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Ex Fabula: Stories of Comfort Food from Fondy Farmers Market

Fondy Farmers Market

Milwaukee's Ex Fabula is most well known for their StorySlams, but their community outreach goes far beyond their monthly events.

The first outreach attempts were “Guerrilla StorySlams," which were small pop-up events in the community. Back in 2010, Ex Fabula brought a Guerrilla StorySlam to Fondy Farmers Market. The theme was ‘Comfort Food’.

Marion Ecks’ family valued “food that came from the ground," she explained while recalling her experiences at the market. Not only did she learn the joys of a fresh tomato with mayonnaise, but it also prepared her for a summer in Ecuador where she discovered the universal nature of the farmers’ market. “I felt right at home, right away” despite the fact that she didn’t speak any Spanish, she explains.
 

Credit Kat Schleicher
Ex Fabula co-founder Amy Schleicher

At many Guerrilla StorySlams, Ex Fabula volunteers would start off the storytelling in order to gather a crowd. Ex Fabula co-founder Amy Schleicher brought in quite a few listeners with her comfort food story. “I used to be a heat-and-serve cook,” she says, explaining how she learned to cook when she was 22 and living in a Madison co-op – and why, as a result, she always makes enough food for 12 and avoids recipes.

Ex Fabula’s sixth season will kick off in September 2014. Dates and venues will be announced in August.

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