Springtime will soon be in the air and you and your family are invited to get take a break from the 9 to 5 and city life to experience the awakening of life. The Center For Land-Based Learning at the Farm on Putah Creek is hosting Welcome Back Springtime at the Farm on Putah Creek Sunday March 28, 2010 from 10:00am – 4:00pm. The Center For Land-Based Learning is a non-profit whose stated mission is to “engage youth in learning experiences on the land that foster respect for the critical interplay of agriculture, nature and society.” Under the leadership of Mary Kimball, Executive Director, the Center uses a network of farms, ranches, and natural ecosystems as educational laboratories for

Kenneth Haff, President of the American Honey Producers Association (AHPA) sweeps a glance around the full event room at Hilton Sacramento Arden West and smiles. He is pleased with the turnout for AHPA’s 41st Annual National Convention, a three-day event hosting speakers and vendors from all across the country.   This is the second year Sacramento has served as the convention’s host city. Haff estimated that around 600 people registered for the convention, and about 37 vendors. Seminars included “The Honey Revolution – Restoring the Health of Future Generations” with Dr. Ron Fessenden of Colorado and The Sierra Club’s “Working to Protect Pollinators” with Dr. Neil Carman of Texas, to nam

Living in one of the world's most productive agricultural regions has its perks. Sacramento residents can stroll through a farmers market and buy fresh fruits and vegetables—and meet the farmer who grew them—year-round. By all accounts, the popularity of farmers markets is on the rise, not just in Sacramento, but nationwide. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates there are 4,800 farmers markets in operation, an increase of almost 400 markets since 2006. California is home to about 520 certified farmers markets, featuring the produce of nearly 3,000 farmers. Sales are up, too. California’s farmers markets took in $163 million in 2007 (the latest figure available), up from $114 milli

Come join us in celebrating 22 years of the Hoes Down Harvest Celebration in the Capay Valley (Yolo County).  This celebration will promote agricultural arts and sustainable rural living through two fun-filled days of workshops and events.  Located within two hours of San Francisco and Sacramento’s busy metropolitan areas, the rural Capay Valley region is home to many small farms that supply Northern California’s families, restaurants, and neighborhood grocery stores with fresh organic produce.  The Celebration will offer the public a special chance to enjoy rural life and deepen their understanding and connection to the local food system. On Saturday, October 3rd, the Harvest Festival at

In 2001, two-and-a-half-year-old Kevin Kowalcyk became a victim of food. His death was induced by hamburger meat contaminated with the E. coli bacteria. Kevin’s story is one of many issues discussed in Food, Inc., the recently released documentary directed by Robert Kenner. A special screening of the film was hosted by the Pesticide Watch Education Fund on Friday evening at the Crest Theatre. Food Inc. begins with an aerial shot of farmlands that transform into the packaging of a Farm Fresh product. The film discusses the modern food production industry’s tendency toward using an agrarian visage for goods manufactured in factories. Much of the data and research in the film is provided b

Backyard chickens. Frontyard gardens. Crop swaps. Fruit gleaning. The Good Food Movement, or movement towards a sustainable food and food production, is growing in Sacramento. And residents are seizing on the City's soils and politics to make Sacramento a living laboratory for a new wave of urban agriculture. "Urban agriculture is providing the forum for a larger social discussion," said Jennifer Lee of EAT Sacramento in an email. "Sacramentans increasingly understand that how we eat and how we grow has profound implications for our health, our communities and our environment." On July 11th, these efforts will culminate in Urban Ag Day.  Participants will have an opportunity to ride thei

Keep this in mind the next time you're trying to decide what to buy at the grocery store to stay healthy: Too much of what's sitting on shelves today isn't really food. It's nothing more than "edible substances." That's what best-selling author Michael Pollan told a sellout crowd during Wednesday night's California Lecture at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1300 N St. The Knight Professor of Journalism at University of California, Berkeley, has won national acclaim for such books as "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food." "What is food?" was just one of the questions Pollan addressed in a question-and-answer format led by California's food and ag czar, A.G. Kawamura. That suc

Sacramento, CA - Earlier today, Maria Shriver unveiled a community garden at the heart of the Capitol grounds, following a national trend to grow food local and sustainably. The garden will be made up of fruits, vegetables and herbs, and change with the seasons. According to advocates, it is intended to be a teaching tool for children regarding nutrition, agriculture and healthy living. “Over the years, I have seen how gardens have positively transformed students, schools and communities in California. Gardens are a wonderful resource, and I truly believe in the life lessons they teach and the lives they touch -- and that every school and community should have one. What we’re doing in Cal

In Washington, D.C., Friday marks National Agriculture Day. While this event is primarily sponsored by and profiles industry heavyweights like the Farm Bureau, Dow AgroSciences and Archer Daniels Midland, Sacramento residents are celebrating in their own way. “Sacramentans are rebuilding our food system,” said Paul Schramski, State Director of Pesticide Watch. “Facing an increasingly unhealthy food system, and lack of access to more healthy foods, Sacramento residents are embracing a new urban agriculture.” On any recent weekend, Sacramentans could be found participating in sustainable, urban agriculture. Neighbors in East Sacramento, spearheaded by the Sacramento Urban Fruit Sustainabil