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Monday, March 15, 2010
Cinco de Alchemist: A Celebration of Transformation
by John Schmidt, published on November 6, 2009 at 2:37PM
Storyline: Food
Sacramento’s Alchemist Community Development Corporation hosted a party and fundraiser to mark its fifth anniversary Thursday evening, and veggies never seemed so cool.
At “Cinco de Alchemist,” about 150 guests enjoyed delightful offerings from local restaurants Mulvaney’s B&L, The Waterboy, Taylor’s Market, Magpie Caterers, Mikuni and more. Live music by Caribbean Jazz and Musical Charis complemented the celebratory mood.
Alchemist CDC was founded in 2004 by Wendy Carter, Lisa Nelson and Chris Aguirre to promote equitable community development in Sacramento. The nonprofit group believes that the overall health of the region depends on the health of urban centers, and they are currently focused on serving the Alkali Flats and Mansion Flats neighborhoods of downtown Sacramento.
In 2007, Alchemist CDC and the Sacramento Mutual Housing Association began the city’s first urban farm stand at J. Neely Johnson Park in Alkali Flats. In 2009, they began a farm stand at McClatchy Park in the Oak Park neighborhood. The farm stands operate from May through October.
Urban farm stands bring improved access to fresh, seasonal, locally grown vegetables and fruit to people and communities who can benefit most from it. An urban farm stand is different from a farmers’ market. Whereas farmers’ markets involve many different producers selling their produce in a large area, farm stands involve a single vendor who resells produce they have purchased from various local farmers. The farm stand is smaller and less complex than a farmers’ market and requires less coordination and fewer people to operate.
Alchemist CDC also operates an internship program for youth ages 14 to 18. According to their website, the “program focuses on providing the interns with knowledge of the benefits of fresh produce to overall health and disease prevention, as well as the differences in conventional and organic produce.”
Land Park resident Fiona Castleberry interned with Alchemist from May through October in 2009, and she attended the Cinco de Alchemist party. Castleberry worked as a volunteer at the new farm stand in McClatchy Park, and she said it was especially interesting to see how a new farm stand was set up.
“I was a bit skeptical before I started,” she said. “I really wasn’t sure there would be a lot of interest there in a farm stand, but it turned out to be a great success, and I learned a lot.”
Cinco de Alchemist was held at the newly renovated Beatnik Studios. Alchemist board president Wendy Carter said they looked at several spaces in Sacramento, but knew right away that Beatnik was just right. Beatnik did seem the perfect match for the event with its simple, elegant decor and wide-open spaces with room for guests to stand and talk or just lounge on the couches.
Carter and other Alchemist board members were pleased with the success of the event. Many of the guests stayed for hours chatting with old friends and new acquaintances, enjoying wine and beer from local producers.
“Alchemist is very appreciative of the support that everybody has shown us,” executive director Davida Douglas said in an e-mail. “The event exceeded our expectations and we are thankful to everyone that made it out to the event, and to the donors and supporters.”
Yet, there was a bit of uncertainty in Carter’s outlook about the future of Alchemist.
“We are in an in-between phase where it’s getting more difficult to raise the funds necessary to continue and expand our efforts in the community,” she said. Carter cited the economy as a huge strain on the funds available through grants and on the ability of the individual donor to give.
Carter said she has high hopes for the future of Alchemist and for better food access in her community.
“One of the things I have talked about is possibly operating the farm stands year round,” she said. “The farm stands have the best produce available in my opinion, and I miss it when it isn’t there.”
Board Secretary Jessica Pearson also has big dreams for the future of the community and its access to fresh, healthy food. She sees a future where the urban farm stands have become self-sustaining, integral parts of their respective neighborhoods and can be operated solely by the people who live there.
According to Alchemist’s website, alchemy is the medieval science that sought to transform base metals into gold. The Alchemist Community Development Corporation, true to its name, is seeking to guide the transformation and growth of the Sacramento community by putting the tools to do so in the hands of the people who need them most. If the outpouring of love, community and dedication present at Cinco de Alchemist is any indication, the future is golden for this organization and the communities it serves.
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From first glance, this organization looks like yet another non-profit trying to make money off the poor and doing nothing but trade on buzzwords like "social justice."
I've been to their "urban farm stands.." I saw one small tent and one table...
Besides giving lip service, and trying to wring money our of SHRA who they are cozy with...since their inception, what have they accomplished to equally distribute redevelopment dollars throughout disadvantaged neighborhoods? Lobby SHRA for our tax dollars for insider developers and Sacramento Mutual Housing Association?
The vast majority of the city's tax dollars go to wealthy fat cat developers to build hotels, restaurants and martini bars for a handful of scumbags who buy council votes through campaign contributions.
I have been at many SHRA and Council meetings where the City gave away millions upon millions of dollars to the same group of developers...I have never seen or heard one peep out of this group in public meetings...ever.
So once again...what exactly do they do?
Interesting... Under their sister organization the Sacramento Mutual Housing Association - they claim to run the "Urban Farm Stand Program" this is the exact same program that Alchemy claims to run. Just how is it that two separate non-profit entities claim on their tax returns to run the exact same program? And more interesting is WHY?
Whatever...it's always something....the sheep in this town can now go back to grazing.
Also Alchemist claims to be a Community Development Corporation. (CDC) This term is well defined, your organization has employees of SHRA on your Board. So let me get this straight. You call yourselves a CDC, and have a board made up of those in the development field, yet your mission is to provide fruits and vegetables? I call BS! Your organization is a lobbying arm of SMHA trying to pass yourselves off as a touchy feely green organization.
And btw if you want to put your money where your mouth is...you speak of wanting to "...work with local producers to bring fresh and healthy fruit and vegetables to neighborhoods..."
Why hasn't your organization said ONE PEEP about urban sprawl and the destruction of irreplaceable local farmland by the City of Sacramento? There are many local farms that could be producing produce that doesn't have to be trucked in. Well I know the answer, don't bother, your organization would never rock the boat with the City and put your cozy relationships at risk.
Urban sprawl is the SINGLE largest threat to the environment and is destroying farms at a pace similar to the destruction of the rain forest. Please explain all of your organizations efforts to halt urban sprawl in Sacramento and how you have worked to protect local farms.
Have you been to ONE meeting on the Natomas Joint Vision plan being pushed through by Ray Tretheway which will annex tens of thousands of irreplaceable farm land so the Tsakopoulos Mob and his developer cronies can build more stucco tract homes and strip malls in flood plains...?
Has the Tsakopoulos Mob donated any money to your group or to SMHA? I wonder....
Otherwise, you are the one consistently mouthing off, talking trash about others, convinced that no efforts are worthwhile or above suspicion and "all the while doing little or nothing to bring about any substantive change."
You have no idea what I do, or what I have done, how can you surmise if I am constructive or not?
Unlike most the dupes in this town, I will call a spade a spade...
Now go back to attacking KJ
From your comments.
From your presence.
From your insistence on attacking every entity and group that you might participate with.
From you insistence that the system is so corrupt there's no point in actually trying to do anything about it.
From your need to find something sinister in bringing fresh food to urban neighborhoods.
From your attitude toward "most of the dupes in this town."
What have you done that is constructive? Like it or not, you present yourself as ""all the while doing little or nothing to bring about any substantive change."