hens; two varieties of meat chickens and chicks; pigs, and some beef steers; and our guardian donkey Ozzie. Here’s an opportunity to see where they live, what they eat and how we help them grow on our pastures.
We’ll Offer Tastings of egg dishes and pastured poultry.

We’ll have beef, chicken, free range duck and chicken eggs, garlic and other produce items available for Purchase and an opportunity to order chicken, pork, and beef for the freezer.  
This is also a chance to order a Thanksgiving turkey early enough to be sure to get the size that’s best for the holiday dinner.
Hours: 9 AM to 4 PM
Location: 135 Windsor Neck Road

Windsor, Maine  04363

Phone: 207-445-2141

Email: emmas.family.farm@hotmail.com
To get to Emma’s Family Farm you can use this Googlemaps link

http://bit.ly/dCglh9

Or go to Husseys General Store corner of Rt32 and 105 in Windsor. Watch for signs leading to the Farm on the Windsor Neck Road & parking at our Farm.

Here is our
Web presence:
General Farm Listing:

http://tinyurl.com/emmas-localharvest

Day to Day goings on with other info on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thehoads
Many pictures and a chance to “like” on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Windsor-ME/Emmas-Family-Farm/118705158157752

For more information contact Steve or Rose Hoad

207-445-2141

CAMDEN, Maine (May 3, 2010) – The arrival of fiddleheads near the forest and glass eels at the shore this spring marks the beginning of the dining season in Maine’s Midcoast, where the cuisine retains its unique flavor, even as it grows in sophistication and national recognition.

For decades, visitors and residents alike have enjoyed the traditional fare found in the Camden Hills, where lobster and other seafood arrive fresh from the ocean each day. More recently, though, the public has begun to understand just how much innovative cooking is being done by Midcoast chefs, with local ingredients such as the prehistoric-looking fiddlehead ostrich fern and tiny glass eels – 300 to 400 per pound – that are migrating from ocean to river.

“You have some really innovative chefs here,” said Lani Temple, who owns the Megunticook Market in Camden and runs cooking classes at the Cellardoor Winery in Lincolnville. “They are using local, fresh ingredients and taking them to a whole new level.”

The Midcoast also has a large and growing number of farms supplying food to area restaurants, stores and farmers’ markets. Some farms, like Aldermere Farm in Rockport, invite visitors to see how they raise livestock such as the famous Belted Galloways that are known as “Oreo Cookie cows” because they are black on either end, with a thick white stripe in the middle.

“People who love food love the Camden Hills because there is so much for them to eat and do while they are here,” said Daniel Bookham, executive director of the Camden-Rockport-Lincolnville Chamber of Commerce. “There are cooking classes to visit, specialty foods to explore and even locally produced wine, gin and other beverages to enjoy.”

One in six leisure travelers nationwide – about 27 million people – participate in wine tours, cooking classes and other culinary activities as part of their vacations, according to a study by the Travel Industry Association of America. Maine’s Midcoast is a natural spot for them to explore.

“Maine has really created its own food-based economy,” Lawrence Klang, executive chef at Natalie’s restaurant at Camden Harbour Inn. “There are so many people farming and being conscious of where their food comes from. Everybody is working together.”

In Maine’s Midcoast, local artisans produce a variety of cheeses, while other individuals employ local fruits and herbs to make specialty foods. These can be found in the many shops that extend into inland farming communities and sit nestled beside harbors that are said by a variety of publications to be some of the most-beautiful in the United States.

The Camden Hills is known for its scenic beauty, and offers unusual natural features such as mountains that meet the sea. These features also create unusual opportunity for Foodies looking for rare cuisine.

“Island lamb” that is fed on seaweed and sea grass has a flavor distinct from ordinary meat because its food is seasoned by the mists of the ocean. The meat is similar in flavor to a certain kind of lamb found in the Paulliac region of Bordeaux, France, where the feed is nearly identical, said Klang, who received his formal culinary training at Le Cordon Bleu L’Art Culinaire, London.

Also, the Matsutuke mushroom is available in September and October in the Midcoast because this legume grows only where forests meet the ocean. In the United States, the mushroom is found in the Midcoast and Pacific Northwest.

Ingredients such as these are used to make both locally specific recipes and unique “fusion” dishes with other foods from around the world. “They are actually inventing dishes,” Temple said.

Food is part of the culture locally and a passion residents like to share with others, she added. “People usually know where food is coming from, how it is raised, how animals are fed and how they are being treated. You see residents mingling with visitors, sharing information about food. It’s a great experience.”

Founded in 1939, the Camden-Rockport-Lincolnville Chamber currently serves businesses and organizations from 54 towns and seven states who actively seek to support business and community in the Camden Hills region of Maine.

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Everyone is invited to feast on fudge, taste truffles and tortes, marvel at mousses and delight in delicacies created by the best chefs in Cumberland and York counties. These “Chocolatiers” make hundreds of bite-sizes pieces of their treats for the attendees, all the while competing for top honors in several chocolate categories. The winners are determined by a panel of local celebrity and culinary judges, as well as the People’s Choice Award which is decided by the event participants.

General Admission Tickets are $20 (free for children 10 & under) and will allow you to sample chocolate until your heart’s content! Back by popular demand is the Kids Korner! The live Chocolate Moose character will join the kids for a cookie decorating contest and Eric Kruger will be back to make his famous balloon hats.

Tickets are Limited! To provide chocolate lovers with enough chocolate to make their hearts sing and to maintain our high standards, tickets will be limited. Tickets are available at the following Hannaford stores: Gorham – Main Street, Portland – Forest Avenue, Saco – Main Street, Scarborough – Hannaford Drive, Westbrook – Hannaford Drive, Yarmouth – US Route 1; at all Bull Moose and Coffee By Design locations; and online at www.chocolateloversfling.org.

Not only will there be enough chocolate to satisfy even the most discerning palate, this year’s fling will once again offer VIP seating, local celebrity judges, and fabulous raffle packages.

Some of the Chocolatiers participating in this year’s Fling include: Bella Cheesecake, Chocolate Falls in Maine, Dean’s Sweets, Divine Chocolate of Cape Neddick, Green Elephant, Holiday Inn By the Bay, Old Port Candy Company, Pepperclub, Simply Divine Brownies, Southern Maine Community College, The Bar of Chocolate, The Café at Pat’s, Wicked Whoopies, and Yummy Tummy Bakery & Chocolates.

AUGUSTA On March 18, 2010, Maine Legislature’s Utility and Energy Committee held a  2 hour work session on LD 1810, the bill to implement the recommendations of the Governor’s Ocean Energy Task Force.  Scroll down   to listen to the speakers and legislators at this worksession (mp3s) Listen to March 11th public hearing on LD 1810 Mp3s

Due to the presence of Maine fishermen  and oceanic beauty in virtually every square foot of Maine state ocean waters, commercial windfarm companies may be required by the legislation to keep out of Maine state waters; in exchange, the industry seeks nonconfrontation with the fishing industry further offshore.

“Fishermen, resorts, the schooner fleets, a variety of human users are already fully exploiting Maine’s nearshore natural resources.” said Ron Huber “They can only be harmed if the industrial wind companies began leasing nearshore waters.”

Because of the complexity of the 38 page bill,  (see pdf copy of LD 1810 with state waters parts highlighted) the committee could not get through the entire bill and will meet again on Tuesday at 1pm

The Maine Lobstermen’s Association will work through the weekend on acceptable wording protecting fisheries.  Doubtless other fisheries as well.  The ocean windmill industry is no doubt busy, too,  hoping to reinclude permssion to do windpower in state waters in the bill.

Listen to speakers at the March 18, 2010 Hearing

* Introduction to the Worksession 4min

* MDEP’s Beth Nagusky describes proposed changes to Bill Part A 17 minutes

* MDEP’s Nagusky Q&A session 11 minutes

* Patrice Farrell, Maine Lobstermen’s Association 3 & 1/2 minutes

* MDEP’s Beth Nagusky describes proposed changes to Part B of LD 1811

* Suzanne Sayre 2 minutes

* John Ferland Ocean Renewable Energy Corp 1 minutes

* Dianne Messer, advocate, Liberty Maine 2 minutes

* Chris O’Neill, Friends of Maine Mountains 1 minutes

* Todd Rousette (sp?) Preti Flaherty lawfirm 2 minutes

* MDEP’s Beth Nagusky describes more changes to Part B

* MDEPs Beth Nagusky on changes to Part C of bill

* MDEP’s Beth Nagusky on changes to Part D of bill

* MDEP Beth Nagusky on Changed to Part E of Bill
* MDEP Beth Nagusky questioned on Part E 7 min

* MDEP Beth Nagusky questioned more 10 minutes

* University of Maine Dr Dagher 12 minutes

* Final stakeholders and close of work session  11 minutes

The unexpectedly loud powerful opposition to the bill by Maine scallopers, shrimpers and groundfishermen, joined by ocean resort and sailing interests and conservation activist Huber, may be bearing fruit.  “We won’t just stand by and let  the Department of Conservation start leasing out Maine’s legendary fishing and sailing grounds to big energy companies out of Boston and New Jersey.” said Huber  who is the litigant in the aforementioned  Huber v Bureau of Parks and Lands lawsuit over the Monhegan floating test site.

He said the bill would allow companies to seek 20, 40 and 50 year leases over state waters. “Are we really ready for that?” Huber asked. “I don’t think so.  Neither do most fishermen I know.“    The ocean windmill industry is probably busy this weekend too, he said,  hoping to regain language in the bill allowing windpower in state waters in the bill.

Heuber said That  the Maine Lobstermen’s Association leadership, which had been negotiating behind closed doors with the wind industry, had to be taken to task by scallop, shrimp and groundfish fleets and its own rank and file  before it stopped supporting DMR’s “Prepare to Share”  campaign, as  described by George Lapointe at the  wind energy seminar at the 2010 Maine Fishermens Forum.

On March 23rd, all interests will be back in Augusta before the Utility and Energy Committee for a 1pm  final  showdown on LD 1810

The wine menu at 91 South offers a staggering 65 wines by the glass and each bottle is priced under $30. Standard restaurant bottle prices are usually 2 to 3 times cost. “If you are like me and love wine but hate paying restaurant prices you will know what I am talking about. Often,  I know what the bottle costs in a restaurant and many times I feel like I am being robbed,” says Mattingly. Since real wine lovers hate paying restaurant prices, 91 South has chosen a different path. Each bottle is priced at only $10 over retail. So there is no guessing what you might pay in real life for a bottle from this great wine list.

Chef Maureen (Mo) Terry, the former owner of Café Always in Portland, heads up the kitchen. 91 South offers an intimate dining room less than 25 seats and is located in the PineCrest Inn. Conveniently the Inn is located at 91 South Street in the village of Gorham. The Restaurant is open Thursday through Saturday from 5:30 to 10:00. Reservations are highly suggested.

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For more information contact: Matt Mattingly 207-839-5843 or email matt@pinecrestmaine.com or on the web at www.pinecrestmaine.com

Background on 91 South

After purchasing the PineCrest Bed and Breakfast in 2005, Matt & Amy Mattingly wanted to open an intimate restaurant and recruited Chef Maureen Terry to join them. Chef Mo, as she is known, was the former Chef and owner of Café Always on Middle Street in Portland.

Due to a zoning restriction they were not allowed to operate a commercial restaurant. Mattingly appealed the Code Enforcement Officers decision. After a short time the Town of Gorham Appeals Board found an opening in the permitted uses of the zone allowing the restaurant to open but only as a private club with dues paying members.

“We began with list of about 20 people and sent an invitation to join. Several did and from those first few folks, we grew on an invitation only basis and after a short time 6 members became 50,” Mattingly said

During the spring of 2008, Town Councilor Matt Robinson, who was not a club member but wanted additional places to eat in Gorham, started the process to amend the permitted uses in the UR zone. Almost 18 months later, a new ordinance was created paving the way for the little known PineCrest Club to open its doors to the public. From 2005 until this past December, the club operated on little more than word of mouth, hosting private dinners, events and house concerts.

In late December of 2009, Matt & Amy Mattingly and Chef Mo Terry raised a glass of champagne after a late night dinner service and toasted their decision to open the doors to the public.

91 South is very unique and intimate. The wine list features an extensive array of wines from around the world serving a staggering 65 different wines by the glass. For those who know wine, they will appreciate this list because the bottle prices are set at a flat rate of $10 over retail. For those who don’t know wines just ask for the tasting list. This 40 page book contains tasting notes on every wine along with more information than you could ever read during dinner.

The Wine Pub has very intimate seating for only about 8 to 10 people and the restaurant seats less than 25. Guests walk through the kitchen on their way from the wine bar to the dining room which features painted rough barn boards and fireside dining.

On Friday nights, dinner guests are treated to solo jazz guitarist Ken Karby and as the evening wares on, the innkeeper Matt Mattingly joins in on keyboards.  Once a month, the dining room transforms into one of the most personal  performance venues in Maine. Musicians and performers, some from across the country, perform in this unique house concert setting. Local favorites have been featured at the Inn, like Pete Kilpatrick, Amelia Dahlin, Dave Rowe Trio, Don Roy Trio and many more.

91 South is located at the PineCrest Inn, 91 South St (Rt 114) in the village of Gorham and is open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 5:30 to 10:00. Reservations are highly suggested. FMI 839-5843

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For more information contact: Matt Mattingly 207-839-5843 or email matt@pinecrestmaine.com or on the web at www.pinecrestmaine.com

]]> http://www.prmaine.com/2010/01/private-club-opens-to-the-public/feed/ 0 http://www.prmaine.com/2009/12/scarcelli-buy-local-this-holiday-season-to-boost-jobs-economy/ http://www.prmaine.com/2009/12/scarcelli-buy-local-this-holiday-season-to-boost-jobs-economy/#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:09:33 +0000 savvyinc http://www.prmaine.com/?p=732 Continue reading →]]> Rosa Scarcelli, Democratic candidate for governor, today urged holiday shoppers to buy as much as they can from local businesses that provide Maine-made products and services.

Scarcelli has created a list on Twitter of 51 Maine companies to make it easy for her followers to find local shops and businesses that make everything from pastries and cheese to furniture and jewelry.

“One of the best things we can do for Maine’s economy right now is to buy holiday gifts from local businesses and producers,” Scarcelli said. “If every family spent just $10 on Maine grown food or products, it will put millions of dollars in the hands of Maine business people. It’s a way to have our own stimulus package under this year’s Christmas tree.”

Scarcelli is circulating her Twitter list (https://twitter.com/rosascarcelli/maineproducts) that groups 51 producers of Maine-made products as a reminder to her 400 followers on Twitter to buy local.

“The variety of Maine-made products is truly amazing,” she said. “Everything from high-end electronics to hand-crafted jewelry and toys. You can easily find great gifts made right here in Maine without going too far from home. And I’m sure my list just scratches the surface. I’m hoping other Twitter users will recommend more Maine companies to add to the list.”

Other made-in-Maine businesses and farms can be easily located on the web, she said. “Buying from Maine businesses and producers this holiday season is a twofer,” she said. “You’ll get high quality gifts and help Maine businesspeople through these difficult economic times,” Scarcelli said.

Scarcelli recently released the first chapter of her book, Maine Rising, Creating Jobs, Moving Maine Forward, an action strategy for creating 50,000 jobs in Maine that includes proposals to aid the creation of small businesses and encourage more locally produced farm products. For more information, go to www.RosaForMaine.com

About Rosa Scarcelli: Scarcelli, 39, Democratic candidate for governor, is the owner and CEO of Stanford Management that provides quality, affordable housing in more than 30 Maine communities. A native of Wilton, Scarcelli said she wants to use her business skills to help create a better climate in Maine for job creation and growth. She lives in Portland with her husband Thom and their three children ages 12, 9 and 8.

Contact: Dennis Bailey, 207-347-6077

Maine Goodies will be opening an Outlet Store at 5 Winslow Rd in Albion, ME this Saturday November 14th. They will offer most of their website product line at saving of 15 – 20% off their on-line prices. Hours will be 10 AM – 6 PM Daily until Christmas, closed Thanksgiving Day.

The store will feature mostly gift items and will be backed up by their full inventory that is on site. Featured items include Thanksgiving items including Pumpkin Spice Coffee, Organic Cranberry Sauce and turkey candles. Other opening specials include Loose Balsam for projects and a huge inventory of Balsam, cedar and Pine incense and home made Needhams.

Retail Store in Albion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: entreverge Director Johann Sabbath

Phone (207) 807-7073 cell

Email: johann.sabbath@gmail.com

Portland, ME – Portland PROPEL unveiled entreverge, a bold new project to celebrate and support local entrepreneurs.

The inaugural entreverge Awards, a collaborative project led by PROPEL in partnership with the Portland Regional Chamber and numerous local businesses, business groups, non-profits, and social networks, will accelerate economic growth by connecting entrepreneurs and business innovators with resources and relationships within Portland’s local business community.

“The launch of entreverge comes at a time when the economy is starving for positive energy and when national trends toward innovation and entrepreneurship are amplifying louder than ever”, said Mike Carey, Chair of PROPEL and auctioneer with Tranzon Auction Properties.

Nominations for the entreverge Awards will be fielded at www.entreverge.com from May 5th to 31st.  Nominees will be considered by PROPEL on a number of criteria, including the nominees’ scalable vision for their business and their commitment to a triple bottom line—the people, place, and prosperity of Maine.

Five entreverge Award-winners will receive face time with Portland’s leading business figures and a package of pro bono consultation, services, and products volunteered by local artistic, finance, IT, legal, marketing, and web experts and other business service providers.

Dana Hutchins, owner of Image Works Internet Business Solutions, is one of the local business leaders who is volunteering consulting services to the winners.  “When I was approached about getting involved, “ remarked Dana, “I thought is was a great opportunity to give back to the business community and meet exciting new clients.”

“This is a critical time for collaboration and getting the resources of Portland’s business community behind its future leaders,” said Will Thomas, an entreverge organizer and founder of the Portland-based triathlon company Tri-Maine. 

The entreverge Awards will culminate with a celebration on Thursday evening, June 25th at Port City Music Hall in downtown Portland with live performances by Adam and the Waxmen and the Jason Spooner Band. Tickets can be purchased through the Portland Regional Chamber by calling 207-772-2811.

Recognizing the need to celebrate risk and innovation in today’s economic climate, PROPEL began planning entreverge this winter when approached by the University of Maine Farmington and Swardlick Marketing Group.  Six months later—after comprehensive feedback from many of Portland’s business leaders and social entrepreneurs—entreverge has arrived.

“I’ve spent the last few months meeting with business leaders and organizational heads throughout Greater Portland,” said entreverge Director Johann Sabbath, “trying to figure out the greatest potential value that PROPEL could bring to the community.  Organizing entreverge became the answer.”

Portland PROPEL is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering leadership and education among Greater Portland’s young blue, white, green, and no-collar business community. In 2006, PROPEL was inspired by the Realize!Maine network and formed as an affiliate of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce.

entreverge is made possible by Premier Sponsors Bangor Savings Bank, Swardlick Marketing Group, and the University of Maine Farmington and Premier Media Sponsor Mainebiz.

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