Farm Fresh to You and Capay Organic invite the public to Capay Crush, the farm’s first annual grape festival that will celebrate the crush season. The event will take place on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Participating wineries include: Berryessa Gap, Capay Valley Vineyards, Rominger West, Seka Hills, Simas Family Vineyards and Turkovich Family Wines. Event proceeds benefit the Kathleen Barsotti Non-Profit for Sustainable Agriculture (KBNP).

The Kathleen Barsotti Non-Profit for Sustainable Agriculture gives an annual scholarship to a high school senior planning on pursuing a field related to sustainable agriculture. KBNP also donates school supplies to farmworker families in the Capay Valley. This August, KBNP donated almost 400 backpacks stocked with school supplies for local students.

“We love inviting people out to our farm to take in the farm land during the fall. For us, sharing the farm with others and introducing people to where their food is grown is one of our primary missions,” said Thaddeus Barsotti, farmer and co-owner. “We’re especially excited to partner with local wineries to celebrate local agriculture.”

The farm is pleased to welcome Dr. David Block, professor and chair of the department of viticulture and enology at UC Davis. Dr. Block will give a short lecture during the event.

The farm will have a grape harvest and grape stomping in half barrels. Farm tram tours will run every 20 minutes until dusk allowing guests to see the farm land at the end of summer with fall veggies starting to grow.

Farm tacos made from farm fresh produce and farm stand snacks will be sold. Guests can also opt to bring their own picnics. At dusk, guests can gather around an evening bonfire and listen to live music from Boca Do Rio and Kelly McFarling.

Ticket Information

Tickets are on sale now through Tuesday, Sept. 20, for $20 per car. Tickets will be sold at the farm on event day for $25 per person. To purchase tickets, go to: <http://capaycrush.eventbrite.com/>.

Visit the Events section at <http://farmfreshtoyou.com> to learn more about the festival.

Directions:

The farm is located 90 miles northeast of San Francisco and 30 minutes northwest of Sacramento. The farm address is 23800 State Highway 16, Capay, CA 95607.

From the Bay Area:

Take Interstate 80 East to Interstate 505 North. Go approximately 20 miles; exit on Highway 16/Esparto, turn left at the light. Follow Highway 16 through Esparto and Capay. The farm is a 1/4 mile past the town of Capay on the right. Look for the Farm Fresh to You event signs and turn onto the gravel road that leads to the parking area.

From Sacramento:

Take Interstate 5 North through Woodland to the Highway 16 W/Esparto exit. Take the exit and turn left; then travel three miles to second stoplight. Turn right onto Highway 16. Follow Highway 16 through Esparto and Capay. The farm is a 1/4 mile past the town of Capay on the right. Look for the Farm Fresh to You event signs and turn onto the gravel road that leads to the parking area.

About Farm Fresh to You

Farm Fresh to You was founded in 1992 by Kathleen Barsotti to bring organic produce from the farm to customers at home. Today, Farm Fresh to You is run by her sons, Noah, Thaddeus and Freeman. Originally, Farm Fresh to You had just a few delivery routes, but the company now delivers to thousands of customers in Northern and Southern California. The company also farms in the Imperial Valley in Southern California. Farm Fresh to You also has a retail store in San Francisco’s Ferry Building.

About Capay Organic

Capay Organic distributes organic produce to wholesalers, restaurants, grocery stores and at 27 farmers’ markets. Founded in 1976, the farm celebrates its 35^th anniversary this year.

Slow Money's 3rd National Gathering
Fort Mason, San Francisco
October 12-14, 2011

"The gathering was life changing. Welcome to a revolution!" —Paul Tryba, THE FARM, Long Beach, CA

Looking for a new kind of social investing for the 21st century? If so, plan to join Slow Money’s emerging network of thought leaders, investors, donors, farmers, social entrepreneurs and everyday folks for their 3rd National Gathering this October in San Francisco. Three days of conversations, network building and action planning on an historic wharf in a food-loving town. What could be better?

The list of speakers is phenomenal: award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster David Suzuki; global thinker, scientist and acclaimed author Vandana Shiva, named by Forbes as "one of the seven most influential women in the world"; Wes Jackson, founder of The Land Institute, which for 30 years has conducted cutting-edge research on sustainable agriculture; Leslie Christian, CEO of Portfolio 21; and many more.

There will also be investment presentations from two dozen small food enterprises and break out sessions on topics ranging from New Visions of Corporate Philanthropy to Mapping Local Food Sheds, plus the opportunity to collaborate with folks from around the country who are finding new ways to connect money, culture and the soil—including members of the 11 chapters channeling millions of dollars into local small food enterprises.

The Slow Money National Gathering brings together people who are rebuilding local food systems across the U.S. and around the world. More than 1,000 people attended the first two national gatherings—resulting in more than $4.25 million invested in 16 small food enterprises!

Join this forward thinking group now. For details and to register, click here.

9th Annual Fundraiser

Autumn Equinox Celebration

URBAN AGRICULTURE & EDUCATION PROJECT

Saturday • September 17 • 4:30 – 8:30pm

3000 Hurley Way, Sacramento
$60 per person

FINE FOOD • WINE TASTING • MUSIC • SILENT AUCTION
Click Here to See the Full Event List

oin us for an evening at the farm on Hurley Way, an urban agricultural oasis nestled in the heart of the city. Walk through the gardens, enjoy live music, sample seasonal and organic food prepared by prominent local chefs. Taste exceptional wine and celebrate the harvest season under the stars.

TICKETS

Space at this popular event is limited. Please get your tickets in advance after August 5 at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, 1900 Alhambra Blvd. or from Soil Born Farms (916)363-9685.

Celebrate Rural Living

An on-farm fundraising festival

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Full Belly Farm • Capay Valley • 11am – 11pm

• Tasty Organic Food & Drinks
• Live Music & Dancing All Day!
• Farm Workshops
• Children's Hands-on Fun
• Farm Tours
• Farmer's Market & Crafts

Saturday Admission:
Adults $20, Children (2–12) $5
Under 2 get in free
Camping on Saturday $20 per car

For more information visit www.hoesdown.org,
or call (800) 791-2110

Woody Tasch, the founder of Slow Money, will speak on “Investing as if Food, Farms, and Fertility Matter” Sept. 20 in Davis, at an event organized by the UC Small Farm Program.

The talk, along with introductions, Q&A and light refreshments, will be 4 – 6 p.m. at the Rominger West Winery, 4602 Second St. in Davis.

Slow Money is a national network dedicated to investing in local food and agricultural enterprises. Its Northern California chapter has worked with local food ventures, including the Capay Valley Farm Shop and Soul Food Farm.

The event will include a brief introduction to current UC Davis research by Shermain Hardesty, of the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department, and Gail Feenstra, of the Agricultural Sustainability Institute, on values-based food systems, where relationships between growers, funders, distributors, consumers and others are based on shared values. This multi-state, USDA-funded project is working to identify bottlenecks in the development of values-based food supply chains—including access to capital.

This event is sponsored by the Davis Food Co-op, Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op and the Giannini Foundation.

Tickets are $10. Spaces will be limited, so please reserve your space online at http://ucanr.org/slowmoney.

9th Annual Fundraiser

Autumn Equinox Celebration

URBAN AGRICULTURE & EDUCATION PROJECT

Saturday • September 17 • 4:30 – 8:30pm

3000 Hurley Way, Sacramento
$60 per person

FINE FOOD • WINE TASTING • MUSIC • SILENT AUCTION
Click Here to See the Full Event List

Join us for an evening at the farm on Hurley Way, an urban agricultural oasis nestled in the heart of the city. Walk through the gardens, enjoy live music, sample seasonal and organic food prepared by prominent local chefs. Taste exceptional wine and celebrate the harvest season under the stars.

TICKETS

Space at this popular event is limited. Please get your tickets in advance after August 5 at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, 1900 Alhambra Blvd. or from Soil Born Farms (916)363-9685.

Sponsored by the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op. All proceeds benefit the Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture & Education Project 501(c)(3).

The Sacramento Greek Festival takes place this year Friday through Sunday, Sept. 2 – 4 at the Sacramento Convention Center. This family-friendly event has a full program of activities daily, not to mention an abundance and variety of Greek specialty and traditional food.

Friday’s special is Shrimp Santorini, freshly cooked shrimp in a zesty sauce with onions and herbs, topped with feta cheese. Try Stifado Saturday, a famous Greek stew originating from the island of Cyprus, with hints of spices, cloves and cinnamon.

Other Greek cuisine items on hand include: calamari, Loukanico (orange spice sausage), Kota Psiti (baked chicken), Pilafi (seasoned rice), Horiatiki salad, Greek-seasoned lamb, gyros, Souvlakia (kebob) and more. There will also be a variety of imported Greek wine and beer, not to mention a plethora of Greek desserts. Here is a translation of some more menu items:

• Mousaka: A Greek delicacy. Eggplant and seasoned ground beef in this layered and baked creamy béchamel sauce dish.
• Spanakopito: Filo dough filled with herb seasoned spinach and a blend of cheeses
• Dolmathes: Grape leaves stuffed with rice and seasonings
• Pastitsio: Layers of macaroni seasoned with ground beef filling and cheeses, baked with a creamy béchamel sauce
• Tiropita: Cheese puff triangles made with a blend of cheeses, eggs, and seasonings wrapped in buttered  filo dough
• Fasolakia: Tender green beans baked with potatoes, tomatoes, onions, herbs, olive oil, and seasonings

Besides the mouth-watering Greek delicacies, festival goers will be inundated with activities such as cooking demonstrations, dance performances, dance lessons, live music, silent auction and raffle, game area, artists and more.

The Sacramento Greek Festival is hosted by the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation. Gold sponsors are CGI, The Old Spaghetti Factory and Wells Fargo. Visit www.sacramentogreekfestival.com for a detailed program of events, and a $2 off coupon for admission.

“A day in the country is worth a month in town.” – Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

Enjoy “A Day in the Country” at Park Winters, 27850 County Road 26 in Winters, beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11 to benefit the Yolo Land Trust. Attendees will dine on a feast prepared by top area chefs with more than 20 growers and vineyards sharing their bounty under shade trees in the countryside.

Park Winters is an 1865 Victorian home on the historic George Washington Scott Ranch. The Plainfield Pickers will perform live music while visitors dine on local produce and sip area wines. This is a family friendly event with a Kids’ Corner for children’s activities.

“A Day in the Country” is an opportunity to support Yolo Land Trust -- working to conserve Yolo County farmland forever.

The Yolo Land Trust celebrates the agricultural heritage of Yolo County at this fundraiser,
where more than two dozen farms and ranches will donate their products to chefs from restaurants from Yolo and Sacramento Counties and the Bay Area. Guests will have an opportunity to sample wines from more than 13 Yolo County wineries.

Yolo Land Trust is a nonprofit organization and contributions are tax deductible. Tickets are $75 per adult until Sept. 6 and children’s tickets are $20. For more information, and to view the full list of sponsors, visit yololandtrust.org.

Wine and cheese pairing make way for … craft beer and bacon tasting! Community Tap and Table, a regional cooking club, has several hands-on cooking classes scheduled through October including three tapas courses with paired craft beers, hands on cooking instruction and a guided lesson in beer food pairing.

Tap and Table has sourced local, antibiotic-free, humanely raised pork belly and fresh, unique American hand-crafted, craft beers. Participants will:

• Learn to cure pork belly into nitrate-free bacon
• Learn to make a home smoker in your own oven
• Learn to cook bacon three ways
• Taste three gourmet tapas (small bacon courses) paired with craft beers
• Compare bulk bacon to artisan bacon
• Learn the basic rules of beer-food pairing

The class is two to three hours and is limited to eight participants. The cost is $80 per person. Other upcoming classes and events include “Brewed in the South Pacific Beer Dinner” on August 25, an Oktoberfest Cooking Class in October, as well as a day trip to Reno for a three-stop brewery tour (Great Basin Brewing, Buckbean and Silver Peak) also in October. Visit www.communitytapandtable.com to register or for more information.

After the phenomenal success of last year’s inaugural “A Taste of History” event at Sutter’s Fort, the event is back by popular demand – and is on track for an early sell out. The event takes place Saturday, September 24 beginning at 6:30 p.m. The proceeds from the intimate candle lit dinner on the historic grounds, put on by The Friends of Sutter’s Fort, will benefit programs at the State Historic Park.

“A Taste of History” presents diners with historic recipes from the heyday of Sutter’s Fort and recreates them into vibrant, current dishes. In celebration of the bounty of the Sacramento region, some of the area’s top chefs will prepare the meal including chefs from Mulvaney’s, Ten22, Spataro and Ella/The Kitchen. Café Vinoteca will pair their courses with beer and wines for a unique culinary experience.

Guests will have an opportunity to interact with the chefs as they create culinary masterpieces in the historic Sutter’s Fort kitchen, bakery and courtyard while enjoying music, local wines, beer and hors d’oeuvres inspired by the pioneer period.

A sit-down four course dinner will follow at farmers tables as well as a silent auction, all to benefit The Friends of Sutter’s Fort, the nonprofit that supports Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park.

Tickets are $75 per person before September 3 and $85 after September 3. Tables of eight and sponsorships are available. Contact Lisa Mealoy at (916) 323-7626 for more information.

Whole Foods Market, SMUD, Sutter District, Midtown Business Association and Slow Food Sacramento are sponsoring the event.

Sutter’s Fort is located at 2701 L St. in Sacramento. Purchase tickets at www.suttersfort.org.