Port Ludlow, Wash., May 16, 2012 – Calling all cheese lovers! Get your tickets now for a savory tour of some of the best cheese producing appellations in the U.S. and Europe – no passport required! Your point of departure? The Resort at Port Ludlow! On Saturday, May 26 the Resort will host an international and artisanal cheese and wine extravaganza, aka the Fête du Fromage, featuring fresh to fully-aged cow’s milk, sheep’s milk and goat’s milk cheeses from premier producers in the Pacific Northwest, Vermont, California, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Ireland and France. The party is from 2pm – 6pm, and “culinary travelers” will have the opportunity to sample 50 to 60 cheeses carefully paired with a variety of new and old world wines.

Ah, the Wines!
Teaching how to taste with intent and with an awareness and understanding of the relationship between a region’s wine and its gastronomy is the purpose of the Fête. To that end, cheeses from a particular appellation will be matched with wines from the same appellation, showcasing the “terroir” of a particular region. Agricultural sites in the same area share similar soil, weather conditions and farming techniques, which all contribute to the unique qualities of local crops and end products. Some call it a “sense of place.”

A proud recipient of the 2012 Washington Wine Award of Distinction for its dedication and commitment to Washington’s wine industry, the Resort will pair a selection of Washington wines with cheeses crafted by producers including Mystery Bay Farm of Marrowstone Island; Samish Bay of Bow; and Willapa Hills of Doty. The Washington Wine Award of Distinction was presented to the Resort’s Fireside Restaurant by the Washington State Wine Commission in April. Many more domestic and imported wines will be available for tasting and pairing at 8-10 stations, which culinary travelers can experience at their leisure.

Rachel Van Laanen, owner of Mystery Bay Farm will be on site to represent her goat cheeses, as well as Tyson Danilson of The Peterson Company, who will represent and educate participants on many of the import and domestic cheeses. 

Tickets

Fête tickets are $39.00 in advance or $45.00 at the door. Price includes access to all cheese tables and two wine tastings. Additional wine tastes (2 oz. pours) are $5.00. Tax and tip not included.

Location
The Resort at Port Ludlow, 1 Heron Road, Port Ludlow, WA  98365

For more information and advance tickets, call 360.437.7412.

In the year 1889 the frontier was exploding.  Grand designs and ingenious schemes were popping up left and right. The good people of Port Townsend, Washington, were enjoying a prosperity to be envied as the little frontier town boomed with shipping and commerce.  And things were only going to get better because, that’s right, the railroad was coming.  But something happened.

Read More…

This course is for job seekers and people seeing work or thinking
about starting a business.

Click TY COURSE MAY 8_9_10_2012 JCL for details.

The U.S. Department of Labor has withdrawn new regulations that would have prohibited children under the age of 18 from participating in many farm chores.

Residents of rural communities across the nation have been in an uproar in recent days over a proposal that would severely prohibit youth involvement on the family farm. Late Thursday night, however, the Department of Labor (DOL) withdrew its proposed rule. The terms of the new bill would have restricted the farm activities permissible for children under the age of 18.   Congressman Tim Huelskamp (R-Kansas) says the law that was set to prevent children from doing farm chores would have greatly affected agrarian-based states across the country.

“For months now — in town halls, in constituent meetings, in the ag committee field hearing in Dodge City — I’ve heard from Kansans about the hardships this regulation would place on our farms and ranches,” says the congressman. “Kansas farmers have spoken — and we’ve finally gotten our message through to the Obama administration.”

Kansas is just one of many states that has fought against the proposal.   Huelskamp says the decision is proof that persistence pays off. “While I’m thrilled at the announcement, this is just one of a whole host of job-killing regulations threatening family farms,” he says. “For the sake of rural America, I hope we will see many more announcements like this in the coming months.”

Adds the congressman:”There is no better place to develop an appreciation for hard work and a strong work ethic than the family farm.”   The Kansas lawmaker adds that along with the decision to withdraw the rule, the Labor Department will continue to allow farm safety classes through local chapters of 4-H and Farm Bureau. The proposed changes would have replaced the government’s approval of those classes with its own 90-hour training course.

The Associated Press reports that child labor groups say they are stunned and disappointed the Obama administration is backing off the plan to keep children from working in hazardous jobs on farms. They contend more children will die in farm accidents that could have been prevented.