Western Wake Farmers Market – Grand Opening

by Wandering Sheppard, posted in Food

This Saturday the Western Wake Farmers Market opens for the season. If you have visited the market before, get ready for an increased selection of fresh and local seasonal produce, flowers, plants, herbs, baked goods, prepared foods, cheeses, meats, and coffee.

Continue reading “Western Wake Farmers Market – Grand Opening” →

Local food groups gather food makers to discuss Wake County rule changes

by Wandering Sheppard, posted in Food, Special Events
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Before you buy one of these, where will you prepare your food?

Recently, the rules have changed regarding shared commercial kitchen laws in Wake County.  These rules impact different segments within the food and beverage industry including food trucks.  To help understand and discuss these changes, Triangle Food Makers has organized an event, In Search Of A Kitchen with Community Food Lab, Advocates for Health in Action, RDU Mobile Food Association (RDUMFA), and the City of Raleigh.  The event will bring together local food and beverage producers for a discussion and interaction with other food makers.

Highlights on the event’s agenda include presentations from the director of Environmental Health Services, Andre Pierce, and the director of Piedmont Agricultural and Processing Facility (PFAP) about the new laws and what food makers should consider when searching for commercial kitchen space.

Before the event, locally made products and plenty of time to connect with other food makers, caterers, food truck operators and other local food entrepreneurs will be available.

The event takes place on Thursday, January 14th from 5 to 8pm at HQ Raleigh in Downtown Raleigh.  RSVP or find more information here.

Free Raleigh Food Trucks

Featured by Wandering Sheppard, posted in Food Trucks

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Dear Fellow Food Truck Fan,

Together we have followed the food truck scene here in the Triangle. Over the last two years, we have seen an awesome influx of attention to our scene. Last year, we won multiple Mobile-Cuisine awards such as Best Food Truck Blogger and Best Dessert Food Truck and multiple places in Best Rookie Food Truck. And this month alone, we have seen food trucks featured on television shows Some Great Bakeries, Carnival Cravings, BBQ Crawl, Cutthroat Kitchen, and The Great Food Truck Race. This food truck scene has helped raise the reputation that the Triangle is a food destination.

Chez Moi

In addition to the food truck scene growing, the capital city of North Carolina, Raleigh, is experiencing a large amount of growth. As such, the city planners have decided to set the city’s master plan and update the zoning to match their long-term vision. Unfortunately for us the food truck fans, food trucks are being left out in mixed use zones, specifically one called NX [see more details on the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO)].  These mixed use areas, where appropriate, are market opportunities where food trucks can serve in food deserts.

KocinA-3

As we all know food trucks are businesses, but they are not large corporations strapped with large bank accounts. These are your next-door neighbors living a dream through the entrepreneurship ideals nurtured by our society. They are families when the economy took a tumble decided to create opportunities, which created more for other looking for jobs. Because of this, they need our help to amplify their voice.  We also need to share the positive impacts they make in our lives.

Wake Forest Rodeo

If you feel passionate about them, as well as me, I encourage you to sign a petition that will be presented to the Raleigh’s City Council. Together, we can make an effort to let them know that we love small businesses like food trucks.

CockADoodleMoo

Link to Petition

Much Thanks,

Art Sheppard

The Wandering Sheppard