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Give Thanks
 Looking back on this year we're pretty grateful. We're grateful for the vegetable garden in front of the White House, for San Francisco's Sustainable Food Directive, and for the traction that sustainable, organic, local, and ethical food is finally gaining in the mainstream consciousness. We're grateful that we live in California where such food is abundant, and mostly we're just plain grateful for good food. There's still plenty of work to do -- see the Quick Links sidebar for a rundown of the debate around leafy greens marketing and the fight to keep the Small Farm Center at UC Davis open -- but overall it's been an interesting year in food & agriculture.
Whatever you're grateful for and however you plan on giving thanks this year, consider how lucky you are to be part of this good food movement at precisely this time and in this place. And then celebrate with some roasted local vegetables, heirloom turkey from Sonoma, or from-scratch pumpkin pie. Search our online listings for growers and grocers in your area, and set your table for a local feast.
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Central Coast Eater's Guide to Hit Markets Late November
 CAFF is proud to announce that the 4th Central Coast Edition of the Eater's Guide to Local Food will hit the streets at the end of the month. The guide covers Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties and will be available through farmers markets, grocery stores, and green events.
The Eater's Guide to Local Food is the premier resource on where to eat and buy local for multiple regions throughout California. The Eater's Guide includes comprehensive information on farmers markets, CSA farms, farmstands, and food businesses committed to local sourcing.
Look for the Eater's Guide at a market near you, or contact us about listing and advertising opportunities in future editions!
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CAFF's Sam Earnshaw Wins International Award
 Sam Earnshaw, CAFF's Central
Coast Program Coordinator,
has been awarded the NAPPC Pollinator Advocate Award as part of an international
effort to promote public awareness of pollinators. Sam earned this award for his tireless work on behalf of birds, bees, bats,
butterflies, beetles, and other animals that enable the reproduction of over 75
percent of flowering plants. He is the author of CAFF's "Hedgerows for California
Agriculture: A Resource Guide," and has planted over 100 miles of hedgerows on 70 farms. For more information on CAFF's Hedgerows and Biological Agriculture programs, visit www.caff.org. To learn more about the Pollinator
Partnership
and the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign visit www.pollinator.org.
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BAY AREA EVENTS
Fri, October 23
CCOF's 4th Annual Organic Beer & Wine Tasting
Join CCOF for their popular Organic Beer & Wine Tasting
event in conjunction with the Ferry Building's Annual Harvest Festival.
Sat, October 24
Alemany Farm Harvest Fest
Come check out a volunteer-run working organic farm in the heart of San Francisco. Featuring bicycle hayrides and other kid-friendly activities, music, fun farm tasks, and a potluck feast.
 Sat, October 24
CUESA Harvest Fest
Hands-on butter churning and cider pressing activities for kids and
adults. Spinning and cooking demonstrations, and more.
Sun, October 25
Tuscany Meets Marin
Savor the richness of Fall - artisan cheeses, heirloom
vegetables, handmade breads, and fresh oysters - paired with award-winning
wines, specialty beverages, local brews, and the stunning work of Douglas
Gayeton, author of Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town.
Thurs
Oct 29
In Search of a Righteous Porkchop
The reality behind industrially produced meat has
made some eaters into staunch vegans. For others, however, all-or-nothing is a
false choice. This panel will explore the middle ground: moderate consumption
of meat from animals raised humanely and sustainably on family farms.
Weds,
November 4
Creating A Just Food System, Panel Discussion
Learn how communities around the world, from
Brazil, India, South Africa, and Oakland are facing the challenges posed by the
current food system.
Sat, November 7
Diabetes Forum
The American Diabetes Association will present this forum discussing diabetes and healthy living habits, including eating more fruits and vegetables.
Tue, November 10
Coming up from the Roots - Women and Agriculture
Hear firsthand stories about women on the frontlines of
India's sustainable agriculture movement, learn about solutions being
implemented to stop hunger and environmental destruction.
Fri, November 13 - Sun, November 15
San Francisco GreenFestival
Oh, the GreenFestival. If you've never been you shouldn't miss it, and if you have, well that was pretty fun wasn't it? We'll be tabling with Roots of Change again this year. Come join us!
 August - November
Urban Farming Classes
Offered by BioFuel Oasis, these urban farming classes are hands-on, seasonally appropriate, and empower people to
learn life skills that expand and enrich their lives. Every class
participant will go home with an object from the class such as a bar of soap, a
wedge of cheese, a bottle of honey, a flat of sown seeds, and with the
know-how to do it solo next time.
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CENTRAL COAST EVENTS
Sat, November 7
Diabetes Forum
The
American Diabetes Association will present this forum discussing
diabetes and healthy living habits, including eating more fruits and
vegetables.
Mon, November 16
5th Annual Sustainable Ag Expo
This unique event offers crop specific and general seminars featuring researchers, extension, consultants, and growers.
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Saturday, October 25,
Taste of Capay
A benefit dinner and auction for Capay Valley Vision, which seeks to establish a community-wide
vision for the future of the Capay Valley Region and to facilitate an ongoing
collaborative process for planning.
Sat, November 21
Farm City: An Evening with Novella Carpenter
The author of Farm City: the Education of an Urban Farmer will share the story and photos of her rag-tag farm in the middle of Oakland and discuss the lessons of urban farming around the world. Call 916-455-2667 for more information.
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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EVENTS
 September - May
Sustainable Planet: Food
The
San Diego Natural History Museum presents a lecture series on
sustainable food and farming, with topics ranging from food justice to
food ecology. This one looks great!
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