Good Food Festival & Conference
September 14-18, Santa Monica
The Santa Monica Farmers Market is celebrating their 30 year anniversary is a very BIG way. They are having 5 days of food prepared by "Chefs at Play", DIY demos, speaker panels, the works. This is worth either making a romantic weekend out of it in L.A., or car-pooling with some buddies, or just going alone so you have no one to distract you from following your nose and tummy. There is something for everyone who cares about food.
Discover how to raise backyard chickens, grow your veggies, make homemade jams & pickles, watch expert bakers & chefs whip up taste delights. "The Harvest" doc film screens Wed. 9/14. An art exhibit of 1930's WPA agricultural art at Santa Monica High on Thursday.
The Opening Symposium features Will Allen (famed aquaculture guru), Father Greg Boyle of HomeBoy Industries, Dep. Sec'y Kathleen Merrigan (USDA 'good gal') & others. "Food Policy and Public Health" on Friday and much more. A Good Food trade show, Festival & Street Fair on the weekend.
And the weekend events are all-inclusive for a mere $10!!!
www.goodfoodfestivals.com Come show your support for what so many are doing to change the direction of our food system
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| Prospective Master Gardeners MUST attend on of these two meetings:
Sept. 7th - 2:00-4:00pm or Sept. 12th - 6:00-8:00pm
U.C. Extension Conference Room: 669 County Square Dr.
Ste. 100, Ventura. (across Victoria from County Center)
RSVP: Leah Haynes: 645-1450
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Winter Crops to Plant (per Steve Sprinkle)
Compliments of the Valley of the Moon Community Garden
In early August (still not too late) he plants seed for:
Lettuce, Leeks, Frost tolerant cabbage, beets, carrots, broccoli
In September he plants: Shell peas, beans
On October 15 he plants: Garlic, onions
What happened to my beloved Swiss Chard, king of plants?
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Food for Thought - No Summer Holiday for Them!
* FFT partnered with OUSD Nutrition Services for a training day to test 3 new recipes for Ojai school lunches, collaborating with Carpinteria & Ventura school districts. Yum.
* FFT donated 10 DVDs from their Food for Thought film series in honor of Marty Fujita, to the Ojai Library. Free films to see!
* David White, Garden Coordinator of 50 garden beds in 5 elementary schools, prepped beds & repaired irrigation, while writing grants to help pay for it all. (Donations welcomed)
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Volunteers Needed for Green Home Tour Reception
 Friday, Sept. 30, Event is 5:30-7:30
Remember what a hit this was last year? Well, we need a few stalwart souls to step forward again to help set-up, serve & clean-up for this reception at Besant Hill. Their own CSA (Peter Wilsrup) & Mano Farms are providing the food for Chef Terri. A short program with a visionary speaker on sustainable design is included.
The Green Home & Building Tour itself is on Saturday, Oct. 1, 10:00am-4:00pm. It's a self-guided tour of 4 homes & 1 business with designers & contractors on site to answer questions and point out features. Nissan's new LEAF car will be on view at one of the sites. Rotary Community Park will host a free green building show at the same time.
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A Community Orchard.... as a Park? (Imagine Ojai)
One acre. 200 people. Apples, pears, persimmons, nuts, cherries, and many other fruit trees were planted in Bloomington, Indiana. An educational center on sustainable practices was thrown in for measure. The city offered the land. Teams formed for elements of the project. What a great idea, and I hear, there's been rumblings here in Ojai.
http://www.youtube.com/user/BloomingtonOrchard |
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Thanks for your continuing interest in making the Ojai Valley a more delicious place to live. Our food system is a vital part of our resilience and strength.
Growing food, growing community!
Dulanie Ellis, Food & Ag Committee
Ojai Valley Green Coalition
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Upcoming Events |
Sept. 8-11
Soil Food Web
Workshop ($650)
Farmers of any scale, this workshop will unearth the potential of your land. Types of soil, pathogens, ecosystem health, composting, worm power, the works. Catered meals & camping included.
Orella Ranch, Gaviota
info@orellastewardship
.org
698-8823
Sept 10
($10 )
Farmagedden
This is one of the most cogent films of our time in terms of freedom to buy and eat what you choose. More than simply raw dairy issues, this is a civil rights film.
Ojai Theater
4:30pm
Sept. 18
(free)
WAPF Meeting
Discussion about recent arrests of raw dairy providers, the Farm Food Freedom Coalition & more.
Ojai Valley Community Church-907 El Centro
1:00-3:00pm
Sept. 17
Boccali's Tomato
Festival 10th Annual Tomato & Wine Tasting, with an all-you-can-eat buffet, live music & farm-fresh produce stand.
3277 E. Ojai Ave.
4:30-8:30pm
PLAN AHEAD; Oct. 24 FOOD DAY National grassroots celebration in communities everywhere. What are we going to do? Suggestions? West Coast Coordinator: deborah.gardner@mac.com
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Aunt Marian's Summer Squash Pie OMG - finally, a way to deal with all the summer squash that is dessert delicious. Even the kids will love it. | | Single crust pie shell (I used pre-rolled Pillsbury)
6 med (1-1/2 lb). zucchini, patty pan, crookneck squash
3/4 c. sugar (or less)
1 Tlb. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. heavy cream (go for it)
3 eggs, beaten well
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. white vinegar
Preheat oven to 400. Butter pie pan and lay in pie crust. Skin and steam squash til very tender (but not mush). 4-5 min. Remove & drain.
In small bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg & salt. Mix well with fork.
In medium bowl, combine cream, eggs, butter, vanilla and vinegar.
Return squash to pan (I used top of double-boiler) and mash (releasing excess liquid). Fold 2-3 cup of this into bowl of wet ingredients. Then stir in dry ingredients.
Pour fillling into pie crust. Place in middle shelf of oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 and bake until filling is firm and lightly browned on top, and a knife inserted comes out clean (about 30-40 min).
Cool to room temperature and -get a weapon - to save some for another day!
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