_Avalanche Cheese and Peak Spirits were 2012 Good Food Award winners in the Cheese and Spirits categories, respectively.  The award ceremony was held in San Francisco on Jan 13.

The Good Food Awards celebrate the kind of food we all want to eat: tasty, authentic and responsibly produced. The Good Food Awards people grant awards to outstanding American food producers and the farmers who provide their ingredients. They host an annual Awards Ceremony and Marketplace at the iconic Ferry Building in San Francisco to honor the Good Food Award recipients who push their industries towards craftsmanship and sustainability while enhancing our agricultural landscape and building strong communities.

Congratulations to Avalache's Wendy Mitchell and Peak Spirits' Lance Hanson!
 
 
Colorado Wino has declared that Lilitputian Winery's Shangri-la ginger wine as one of the 5 most important Colorado wines for 2011 - pretty cool!
 
 
A San Francisco cheese buyer and author says his most exciting find in 2011 was Avalanche Cheese. Read the story here.
 
 
Don Lareau of Zephyros Farm and Garden and Monica Wiitanen of Small Potatoes Farm are frequent contributors to the monthly publication, the Merchant Herald.  Don submits blog entries, and Monica writes about North Fork foods.
 
 
Kevin & Kris Kropp of First Fruits Organic Farms, Jared McDermott of Oasge Gardens and Kerry Noonan of Rain Crow Farm are featured in Edible Aspen's Fall issue.  You can see the article on line.  The Kropps are on page 18/19 and Jared and Kerry are on page 20/21 of the magazine reader.
 
 
__Holiday Party, Dec. 6

Reminder - our annual Holiday Party will be Tues., Dec 6 starting at 6PM at Memorial Hall in Hotchkiss.  It's a potluck dinner, so start using the goodies you canned during harvest and wow everyone with some great vittles!

Emily Hartnett of Terra Fata Farm will be our guest speaker.

We will also have VOGA membership forms available - it's that time of year to renew your membership.  Renewals (and new ones) are due by Jan. 10, which is the date of our Annual Meeting.  You need to be a good-standing member in order to vote at that meeting.
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VOGAns In the News

We encourage VOGA members to email us (vogaco@gmail.com) info, links, etc., whenever you are mentioned in some media outlet.  We would like to publish that  info on our web site!  You can go to our News & Notices web page (http://www.vogaco.org/news--notices.html) and click on "Vogans In The News" category on the right hand side to see what's been going on with some of our members.
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Biodynamic Conference, March 1-4, 2012

The Fellowship of the Preparations Makers - 2012 Annual Conference

Harmonizing Heaven and Earth Through the Polarities of BD#500 and BD#501

Thursday March 1st – Sunday March 4th, 2012

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
Mac Mead, Phileppe Armenier, Hugh Courtney

WORKSHOP PRESENTERS:
Lloyd Nelson, Caroline Gordon, Jim Barausky, Wali Via

SPECIAL EVENTS:
Pre-Conference on Introductory Biodynamics
Thursday Evening Reception

Hosted by the North Fork Valley Biodynamic Community and VOGA

Memorial Hall, Hotchkiss, Colorado

For conference information and registration: www.vogaco.org
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Reminder: New VOGA Announcement Format, Web Site, Email Address

As you can tell, we are using a new mail service called MailChimp to send out VOGA Announcements and other pertinent notices.  We may be changing the look of these messages in time, but for now, we're trying this format. Let us know if you prefer plain-text messages.  You can update your preferences by clicking on the link at the very bottom of this message or just by emailing us with our new address: vogaco@gmail.com.
 

We have a new web site up and running.  Use the same address as before - that has not changed.  Check it out: http://www.vogaco.org

 
 
 
Colorado Wino visits Leroux Creek Vineyard and discovers how well hybrids grow in the North Fork Valley.
 
 
VOGA supporter and local photographer is featured in a Delta County Independent article.  She has created the 2012 bilingual calendar "Gracias por la Tierra", which shows appreciation for those who work the land.  A photo of Thistle Whistle's Mark Waltermire appears in the article.

"Gracias por la Tierra" is available at www.celiaroberts.com, by email celia@paonia.com or by phone (970) 527-4457. The calendar is rich in information and images, and very economical. It's a perfect Christmas gift.
 
 
_UCCS geographer Thomas P. Huber's stay at Leroux Creek Inn inspired the new book "An American Provence," in which Huber compares and contrasts Colorado's North Fork Valley with Provence in southeastern France.

Listen to the Colorado Public Radio broadcast.
 
 
The New York Times writes about Gena Bone's new book, Mycophilia. Colorado Wino reviews Black Bridge's 2009 Reserve Pinot Noir.