The Farm Team

Will Allen

'Tis the season for celebrations, and the seventh annual Edible Austin Eat Drink Local Week (Dec. 7-14) offers a weeklong extravaganza in honor of the city's sustainable, cultural, and culinary wonders. Austin has quickly ascended as one of the nation's hot spots for locally sourced ingredients, farm-to-table restaurants, agricultural sustainability, and organics; Austin's evolving profile has inspired the Edible Austin team to implement a few changes this year in hopes of encouraging even higher levels of support for the Central Texas farms and dining scene. Eat Drink Local Week highlights the value of the urban farms in our city, a particularly relevant mission given the urban farm community's almost yearlong (and ongoing) battle (see "Urban Farms: Mediation Bears No Fruit," News, Nov. 22). Edible Austin will also collaborate with farmers' markets throughout the week to encourage cooking at home with farm-fresh and seasonal ingredients. Also brand-new this year is the launch of their online mapped guide of the many Austin restaurants dedicated to locally sourced ingredients, a tool aimed at both residents and visitors. The beloved Urban Farm Bicycle Tour has been moved to 2014, reportedly to spread out the mission's good work throughout the year.

In addition to the plethora of participating restaurants, tickets are already available for three signature events. The proceeds from two of the events will once again benefit the Sustainable Food Center (dedicated to cultivating a food-secure community through sustainable practices) and Urban Roots (whose nonprofit mission focuses on youth engagement in sustainable agriculture). On Sunday, Dec. 8, the Stateside at the Paramount will host "An Evening With Will Allen," a former professional basketball player turned farmer and urban agricultural activist. After discussing his award-winning work in community food justice, the renowned food policy thinker will also participate in a panel moderated by Evan Smith of the Texas Tribune. Then on Tuesday, Dec. 10, the Winter Harvest Dinner Party will showcase a family-style meal presented by Bread and Circus Supper Club at the Palm Door with Pink Avocado Catering. The menu boasts such delights as maple bacon roasted wild boar with apple celeriac stuffing and acorn squash crème brûlée with chai cream.

The third event, presented by Wheatsville Co-op, is a free advanced screening of David Barrow's film Farm-City, State on Thursday, Dec. 12, 7pm at the Blanton Museum. An active participant in the local sustainable food movement, Barrow started the Homegrown Revival supper club with his partner, chef Sonya Coté, to educate the public about the merits and joys of community food engagement. His documentary posits the question, "What if an entire city could feed itself?" and features Austin's own Brenton Johnson of Johnson's Backyard Garden, Carol Ann Sayle of Boggy Creek Farm, Dorsey Barger of HausBar Farms, Paige Hill of Urban Patchwork, Dan Gillotte of Wheatsville Co-op, and Rep. Eddie Rodriguez. It's going to be a great week for good food.

For more information, see www.edibleaustin.com/eatdrinklocal.