A Pop Up Lunch with Chef Alganesh!

The African Diaspora Foodways Institute of Vermont proudly presents a Pop-Up Lunch with Chef Alganesh Michael, owner and lead chef of A Taste of Abyssinia, from 12 pm - 2 pm this Saturday, October 11, at the Clemmons Farm!

Meet Chef Alganesh and learn about her foodways entrepreneur story and her East African culinary heritage.

Chef Alganesh will be cooking just for you. Enjoy a lunch featuring an array of dishes that celebrate the flavors of Ethiopia and Eritrea, and enjoy socializing in the magical settings of the 1800s Main House.

Today's Menu

• Spiced beef
• Curried chicken
• Mildly spiced lentil
• Mildly seasoned collard greens
• Injera (fermented bread) or Rice (GF option)

As a special traditional Ethiopian treat, Chef Alganesh will freshly roast green coffee beans and brew coffee to serve after the meal!

Iced tea & Water will also be available

Program

12 pm - 12:15 pm Main House

• Meet Chef Alganesh and other guests

12:15 pm - 2 pm

• Sit down with everyone and enjoy a traditional Ethiopian - Ertitrean lunch.
• Sighs and goodbyes

The African Diaspora Foodways Institute of Vermont is a Clemmons Family Farm pilot initiative in partnership with the University of Vermont. It is funded in part by the Leahy Institute of Rural Partnerships and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Working Lands program.

Learn more about the African Diaspora Foodways Institute of Vermont.

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Chef Alganesh Michael shines as an ambassador of traditional East African cuisine in the Lake Champlain region. A former nurse turned homemaker, she launched her catering business, A Taste of Abyssinia, to introduce the flavors of Eritrea and Ethiopia to Vermont. She’s been teaching cooking classes since 2014 at schools and community centers. Her culinary contributions during COVID‑19 and weekly takeout dinners from The Mill Market & Deli have cemented her role as a community pillar. Through her catering and instruction, Alganesh continues to foster cross-cultural connection and culinary appreciation. A Taste of Abyssinia was a semifinalist for a 2023 James Beard Award.

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TICKETS

Advance registration is required for admission, with one ticket per person. Your name must be on the list. If you have more than one person in your party, you must register the name of each person in order to receive an admission ticket.

MAIN PARKING: 2213 GREENBUSH ROAD, CHARLOTTE VT 05445.

Our greeters and guard service will direct you to the Main House located on the west side of Greenbush Road (the side where you can see the Adirondack Mountains) at 2158 Greenbush Road.

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ADMISSION POLICY

Advance registration is required, and your name must be on the registration list in order to be admitted. One ticket per person. If you have more than one person in your party, you'll need to register for each person.

Only 25 attendees will be admitted to enable us to offer quality interactions and a friendly, safe, and low-key community environment. Clemmons Family Farm reserves the right to refuse admission or eject, at our sole discretion, any person behaving dangerously or inappropriately, or for safety, health, or any other reasons.

By attending this Event, you agree that visual/audio recordings of the Event, including your voice and likeness, may be used for any purpose on a worldwide basis, in perpetuity, without any compensation to you.

Clemmons Family Farm shall not be responsible or liable for any loss, damage, cost, or injury that arises from, or in connection with, Your attendance at this Event.

**Note: Please do not explore other venues on the farm that are closed to the public.

No Smoking, No Vaping (e-cigarettes)

The Clemmons farm is a smoke-free, vapor-free environment- both indoors and outdoors.

No Alcohol

No alcoholic beverages are permitted during community arts programs at the Clemmons farm.

No Weapons

The safety and well-being of our visitors, artists, and staff are of the utmost importance. To ensure a safe venue for all, the possession of firearms, fireworks, explosives, incendiary devices, knives, or weapons of any kind is prohibited on the Clemmons farm property and in the farm's facilities, except those carried by law enforcement officers who are on duty. All visitors to the farm, and their belongings, such as bags or purses, are subject to search and enforcement, and anyone found in violation will be asked to secure the weapon inside their vehicle or at home or leave the property immediately.

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FAQs

Health precautions:

1. The program is indoors. If you are ill, not feeling well, have a fever or a cough, please stay home and take care of yourself!
2. Maximum participants: 25

What should I bring?:

1. A relaxed and curious attitude- this program is fun, low-key, and intriguing!
2. An appetite for flavorful stews and aromatic spices.

Where do I park?

Parking is located on the lawns right at the entrance of 2213 Greenbush Road- you will see "Event Parking" signs indicating the areas where you can park. You will then cross the road and walk north to the Main House, located at 2158 Greenbush Road (Adirondack Mountain side)where lunch will be held.

What About Accessibility?

The Main House is a historic building with three steps leading into the entrance. There is no wheelchair access ramp.

Please let us know if you have difficulty walking- we are reserving parking for you right in front of the Main House at 2158 Greenbush Road. Email events@clemmonsfamilyfarm.org or call/text (802) 999-6137 and leave a message if you will need assistance for accessibility parking.

Is it ok to bring Children?

Young children may not enjoy this program and would need to be supervised by an adult at all times. Teenagers and young adults will more likely enjoy this program.

May I Explore Other Parts of the Farm?

This program is an indoor program at the Main House located at 2158 Greenbush Road. Please follow the directions of our staff and greeters who will help direct you to the venue.

Please DO NOT explore other parts of the property without being accompanied by a Clemmons Family Farm team member. The other buildings or outdoor areas of the Farm are off-limits.

Where can I make a Donation?

Please check our webpage here for information on how to donate to the 501c3 nonprofit organization Clemmons Family Farm, Inc. that stewards the historic Clemmons farm. You may also send a donation to Clemmons Family Farm, Inc. through Venmo.

How can I contact the Organizer with any Questions?

Please contact us if you have any questions about the event. Email events@clemmonsfamilyfarm.org or call/text 802) 999-6137.

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About Clemmons Family Farm: Preserve, Empower, Build

Located in Charlotte near beautiful Lake Champlain, the historic Clemmons farm includes 6 historic buildings (circa late 1700s-1800s) and 138 acres of prime farmland and forests, ponds and streams abundant with wildlife.

The elders Jackson and Lydia Clemmons purchased their beloved historic farm in 1962 for $35,000- an astronomical amount of money for a young African-American couple just starting their careers- under a 30-year mortgage. For 60 consecutive years, they never sold a single acre due to their firm belief in land as an important asset for African-Americans to build equity and legacy.

In 2019, a group of Clemmons family members, friends and advisers co-founded the 501c3 nonprofit organization- Clemmons Family Farm, Inc.- to preserve and steward the farm under a 20-year lease and to continue the community-building work, farming, and celebration of African-American history, art and culture, that Jack and Lydia led on their farm for nearly 60 years.

In 2023, through a private fundraising campaign, Clemmons Family Farm, Inc. purchased the historic Clemmons farm from the Clemmons elders when they were 100 years old. The Farm was purchased at its appraised fair market value and we conserved 122 acres under a land conservation easement to protect the beautiful land and natural resources, and to build a community around cherishing a remarkable African American legacy.

The African Diaspora Foodways Institute of Vermont's Pop Up Lunch culinary artist-in-residency series is closely tied to Clemmons Family Farm's organizational mission to:

• PRESERVE and maintain the historic Clemmons farm in Charlotte, Vermont as an educational prototype, and a model for preserving African-American owned agricultural land, cultural and heritage assets in the U.S.

• EMPOWER a growing network of Vermont's artists, including those who bear the cultures of the African diaspora, with opportunities for professional development, advocacy, visibility, networking, paid engagements, collective healing, and a safe haven for creativity that helps them to thrive;

• BUILD a loving multicultural community around African-American/African diaspora history, arts and culture.

Please support our work. The kind donations we receive from the general public help us steward the Clemmons Farm and make it available for free phenomenal community programs like this one.