Food and farming are alive and well in Sonoma County if the third in a series of Farm Forums is any gauge.
Co-sponsored by the City of Sonoma and the girl + the fig family of restaurants, the Tuesday event was hosted by food/restaurant consultant Clark Wolf and radio personality Marcy Smothers. The venue: the outdoor patio of Sonoma’s Estate Restaurant.
Not surprisingly, local politicians turned out for this timely topic. On hand were Efren Carillio, president of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors; Jennifer Hainstock, District Director to Supervisor Valerie Brown; and Sonoma Mayor Laurie Gallian. Sonoma Land Trust Executive Director Ralph Benson was also in the audience.
The lineup of more than a dozen speakers covered various aspects of the local food world, and included a chef, cheese maker, egg farmer, writer, and a few entrepreneurs. Speakers had only three minutes to explain what they do and how it affects the greater community.
Sonoma County’s consulting Agricultural Commissioner, Dave Whitmer, noted that three vital ingredients are needed for a local food community to thrive. “You need the proper climate, soil, and people,” he said. “With that combination you can do anything—and Sonoma County is one of the few places on earth where you find all three. You have a treasure in your midst.”
Whitmer discussed the Sonoma County Food System Alliance, which works to increase access to healthy food for county residents. The Alliance has identified eight major goals: food security, food and agricultural literacy, demand for locally produced and grown food, local production, local distribution and processing, economic viability, opportunities for food system and farm workers, and environmental regeneration.
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