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 Ch... john1977 geofreak 2009-11-08T21:26:06Z 2009-11-08T21:26:06Z

Great article, John! And congratulations to Alchemist for doing a good thing to serve a few small neighborhoods.

geofreak 2009-11-08T21:26:06Z Marion Millin 2009-11-08T05:21:41Z 2009-11-08T05:21:41Z

"How can you surmise if I am constructive or not? " 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."

Marion Millin 2009-11-08T05:21:41Z Jim Knapp 2009-11-08T04:01:57Z 2009-11-08T04:01:57Z

LOL ROTFLMAO Marion you are lecturing me on carping? 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

Jim Knapp 2009-11-08T04:01:57Z Marion Millin 2009-11-08T03:13:35Z 2009-11-08T03:13:35Z

Jim you have a lot of energy, a lot of ideas, you seem not to be a stupid person. The carping though, is way past getting old. When are you constructive? If you know so much more and so much better than just about everybody in Sacramento who may be trying to accomplish something as in/significant as bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to communities that have limited shopping/transportation options, why don't you take all your vitriol and hand waving and DO SOMETHING YOURSELF. 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."

Marion Millin 2009-11-08T03:13:35Z Kathleen Haley 2009-11-07T20:08:46Z 2009-11-07T20:08:46Z

I like your lead!

Kathleen Haley 2009-11-07T20:08:46Z Jim Knapp 2009-11-07T17:00:10Z 2009-11-07T17:00:10Z

My frustration is with hypocrites who use the poor and buzzwords to gain advantage, without actually doing anything of substance...clearly this frustration is not misguided in Sacramento....this town is full of hypocrites that make a good living trading off the poor and utilizing hip environmental sounding buzz words....all the while doing little or nothing to bring about any substantive change. 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....

Jim Knapp 2009-11-07T17:00:10Z KayBee 2009-11-07T02:39:41Z 2009-11-07T02:39:41Z

If you read the article, or speak with anyone involved, you'd realize that an urban farm stand is not a farmer's market, and does not involved the large number of vendors and people involved in those operations. The point is to work with local producers to bring fresh and healthy fruit and vegetables to neighborhoods that don't have the large, many-vendor farmer's markets. So, what Alchemist does is work with food producers to bring produce to the Alkali and Mansion Flats neighborhood, and the Oak Park neighborhood. SMHA, a long-established organization, has helped Alchemist, a new organization, get this farm stand program running. It is called collaboration. Maybe this will help you understand what Alchemist does, and what they don't do (i.e. they organize a farm stand, they do not "lobby SHRA for our tax dollars"). Sometimes it helps to be informed before attempting to poison the fruitful efforts of others with your misguided frusutration.

KayBee 2009-11-07T02:39:41Z Jim Knapp 2009-11-07T00:12:54Z 2009-11-07T00:12:54Z

Off their website..."Social justice in community development means that all residents should contribute to and benefit from economic and physical development in their neighborhoods..." 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.

Jim Knapp 2009-11-07T00:12:54Z