Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "dan best"

Boqueria centerpiece for K Street plan

2010-06-29T05:47:41Z

They brought Sacramento the Citizen Hotel and its restaurant, Grange.

Now that same team is proposing an even more ambitious downtown project. Calling themselves the Sacramento Alliance Team, the partners behind the Citizen Hotel are seeking Sacramento City Council approval to redevelop the 700 and 800 blocks of K Street Mall.

Two weeks before a council vote on the matter, they held an open meeting on the plan's centerpiece: a 35,000-square-foot public market, tentatively called the California Boqueria, that would showcase the state's food and wine at the corner of Eighth and K streets.

Two of the partners, Rubicon Partners co-founder Kipp Blewett and Grange Executive Chef Michael Tuohy, encouraged about 120 people at the meeting to sign an online petition, e-mail the council and tell their friends about the project.

"What we really need is your support to move forward with this," Tuohy said at a Citizen Hotel reception featuring California wine, artisan cheeses and local produce. "It's about telling the city of Sacramento that this is very important and this is what we need and this is what you want."

Four teams — including the Sacramento Alliance Team — answered the city's request for proposals to redevelop the troubled K Street Mall blocks and submitted ideas in March. Last month, a selection committee created by the city recommended two other teams to develop those blocks. Those teams, led by developers David Taylor and Cyrus Youssefi, were also endorsed earlier this month by the Downtown Sacramento Partnership board, of which Blewett is president.

The proposal by Blewett's team was bigger and more complicated to finance, and may just need to be analyzed further, said Project Director J-E Paino of Rubicon Partners.

"We didn't present anything that we think is pie in the sky and that we can't deliver," he added.

The partners chose to anchor their proposal with a food and agricultural complex because they believe it could kick-start downtown's revitalization — bringing 1 million annual visitors to Sacramento, the largest city in the Central Valley and the center of the country's largest agricultural economy, they said.

"People come here for food and wine, as well as scenery," Tuohy said. "We have the opportunity to write our own script about what is agri-tourism, California-style."

The roughly $30 million Boqueria would include a 25,000-square-foot ground floor with a farmers' market that would tentatively operate from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily and open onto K Street via large, rolling doors; a wine-tasting room; an Italian coffee bar; eight food carts; exhibit space and an academic demo restaurant. A 10,000-square-foot mezzanine would include a kitchen theater, deli and more exhibit space.

The proposal was developed to meet the city's request for something "catalyic," which could entertain and bring people from the suburbs, while also turning the city's negative image as a "dusty cow town" into a positive image as the center of the farm-to-plate movement, Blewett said.

"What we came up with is the concept of healthy lifestyle ... centered around food and wine," he said.

Other partners include Pete Thompson of Rubicon, Steve Eggert and Pete Geremia of St. Anton Partners, and Dan Corfee and Craig Zarro of Preferred Capital Advisors.

The Boqueria is proposed to be built on currently vacant city-owned land and owned by a public/private cooperative. Construction would be financed by federal and state money, as well as substantial investment from California farmers and landowners, one of the wealthiest groups in the state, Paino said.

The structure could be finished by 2013. The team also proposed an office building, from 150,000 to 300,000 square feet, for agricultural-oriented tenants such as produce associations and statewide groups. The building, called the California World Food and Agriculture Center, could be built across the alley at Eighth and L streets, or be attached to the Boqueria following negotiations with the owners of two other buildings on K Street, he said.

The proposal's first phase in the 700 block calls for 213 alley-facing artist live/work units that would cost $1,000 a month for 1,200 square feet and 60,000 square feet of retail, including a brewery and blues bar. Work could begin immediately and be finished by late 2012 or early 2013. Financing would include the city's $20 million land donation and $20 million in redevelopment bond money, Paino said.

The second-phase office building would be finished a year later. A hotel has also been proposed for a third phase, but that would be put off until the economy improves, he added.

People at the meeting included foodies, farm and tourism representatives, city planners and UC Davis food science representatives.

A food and wine center collecting the best of the region and the state in one place would help California farmers, said Dan Best, who organizes most of Sacramento's farmers' markets.

"This is the center of the garden of Eden of food production," he said. "Why don't we have a center that showcases that?"

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.

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.