The sun came out unexpectedly and warmed the crowd at the Early Summer Farm Forum, second in a series co-hosted by Marcy Smothers and Clark Wolf. The lovely garden of Studio Barndiva offered tabling space for the Luther Burbank Home and Garden (of Santa Rosa), the Gold Ridge Farm, otherwise known as the Luther Burbank Experimental Gardens in Sebastopol and the Guerneville School Garden, home of the first Luther Burbank School Orchard.
The group was welcomed by Healdsburg Chamber President Mo Mc Elroy who later spoke about what food means to that community. "the fact is," she said, "people come here to eat! And we have plenty of great food to offer."
Each of the speakers gave a three minute recap of what they do and are involved in that connects to good food in the community. People learned how easy it is to start a farm (no permits necessary, unless you start processing food), how the County Parks department has started a Garden program on their land and is exploring other County lands for possible small farming, how schools can start School Orchards, how a new market - called Big Bottom Market -will open soon in Guerneville, fed by the gardens of the co-owners who also have Boon Eat + Drink in that town, how the SRJC Culinary Program which is getting a new $28 million facility in Santa Rosa gets most of it's produce from the 12 plus acres of organic gardens at Shone Farm, how CAFF - Community Alliance with Family Farms - helps small and medium sized farms survive or get off the ground, and what folks should think about and do in preparation for the next Farm Bill due to be reviewed next year.
Publisher Dan Imhoff told the audience, a group as interesting as the panel (including ledgendary wine maker and farmer Lou Preston, award winning preserves maker Merillee Olson, Relish Culinary owner Donna Del Ray, Farmes Market manager Paula Downing and many more) to "think big and make a difference"
If Wolf and Smothers have their way, they will. The duo plan another forum in the Sonoma Valley area in the fall, followed by a month long Late Harvest Festival honoring Luther Burbank's many contributions throughout the month of November. Details are sure to follow.
As Wolf said in concluding, "it's great that a farmer can be on his Blackberry out in the field - selling to market while tending his crops.
Modern technology working with ancient wisdom. Makes for some delicious life.
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