Event focuses on locally grown food

A four-day event opens in Iowa City today focusing on locally-produced fruits, vegetables and meats and connecting those who raise the products with those who eat them. One of the organizers is Kurt Friese, the owner and chef at Devotay, an Iowa City restaurant.The event “From Field to Family” is an annual culinary celebration trying to draw together closer bonds between the community and its farmers. Friese is also director of something called Slow Food Iowa, what he says is a way to better enjoy your meal and the people with whom you share it. He says if you look at the top ten best moments in your life, likely nine of them involve sitting around a table with great food and the people you love — he says the movement is about making as many of those moments as possible. One of the guest speakers for the “From Field to Family” events on Friday is Gary Paul Nabhan, director of the University of Northern Arizona’s Center for Sustainable Environments. Friese says Nabhan’s recent book, “Coming Home to Eat,” is enchanting. The festival involves a dozen restaurants and 30 food suppliers, including farmers, brewers, bread bakers and cheese makers.