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Hike provides gourmet meal

Allen BestVail, CO Colorado

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS Forget about a trip to the grocery store. For one of its fundraisers, a group called Yampatika holds a gourmet meal called Wild Edible Feast. Most of the meal is gathered up from local forests, meadows and creeks.Last years appetizer, notes the Steamboat Pilot & Today, was a fern-leaf aioli, Yampa root puree and quail eggs enclosed in wild boar sausage a dish called Scotch eggs. The fish course included baby brook trout-quinoa, cattail shoots and glacier lily pods, among other things.The mission of Yampatika, according to the groups Web site, is to better the communitys understanding of local natural and cultural resources.

BANFF, Alberta Banff town officials are moving their composting program into high gear. The town has been using the food waste from one of the major hotels, but hopes to expand the program to include all major businesses as well as homes.Surveys have shown that food makes up to 45 percent of municipal waste, and at some hotels and restaurants, its more like 75 percent, said Chad Townsend, environmental services coordinator for the town.The Rocky Mountain Outlook reports that two collection bins for organic waste will be set up and the town will also offer under-sink containers so that people can store food waste at home.

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. Judging by the advertisements in the Jackson Hole News&Guide, the labor shortage has increased 20 percent from last year. The newspaper explains the listings occupy eight pages, compared to six pages last year.Many employers continue to look abroad, using the popular but increasingly slow H-2B visa program. Labor officials blame a 30 percent increase nationwide in applications for slower responses to applications.In Jackson Hole, the Wyoming Department of Workforce Service has received applications for 1,682 workers this summer.Ned Brown, a restaurateur who applies for the workers each summer and winter, says getting the foreign workers is expensive. He pays hundreds of dollars per worker, plus a $1,000 fee to the federal government to expedite his application.For three months its pretty steep price, but I dont have another option, he said.But the Grand Teton Lodge Co. received approval for about 200 guest workers without complication. Bob ONeil, director of human resources, said his company is experienced and it also rehires employees season after season, allowing it to avoid the federal caps on H-2B workers.


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