Not to be overly persistent, but you still have an opportunity to hear Michael Pollan speak and partake in some slow food goodness Alameda style. The event will be on: Sunday, October 19th and the schedule of events is:
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Food, wine and conviviality
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm: Michael Pollan In Conversation With Sedge Thomson
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm: Dessert, Chocolates, Coffee, Teas and Book Signing
The following Alameda establishments have donated treats for the schmoozing including: Acquacotta; Baron’s Meat & Poultry; The Beanery; C’era Una Volta; Coco Delice Chocolates; Dan’s Fresh Produce; FeelGood Bakery; Julie’s Coffee & Tea; Alameda Marketplace; Mona’s Table; Alameda Natural Grocery, Pappo and Rosenblum Winery.
Tickets can be purchased at Daisy’s on Park, Books Inc, Alameda Marketplace, Dewey’s Friends Cafe (in the Library), and Lanvie (on Webster) or at brownpapertickets.com.
Conicidentially (and very timely) Michael Pollan has a open letter to the next president in the New York Times magazine discussing food policy considerations for the next administration. Even though I’m not a slow food type person, I like the occassional fast food meal, we have done one thing mentioned by Michael Pollan:
…The president should throw his support behind a new Victory Garden movement, this one seeking “victory” over three critical challenges we face today: high food prices, poor diets and a sedentary population. Eating from this, the shortest food chain of all, offers anyone with a patch of land a way to reduce their fossil-fuel consumption and help fight climate change. (We should offer grants to cities to build allotment gardens for people without access to land.) Just as important, Victory Gardens offer a way to enlist Americans, in body as well as mind, in the work of feeding themselves and changing the food system — something more ennobling, surely, than merely asking them to shop a little differently…
On our little plot of Alameda land we have managed to plant tomatoes, herbs, grapes, three citrus trees, cantalope, peppers, lettuce, and cucumbers which pleases us greatly. Next year, we may try some other variations but have saved a lot of money by simply growing fruits and vegetables that we use a lot.
This is going to be a truly fantastic event, with terrific food as well as amazing speakers and discussion. And don’t forget it’s a fundraiser for the Alameda Free Library, hosted by the Library Foundation. I encourage everyone to visit our local ticket outlets, but if you can’t do that, brownpapertickets.com is really easy, and it’s “fair trade tickets” so the service charge is only $2.87 per ticket.
What kind of grapes are you growing? We have concord grapes, and after 12 years I have figured out how to make incredible grape juice, “sorbet” and even a grape pie. Getting all the seeds out is a lot of work but it’s worth it.
Comment by Steph L — October 14, 2008 @ 9:54 am
We’re growing two white table grape plants. We didn’t get any fruit this year
but are hopeful for next year.
We’re making up for the lack of grapes with an abundance of cantaloupe.
Comment by Lauren Do — October 14, 2008 @ 10:12 am
I vaguely recall that growing food was verboten at Bayport due to enviro issues. Am I remembering that right?
Comment by dave — October 14, 2008 @ 10:40 am
We’re growing our food in raised planter beds.
Comment by Lauren Do — October 14, 2008 @ 10:55 am
Alameda’s weather and soil are great for home gardens. We have an abundance of tomatoes, peppers, beans, potatoes,lemons, oranges, limes, and assorted herbs.
If you know the right people/gardeners/city farmers in Alameda, you can supply almost all your needs. Bartering with friends is a great thing.
Comment by RM — October 14, 2008 @ 11:33 am
We need a weekend home garden co-op section at the farmers market
Comment by Jeff R. Thomason — October 14, 2008 @ 11:45 am