Pachamama Coffee Co-op is Sacramento’s newest coffee business, and CEO Thaleon Tremain said it takes fair-trade coffee a step further since it is actually owned by coffee farmers in Latin America and Africa. All profits go back to the farmer/owners, with Tremain essentially serving as an employee of the co-op. Customers can learn more about the farmers by scanning a QR code with their smartphones to pull up videos of the farms on which the product is grown, see the farmers and, if they choose, tip them. “It’s a premium product, but I think we’ve seen with fair-trade coffee that people are willing to pay a little extra to know they are supporting good wages for the people producing it,” T

For 12 hours on Saturday, food will star in the inaugural Sacramento Food Film Festival at the Guild Theatre at 35th Street and Broadway in Oak Park. Organized by foodie and blogger Catherine Enfield, the festival is the end result of her searching the Internet for food-related news and seeing a number of documentaries ranging from organic farming to school lunches. “I had never seen these documentaries coming to Sacramento, and I had just finished (co-organizing) SactoMoFo, so I had a lot of contacts, and I called Whole Foods, who said they’d sponsor a film festival,” Enfield said. Eight films will be shown starting at 10:15 a.m. Saturday. They include “Lunch Line,” which is about scho

Being on the go before sunup to spend four hours sniffing boxes and running on treadmills might not sound like an ideal job to many, but for Dozer, a 3- or 4-year-old Labrador retriever, work is a dream. “It’s clear that he loves his job,” said Jennifer Berger, who has been Sacramento County’s agricultural dog handler since the program came to the county in 2008. Dozer has been on the job since January, and he is one of about 13 agricultural inspection dogs in the state – all tasked with sniffing out organic materials being shipped into the area that could carry pests damaging California’s lucrative agriculture industry. Materials include flowers, fruits and anything else the dog is trai

The California Dream, as portrayed by vintage fruit crate art, inspires visions of a healthy horizon of gleaming sunshine, warm, temperate climate and an endless spread of sweet, colorful fruit. In the early 1900s, California was depicted as a land of promise where eastern city folk migrated west in hopes of farming the widespread and fertile land. This prized picture of California, in part, grew out of the railroads that helped deliver bountiful harvest coast to coast and spread the message of the new frontier through fruit labels. A collection of these artistic fruit crate labels can now be seen by visiting, “Pick Me! Fruit Crate Art & the California Dream,” an exhibit  shipped and pre

More than 4,000 people gathered Sunday at Soil Born Farms' 40-acre American River Ranch for the second annual "Day on the Farm." The family-oriented festival celebrates farming and gardening and emphasizes the importance of eating locally grown food. Along with tours, classes, music and a farmers market, 35 community organizations passed out information on healthy living and being conscious of the environment. The day began with the "Veggie Chase," a 5K run in which children chased runners dressed as giant vegetables. Other physical-fitness possibilities included rock climbing, yoga, martial arts and an obstacle course. There were offerings for the mind as well as the body, with classes

Sacramento environmental groups gathered Thursday night to recognize local leaders in sustainability and to raise funds for local environmental projects. Sustainable Sacramento was hosted by Pesticide Watch and Slow Food Sacramento. The event was held at Hot Italian Pizza and Panini Bar in midtown Sacramento. As attendees escaped the damp streets and persistent rain, they were greeted warmly by Paul S. Towers, state director of Pesticide Watch Education Fund, and Slow Food Sacramento’s Kathy Les. Hot Italian co-owner Fabrizio Cercatore poured glasses of red wine and brought out a variety of pizzas for guests to enjoy. Pesticide Watch, a statewide organization based in Sacramento, seeks t

California has a long history of farming, and as the capital of California, Sacramento provides a great central location for farmers from around the state to sell their crops. Sacramento Press already posted a story on the four farmers markets opening in the grid on May 1. One of the first Sacramento farmers markets started with family farmers Dan and Renae Best in 1980. Danielle Best, daughter of Dan and Renae, wrote an article in the Bee about her experiences growing up with parents who managed the Certified Farmers' Market. She is now the manager of several of the markets, following her parents' footsteps. She describes the appeal for farmers and buyers when they participate in farme

On Thursday night, Sacramento residents will gather to celebrate a new brand of "localism". Increasingly, Sacramentans are redefining it's traditionally negative conotations of narrow-mindedness and stubbornness. Instead, "Sacramento localism" is about efforts to build a healthier, more sustainable community, including reducing pesticide use and increasing food security. Thursday's event, entitled “Organic Sounds,” will highlight two local efforts that are setting precedent for the entire state: the Pesticide-Free Sacramento and the soon-to-be-launched EAT (Environment and Agriculture Taskforce) Sacramento projects. Sacramento City Councilman Rob Fong and Chef Michael Tuohy of the Grange