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Past Event

The Urban Farming Movement

Enterprising city dwellers are bursting from their pre-packaged lives and taking back their choices for consumption. Urban farms foster community and healthy eating beneath towering city blocks, where fast and easy often supersede fresh and home-grown. Like SF’s own Alemany Farm and Hayes Valley Farm, these urban crop spaces allow neighbors to trade their Swingline staplers for pitchforks and break new ground. Fresh, organic veggies are grown and sold, and the locavore food economy is epitomized. What’s the appeal of throwing away the chain grocery store for the neighborhood till? Come hear from local leaders of the movement like Novella Carpenter, founder of Oakland’s Ghost Town Farm, and trailblazing San Franciscans Jason Mark, of Alemany Farm, Christopher Burley, founder of Hayes Valley Farm, and David Gavrich, "goat whisperer" and founder of City Grazing. They’ll discuss the urban farming movement's place in the world of organic, local-grown culture, and how they’re bringing the farm to the city - goats included!

We’ll toast these locavore legends with food from Mission Pie, Bella Viva Orchards, Back to Earth Catering and wine from Russian River Vineyards. Thank you to each of them for being our generous food sponsors for this event.

Food and wine sponsored by Mission Pie, Bella Viva Orchards, Back to Earth Catering and wine from Russian River Vineyards.

May 12, 2010

The Commonwealth Club of California
595 Market St.
San Francisco, 94102
United States

Speakers

Jason Mark

Co-manager, Alemany Farm; Editor-in-Chief, Earth Island Journal

Novella Carpenter

Founder, Ghost Town Farm; Author, Farm City

Christopher Burley

Founder, Hayes Valley Farm

David Gavrich

Founder, City Grazing

Novella Carpenter

Author, Farm City; Founder, Ghost Town Farm

Sarah Rich

Writer; Editor; Co-founder, The Foodprint Project; Co-author, Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century—Moderator