Food, Food Artisans

This Week at Zingerman’s 5/26/15

Aubrey bacon

Camp Bacon begins next week!

Please join us June 3-7 for the 6th Annual Camp Bacon!
Each year, bacon lovers from around the globe make the trek to Ann Arbor for Zingerman’s annual 5-day celebration of cured pork, Camp Bacon. This year’s camp runs from June 3-7, and enthusiasm is stronger than ever: three new events have been added to the 2015 lineup to help celebrate the sixth year of bringing home the (really good) bacon.

Camp Bacon was inspired by an idea Zingerman’s co-founder Ari Weinzweig had while writing his book Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon:

“When the Southern Foodways Alliance sponsored a field trip to Louisville a few years ago they called it Camp Bacon. While I didn’t get to Kentucky to take part in the bacon festivities, the name “Camp Bacon” has stuck with me ever since. There’s just something about the idea of Camp Bacon that conjures up great images. Bacon roasting over the bonfire. . .blue jeans and black hooded sweatshirts with shredded cuffs smelling sweetly of pork belly. . .maybe classes in bacon cooking and slicing, bacon-sack races, bacon making merit-badges. . .”

In the year after the book was released, Ari decided that maybe Camp Bacon didn’t just have to be a fantasy. “We have close ties to so many great bacon curers and other folks in the food community, and I think people look to us to do something different. So, we figured, let’s put it together and see if people come.” The first year sold out and included a performance from Chicago area R&B musician Andre Williams (whose 1957 hit “Bacon Fat” won him a prominent spot in the Guide to Better Bacon.) Andre returned for an encore performance at the Ark for the second Camp Bacon and the downtown street fair was added to the lineup.

As always, Zingerman’s Camp Bacon is a benefit for the Southern Foodways Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of food traditions, and Washtenaw County 4H.

To reserve your seats for Camp Bacon events, please visit our website. 


Head South for Delicious! at Zingerman’s Creamery

We are celebrating the cheeses of the Southeastern U.S. From the Carolinas, Georgia, even Texas! In a region of the US known for its comfort food and smoked meats, there are artisan cheesemakers taking advantage of the mild climate and natural bounty to bring delicious and unique cheeses to the plate. $10 of every ticket sold for this tasting will be donated to Southern Foodways Alliance as part of our 6th Annual Camp Bacon.

To reserve your seats for Camp Bacon events, please visit our website. 


Welcome to Cornman Farms tour

Our Welcome to Cornman Farms Tour is an idyllic and dynamic 90 minute introduction to the rich history, agricultural projects and humane raising of animals. Join us Tuesday, June 9, 6pm, for a look at our vegetable and herb gardens, goat milking operation and historic restored Farmhouse and Barn—and enjoy a meet-and-greet with our visionary Managing Partner, Kieron Hales.

Reserve your seat here


ZingTrain Speaker Series: Michelle Segar

Exercising regularly – we all know it’s good for us. If we brainstormed for a minute, or less, we’d probably have a long list of sound, logical, rational reasons for exercising regularly. And yet it’s just so darn hard to do, isn’t it? Pick a different positive health behavior and you’ll probably just be repeating that exercise. Why is that?

Michelle Segar knows why it is. She has done decades of research to try to understand why logic-based reasons for behavior change keep people stuck in cycles of starting and stopping. And to understand why those logic based reasons don’t create change that sticks.

Thankfully for all of us, Michelle took her research a little further to try to figure out what does work! To identify The Right Whys. Integrating research from behavioral science and positive organizational scholarship, Michelle will describe a novel approach to motivating and maintaining healthy behaviors in ways that can foster personal meaning and well-being. And help your organization thrive! Wednesday, June 10, 8am. 

Reserve your seat here


Cocktail Class: A Very Vodka Evening

Vodka is the cocktail world’s proverbial black sheep. We underutilize this spirit’s almost infinite mixing potential, and it’s high time we paid attention to this crisp and clean liquor: the original “neutral spirit.” Vodka is made for mixing. It is the sugar-cookie-dough of the bar world: a fantastic base that is pleasant on its own but really exists as a vehicle to showcase other ingredients and flavors. Vodka can be made from almost anything starchy: wheat, potatoes, corn, rye, and even grapes! Join us on Thursday, June 11, 7pm, as we doff our cap to this remarkably versatile spirit by mixing three note-worthy cocktails: the Vesper, which is the original James Bond martini; the light, crisp, and tart Cosmopolitan; and the famous citrusy and spicy Moscow Mule. We will discuss the history of vodka and stories behind these cocktails, snack on exquisitely prepared light fare from the Cornman Farms culinary team, and guests will take home recipes for all the cocktails made during the class.

Reserve your seat here


Ready, Set, Picnic at Zingerman’s Creamery

We’ve raided the shop to bring you the best in picnic fare! Cheeses that travel well, paired up with beers and wines perfect for enjoying with good friends in the sunshine! We’ll also have suggestions and tastes from our pantry selection of jams, pickles, and other treats to get you picnic ready for this summer! Friday, June 12, 6pm.

Reserve your seat here

See you soon!