Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "agriculture"

Soul of the City!

2012-02-10T02:55:57Z

New for 2012!! Soul of the City is an engaging dialogue series between the public and the design profession on issues of importance to the community and the region with focus on improving communication, understanding and collaboration (formerly known as the 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue series). Organized by the AIA Central Valley Chapter and the ASLA California Sierra Chapter, the dialogues are listed below for the year and the topics have come directly from the public and the profession from one of our dialogues last year. We look forward to seeing everyone again this year for some engaging conversation! See you at the first dialogue on February 29th, where we will kick-off the series talking about what the Soul of Sacramento is...

FREE ADMISSION!

5:45PM – 7:30PM at the AIACV Gallery: 1400 S Street, Sacramento 95811

Soul of the City Dates and Topics:
February 29th ~ The Soul of Sacramento
What is it? Where is it? Let’s find it and celebrate it! Join us for an introduction to Soul of the City!
Facilitators: Kim Alexander of the California Voter Foundation, Saxon Sigerson, AIA and Jason Silva, AIA

April 25th ~ Urban Open Space
What makes a good place to visit in the urban environment? Where are the best places in our region? Join us for this lively discussion about where it is and where to find it.
Facilitators: Peter Larimer, ASLA and Marq Truscott, FASLA

June 27th ~ Street Food in the City
Appetite on the Run! A discussion on street food and its impact on Sacramento.
Facilitators: Costa Apostolos of Sacto MoFO and writes on, Living in Urban Sac and Catherine Enfield, a food truck advocate who’s written many articles on the subject, founding member of Sacto MoFo, and now has http://www.sacfoodtrucks.net
Food trucks will be present for you to enjoy!

October (Dates to be posted on Facebook):
Urban Agriculture
The best restaurants in town have long preferred local source food, and the public appetite for it has increased steadily. Come to discuss the spectrum of urban agriculture, from edible front yards and urban farming community gardens.
Facilitators: Bill Maynard, City of Sacramento Community Garden Program Coordinator, Claire Napawan, Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture at UC Davis and Marq Truscott, FASLA

Infill: How to balance the old with the new
A discussion of creating the new in traditonal neighborhoods; balancing respect, sustainably design opportunity and individuality
Facilitators: Bruce Monighan, AIA and Craig Hausman, AIA

Click for flyer
Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SacSoul2012
or for more info email Chris Brown at cbrown@dlrgroup.com

Disclosure: Chris Brown, Associate AIA, Co-chair of the Soul of the City Dialogues with the AIA Central Valley Chapter

City Farm uses waste as an opportunity to grow

2012-01-31T21:39:14Z

The growing season is over.

In the California capital, dead autumn leaves lay heavy on the damp, manicured lawns of Sacramento City College as students learn that through death, something else will eat.

City Farm, Sacramento City College’s organic urban farm, concluded its first semester cultivating students into stewards of the land outside of Lillard Hall on Dec. 2 with an experiential learning experience—naturally recycling organic waste to create healthy, valuable, nutrient-rich compost for the next growing season.

“It's also called ecologically intelligent design,” says Robyn Waxman, City Farm faculty coordinator and graphic communication instructor. “Instead of taking, making and wasting, we are creating new and useful materials.”

According to a 2009 study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. landfills account for 20 percent of the methane emission in the world—a potent green house gas 21 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. Over 34 million tons of food waste goes to U.S. landfills annually—more than any other kind of waste. Only 2 percent is composted.

“The human waste problem is a reality we will have to face in our future,” says guest lecturer Derek Downey, co-founder of the Davis Farmers’ Market Zero Waste Program.

Downey grabs a piece of soil from one of the City Farm plots and looks at it closely as he breaks it apart with his fingers—it is dry, sandy and does not contain any life.

City Farm did not flourish as Waxman had hoped—swiss chard, brocolli and other leafy greens appear dwarfed.

“Even plants have better immune systems with compost,” says Downey, a UC Davis biological systems engineering graduate.
Compost is nature’s way to rejuvenate soil by decomposing organic matter (food waste and yard trimmings) into living soil providing colorful, delicious, micronutrient-rich food.

Waxman and Downey developed and distributed a seven-step pictorial guide to composting to over 20 City Farmers.

“Dead things equal food,” says Downey as he demonstrates layering branches and leaves to form the base of the pile—allowing air to circulate.

Waxman brought a container filled with compostable kitchen waste from her home to demonstrate suitable compost—egg shells, coffee grounds and vegetables.

A few students enquire on where to get worms to start a worm bin for at-home composting.

“I’ve got worms!” says Ryan Thalken, City Farm President, biology major and gardener.

According to Downey, worm poop produces more microbes and pasteurizes the soil. Worms love coffee grounds—a perfect ingredient for compost piles and gardens where worms reside. Downey recommends asking neighborhood cafes for their coffee grounds.

“It’s one way of taking responsibility for your community’s waste,” says Downey.

Waxman explains that classes would like to work together for a common goal or shared learning experience.

“While City Farm does have a club who act as the stewards of the space, City Farm is primarily a place for classes to experiment and test theory learned in the classroom,” says Waxman. “It's a multi-disciplinary, academic garden.”

The Science Math and Engineering Club are sharing the plant biology plot for a water-saving hydroponics experiment. Next semester, the art and chemistry class hopes to include a African history class studying the European indigo plantations to demonstrate making indigo dye for fabrics.

“People crave reconnecting with things that are real,” Waxman says.

Students shovel a thin layer of soil over the pile to prevent flies and odors before covering the pile with a tarp to retain heat and moisture.

With over 10 other classes and clubs waitlisted to use one of the four plots, Waxman feels very positively about City Farm’s potential growth with participatory learning and taking personal responsibility of our futures.

Several other lecture opportunities contributed to City Farm’s success. Secretary of Sustainability and plant biology major Michael Viscuso facilitated workshops on amending soil with natural fertilizers. California Food Literacy Center co-founder and ‘Awake at the Wisk’ blogger Amber Stott discussed natural pest control—more than 60 people attended.

“Most students don't realize how much power they wield,” says Waxman.

In October, City Farm students hosted a documentary film festival for National Food Day focusing on genetically modified food, fair labor practices and sustainable food production—over 100 attended.

“City Farm allows you to take it upon yourself to learn and make with it [the farm] what you want,” says Waxman.

By Monday afternoon following Friday’s composting party, Waxman had emailed City Farm students—per administration, the compost pile must be dismantled.

While clearing the pile, students discussed other ways to increase City Farm yields with compost.

A student passing by the deconstruction of the compost pile stops to ask if the compost pile would smell badly.

“It should smell like the forest floor—like the good stuff,” Waxman says smiling.

Disclosure: Matthew Blackburn is a journalism student at Sacramento City College

Local prof. discusses white nose syndrome among bats

2011-04-08T05:18:08Z

A deadly fungus that has killed about a million bats on the east coast, known as white nose syndrome, has local biologists worried because it's spreading westward.

They're uncertain, however, whether the fungus, which relies on cold temperatures, will mutate into something that can survive warmer Sacramento-like winters, explained Winston Lancaster, an associate professor of biological sciences at Sacramento State University who has been studying bats since the 1980s.

“What's the greater likelihood is that it will be different. We just don't know what to expect,” Lancaster said. “So there is good reason to believe that in a drier climate and in an open sort of roost, like we have in bridges here, it may not ever be established.”

But biological organisms adapt. So the question, Lancaster said, is whether the fungus will still have the same pathogenic effect on these animals. “Maybe, maybe not,” he said.

Found in one cave in New York, white nose syndrome has resulted in the death of 95 percent of the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) population and has killed some bats from other species as well, Lancaster said.

He added that it's thought that the fungus was brought to the United States in 2006 from Europe by the shoes or clothes of tourists. More recently, scientists have seen it move down the Appalachian Mountains and west to Oklahoma.

Unfortunately, not much can be done to stop white nose syndrome from spreading, but here on the other side of the continent, scientists can see the storm coming, Lancaster said.

“We have time to react.… We need to make sure we have our methods of handling animals such that we won't be the agent of dispersal,” he said.

What's likely to happen is that someone will inadvertently spread this on their shoes or on their clothing, he said, so officials have been trying to restrict access to infected areas. “But it becomes an extremely difficult thing to do – to completely close caves. It's very expensive and it's very difficult to accomplish.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has called for a moratorium on caving activities in the affected areas and recommends that any clothing or equipment used in such areas be decontaminated after each use.

So when Lancaster takes graduate students in a few weeks to the Sutter Buttes to catch bats, they have to follow the new protocol.

“We never did this before,” Lancaster said. “We only started this last year. All these protocols are meant to change our behavior so that, if I catch a bat that has this fungus on it … I'm not going to inadvertently transfer that fungus to a bat that lives in a totally different place.”

Lancaster explained that the fungus has been found around bats' wings, mouths and ears when they are hibernating in caves during winter and seems to disrupt their hibernation patterns.

“It is known they do wake up and it's not sure why they are waking up,” he said. “Are they looking for water? Are they trying to look for food?” Lancaster continued, noting that the bats don't have enough energy to go through the winter if they're waking up from hibernation early.

When animals go into hibernation, Lancaster explained, they let their bodies get cold so they can save energy, but after a few days, they need to take a few hours to warm up. That spike in temperature accounts for 90 percent of their energy use, he said. But if the animals are waking up and staying awake longer than those spikes, they're in danger of running out of energy before the winter is over.

In warmer Sacramento, bats don't hibernate but go down into a torpor, or deep sleep, after their daily roost to allow their body temperatures to drop.

“These are tiny animals with fast metabolisms, so if they had to keep their metabolism up to full speed all day long, they would have to eat more,” he said. “(Here) they go into mini hibernations every day unless temperatures stay down below 50 degrees at days at a time.”

It's thought that the Mexican free tail, a common local bat species, may be an asymptomatic carrier, meaning it might not be affected by the fungus, but tens to be a migratory animal. So there's the possibility it could carry spores from one roost to another, Lancaster said.

Many farmers are in favor of protecting bats because they not only eat the insects that damage their crops but unlike chemical pesticides, they turn insects into fertilizer. On the Yolo Causeway, hundreds of thousands of Mexican free tail bats work in farmers' fields.

According to an article in Science Magazine titled “Economic Importance of Bats in Agriculture” the loss of bats due to white nose syndrome and wind turbines states estimate a loss of $3.7 billion per year in North America.

To learn more about white nose syndrome, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website at http://www.fws.gov/whitenosesyndrome/

Patrick Mulvaney and Shawn Harrison discuss the importance of local agriculture in Sacramento at Time Tested Books store

2011-03-22T04:59:23Z

Sunday evening Patrick Mulvaney couldn’t be found in the Mulvaney’s B&L kitchen. Instead, the chef and restaurateur was at Time Tested Books with Shawn Harrison, executive director of Soil Born Farms, discussing local agriculture as part of The Sacramento Living Library series.

The series is presented by Midtown Monthly and Time Tested Books. Tim Foster, editor of Midtown Monthly, moderated the talk.

Harrison began the conversation with the historical context of Sacramento’s agriculture addressing the question: Why it is the way it is?

“Farmers were unable to sell their crops in Sacramento because there was not a huge demand for those crops so they went elsewhere,” said Harrison.

Mulvaney said, “98 percent of the food that is grown in Sacramento leaves our area, so only 2 percent of the food that you see in our city is stuff that we eat on a daily basis.”

Mulvaney and Harrison also discussed the economical aspects of local farms in Sacramento’s schools.

“A school can pay X and a grower can pay X and right now those don’t match,” said Harrison.

Harrison added that while schools might have the ability to pay for quality foods the farmers don’t have the resources needed to produce an abundance of food for these facilities.

There is an mechanism that Harrison and Mulvaney are currently trying to develop as an attempt to solve this issue.

“An aggregation hub is a mechanism we’re trying to develop for Sacramento Unified School Districts to collect crops from small growers who would not on their own be able to sell to big buyers or school districts,” said Harrison.

Mulvaney said he wants people to improve Sacramento agriculture for the future generation.

“We want to make sure that what we leave our grandchildren is better than what our grandparents left us with,” said Mulvaney.

Harrison emphasized the need to implement healthy eating habits into local school districts.

“We need to replace the processed foods with local grown foods, starting with our high schools,” Harrison said.

Mulvaney said, “The process is economically liable, but there is a big gap between the small farmer, who is unable to distribute to large facilities, and the school’s ability to make a change in their schools.”

“This is a great opportunity to learn about things that we don’t even think about,” said attendee Jim O’Donlad, 55, of Citrus Heights.

Time Tested Books hosts The Sacramento Living Library every third Sunday of the month. The next talk will feature novelist Ishmael Reed, who will be discussing his novel “Juice” on ~~April 17~~ April 10 at noon.

For information on The Sacramento Living Library go to http://www.timetestedbooks.net

Editorial Note: A correction has been made to this story after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and the correct information has been added.

Celebrating Rosa Parks Day in the California Capitol

2011-01-06T19:51:19Z

Friday, February 4, 2011, the birthday of Rosa Louise McCauley Parks is our official kick-off for Rosa Parks Day in California featuring “Let’s Move !! Food as Medicine” and challenge our “Faith Based Partners” toward implementation of Healthy Solutions in California to met the economic challenges of diet related disease impacting our entire community, especially the youth.

On Saturday, February 5, 2011, at the California State Capitol, our Rosa Parks Day Celebration ~ International Year for People of African Descent will honor regional community youth who demonstrate the faith and courage of Rosa Parks featuring a key note address by Delaine Eastin, former California State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

On Monday, February 7, 2011, official Rosa Parks Day in California, intermodal transportation systems throughout the State of California will continue to build support towards achieving equity and equality, this special UN, International Year of People of African Descent.

We are proud to share our extended agriculture heritage through the legacy of Rosa Parks that connects Classical African Civilization, through the Black Warrior River Basin of Alabama to the Central Valley of California, “the Greatest Garden in the World.”

California Working Group, utilizing the broader platform of the United Nations International Year of People of African Descent will expand this year’s celebration of Rosa Parks into a broader global examination of essential structural adjustments necessary to achieve universal healing caused by traumatic centuries of human rights violations considering “Food as Medicine.”

Rosa Louise McCauley was greatly influenced by her parents Leona and James McCauley, her grandparents Rose and Sylvester Edwards helped stabilize the young family in the difficult days of the "Jim Crow" south where terrorism of Black people was a common and accepted practice.

Rosa's mother was a schoolteacher who taught "Ag in the classroom" and cultivated her favorite vegetables broccoli, collard greens, sweet potatoes and string beans in the family kitchen garden just outside of Tuskegee, Alabama.

The origins of the name Alabama comes from a rough translation "herb gathers" from indigenous language the Tombigbee River Basin, Black Warrior River Valley, part of a larger ancient civilization of "Mound Builders," reaching back well over 5000 years ago, Washitaw Proper.

The broader Mississippi River Basin was part of the "Louisiana Purchase," nearly 1/3 of the entire continental United States, acquired in 1803 from the Emperor of the French, Napoleon Bonaparte, who was given authorization to the land claim by Spanish authority.

After fall of the Spanish Port at Mobile Bay in 1814, the path to become a U.S. territory and later the State of Alabama, affectionately known as the heart of dixie, was ratified by the U.S. Congress in 1819, our 23rd State.

In 1823, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision which stated that "Indians" could occupy lands within the United States, but could not hold title to those lands. Thus only white men could hold U.S. title to land in America. This is the legal foundation and ongoing belief fundamental to Native American and people of African Descent unable to retain vast acres of land throughout the United States of America.

In 1830, President Andrew Jackson established an official U.S government policy called the "Indian Removal Act."

Indigenous populations continue to call it the "Trail of Tears and Death" a forced removal from the land and destruction of cultural ways.
Taking ancestral lands and establishing "King Cotton" on the back of enslaved human beings, destroying ancient civilizations of antiquity.

Jefferson Davis, a West Point Graduate, Mississippi Senator and a U.S. Secretary of War, was elected President of the Confederate States of America and fought bravely to retain slavery throughout the land.

Today, members of the 112th Congress marks the Sesquicentennial of the U.S. Civil War and celebrate a fond memory of January 9, 1861, Citadel troops at Fort Sumpter, South Carolina destroying maritime trade lines in an effort to "Preserve America."

Montgomery, Alabama, original capital of the Confederate States of America, was the site of Rosa Parks’ singular action, supported by the yearlong Montgomery Bus Boycott, organized and mobilized by community action that changed the world and renewed the promise of America.

Earlier the historic Tuskegee Institute Airman, trained at nearby Maxwell Air Force Base to facilitate integration of air transportation during World War II, greatly assisted by Eleanor Roosevelt. Clean and green U.S. Transportation is essential to restoring, "Food as Medicine."

Many were reminded by President Barack Obama on Inauguration Day and U.S. Transportation officials are beginning to recognize Rosa Parks Day and the broader contributions of People of African Descent to the various intermodal transportation systems essential to sustain our broader U.S. Trade and Commerce objectives as well as essential clean and green public transportation to our daily lives.

2011 Rosa Parks Day in California, we pause to reflect upon our "International Year for People of African Descent… a Tribute to Dear Rosa" and remember her faith and courage as we consider “Food as Medicine” this special season of new beginnings.

Disclosure: Michael Harris is the Project Director for Rosa Parks Day in California

What Rural Issues Mean To You: Make the Rural-Urban Connection

2010-12-01T18:12:58Z

What do farms in our region have to do with the quality of life in your community? Where we build homes and which roads we invest in affect urban and rural communities equally. The Rural-Urban Connections Strategy is the next step in implementing the Blueprint, the region's vision for growth promoting housing and transportation choices, use of existing assets, and natural resources conservation.

On December 10, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments is holding a regional forum on the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy, a project looking at how to keep rural communities rural, farmers farming, and protect our natural resources. It's also looking at how to increase access to local food. At the event, you'll:

Learn about the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy, the greenprint to the regional Blueprint
Understand the importance of agriculture to our urban places.
Hear from USDA Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Victor Vasquez
Identify opportunities for expanding the agricultural economy

The event will take place at the Sacramento Convention Center from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and it's free. A locally focused breakfast will be served as well. Space is filling up, so register today!

SACOG will also be presenting its annual SACOG Salutes! awards to 10 organizations who have made a significant difference in the region in 2010.

Bill Hughes Elected Official: Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui
Blueprint Excellence: Yolo County 2030 General Plan
Businesses of the Year: Bogle Vineyards and Mulvaney’s B&L
Citizen of the Year: Joanne Neft
Employee of the Year: Jim Campbell, Yolo County
Organization of the Year: Soil Born Farms
Mary Brill Youth Excellence: GEO Environmental Science & Design Academy at Grant Union High School
Project of the Year: Highway 70 East Nicolaus Bypass
Special Recognition: Apple Hill Growers Association

Whether you live in midtown or Meridian, this is an event not to miss. Learn more at www.sacog.org/rucs/forum2010/about/.

Erik Johnson is the government and media affairs coordinator for the Sacramento Area Council of Governments.

Agriculture is Going from Analog to Digital, and UC Davis is Showing them How

2010-11-23T21:06:21Z

Saturday’s AgNewMedia Conference at the University of California, Davis, taught farmers the importance of social media and how to use it to further their goals. The conference was a product of academics like Anne King, Patricia Bailey, and Melissa Jordan along with a non-stop team realizing there was a disconnect in communication in the agricultural industry.

Social Media Revolution - You Tube Video

As a well versed social media maven, and a 3rd generation citrus farmer, I believe there's a separation I'm finding with farmers abilities to communicate what their seeing to their consumers, they have so much information but not the tools to deliver it. This conference began bridging the gap, and filling the distance between the farmer and the consumer. Now not every farmer is going to run out an create a Facebook page, or Twitter account but this conference provided the tools to consider it, and acknowledge the growing technology movement in an industry that is mainly analog.

There used to be what media types call "Gatekeepers" these are they people that would determine if the story, content, or information was worth any attention. These people could be found in TV, Radio, and most print media; the excitement of social media is the removal from this constricting world of "Gatekeepers" and tell your own story. This information is vital for the family farmers that make up the very small percentage left of an industry that is dominated by corporate agriculture. Through organizations like AgChat Foundation and KnowaCaliforniaFarmer.com small farms are able to speak out and speak up for different types of farming, the benefits of family farming and where you can attain their goods. This is a huge deal to most farmers that feel there are fewer and fewer options available outside of the corporate machine, and gives them back lost autonomy over their own business and families legacy.

Another great new feature of this conference was the youth embracing the farm. Along with all the other generations and ages trying to find their way in this new media for Agriculture, there is a whole new generation coming up trying to make their way as well, the 14-24 year's old. Usually only 4H or FFA are the options, but to give and new, sexy exciting twist on Aggies is ILoveFarmers.org this non-profit has been organized to embrace, engage and invigorate a whole new generation of farmers, and they are very clever in their approach. With a whole product line based around their tattoo looking design the buzz is getting started even outside their target audience.

For those farmers out there past the first stages of social media and trying to take a new road to capture their audience there are videos like the one below and have made a clever edge to their product, which has already over 1,000,000 views.

Yeo Valley Advert - Official Video- You Tube

From tips like video blogging needing to be kept under 1-2 minuets, to acknowledging that the future of social media is actually mobile media were given among many others. Applications like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, QR (Quick Response Codes) and Groupon are all embracing a growing mobile world, and this is where the farmer should be looking now. QR codes could be the newest and most revolutionary part of the industry, as they are a special barcode, which when scanned by a smartphone application would lead the user to wealth of product information in a matter of seconds.

One thing that Jason Shoultz of America's Heartland, spoke to was the notion that contained, and controlled messages will always lack transparency, and the more bureaucracy on the farm, non-profit, or organization the more complications will come in creating a message to share with your followers. This can be something that so many people give to little credit to, the "upper management" is so worried about what negative message will leak out that they are very wary of social media, and when they baby-step into it everything is overly controlled.

Jeff Fowle of AgChat Foundation has some very concise remarks to be said on making the message, "There is no main glove that encompass all, we need farmers of all types from sustainable to traditional, organic to GMO to come together, we may not all agree, but there is no one glove that encompasses agriculture. We need to make CA, and the U.S aware of the farmers in the field that feed America, and the world." "Be genuine, be honest, and kind in your messages to the public."

There were great breakout sessions including: Delivering a positive message, Engaging your audience, Evaluating effectiveness, Niche marketing, Providing useful information for policy makers, Just getting started with use of social media, Share Your Story, Using visual media, Writing an initial story, Working with multiple commodities. With such a great conference put together it made me wonder why it took so long, so I spoke to Dr. Anne King, Professor in the Department of Animal Science at UC Davis. "It's something that I've been thinking about for 2 years, it need to happen and finally we just formed a committee and made it happen, as everything was coming together we even had people walking onto the committee they were so excited about what we were doing."

Some final take-home points that Jim Morris from the California Rice Commission said were

1. Pinpoint your message, and your auidence
2. Speak in their language
3. Be prolific and proactive
4. Have sound science back up your claims
5. Brevity - be brief
6. Gain third party support
7. Be Real - genuine
8. Maintain other outreach - story pitches, personal interaction, responsive
9. Don't over engage - too much information isn't good
10. Remember this is a "Game Changer"

Land, Food & You: Make the Rural-Urban Connection on Dec. 10

2010-11-20T01:17:11Z

The Sacramento region is home to over 2 million people, but did you know that farms in our area contribute over $2 billion to our economy? And of all that food, only about 2% is consumed locally? On December 10, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments is holding a regional forum on the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy, a project looking at how to keep rural communities rural, farmers farming, and protect our natural resources.

The event will take place at the Sacramento Convention Center from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and it's free. A locally focused breakfast will be served as well.

SACOG is best known for the Blueprint, a bold vision for growth that promotes compact, mixed-use development and more transit. The Rural-Urban Connections Strategy is the rural companion to the Blueprint--the "greenprint".

Through presentations, videos, and real-time polling activities, the event will explore current agricultural conditions and challenges, identify market opportunities for expanding regional agricultural activity, delve into the role of rural communities, rural transportation issues and agriculture in the region, and share innovations from the project that will help shape our region's future economic and environmental health.

The forum will also feture a keynote address from USDA Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Victor Vasquez.

Erik Johnson is the government and media affairs coordinator for the Sacramento Area Council of Governments.

Dinner on the Farm, A Triumphant Success!

2010-10-13T03:14:41Z

"It’s about a wood-burning oven, which will make so much more than pizzas," claimed Mary Kimball, executive director of the Center for Land-Based Learning at Sunday's inaugural Dinner on the Farm.

The Center for Land-Based Learning aims to inspire and motivate people of all ages, especially youth, to promote a healthy interplay between agriculture, nature, and society through their actions and as leaders in their communities. They do this through engaging elementary- and high-school children about agriculture and cooking in a farm setting.

When invited to this dinner, I originally thought I was looking at another form of urban agriculture project, but this seems to be going far beyond that. In a grove of walnut trees, a group of about 70 people was hosted to a wonderful cocktail hour and formal sit-down dinner in thanks for contributions to getting that wood-burning oven.

"We made it. We made enough so it can be built," Kimball said. From the labor involved in creating the oven to the famous San Francisco chefs devoting their time, this was a labor of love for all involved and who are working tirelessly to make sustainable agriculture approachable for all ages.

Our dinner started out with appetizers and a fully stocked bar of wines donated by Crew Wine Company, Marr Cellars, Putah Creek Winery, Turkovich Family Winery, Yocha DeHe Farm and Ranch and a bartender making a wonderful selection of bourbon cocktails.

The Butternut squash shooter with nutmeg spiced cream was still warm in the shot glass as it was served, and it was beautiful in flavor. A particular favorite was the golden beet Napoleon with herbed goat cheese in a layered fashion. The lamb merquez meatballs with cucumber and mint yogurt were savory and reminiscent of a gyro.

After the initial cocktail hour and mingling among some of the sustainable/environmental/agricultural people who work in Sacramento along with a huge San Francisco presence, we headed over to the formal table lit by twinkling lights.

The other guests were as enjoyable as the food. From meeting a scholar of sustainable agriculture curriculum at the graduate level, a wealth of very devoted foodies, photographers and silicon valley techies, this was an eclectic cast of characters and the perfect representation of people who are excited about food, sustainability and a good time.

Our first course included a melon salad with arugula, crispy prosciutto, pickled watermelon rind and olive salt – the crispy prosciutto was the perfect saltiness countering the sweetness of the melon. But the true highlight of the meal for me was the roasted delicata squash salad with lardo, chicories, hazelnuts, pecorino and fried sage – from the creamy hazelnut purée to the perfectly cooked squash, it was a table-wide hit.

The main course included beef sausage with fresh shelling beans, tomatoes, mustard greens and pepperonata. The sausage was perfectly seasoned, and although it was supposed to include charred padrone peppers, it turned out that they were picked too mature (larger pepper, much more spicy), so these were served separately to those who wanted to try them.

This part of the meal turned into a wonderful fear factor-like drama to see who was up to the task. All parties at the table made it only a half-bite through before the tearing-up started. (These peppers had a heat equivalent twice that of habaneros). This first dish was followed by roasted lamb truncetta with sweet potato purée, braised dino kale and rosemary jus – the lamb was perfectly tender, and the rosemary jus was my favorite part, as it made the dish.

As the light grew low and the sun was setting, we partook in scrumptious desserts including chocolate and walnut torte with nocino chantilly and reduction, and fig tart with goat cheese while the farm owner, a very charming Clint Eastwood lookalike named Craig McNamara, made sure we were enjoying all festivities.

Craig McNamara was not only very hospitable but a revolutionary in the sustainable agriculture movement with the likes of Michael Pollen and Alice Waters (who were also guests of his farm), making agriculture approachable at all ages. He and his family are strong supporters of the FARMS Program (FARMS stands for Farming, Agriculture and Resource Management for Sustainability).

The meal was a triumph, and it made me very much look forward to what these people will get together and do in the future.

Slow Food Sacramento Brings “Lunch Line” to Big Screen

2010-09-24T00:56:33Z

Slow Food Sacramento and Movies On a Big Screen will present the documentary film Lunch Line at the Guild Theater Sunday, September 26th at 7:00 PM. Admission is $6, and tickets are available at the door. The Guild Theater is located at 2828 35th Street, Sacramento.

Lunch Line begins by telling the story of a group of Chicago high school students who have just won a contest to cook up a healthier school lunch. The students get to travel to Washington, D.C. and prepare their winning menu for policy makers. The film goes on to document the history of America’s 64-year-old school lunch program and to examine the difficulties in making substantive changes to it.

Following the film, there will be a panel discussion featuring Julie Raymond of Sacramento Unified School District’s Healthy Foods Task Force, Bill Maynard of the Sacramento Area Community Garden Coalition, Fatima Malik of the Health Education Council, and Paul S. Towers of The California Food Project. The panel is expected to speak about local advocacy efforts for improving school lunches and child nutrition.

At 5:30 PM, before the film, a reception with appetizers will be held at Old Soul at 40 Acres Café, 3434 Broadway, Sacramento.

Non-Profit Farm Plants Ideas in City Folks' Heads

2010-08-23T16:56:08Z

A sold-out class of about 15 budding farmers visited the non-profit American River Ranch in Rancho Cordova Saturday and Sunday to learn about small-scale farming. Students paid $150 to attend the two-day, hands-on class, which covered the knowledge needed to plan and run a farm smaller than 20 acres.

The class, titled “Grow Your Groceries,” served one of the farm’s missions, which is to educate the community about how to use its land. The American River Ranch is the 25-acre headquarters for Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture and Education Project, who hosted the class along with the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op. The students were happy to oblige the farm’s mission as they bombarded the farm’s workers with questions and requests for detailed advice all weekend.

Getting people excited about growing their own food is a big part of why the farm holds its classes, said Sean Hagan, who taught the class along with Randy Stannard.

“We’re in an area of the country where the land is so fertile, and we’re shipping in something like 98 percent of our food,” Hagan said.

Though it’s not possible for the population to become completely self-sufficient now, classes like these are a step in the right direction, he said.

If the farm’s mission of creating a local food system is to succeed, it will need good farmers. A good farmer is basically two things: observant and willing to put in the time required, Hagan said.

The students ranged from complete farming beginners to certified master gardeners looking to expand their repertoires. Each student had a vision for a beautiful, bountiful garden or farm somewhere in their life.

One couple, Andy Bucchiere and Marilyn Schiveley, stood looking at the farm’s irrigation system, which feeds off the American River. They said they plan to move to Colorado and start a small farm; the class was very helpful in filling in some of the details.

“This is great,” Schiveley said. “Every little tidbit helps.”

Living at “the epicenter of Sacramento,” Stefan and Akie Fukushige Wenk said they already have a successful garden at their Oak Park home but know there’s room for improvement.

“We are hyper-local,” Stefan said. “We want to buy everything as local as possible.”

Akie, a landscaping architect, said the class was more of a refresher for her, having already taken some farming courses. Although, she considered the class to be more than just a source of information for her.

“It’s inspiring, too,” she said. “We’re getting lots of ideas.”

Another student, Sherman Wong, alternated between a look of rapt attention and thoughtfully placing things down in his notebook as he listened to the teachers. Wong said he wants to grow food for his family because he and his daughter have deficient immune systems. Growing his own food would enable him to know the history of what he was eating to ensure that it wasn’t making his family sick.

The farm wants more people to grow their groceries in their yards, teacher Randy Stannard said.

“We want people to reconnect with the land and where their food comes from.” he said.

For more information on future classes and events, you can consult the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op website or the Soil Born Farms website.

"Placer County Real Food" dinner and book signing

2010-08-17T05:42:20Z

Hungry?

How about a slow-roasted pork roast with peppers, pink-eyed peas with Italian sausage and tomatoes, and then some roasted figs, peaches and raspberries with creme fraiche for dessert? Still not hungry?

Grange Restaurant & Bar will host a dinner/book signing Aug. 18 with Joanne Neft and chef Laura Kenny, authors of "Placer County Real Food: Recipes and Menus for Every Week of the Year," where they will serve the above dishes and others, all prepared with ingredients from Placer County’s farmers’ markets.

Neft and Kenny spent 2009 hosting dinner parties every Monday evening where they treated guests to dishes prepared with local, seasonal ingredients.

Neft has been involved in Placer County's local food scene for 20 years. She opened the first Foothill Farmers' Market, and helped start the Mountain Mandarin Festival in 1994 – attended by 40,000 people in 2008. This cookbook was a natural next step for her, according to her and Kenny’s website.

Kenny was trained at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. She worked there and in San Diego in restaurants, as a caterer and as a personal chef. She moved back to Placer County in 2006 where she worked at Lincoln Produce Market for a year and a half before becoming chef of Persimmon Cafe, where she and Neft worked together.

The economic troubles of 2008 forced the cafe to close, and late that year Neft and Kenny were wondering what their next move would be.

Kenny said a friend of Neft's recommended the idea of doing a cookbook of recipes made from local, seasonal ingredients in December, 2008. On Saturday morning, Jan. 3, they met at a farmers' market to buy ingredients for their first dinner party.

The dinner parties started with four guests. By February they decided to up that number to eight. Word of the dinners spread by mouth and e-mail, and they had the entire year booked by March.

"My own grandmother didn't get in until the second week of December," Kenny said

There was no charge to attend the dinners, but Neft and Kenny did ask for $20 donations to help finance the project. They were social affairs, with Neft and Kenny soliciting the opinions and recommendations of their guests afterward.

Kenny said that because they were focusing on what was in season and local, they kept their recipes from eight to 10 ingredients, with a few exceptions.

"We wanted to make it so that the readers can cook at home and have everything ready in the pantry," she said

Two of Kenny's favorite recipes from the book are a lamb neck sliced stew – something she calls "The Best Stew Ever" – and a vanilla bean ice cream. She said that because of the variety of food available in the region, they were able to write enough recipes to last one year.

Although the book focuses on Placer County, she said Sacramento and other areas would have no problems replicating the process.

"It's an idea that can easily be adapted to any county," she said. "Sacramento County is so blessed with agriculture."

Kenny said the response from the public has been positive.

"(It was) mid-August (2009), and we didn't know if anyone wanted the book," she said.

But at $28, the book has sold 9,000 copies and is in its second printing. You can purchase the book online and at a number of retail locations. It will also be available at Grange Wednesday night.

For the book signing, Neft and Kenny will be preparing the food with Grange chef Michael Tuohy. Kenny has never worked with Tuohy before, but she said she is excited for the opportunity.

You can view some recipes and photos from the book here.

The dinner/book signing will start at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $45. For reservations, call 916-492-4450.

Photos courtesy of Placer County Real Food.

Fremont Farmer's Market | Opening Day scenes

2010-05-04T20:56:40Z

Opening day at the Fremont Farmers Market was full of great looking tomatoes, asparagus, onions, potatoes, carrots and other vegies, strawberries, oranges, cherries, blueberries, breads, huge cookies and lots of great lunchtime eats such as crepes, mexican food, gyros. And the olfactory sensation of great lavender from El Dorado Lavendar Farm.

Please see www.sacramentopress.com/headline/26191/More_farmers_markets_begin_opening_today for more details.

SacPress Photos | Kati Garner

Farmer's Markets Reopen for Summer Season

2010-05-04T05:42:43Z

Fresh produce from Farmer's markets are a sweet taste of the Sacramento community, especially in the hot summer months.

Farmer's markets are about to kick off the summer season with a colorful array of favorite fruits and vegetables, flowers and produce. Though flocks of people may arrive in shorts and skirts, by bicycle or walking under the city's famous trees, Sacramento farmer's markets supply local produce year-round.

Dan Best, coordinator of Certified Farmers' Markets of Sacramento, said there is a significant jump in attendance during the summer.

"It's because people are starting to buy more hand and mouth kind of fruit, like peaches," he said. "I think people who shop in the winter probably do the most actual cooking with raw ingredients rather than buying something that's prepared. The people that shop in the winter are hardcore foodies who actually want to create their own meals from scratch, from ingredients directly from the grower. In the summer months, we get the people who add to that group but are looking for something to do and something extra to go with the barbecue."

Among the already-existing farmer's markets, Oak Park will unveil a new one.

"Oak Park is considered a food desert, so per capita there's more liquor stores and fast food restaurants than there are grocery stores," said Joany Titherington, Oak Park Farmer's Market manager. "The goal is to create a point of access for a community that hasn't had access to healthy fruits and vegetables."

Titherington said she hopes 2,500 people from Oak Park and its surrounding areas will attend the market weekly. She added that farmer's markets near Oak Park do not accept WIC or EBT food stamp cards, and that has disabled access to healthier food. Oak Park's market will accept these programs and cards.

"One morning I was walking my dog, and I saw a kid at a bus stop sharing hot Cheetohs with other kids. That was breakfast," she said. "We need to change that. It's the first time in history that people are not expected to live as long as their parents, and that's a huge issue. It's a working-class neighborhood, and access to fruits and vegetables is really important."

Davis farmer Nick Atallah has been selling at the Sacramento Central Farmer's Market, located at Eighth and W streets, for 22 years. He said that spring has shown a great boost in attendance.

"There's not more in the summer, it's now. In spring," Atallah said. "I see crowds here, even this year, I see crowds I have never seen before."

Farmer's markets run six days per week across Sacramento.

"(Sacramento benefits) by the direct link to their food source," Best said. "And by supporting our surrounding agricultural supply and make sure we have a local source of food.

"Sacramento's kind of in a nestle where we can reach out to farmers in a lot of different areas: the mountains, the coasts, down in the valley, then up north. It's one of those great things to have, and Sacramento has the ability to come together for the mutual benefit."

Local farmer's markets listed by day:

Saturday:
Sunrise Station in the light rail parking lot at Folsom and Sunrise blvds. 8 a.m. - noon, year-round.
Country Club Plaza in the Butano Drive parking lot at Watt and El Camino 8 a.m. - noon, year-round.
Laguna Gateway Center in front of Petsmart at Laguna and Big Horn Blvds. 8 a.m. to noon, year-round.
Oak Park at Triangular Lot, 3425 Broadway, Broadway and 35th Street, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., opens May 15.
Del Paso Heights at Norwood Ave. and San Juan Road, 7:30 a.m. to noon, opens June 5.
Central Park at 4th and C Streets in Davis. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., year-round.

Sunday:
State Parking Lot under the freeway at Eighth and W streets, 8 a.m. - noon, year-round.

Tuesday:
Roosevelt Park at Ninth and P streets, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., opens May 4.
Fremont Park at 16th and P streets, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., opens May 4.

Wednesday:
Chavez Plaza at 10th and J streets, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., opens May 5.
Elk Grove Regional Park next to Pavilion at Elk Grove and Florin roads, 4-7 p.m., opens May 12.
East Quad Farmer's Market located at UC Davis' East Quad, 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., opens March 31.

Thursday:
Florin Sears Store in the front parking lot at Florin Road and 65th Street, 8 a.m. - noon, year-round.
Downtown Plaza between Macy's and Holiday Inn, Fourth and K streets, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., opens May 6.

Friday:
Kaiser Permanente at Cottage Way and Morse Ave., 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., opens June 5.

Farmer's markets outside of Sacramento can be found at CaFarmersMarkets.com.

Agnus-Dei Farrant is an intern for The Sacramento Press.

Welcome Back Springtime on the Farm

2010-02-17T22:13:41Z

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 inner city, suburban and rural high school students. The staff of educators, Land-Based Learning Graduates, and working farmers imparts an appreciation for where food comes from and knowledge about environmental stewardship. Connecting students to their own communities while developing leadership skills and the ability to work cooperatively in diverse groups are just a few benefits students experience while in the program. In the end, the development of future farmers, environmentalists, and caretakers of our earth and its resources is the true goal of this important organization.

Springtime is a wonderful time to experience everything the Farm on Putah Creek has to offer you and your family. There are miles of walking trails along Putah Creek, a bountiful organic market garden, hedgerows in full bloom, ponds of teaming tadpoles and birds and wildlife all around.

A few of the many hands-on activities offered the day of the event will include hayrides, a guided educational walk along Putah Creek and the cultivation of spring vegetables in our garden. You can take part in the feeding and gathering of eggs from the chickens and hold a cute baby chick. Adults and children of all ages will be invited to take part in the study of soil in our soil pit and learn about the many species of birds and other wildlife we see around the farm. There will be many activities available for you to do or you can simply relax and take in the beauty of the blossoming hedgerows. Don’t forget your camera, as there will be plenty of photo ops.

This fun family daylong event is free of charge. You can purchase food and beverages or feel free to bring your own picnic lunch. The Farm on Putah Creek is an easy driving distance from Sacramento and very close to Davis. For more information and driving directions call or visit the Center For Land-Based Learning’s web site at: (530) 795-1520, http://www.landbasedlearning.org. The address of the Farm on Putah Creek is 5265 Putah Creek Road, Winters, CA 95694. Don’t miss this once-a-year event.

American Honey Producers Assoc. National Convention

2010-01-09T01:35:43Z

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 name just a few.

“We’ve got hobbyists in attendance as well as vendors representing all the major sellers in the beekeeping industry. We’ve got labs from Washington and Arizona as well as UC Davis entomologists speaking on breakthroughs regarding bee diseases and new technologies in the industry,” he said.

Haff has been beekeeping for 32 years. He began as a hobbyist with 50 colonies and has graduated to 2,000 full-time colonies, which he brings to California from North Dakota for pollination.

“A lot of people come to the convention to learn about pollination," he said. "It’s important for people involved in agriculture, especially in the almond industry.”

Haff was most excited to see three members of the National Guard’s Oklahoma Agricultural Development Team (ADT) attend: Warren Higginbotham, Crystal Sims, and Chris Shoffner. The three are part of a team of about 60 Oklahoma Army National Guardsmen who will take the agricultural skills and resources they’ve amassed to Afghanistan for 10 months of teaching and training outreach programs.

“After every war there is need for an economic development program. That’s where our Agriculture and Development teams and Provincial Reconstruction teams come in. We’re focusing on implementing an infrastructure with agriculture,” Higginbotham said.

U.S. Senator Kit Bond has been promoting the development of an ADT presence in Afghanistan since visiting the country in 2006. Since about 80 percent of Afghanistan’s population is linked to the agricultural sector, Bond contends that supporting sustainable agriculture has the potential to not only improve the lives of Afghani people, but also supplant the narcotics industry.

“These citizen-soldiers are literally sowing the seeds of peace in Afghanistan,” Bond said.

Higginbotham, Sims and Shoffner are part of the second agricultural team to be deployed from Oklahoma. They are taking the reigns from a Tennessee team in Paktia Province near Gardez in part of a rotating deployment.

“We’re recapping the tire,” Higginbotham said. “Before this convention, we were in contact with our agricultural counterparts in Afghanistan, narrowing in on what information we need to be collecting here.”

The main focus for Oklahoma National Guard's ADT is fostering growth in beekeeping, fisheries and hatcheries, and orchards in Afghanistan.

“What we’re learning is that beekeeping processes are generally similar everywhere. Crop spray drift introduces pesticides, affecting the health of bees. The same diseases seem to affect bees in Afghanistan, but by a much smaller scope. We may find that the Afghani beekeepers have found a way to take care of common bee diseases in their colonies. We may be learning from them!” says Higginbotham.

When the ADT members learned about Sacramento's AHPA convention, they took the opportunity to sit in on the seminars in order to expand their knowledge of the specialized intricacies of beekeeping. Their hope is to implement the skills and resources they've acquired in the U.S. with educational programs in Paktia Province that inspire new agricultural practices and stimulate the region's economy.

A structural basis has been implemented in Afghanistan, including a beekeeping association and classes offering attendees two hives of their own. Shoffner notes that he was surprised to learn that in Afghanistan, women most frequently undertake beekeeping, whereas he understands it to be a more male-dominated practice in the U.S.

“For the past 30 years, these people have lived in a war-torn environment. Now we’re coming in with construction teams and building communities back up. We’re not going in saying we have all the answers. We just want to help build a better standard of daily life,” continued Shoffner.

The AHPA convention offers the team a comprehensive educational resource. The trio cite information sharing and relationship building as key to their undertaking. At this convention, they’ve connected with three suppliers who have sent equipment to Afghanistan.

“These events build networks. We’ve gotten to know pollinators, suppliers, and labs. It’s a great way to get answers to all our questions. These folks have been very friendly, very helpful. They’re making our job a lot easier,” said Higginbotham.

Farmers Markets Enjoy Popularity, Face Challenges

2009-10-22T22:15:11Z

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 million in 2002.

"We’re seeing increased demand, increased participation from younger people and families. You see a lot of baby buggies at the farmers market. People are realizing that food is an important part of their lives," says Dan Best, of Certified Farmers Markets of Sacramento County.

Farmers markets are celebrated for providing foods at their peak of ripeness and flavor. Ripe produce generally does not ship well, which means that farmers who supply grocery stores must harvest the produce long before it is at its prime, or throw the best of the crop away.

Despite the increased popularity, farmers markets face a steady stream of challenges, both economic and social. One of the biggest challenges is still consumer demand. Even though sales are on the rise, farmers markets account for less than 1 percent of agricultural sales in the state.

“If we build it, sometimes people don’t come. People have to want fresh fruit and vegetables for their health and well being," says Best, who has been involved in farmers markets since 1980—first as a farmer and later one of the driving forces behind the establishment and expansion of farmers markets in Sacramento. “You can provide access in any area, but if there’s no demand, anything we do fails.”

The farmers and the markets try to reach out and educate consumers about the benefits of eating fresh, locally grown food. “People will take more time to pick out the right crème rinse than vegetables,” is how Best puts it. “We’re dealing with three or four generations of non-cooks. So we try to teach kids about eating fresh fruit and vegetables, that they’ll be better athletes, they’ll be stronger. We try to appeal to their self esteem.”

Best also credits the environmental movement with contributing to farmers markets’ popularity, noting that customers are showing more interest in locally grown and organic food. “People are looking for a sense of trust that they can get face to face. The Slow Food people, caterers, and people who revel in the taste of food, they have always gotten it. They’ve always wanted to make the connection. Senior citizens also made the connection because many came from agrarian roots and they remember what a tomato tastes like."

But it's not just the customer base that is changing. The farmers are, too. They are realizing that selling directly to consumers can be a boon to their bottom line, as opposed to selling to stores or distributors, which each take a portion of the profits.

According to Shermain Hardesty, director of the Small Farms Program at the University of California, Davis, “We may be maxing out on the capacity to generate more customers to farmers markets, but they are a great way for farmers to get started. They perform an important purpose. They provide a chance for farmers to interact with consumers and get their feedback, plus they can interact with more experienced farmers.”

"In the early days," says Best, "some farmers came to the markets out of desperation, to avoid going under. A lot of the farmers are coming now because they’re smart, they know they need to add in a direct marketing percentage as a safety net. Some still sell to wholesalers, but there is a risk because unsold produce can be sent back or destroyed. Some of the farmers do only direct marketing, and skip the wholesaler."

Another challenge faced by the farming community is cost. Small farmers’ profits are eroded by the increasing costs of farm equipment, labor, land and gas prices and transporting their produce to the market. Farmers often drive hundreds of miles to participate in the markets, coming from Fresno, Monterey, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin counties. At the same time, the cost of food has not kept pace. In fact, consumers are spending less than ever on food, about 10 percent of household spending compared to 18 percent in 1966.

One indicator of the stress on farmers is the loss of farmland acreage. According to the USDA’s Census of Agriculture, California had 27.6 million acres of farmland in 2002. That number dropped to 25.4 million acres in 2007.

“It’s still a challenge to save family farmers, small farms that have to compete in an economic system that’s based on large-scale farming operations,” says Best.

Best’s sentiments are echoed by Hardesty. “California has lost farms on the urban edge, in places like Rocklin and Elk Grove. It’s hard to compete with larger operations on a price basis.” But, she adds, “Sacramento has done a great job of offering reasonable prices to consumers. A lot of people say you pay more at a farmers market, but I would challenge that statement. You get more mature, more flavorful food, particularly tree fruits. Once you taste a tree-ripened peach, you're not going to want to go back and buy the rock hard ones at the grocery store."

Sacramento's farmers markets not only compete with local grocery stores for customer’s dollars, they also compete with Bay Area farmers markets for what is essentially the same pool of farmers. The farmers can sell produce at significantly higher prices at those markets.

“The only way we can compete is to bring in a lot of customers to sustain the market,” says Best. "We are here to sustain farmers, not to provide a food exhibit. The farmers actually have to make money."

There’s the issue of convenience, also. According to Hardesty, going to a farmers market means consumers may have to make more than one trip to do their shopping. The challenge, she notes, is “How can we get more local food to consumers while dealing with the fact they're time-pressed and need convenience?”

To increase traffic and exposure, three of Sacramento’s seasonal weekday markets (Cesar Chavez Plaza, Roosevelt Park, and Downtown Plaza) are operated jointly with the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. The Downtown Sacramento Partnership brings in vendors who sell hot foods, and the markets are intended to attract nearby residents and office workers who can walk over to a market during their lunch breaks.

“Farmers markets are a great opportunity. We love them,” says Lisa Martinez, Director of Marketing and Outreach for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

“We are trying to activate the public spaces that are sometimes under-utilized. Farmers markets are a meaningful way for people to interact, and they offer a unique experience.” She adds that the downtown farmers markets can draw up to 3,000 people during the peak season.

Although Best prefers a more "purist" approach to the markets, he acknowledges that the hot food vendors draw the pedestrian traffic. "Hopefully, every dollar that passes through that marketplace will end up in the farmer's pocket. We’re not here to be a party, we're here to be a farmers market. We're trying to do a serious program to maintain the viability of our local, California farmers and provide tree-ripened, vine-ripened food to a customer who appreciates the person who raised them."

He adds, "We're also here to create that connection between urban and agrarian, to start reacquainting people with the concept that food doesn’t come on a grocery store shelf; people have to make a living growing and providing food.”
One of the advantages of making that urban-agrarian link, according to Best, is that it can create a sense of respect for farmers and farm workers.

"It’s a good job to be a farmer and a farm worker. It’s not a low-esteem position. You're providing food for people to live and at a price they can afford. It takes skill to do a good job, professionally and safely. It’s a hard job. Every customer should walk in a farmer’s shoes for at least a week. They get up at 3 a.m., they pack, they drive to the market and set up. They deal with the public all day, and sometimes people insult them. Then they have to break everything down, pack up and drive home, and they still have to farm. Then the next day, they start the process all over again.”

When asked what the future holds for farmers markets in Sacramento, Best says, “Our philosophy is to save farmland and family farmers, and to promote the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables among children. That’s our future, not only our customer base but the future of our society."

For locations and schedules of Sacramento's certified farmers markets go to http://www.california-grown.com/Market-times.html.

All photographs by Jonathan Mendick. Photograph 1: Dan Best with his daughter, Danielle, at the Downtown Plaza Farmers Market.

Put 'yer Hoes Down!

2009-09-28T22:21:13Z

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 Full Belly Farm will feature educational farm tours, a magical children’s area, games, live music, local farm products and an abundance of fresh, organic food! Hay rides, pulled by a team of draft horses, will continuously tour the farm. Workshops will be offered on an array of agricultural topics such as tree pruning, herb gardening, solar energy, compost-making and more! A craft marketplace will showcase farm-made products and an all-organic farmers’ market boasts the bounty of the season: fresh picked almonds and walnuts, a huge variety of melons, apples and, of course, pumpkins! The children’s area has been described as the “Best in the State” with arts and crafts, storytelling and music, farm animals to visit and lots of games and contests -- all with an agricultural theme. Kids will have a chance to watch a cow being milked, make felt out of wool and grind their own corn. Adults also have a chance to join in games and contests; be sure not to miss the Manure Pitch-Off, which really lets you get your hands dirty! Over 4,000 people from across the state attended our last Harvest Festival, California’s premier sustainable agriculture festival. There is an admission charge: Adults $20.00 per person, Children 2-12 years $5.00, children under 2 years of age free. Camping on Saturday night: $20 per car. Full Belly Farm is off of State Highway 16, just past Guinda in the Capay Valley.

On Sunday, October 4th, a variety of in-depth on farm seminars will be offered on various farms throughout the Capay Valley, highlighting the agricultural diversity of the region. On farm seminars will include topics such as olive oil making, alternative energy, sausage making, butchering, and plant propagation. Admission for individual workshops: $10-35. Pre-registration is required. Space is limited so register early!

The Hoes Down Harvest Celebration is a program of the Ecological Farming Association a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. All proceeds from the event will go to benefit sustainable agriculture, local organizations and worthy projects benefiting the environment and rural communities.

For more information on both these events, please visit www.hoesdown.org or email info@hoesdown.org or call (800) 791-2110.

What's on your plate?

2009-07-07T04:54:23Z

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 by Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation. They narrate government policies and practices by the food production industry that contribute to the alteration of our ecology, bodies, and the way consumers think about food.

As a public health nutritionist, Judy, who chose not to disclose her full name, says she has an advantage over consumers due to her formal training with food systems. “I can decipher it more easily," she said. "You shouldn’t have to be a nutritionist to pick your food. That’s a problem.”

The film highlights the lack of transparency in food industries with regards to ingredients in products. California Senate Bill 63 is cited as an example of an attempt to label foods that have products of cloned animals.

Monsanto, a leading multi-national corporation in the sector of genetically-modified foods, plays a big role in the film, and its relationship with farmers is depicted as a strained one.

A series of vignettes are done with several farmers battling Monsanto over intellectual property rights. Deposition tapes reveal the politics and policies underlying the production of our food.

The closing credits offer reform measures for the food industry and feedback on how to make health-conscious choices as shoppers are faced with the prevalence of high-fructose corn syrup, an ingredient the film depicts as unhealthy, as well as other potentially unhealthy ingredients in the aisles of grocery stores.

The creators of Food, Inc. encourage support of local farmers markets and organically-grown food.

After the screening, a panel of experts in the field was able to speak on the topics brought up in the film and suggest the same support for community gardens and farmers markets.

Jaclyn Hopkins, coordinator of EAT Sacramento, connected the concerns of Food, Inc. to her community in Oak Park. “We’re considered a food desert," she said, "meaning that there is no good food in our neighborhood and our kids don’t have access to healthy things that can allow them to thrive.”

“We’re just seeing huge amounts of childhood obesity, diabetes, things that are not the natural condition of children,” said Judy, referencing the research done in her field of work. "It’s because it’s pretty toxic for kids."

Kathryn McOmie, a former teacher, predicted the return to an agricultural society as a result of watching the film. "This huge financial meltdown may be a way really of turning ourselves to think," she said. "We’re going to go back to growing our own food.”

Food, Inc. delves into the processes at work before consumers reach the checkout line—from the very fields and labs from which their food comes . It has sparked dialogue on the future of food, both as we know it and do not.

Sacramento Prepares for Urban Ag Day

2009-06-15T06:12:14Z

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 their bike around town and visit examples of Sacramento's urban agriculture through the "What's Growing On?" bike tour, watch films like FRESH, and participate in workshops on composting and gardening. These tour stops and events will take place largely in Midtown and Oak Park, some of the greatest hotspots of Sacramento's Urban Ag movement.

Later that evening, at the Common Table celebration, participants will have an opportunity to eat a multi-course local and organic meal in the Fremont Community Garden, and listen to movement speakers, including Brahm Ahmadi of the People's Grocery. According to event organizers, tickets are limited and selling quickly. Proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Sacramento Hunger Coalition and Sacramento Area Community Garden Coalition.

The event is more than just a fundraiser. According to a Slow Food Sacramento press release, "the goal is to raise awareness about local urban gardening and food programs, as well as to advocate for improved city, county and state food policies that enable more locally grown foods in urban locations." These goals touch on those recently outlined by

Valley Vision

in the paper "Food Access in the Sacramento Region," and speak to the shake-up taking place in the food system.

Urban Ag Day also demonstrates how a diverse coalition of organizations is contributing to the Good Food Movement. Slow Food Sacramento, the Sacramento Hunger Coalition, the Sacramento Area Community Garden Coalition, Pesticide Watch Education Fund, the Health Education Council are all participating in the event.

Tickets to the day's activities can be purchased through Slow Food Sacramento.

George Jackson is an intern with Pesticide-Free Sacramento

Michael Pollan: Not all "food" is food

2009-06-11T21:33:29Z

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 such a question even needs to be asked is evidence that much of American eating has become a problem, Pollan said.

"When it comes to food, I guess I'm conservative. My definition would be the plants and animals and fungi that we eat," he said. "If you process (food) too much, it no longer deserves that title."

"In Defense of Food," Pollan's most recent book, explains that Americans have moved away from eating "products of nature" to products of food science. While Americans seem obsessed with nutrition, they have actually become less healthy in the decades that nutritional science has become big business, Pollan says.

During the talk, Pollan challenged premises Americans are currently operating under. The first, that "what matters in food is the nutrients," has led nutrition to become the country's new true religion. Nutrients, he pointed out, can't be seen by the people eating them.

"If what matters in food is invisible, you need experts to tell you how to eat. It's a little like religion: You need someone to help you navigate the unseen world," he said.

Another premise has led to the idea of "the satanic nutrient" or "the evil nutrient" -- currently things like trans fat and high-fructose corn syrup -- and "the blessed nutrient," which can describe fiber and anti-oxidants, he said.

Under that premise, "eating is a matter of avoiding the bad ones and gravitating to the good ones, " said Pollan.

Because of these ideas, people now have a different perspective on food. And that is, "When you eat, you're either ruining your health or saving it," he said.

In his lecture before nearly 1,000 people, Pollan also discussed "unsustainable," "mono-culture" industrial agriculture, which has led to high food prices and diseases being bred at feedlots; the limits of organic farming; and the need for many farming models to be in place when industrial agriculture breaks down.

Pollan said federal policy change is needed to combat some of the most critical problems. Federal incentives need to be changed to persuade farmers to grow more food people need and to focus on quality, rather than quantity, he said.

The government can reward farmers for diversifying and creating carbon sinks, while penalizing those who produce huge amounts of methane, Pollan said.

The Obama administration also should consider building year-round farmers' market venues, especially in inner cities, to stimulate local food economies and give people access to fresh produce, he said, adding that giving impoverished people vouchers for farmers' markets would also help.

Pollan believes Americans have not only given up healthy eating. They've also lost touch with eating's significant side benefits, which were recognized throughout civilization until recent decades, he said.

People no longer get pleasure from much of what they eat. They've lost an important way to establish their identities, including cultural identities, through food. And they've traded in that all-important bonding and community-building time that comes only during shared meals to eat in front of the TV or computer, at work or in the car, he said.

"We seem to have narrowed down the lens in this health obsession," Pollan said. "That would be fine if it made us healthy people. But it hasn't."

Shriver Gets Her Hands Dirty

2009-05-21T19:46:58Z

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 California goes beyond symbolism, we are truly creating a comprehensive environment for learning all around this garden,” said First Lady Maria Shriver in a written statement.

Also speaking at the event were California Secretary of Agriculture, A.G. Kawamura, chef and author Alice Waters, and TV chef celebrity Guy Fieri.

Increasingly, the movement of people working on food issues has linked the issues of hunger, global warming, and food safety. "Shriver's garden points California in the right direction---towards, healthy, organic and local food," said Claude Black, an activist with EAT Sacramento.

Like the Obama garden, the Shriver garden will be maintained organically, in accordance with the rest of the Capitol grounds. And food grown, will be distributed to the local food banks. Similar fruit harvest operations have already been taking place in Sacramento over the past few months, under the auspices of the Urban Fruit Sustainability Project.

Logo courtesy of the Office of First Lady Maria Shriver

George Jackson is an intern with Pesticide-Free Sacramento, a group that works to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, the use of pesticides in the Sacramento region.

National Ag Day: Local and Organic In Sacramento

2009-03-20T04:03:27Z

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 Sustainability Fruit Project, harvested fruit from backyards for donation to local foodbanks, while others tended plots with the Sacramento Area Community Gardens. Meanwhile, Soil Born Farms and Oak Park’s Crop Swap are gearing up for new seasons of selling food at farm stands, farmer’s markets, and neighborhood “swaps”.

This scene contrasts dramatically with neighboring industrial agriculture. Just across the Sacramento River, in Yolo County, large-scale farms have begun to spray aerial pesticides for wheat and alfalfa. For the past several days, residents of the Pocket neighborhood have been reporting adverse health effects. “Aerial spraying of the agricultural fields is excessive and I will continue to fight this imminent health risk,” said a resident from the neighborhood who wished to remain anonymous.

Multiple government and scientific research sources including the University of Minnesota and U.S. Office of Technology Assessment, estimate that about 40 percent of an aerial pesticide application leaves the “target area” and that less than 1 percent actually reaches its target. In addition, airborne pesticide drift is responsible for acute poisonings – more than half of agricultural pesticide poisonings reported in California between 1997 and 2000 – and for chronic illnesses including asthma, cancer, neurological disorders, birth defects, miscarriages, and other reproductive effects, according to articles recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Several pieces of statewide legislation, notably The Clean Air for Children, Seniors and Working Families Act (Swanson), as well as two bills recently introduced by Senator Mark Leno and Assemblymember Bill Monning, would challenge industrial agriculture, by creating health-based information and stronger health protections in cases of pesticide exposure.

Meanwhile, Sacramentans are getting some guidance from the Whitehouse in their efforts to create sustainable, urban agriculture. In a New York Times story earlier today, Michelle Obama announced plans to plant an organic vegetable garden on the Whitehouse lawn. Local elected officials have offered similar advice. “As the economic downturn continues, more Sacramentans will look for ways to cut costs. Please consider a vegetable garden. In World War II they were called Victory Gardens. Today the victory should be for pesticide-free growing,” said Sacramento Vice-Mayor Lauren Hammond in an e-mailed statement.

George Davidson is an intern at Pesticide-Free Sacramento, a coalition of civic, health and environmental organizations working to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, the use of pesticides in the Sacramento region.

Photo Courtesy of David Baldridge