9/15/14

WHOA FARM 2012 Pinot Noir Release - Buy now!

WHOA FARM 2012 Pinot Noir Release - Buy now!

Greetings

Wendy Mardigian and Eddie Gelsman are excited to announce the release of the 2012 WHOA FARM PINOT NOIR. This delicious, organically farmed wine from the Sonoma Coast is a key component in our efforts to achieve financial sustainability for the WHOA Farm.

For those of you who are unaware of our efforts, Work Horse Organic Agriculture (WHOA) Farm is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that was started in 2010. The farm now produces over 50,000 pounds of organically grown food annually and distributes it, free of charge, to Sonoma County health clinics and soup kitchens who are serving those most in need.

100% of the net proceeds from the sale of this beautiful wine will be used to support the continuing efforts of the WHOA Farm.

Please join us in supporting this important work as it is a cause that has inspired us like no other. Buy a case and help us reach our goal. Better yet, buy some wine AND make a fully tax deductible donation. Better still, do all of the above and share the WHOA Farm's mission with your friends.

In order for this to work, we need everyone to participate. WE NEED YOUR HELP.

With gratitude in our hearts,

Wendy Mardigian and Eddie Gelsman
Founders of the WHOA Farm

WHOA Farm Pinot Noir

SAVE 10% ON 12
OR MORE BOTTLES.

For questions please contact Eddie Gelsman at eddie@whoafarm.org
or 707-585-0800.


"Ruby red in color, with great aromatics of red cherry, beet root, and anise with subtle oak tones. The wine has a great attack, and is quite suave on the palate. A Pinot Noir from the zone that shows the perfumed, elegant side of the varietal. Very fine tannins that are subtle yet provide a silky grip. Elements of pomegranate, orange peel and red berries are all framed nicely with fresh acids. This is textbook medium bodied Pinot that shows the intense side of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Very stylish and delicious."
- Paul Roberts, Master Sommelier

 


501(c)( 3) non-profit


TRACK

8/18/14

EVENT: 3 Sisters Garden Harvest Event – Sept 21, 2014



For the second year in a row, SFRR will be promoting our 3 Sisters Garden Project at the 3 Sisters Fall Harvest Celebration and Fundraiser. Some of Sonoma County’s best chefs will join students from El Molino High School, Piner High School, Santa Rosa High School, Laguna High School, and Healdsburg High School to craft original bites inspired by this year’s harvest of heirloom corn, beans and squash – foods when grown together are known as “the three sisters”. All of the dishes will showcase the season’s best from each school garden and some of our local farms, served by the students at the lovely Heron Hall in Sebastopol.

When:     Sunday, September 21, 2014, 4:30-6:30 pm
Where:    Heron Hall, 900 Sanford Road, Sebastopol, CA
Tickets: $25 for  Adults  $50+ for sponsors. Limited # of tickets! 


Promoting HIGH SCHOOL GARDENS in Sonoma County 
School gardens are important as “Every child deserves to grow up knowing where food comes from, how to grow it, cook it and share it, and how to be healthy.” (Slow Food USA - http://www.slowfoodusa.org/children-food)

This event provides an opportunity to experience the enthusiasm and talents of local high school student gardeners and their teachers. High school gardens are a new wave in Sonoma County. This year alone, gardens were started by Marilee Mazur at El Molino High School (1/2 acre), Riggs Lokka at Santa Rosa High School (1 acre near Hwy 101), and Simon Farmer at Laguna High School (1/2 acre). The new and existing gardens, including Robert Lopez at  Piner High School and Wesley Hunt at Healdsburg High School, all grew the three crops successfully. During the event, a short presentation will feature the teachers’ and students’ stories of their garden progress from spring to fall. 

Biodiversity, Culture and Traditions 
The Slow Food mission includes promoting food biodiversity. Many of the seeds that were provided to the schools for planting are listed on the Slow Food “Ark of Taste”, a living catalog of delicious and distinctive foods facing extinction. This program helps keep these foods alive for future generations.

This tradition of interplanting corn, beans and squash together, widespread among Native American farming societies, is a sophisticated, sustainable system that provided long-term soil fertility and a healthy diet to generations. According to legend, corn, beans, and squash are three inseparable sisters who only grow and thrive together. The plants exhibit a high degree of cooperation, or communality, so these qualities are also important in our project. This resilience and the economics of scale of these plants can be duplicated by anyone - a student, parent, chef or person who wants to grow good, clean, nutritious food.

Chefs as Educators :  Access, taste and cooking together
According to Melissa Kogut (Executive Director, Chefs Collaborative), “The chefs are now serving as educators for both the farmers and consumers. They are having a major influence on the public.” Some well-known chefs will join the event, including Daniel Kedan from The Backyard in Forestville, and Mateo Granados from Mateo's Cucina Latina and 2 other chefs. They will work with the students in the Farm to Table classes at El Molino, and Healdsburg to create gourmet tasting bites to be served at the event. 

The Location: A Beautiful Spot


The new Great Blue Heron Hall, part of the Laguna Foundation’s Environmental Center, is surrounded by rustic and historic barns, vineyards, orchards and the pastoral landscape of the Laguna and Stone Farm. To learn more about the Laguna Foundation and its mission, visit http://www.lagunafoundation.org/about_overview.htm


When:     Sunday, September 21, 2014, 4:30-6:30 pm
Where:    Heron Hall, 900 Sanford Road, Sebastopol, CA
Tickets: $25 for  Adults  $50+ for sponsors. Limited # of tickets! 


For more information, contact
Sue Deevy - selafranchi@gmail.com
Sueki Woodward - SuekiWoodward@mac.com or 707-483-4881 (text or voice mail)

8/4/14

Event: From August 16 until the end of apple season: Community Apple Press



Our Community Apple Press is now open and available for your use and the online calendar is ready to take reservations. 

Bring your apples, from a backyard tree or purchased from a local apple farmer, and make your own juice on our community apple press at the Luther Burbank Experiment Farm in Sebastopol - for free.  All you need to bring is apples and some plastic containers (to avoid breakage).  Click here for more details.

4/22/14

Event: May 3 Learn to garden in the drought + lunch!

Learning and Eating in the Garden 
Growing a vegetable garden that flourishes in the drought 
When: Saturday, May 3, 10:30 - 1:00
Tickets: $18 for Slow Food Members and Friends (Limited Seating) 
  
Join us to learn how to create a bountiful garden in a drought and enjoy
a  gourmet lunch in Marcia’s and Chuck's Garden in Sebastopol. 
Proceeds will benefit the Slow Food Russian River 3 Sisters Garden Project.

Some topics we will be demonstrating and discussing:
  • Best vegetables to plant in the drought: Heirloom/Ark/Hybrid seeds
  • Water saving practices: presented by Sonoma Co. Master Gardeners
  • Drip irrigation & mulching
  • How to make compost in quick 6 weeks
  • Vermicomposting - composting with worms  (demonstration)        
  • Planting in raised beds and containers (demonstration)
  • Handouts will be included.

 Followed by lunch in the Garden

Menu:
  • Coffe Cake, coffee & tea (prior to discussion)
  • Torta Rustica
  • Spring Salad
  • Please bring a dessert or fruit for 6, plus a beverage of your choice (juice, wine, champagne) to share. Plates etc. will be provided.

4/19/14

Share A Slow Meal: Tapas!

Let's Cook and Share A Slow Meal: Tapas!
By Peg Champion 

A beautiful Russian River spring green landscape fairly glowed outside the kitchen windows, as eight SFRRchapter members gathered on a Sunday afternoon to prepare a Slow tapas meal at the home of Marcia and Chuck Lavine.

The convivial guests, who chatted and sipped Spanish wines while they chopped, sautéed, roasted and bakedincluded: Peg Champion, Kate Hendricks, Ken and Liz Meyerhoff, Linda Peterson and Brad Whitworth.

The abundant alfresco menu began with tapas "appetizers" of seasoned olives, Manchego cheese with quince preserves, roasted asparagus with Serrano ham,and a spinach and mushroom tortillaboth paired withAlbarino wine.

While enjoying the Sebastopol sunset, diners sampled patates bravas with a tomato aioli dip, meatballs in almond sauce, fennel and orange salad, grilled Monterey sardines in lemon and herbs, chickpea and chorizo, and steamed mussels with crusty bread for dipping, all paired with Rioja and Tempranillo wines. Dinner concluded at a table indoors, with a traditional flan and Fino Sherry wine.

Everyone joined in for a quick and easy cleanupthen the grateful guests thanked their hosts for a wonderful evening, calling "Buenas noches!" as they strolled into the night.
If you would like to host a Slow Meal in your home, contact the SFRR Cook-In Team:

3/19/14

MOVIES! Mar 19 Symphony of the Soil & Mar 29 After Winter Spring

Movie: Symphony of the Soil with a talk by Cotati farmer Roy Smith 
When: MARCH 19th, Wed., Time: 7PM  Free Event!
Film by Mill Valley cinematographer Deborah Koons Garcia. Cotati farmer Roy Smith will talk about how he is building soil on his farm Green Goose Farm, what role his pigs play, and what climate shifting has to do with it. SYMPHONY OF THE SOIL is an artistic exploration of the miraculous substance soil. By understanding the elaborate relationships and mutuality between soil, water, the atmosphere, plants and animals, we come to appreciate the complex and dynamic nature of this precious resource. The film also examines our human relationship with soil, the use and misuse of soil in agriculture, deforestation and development, and the latest scientific research on soil's key role in ameliorating the most challenging environmental issues of our time. Filmed on four continents, featuring esteemed scientists and working farmers and ranchers.  Watch trailer here.
Please RSVP to Slow Food Russian River Film Group, sfrrfilmgroup@gmail.com

SEBASTOPOL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL (SFRR is sponsoring this film)
Movie: AFTER WINTER, SPRING
When: March 29, Sat., Time: 11:30AM
Seen through the eyes of family farmers in southwest France,  AFTER WINTER, SPRING is an intimate portrait of an ancestral way of life under threat in a world increasingly dominated by large-scale industrial agriculture.  Watch trailer here.
Purchase Tickets for the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival here.

3/13/14

EVENT: Fabulous Fungi, Mushrooms! Tours & Tasting, March 22

You are Invited to Slow Food Russian River:
Fabulous Fungi. Gorgeous Garlic. Perfect Pinot.
Two Tours and a Tasting, March 22 at 2 pm
Tickets $20 ( for Slow Food Members only)
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/590741
Gourmet Mushrooms Inc - Sebastopol, CA
2901 Gravenstein Highway
Sebastopol, CA 95472
The Event Highlights:
•  Tour of Gourmet Mushrooms Inc. by Bob Engel.

•  Introduction to Porter Creek Vineyards.
•  Presentations by a team member of GMI, by a    representative of the mushrooming scene, and by world-renowned garlic grower, Chester Aaron.
•  Comparing taste and texture differences between grilled and sautéed mushrooms.
• Wine pairing.
•  Appetizers from chef Rick Ferrari include: Endive boats with 3 mushrooms; Roasted Shiitake with Shiitake mousse; Filo cups with  Alba and Brown Clamshell Duxelles and caramelized Pear, and Vol-au-Vent with Maitake salpicon.

 
Questions : email - Zeno Swijtink <swijtink@sonoma.edu>
 Opportunity to buy Mr. Aaron's latest book, The Marriage of Mushrooms and Garlic, coauthored with Malcolm Clark (one of the founders of Gourmet Mushrooms) and Roger Adams (Photographer).

This tour is exclusive to Slow Food members. To become a member, google "Slow Food USA" and go to the national website. Click on  "Donate" to become a member, fill in your details and close the deal. 

Then inform us that you became a member so we can accelerate your inclusion in our conviviality.
Note: Tickets $20 ( for Slow Food Members only)
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/590741
Minimum Age: 21
Kid Friendly: No
Dog Friendly: No
Non-Smoking: Yes!
Wheelchair Accessible: No

12/11/13

Event - Annual Members Mtg. & Dinner 1/26, Sebastopol Grange, RSVP Required



You are cordially invited to the Annual Member's Meeting of Slow Food Russian River. 
Let's gather for conviviality, conversation, a communal meal, and renew our commitment to our shared purpose: a food system that is good, clean, and fair. The leadership team welcomes your participation and input.

This members-only event is FREE of charge.

SFRR ANNUAL MEMBER'S MEETING 
Sunday, January 26th, 2014
4PM–7PM at the Sebastopol Grange


YOU MUST RSVP ONLINE VIA THE FOLLOWING LINK
Your RSVP will help us to ensure we have enough prepared entrees.




MEMBERSHIP:

If you would like to attend but are not a current member of Slow Food Russian River or your membership has lapsed you can 1) Pay your membership or renewal dues via the Slow Food USA website, or 2) Arrive prepared to pay your dues at the door ($30-60 per person), in cash or by check

 

FOOD DETAILS:
  • Entree catered by Lata's Indian Cuisine. Rice w/ Veg. & Meat Entree Option
  • Please bring your own napkin, utensils and plate.
  •  SFRR will provide glasses but bring beverages to share. 
  • Slow-style potluck assignments by last name for Appetizer, Sides, and Desserts as follows:
          A-J Last Names: Appetizers
          K-S Last Names: Sides or Salads 
          T-Z Last Names: Desserts

 

MEETING AGENDA (order subject to change):
  • Socializing with Beverages & Appetizers
  • 2013 Slow Food Review
  • Dinner
  • Dessert & Preview of SFRR in 2014
  • Election of 2014 Leadership Team

11/21/13

Event - SFRR Annual Holiday Party Dec. 8, 3-7pm


Come Celebrate the Season, the Solstice, and the Holidays with your Slow Food Russian River community. This year our annual holiday gathering is in a very special place; the beautiful and inspiring Heron Hall of the Laguna de Santa Rosa. Our own Carolyn Johnson will give us a docent talk about the Laguna, the birds, and the work that is done by the Laguna Foundation.

Rosso Pizzeria will once again bring their mobile pizza oven and serve us fresh cooked pizza and salad made with the best locally sourced ingredients.

  Click Here to Purchase Your Tickets Online.



Please bring appetizers or desserts and wine, cider, or your beverage of choice to enhance our shared meal.  Please bring your own plates and utensils to make this the greenest event possible.  Have a plate with a story?  Bring it and share with your table mates!

Cost is $20 per person, and children under 11 are free.
This event is for Slow Food Members only. To become a Slow Food member go to: www.slowfoodusa.org/membership

Click Here to Purchase Your Tickets Online.

OR simply RSVP to info@slowfoodrr.org by December 1st and either mail us a check or pay at the door.

Lastly, we will be collecting at this event children’s socks and slippers to give to Valley of the Moon Children's Home, and to COTS (shelter for homeless and transitional families).


11/19/13

11/4/13

EVENT: HERITAGE HARVEST DINNER w/ Wine & Cheese Reception and Auction Fundraiser


Once again, you are invited to this very special event supporting local 4H programs to preserve American Heritage Breeds and other SFRR projects. The afternoon event starts with an Artisan Cheese and Wine reception under the arena's portico with views of the surrounding Bennett Valley hills and a live musical trio in the background. The silent auction tables will be ready for the guests to review and begin bidding on an assortment of items, including gift certificates to local restaurants, wines, local artisan creations, garden consultations and more. Dinner will be served in the Arena, featuring roasted heritage turkey, paired with dishes made from local produce. Chefs Chris Thompson and Rocky Maselli of A16 in San Francisco and Tony Ferrari of San Francisco's Hillside Supper Club will create a meal to remember. As desserts are being served, the Live Auction begins with 8 heritage turkeys, introduced to the guests by the youth who raised them. The live auction also includes three very special experience packages: a Poolside Pizza party for 8 guests at the home of Bruce Aidells and Nancy Oakes, a Winemakers' Duck dinner for 8 at Scherrer Winery, featuring Jim Reichardt of Liberty Duck fame with the exceptional Scherrer wines, and a fun summer BBQ hosted by Julie Atwood at her beautiful Glen Ellen ranch.
  • Pre-dinner Artisan wine and cheese reception
  • 4 course meal showcasing Heritage Turkeys prepared by acclaimed Bay Area chefs
  • Live Auction of Heritage Turkeys & silent auction of wine/travel packages.
  • To download a list of auction items click here.
WHEN Sunday, November 17th, 3-7pm
WHERE Jackson Family Ranch, 4057 Grange Road, Santa Rosa 
TICKETS 
Purchased before November 7: Early Bird Member $85,  Early Non-Member $100
Purchased after November 7: Slow Food Members  and $115, Non-Members $135.


* PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE *



Newsletter - November 2013

Click here to view: http://e2.ma/message/p461e/l5cse

10/13/13

Reserve Your Heritage Turkey

SFRR is proud to present in collaboration with the Sonoma County 4H, the Heritage Turkey Project for 2013. The breeds this year are Bronze, Narragansett, Midget Whites and Holland Whites.  

Please reserve your turkeys by filling out the form below and mailing with your deposit; also send an email. The cost will be $7.50/ lb., upon pick up, the balance will be paid by check directly to the young farmer via check or cash. Turkeys will be available for pickup Tuesday November 26 and Wednesday November 27.  (probably in Petaluma). You will be notified of the times and location the week prior to Thanksgiving. 

This project supports our young farmers, 4H, organic farming, Slow Food Russian River and Heritage breeds. For more info on heritage breeds see The Livestock Conservancy (formerly American Livestock Breeds Conservancy) at http://www.livestockconservancy.org/

Got questions regarding Farm/4H?  Contact: Catherine Thode.    thodefamilyfarm@pacbell.net  
Got questions regarding Pick-up?  Contact: Jim Reichardt.    scpducks@aol.com

_______________________________________________________________

TURKEYS HAVE SOLD OUT, THANK-YOU!



ORDER HERE...  Complete These 2 Steps Please!

1) Copy and paste form below, then fill out in new email...Email to: thodefamilyfarm@pacbell.net

2) Print your email / this form and enclose a $40 check made payable to SFRR, and send the printed paper form to this address. Don't forget your check!
Heritage Turkey Sales, P.O. Box 2746, Sebastopol, CA 95473

........................................................................................................................

The Form to Order Heritage Turkey 2013
Your Name ______________________________________________

Address _______________________City ________________ Zip_________
Phone No._______________________
Your Email :

Size preferences are approximate but will be filled as close as possible.
SIZES:
8 to 10 lbs _____ (Qty) 
11 to 12 lbs _____ (Qty) (limited availability)
16 to 19 lbs ____  (Qty)
20 lbs and over ____  (Qty) 

  • Only 180 turkeys this year!
  • NOTE : Size preferences will be filled in order of receipt of deposit.
  • MAIL FORM AND $40 TODAY!

9/30/13

Event - CIDER & CHEESE PAIRING Oct. 27, 3-6PM, Sebastopol

Celebrate the bountiful apple harvest and American Cheese Month with a guided pairing of local artisanal ciders and cheese. Devoto Orchards and Tilted Shed Ciderworks, two Sebastopol-area farm-based cider producers, will join seven local cheesemakers in showcasing craft cider's amazing range and versatility. Fermented from 100% locally grown heirloom apples right here in Sonoma County, the ciders come in diverse styles that will make you shed your preconceptions about hard cider: from semidry to bone-dry; fruity to funky; crisp, refreshing, and bright to savory, vinous, and tannic. The cheeses are handcrafted in a similarly wide range of styles, ages, and milk varieties, including sheep, goat, and cow. Together, they will surprise and delight even the most seasoned cheese aficionado, proving that what grows together, goes together. 

 

Leave urban life behind and put on comfortable shoes. This event will open with a tour of the Devoto Orchards' beautiful organic apple farm in Sebastopol, then follow with a sit-down pairing at communal tables in their handsome barn. We will learn about the history of the apple industry in the region, marvel at the variety of heirloom and traditional cider apples, then taste and toast to the flavors of fall and the rise of authentically crafted, truly local cider and cheese.

CIDERMAKERS
Titled Shed Ciderworks, Sebastopol www.tiltedshed.com

Devoto Orchards, Sebastopl www.devotogardens.com 


CHEESE MAKERS
Andre Artisan Cheese Valley Ford
Bleating Heart www.bleatingheart.com
Bohemian Creamery www.bohemiancreamery.com

Gypsy Cheese Co. www.gypsycheese.com 
Toluma Farms www.tolumafarms.com
Valley Ford Cheese Co., www.valleyfordcheeseco.com
Weirauch Farm & Creamery, www.weirauchfarm.com

* Pre Sale Tickets Only ($35 Slow Food Members, $46 Non Members) 

Click here to purchase tickets on Brown Paper Tickets.

* Guests must be 21 or older to attend this event.
* This event is hosted by Slow Food Russian River.
* This event is a fundraiser for a new SRJC Scholarship by Slow Food Russian River, for students pursuing careers in agriculture.