If you’ve ever doubted whether Sacramento is really the Farm-to-Fork Capital of America, become a believer these next two weeks when the Farm-to-Fork Celebration weeks show what Sacramento is made of with almost two dozen farm-to-fork centric events that celebrates the locally sourced movement we both believe in and practice year-round.
“Farm-to-fork is something that Sacramento is proud of,” Farm to Fork Public Relations Coordinator, Sidney Scheideman said in response to what the outpouring of farm-to-fork events says about our city. “Sacramento has always been an agricultural city and now it’s something that everyone is trying to embrace…[and with the event] something everyone can enjoy.”
The two-week celebration fell on September because, in addition to the abundance of farm-to-fork events already occurring this month, September is also harvest and crush time. They expanded it to two-weeks in our 2nd installment of the event this year because there were just too many events to squeeze into one. And next year they’re considering making the entire month a farm-to-fork celebration!
The list of events is so long that we’re separating the run-down of each into week one/week two articles so as not to overwhelm you with the options of things do. (A preview of the following week, you ask? More festivals, lots of dinners, beer, and more!). So for now, get excited as you check out what Week One of Farm-to-Fork Celebration has to offer:
(P.S. Many events are free, but paid events are selling out fast so buy your tickets now!)
Week One 9/12-9/19
Farm-to-Fork Kick-off Tractor Parade
Fri, 9/12, 11:30am, Tower Bridge to Capitol Mall. The official kick-off of Farm-to-Fork Celebration is a Downtown Sacramento parade of tractors—that’s right, tractors! The parade of historical to technologically advanced tractors is the inaugural event to four other main events hosted by the organizers of the celebration weeks, The Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau. The parade will, as the SCVB put it, pay homage to the machines that “bring the farm to the fork”. More info at www.farmtofork.com.
Farm-to-Fork Restaurants Weeks
Sat, 9/13 – Sun, 9/28, throughout Sacramento. Time for Sacramento to showcase why we earned the Farm-to-Fork Capital of America title! Organized by the SCVB as one of the Farm-to-Fork Celebration’s main events, over 3 dozen restaurants throughout Sacramento will be participating in this exciting 2-week affair of special farm-to-fork centric menus and events, and opportunities to meet the farmers, winemakers, and brewers who make locally grown food happen. More info and a complete list of participating restaurants at www.farmtofork.com.
Edible Gardens Tour
Sat, 9/13, 10am-4pm in East Sacramento. Tour six of East Sac’s most prolific edible gardens and experience a variety of fruits, veggies, and herbs grown by the neighborhood’s master gardeners. Enjoy music by the Sacramento Symphonic Winds in each garden and speak to the gardeners themselves. More info at www.soroptimistsacramento.com.
Fork It: Farm to Every Fork Dinner
Sat, 9/13, 5pm @ Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento. It’s a farm-to-fork dinner for two—you and a food insecure person in your neighborhood. Guests enjoy a sit down dinner with a menu by our best local farms and restaurants, while proceeds go to organizations supporting low income and homeless populations facing hunger. $150 dinner/donation level is sold out, but dinners starting at $250 are still available. More info at www.eventbrite.com.
Food Stock
Sun, 9/14,4pm @ Raley Field. According to Scheideman, Farm-to-Fork Celebration’s big music+food kick-off event is expected to be bigger than they expected! With food by Mulvaney’s B&L, it’s a pig roast and music festival at Raley Field, complete with craft brews and the soul of 1969. Even better, Food Stock benefits the Sacramento Food Bank and Soil Born Farms. More info at www.sacramentofoodbank.org.
Food Literacy Fair
Sun, 9/14, 9am-1pm @ Southside Park, Sacramento. It’s an extention of what the Food Literacy Center works hard to do year-round—spread the word and celebrate the benefits of eating fresh! Enjoy crafts and kids games, free food samples, live music, live cooking demonstrations by local chefs, live farm animals, and a Veggie of the Year contest. More info at foodliteracycenter.org.
Yelp’s Farm to Handle II Block Party
Sun, 9/14, 3-6pm @ the Handle District. With free bites, drinks, fresh produce, and live entertainment by dozens of local restaurants and vendors, the Handle District’s block of L Street celebrates everything farm-to-fork at this epic-styled block party. Free to Yelp account holders, but space is limited. More info at www.yelp.com.
Various Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op Events
Multiple dates/locations. The Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op works with local farms and companies to host quality cooking classes that are worth getting exciting about. This week includes Quick Pickles (9/15), Pork to Fork (9/16), Basmati and Beyond (9/18). Or take a leisurely farm-to-fork bike ride through West Sacramento’s farms, a restaurant, and a brewery on the Cycle the Food Cycle bike tour (9/14).
Farm to Fork Legends of Wine
Thur, 9/18, 6pm, West Steps of State Capitol. The legends pick the legends in this wine-centric event where internationally recognized culinary legends Darrell Corti and David Berkeley select the region’s best wines for an evening of twilight wine tasting. Another of Farm-to-Fork Celebration’s main events, wines from at least 35 celebrated wineries will be paired with artisan cheeses and breads. More info at www.farmtofork.com.
Elk Grove’s Taste of Farm-to-Fork
Fri, 9/19, 6:30pm @ Elk Grove Park Pavilion. Elk Grove’s take on farm-to-fork celebrates with an evening locally sourced food and beverages, all benefiting Elk Grove Unified’s FFA Programs. More info at www.eventbrite.com.
Check back next week for all the farm grown goodness of week two!
