Food

Last Minute Gifts Made by Local Hands

by Janet Elizabeth... | December 15th, 2009
Janet Elizabeth Simpson's Image

Year after year, I make it my own personal mission to buy gifts for my family made by local artisans.  It means that I get to support my local art scene, give my loved ones something meaningful and one of a kind, and avoid the snarl of mall traffic altogether.  Below is a list of the people and places that are gonna help me find the right gift. 

PEOPLE

Julie Peerson Carpenter - Made from scrap metal.  Comes in beautiful colors with abstract and figurative stencils.  Julie makes necklaces and earrings, but if you're looking for something a little more grand, she also makes metal dresses!  Email Julie at metaldresses@hotmail.com to make an appointment or purchase at Bare Hands, At Home, Birmingham Art Museum Store, or Maralyn Wilson Gallery.

Ann Millard Wells - Collage jewelry made with magazine cutouts, plastics, and melted vinyl records.  Fun colorful designs and bold shapes. Read more...

Food, Inc. Meet Birmingham. Birmingham, Meet Food, Inc.

by Amanda Storey | September 9th, 2009
Food, Inc. at Bottletree (Birmingham, AL September 4, 2009)

I like to think I'm hip to the whole sustainable food conversation. On any day of the week, you'll find me volunteering for Jones Valley Urban Farm, brainstorming with Slow Food Birmingham, meeting with Greater Birmingham Community Food Partners, or simply creating a dish filled with veggies from my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). You will also find me following tons of food-focused, national movements on Twitter, which is where I heard about a new documentary titled, Food, Inc. According to its website, Food, Inc "lifts the veil on our nation's food industry" and exposes how "a handful of corporations often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment." My little heart pitter-pattered and I thought that surely with all the traffic at Pepper Place and all the hard work I’ve seen come out of small food-focused groups throughout the city, surely Birmingham will have access to this thought-provoking film. Um, Nope. As I read post after post from Seattle to Nashville celebrating this movie and its acceptance in their communities, I refused to accept the fact that Read more...

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