Learn about McIntyre Pastures, a family-run, no-till, pasture-based farm in Caldwell, Idaho.

On a sultry day in early June, the front lawn of the Hells Canyon and Zhoo Zhoo winery feels like a tiny slice of Tuscany transported to Caldwell, Idaho. But the winery has an open secret: Both the wine and ambiance are made possible by solar power.

For many Mexican families, pozole is a Thanksgiving staple served in place of turkey. Sal Alamilla, co-owner of the restaurant Amano in Caldwell, has enjoyed just such a feast. It inspired Amano’s 2020 Thanksgiving community event: Pozole for Familias.

All afternoon on Turkey Day, Alamilla’s team handed free bowls of house-made pozole to everyone who stopped by the restaurant. Ladled from a single pot, the stew alleviated loneliness, banished hunger, and brought food-insecure families and business executives together at one steamy table.

This year, Pozole for Familias is back! Amano will serve free stew from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 25. The pay-what-you-want bowls of pozole will benefit Inclusive Idaho (II) — a local nonprofit that builds inclusion for historically excluded groups in the Gem State, like people of color and those in the LGBTQ+ community.

Written by Lex Nelson