1st Annual Troy Food and Film Festival Was a Success!

Saturday, June 28 was hot and steamy, as only upstate New York can be late in June, but there were 300-500 families who came to hear great music, taste world-class local foods, and learn about access to food from organizations like the Commission of Economic Opportunity, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Food Pantries of the Capital District, and the Hunger Action Network. All of this took place in Troy’s urban green space, Barker Park.

Many thanks are due to our corporate sponsor, SEFCU, for their community-spirited support for this first TCFC family event that celebrated our many opportunities to eat seasonally, healthfully, pleasurably and locally. Our co-sponsors; Troy Cinema and Visual Arts Group and Friends of Barker Park are to be thanked for their help in this first effort.

The festival was opened by the newly-formed Enjoy Troy Brass Quintet, headed by Susan Radcliff; and great fiddle music by Stephen Iachetta. The spirited and innovative Bakerloo Players, in residence at RPI, performed a piece entitled “What We Talk About When We Talk About Food.”

Chef Larry Schepici of Tosca Grille and Chef Jackie Baldwin, Director of Food Services at RPI demonstrated their talents under the tent to audiences that included kids. Maybe some budding chefs?

Laudelina Martinez and volunteers from the Troy Cinema and Visual Arts Group organized the showing of a well-reviewed documentary, “The Real Dirt on Farmer John” and four original food-related videos were presented at the Arts Center of the Capital Region on Saturday evening.

In anticipation of helping fill the Co-op, local products and speciality foods were supplied Provisions, International; Old Chatham Sheepherding Company; Ronnybrook Farms; Brown Cow Dairy; The Placid Baker; Yonder Farms; and the Hunger Action Network.

The TCFC table featured a raffle with goods from the Troy Farmers Market, Spectrum Theatre tickets, and gift certificate to Le Marche Vert.

This was hard work and full of unknowns, so special thanks are due to the organizing committee headed by Katie Rice. They are-- Stephannie Stoyle, Suzanne Benson, Theresa Setzer, Peter Grimm, Alane Hohenberg, Eric Paul, Laudelina Martinez, Jessica Reichard, Melissa Barry, Marc Coudert, and Nick Schrader. Participating in Barker Park clean-up were Lauren and Erika Groff, Dennis Sullivan and Friends of Barker Park.

The City of Troy stepped forward and provided parking set asides and mowing. St. Anthony’s of Padua allowed festival attendees the use of bathrooms.

Next year’s festival planning has begun, and all suggestions or participation on the committee is welcome. The thought is to look at an early fall date in 2009.

The Troy Film and Food Festival fit one of the Troy Community Food Co-op’s missions--to become a collaborative community partner.