The New Edible San Diego for Kids is Here!

ESD-Kids-web-page-masthead

Slow Food Urban San Diego is excited to announce the arrival of the Winter 2015/6 issue of Edible San Diego for Kids. This issue is all about dairy and meat. It features articles written by and for San Diego kids, a delicious recipe and a gardening activity.

This issue is appropriate for 4th through 6th grade independent readers. It may also be worked into lesson plans for younger students or sent home for reading with their families.

Edible San Diego for Kids is produced by Slow Food Urban San Diego's Education Committee in collaboration with Edible San Diego.

If you are interested in having copies delivered to your school, please email LisaJoy@slowfoodurbansandiego.org

Join us for a Slow Wine Tasting with the Matriarchs

Please join us on January 29th for a Slow Wine tasting at the fabulous Rose Wine Bar in South Park. For this event The Rose is excited to welcome to their side bar four Matriarchs of Italian wine making on their USA Slow Wine tour. The tasting will include four wines from four producers and a complimentary apertivo. Tastings are $25 with $5 of each tasting going to Slow Food Urban San Diego. Hope to see you there!

Event details:

Date January 29th

Time: 6:30-8:30

Location: The Rose Wine Bar, Side Bar

Address: 2219 30th Street

Price: $25

Get your tickets here.

Share the Facebook page!

Upcoming Slow Food Urban Events!

Join us for Slow Fish 2016

SlowFish2016Logo

Join us for a collaborative gathering of fishermen, scientists, chefs, students, co-producers and gastronomes from across continental North America and beyond, searching to find solutions to the many challenges that affect fisheries, habitats, oceans, and cultural seafood systems in New Orleans, March 10th - 13th. 

In addition to a conference in the Old US Mint and a seafood festival in the French Market, Slow Fish 2016 in New Orleans will feature a traditional Lenten Friday Night Fish Fry at the French Market, tours of Louisiana’s rapidly disappearing wetlands and coast and other events around town and throughout the region.We guarantee that anyone brave enough to attend will have a great time, incredible food experiences, and will never ever look at watersheds, waterways, oceans and seafood the same way again.

We at Slow Food Urban San Diego are helping plan this awesome event. Let us know if you'd like to get involved or help send local fishermen and students. Here are some other ways you help: 

1. Sign up and join the event.

2. Want to host a local fundraiser to send local fishermen and students? Let us know! 

3. LIKE and SHARE the Facebook Event Page

4. Write a blog. If you or someone you know would like to write a blog on the topic of good, clean, and fair seafood for all -- we wanna highlight you!

5. Be a presenter. Share stories and your experiences around seafood business, healthy oceans, and fish policy. See our request for Pesce-Kucha style presentations or email us directly.

6. Sign up to volunteer!

7. Share this information with your friends. 

Slow Fish 2016

Please contact us with any questions or if you'd like to get involved in any way!

Email: Sarah@slowfoodurbansandiego.org

SFUSD Welcomes New Board Members

SFUSD welcomes three new board members this month: Darcy Shiber-Knowles, Lisa Joy and Stephanie Parker. Our full roster for 2016 is listed below. We've reorganized the board, collapsing and expanding some positions. We look forward to working towards a Good, Clean & Fair San Diego food system and sharing with our San Diego community this coming year! Stay tuned for upcoming celebrations and efforts.

Rachel Helmer - Chair Sarah Shoffler - Vice Chair & Communications Coordinator Dana Palermo - Secretary Darcy Shiber-Knowles - Treasurer Kathryn Rogers - Food Justice Chair & Outreach Coordinator Tania Alatorre - Good Food Community Fair & Volunteer Coordinator Stephanie Parker - Farm Liaison & Ark of Taste Chair Lisa Joy - Education Chair

Learn more about them here.

We also extend our warmth and gratitude to the board members who recently stepped down: Jennifer Leong, Chelsea Coleman, Owen Salerno, Lydia Wisz, Aundrea Dominguez, Jessica Barlow, Christina Nelson and Adina Batnitzky. We so appreciate your contributions and leadership over the past several years and know that our future accomplishments will rest on the shoulders of your efforts.

Interested in joining our board? We still have room for a Communications Chair, Fundraising Chair and Membership Chair. Learn more about these positions here.

Sharing the Slow Food Spirit with Those in Need This Holiday Season

By Kathryn Rogers, SFUSD Board of Directors

430_5003118

The holiday season is a time to celebrate with family and friends. A time to select that perfect gift from a local vendor for someone special. A time to indulge in holiday libations and decadent feasts. A time to give thanks and share a little extra cheer with those in need.

With 1 in 7 San Diego County residents experiencing food insecurity, food distribution programs and meal donations can go a long way in helping families get their basic needs met. Aligned with Slow Food’s vision of Good, Clean and Fair Food for All, here we share our top tips for how to give back to our local community this holiday season.

• Participating in the San Diego Food Bank’s 2015 Holiday Food Drive by purchasing a pre-filled bag of food at a local Vons, donating online, or hosting a food drive at your workplace or community center.

• Joining Feeding San Diego in its goal to raise one million meals for local families in need this holiday season. Learn more about how you can donate your time or dollars on their website.

• Supporting our local military and veteran community by adopting a military family for the holiday season. When you purchase commissary or grocery cards for your adopted family, you are helping to nourish both their bodies and joyful spirits.

• Donating a Farm Fresh to You box to a local family in need, bringing the gift of healthy produce to their doorstep.

• Honoring your friends and family by donating to a local, sustainable food organization or ordering an organic CSA box in their name. This wonderful gift will keep on giving – supporting a healthier, more delicious and just world for them and their neighbors to live in. Check out Suzie’s Farm or San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project for inspiration.

Here’s to a happy, healthy and nourishing holiday season for all San Diegans!

Kale, Sausage, and Sweet Potato Soup

By Lisa Churchville, SFUSD Member

I love a good bowl of soup. I like it steaming hot and full of goodies. I want the soup to delight my taste buds and fill my belly. This hearty soup has a smoky background, with a touch of heat and a touch of sweet.

What you’ll need to serve six people:

• 1 onion, halved then sliced thin
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 4 cloves of garlic minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 14 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups peeled, diced sweet potatoes (2-3 small potatoes)
• 1 bunch green kale, torn off stem into pieces
• 2 or 3 hot Italian sausages, cooked (It’s important to use fully cooked sausage. You want the sausage to be spicy. If it isn’t fully cooked, the spiciness will drain into the broth and the sausage will taste just like the ground meat.)

Directions:

Drizzle some oil into a big soup pot. Drop in the onion and sauté until soft. Add the ground meat and garlic, and sprinkle in some salt and pepper. Break up the meat while it’s browning. Once the meat is cooked through, add the diced tomatoes with juice, chicken broth, sweet potato, oregano, paprika, and salt. Bring to a boil. Add the kale.

I know this looks like A LOT

but it cooks down to this.

Cover the pot and lower to a simmer for 15-20 minutes until a fork can go through the sweet potato. Add sliced hot Italian sausage and simmer another 5-10 minutes until it's heated through.

What's YOUR favorite autumn recipe? Share it with us on Facebook!

Slow Sips, December 7th, 5-7p @ The Rose

Join us for some end-of-year fun! Champagne and local wine specials and pairings just for Slow Sippers, plus happy hour appetizer specials.

2015 Good Food Community Fair

By Sarah M. Shoffler, SFUSD board of directorsPhotos by Eric Buchanan

We had a great time at the 2015 Good Food Community Fair! This year's event, at the wonderful Quartyard, featured some of the best of San Diego's thriving slow food scene: coffee, honey, beer, pigs, sea urchins, yellowtail, sushi, oysters, kombucha, mead...plus farmers, fishermen, chefs, brewers, beekeepers, butchers, food researchers, publishers, educators and conservationists. Check out our photos below!

Over 40 partner organizations, our colleagues in the San Diego Slow Food movement, brought their variety of good, clean & fair food for all to our annual event. We owe our success to these partners, plus to our generous donors of food, supplies, raffle items, time and expertise, and to our awesome volunteers. Not to mention the rockstar staff at Quartyard. See you next year!

Like this year's artwork? You can buy an artist-signed print, of just the art, for $10. Email us at info@slowfoodurbansandiego.org. 

Our amazing partners and sponsors:

1:1 Movement, Baby Cydesdale, Café Virtuoso, California Sea Grant, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Catalina Offshore Products, Cat Chiu Phillips, Chef Rob Ruiz, City Farmers Nursery, City Farming Academy, Culinary Historians Of San Diego, Community Health Improvement Partners, Cook Pigs Ranch, Duck Foot Brewing, Edible San Diego, Epicurean San Diego, Ernest Miller, Girl Next Door Honey, Golden Coast Mead, Green Flash Brewing, Jeanne's Garden Program for Children, Kashi, Leah’s Pantry and EatFresh.org, Master Gardeners of San Diego, NOAA Fisheries, Nomad Donuts, Nopalito Hop Farm, Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center, One Bag World, Project New Village, RainThanks, Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County, Revolution Landscape, San Diego Weekly Markets, Slow Food San Diego State University, Slow Money SoCal, SoCal Fish, Stone Brewing Co., Surfrider Foundation San Diego, Suzie's Farm, The Humane League, Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, Via International, Viva Pops, Wild Willow Farm & Education Center, Women of Coffee Microfinance Fund, Specialty Produce, The Meat Men, Eclipse Chocolate, The Lodge at Torrey Pines, Next Door Wine + Craft Beer Bar, Dr. Bronner's, Blind Lady Alehouse, Leroy's Kitchen, Suzie's Farm, NINE-Ten, Curds and Wine, Epicurean San Diego, San Diego Food Systems Alliance.

Celebrate the Craft

By Rachel Helmer, SFUSD Board of Directors

Slow Food Urban San Diego is honored and grateful to have been a part of the 13th annual Celebrate the Craft held at The Lodge Torrey Pines. The October event showcases the region's best chefs, produce, wine, and beer. Guests came from all over California to gather together and celebrate with local culinary artisans, growers, brewers and vintners that were there to showcase their craftsmanship.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Slow Food Urban San Diego, to support efforts in raising public awareness, improving access, and encouraging the enjoyment of foods that are local, seasonal, and sustainable. Thanks to everyone who came out and visited the Slow Food table and to Executive Chef Jeff Jackson and The Lodge for hosting such a beautiful event.

Serving and Saving Good Food: Where and Why to Buy a Heritage Turkey for T-Day

By Sarah M. Shoffler, SFUSD Board of Directors.

ark-prod-jersey-buff-tom

Heritage turkeys are different from most turkeys sold in the U.S. Ancestors to the Broad Breasted White turkey, the most produced commercial breed of turkey today, heritage turkeys have retained some of their historic characteristics. Unlike industrially-produced turkeys, which are mostly raised in captivity, the heritage breeds are raised outdoors and roam freely in pastures. They are allowed to grow older and eat a diverse diet, so put on an extra layer of fat. These self-reliant birds are known for their good flavor due to more dark meat, and "thriftyness" or good meat yield. Many heritage breeds originated in the United States and since the 1960s have been difficult to find. Some are nearing extinction.

ark-prod-slate

The Broad Breasted White turkey is so often preferred by industrial food producers because it grows quickly and provides a great deal of white meat. However, like the Broiler chicken, the most produced food chicken, the Broad Breasted White turkey has so much breast meat and such short legs that it cannot mate naturally. This bird also can't fly, is prone to health problems and cannot survive without human intervention.

ark-prod-royal_palm

Choosing to eat a heritage turkey may in fact save the breeds. By buying heritage breeds, consumers encourage breeders to continue producing the rare birds, thereby supporting their existence. To this end, the American Livestock Conservancy works to protect nearly 200 individual breeds of livestock from 11 different species. They developed the term "heritage" in order to help market historic and endangered breeds of livestock because "the loss of these breeds would impoverish agriculture and diminish the human spirit."

Slow Food's Ark of Taste, a living catalog of delicious and distinctive foods facing extinction, also includes eight of the heritage turkeys: Bronze, Black, Bourbon, Jersey Buff, Midget White, Narragansett, Royal Palm and Slate.

The Narragansett turkey, a heritage and handsome breed.

Wondering where to buy a heritage turkey? You may have to order one, but here are a few places we found carrying them:

• Some Whole Foods (the Hillcrest store was out, but La Jolla was still taking orders as of 11/12), Bristol Farms, Barons Markets (taking orders starting 11/13) have heritage turkeys available or are taking orders.

• Mary's Free Range Narragansett and Bourbon turkeys are available in a number of SoCal locations, including those listed above.

• You can order Narragansett, Slate and Bourbon turkeys online from Local Harvest.

• The Heritage Turkey Foundation also lists several heritage turkey sellers in SoCal.

Know someone else selling heritage turkeys? Please let us know: email sarah_at_slowfoodurbansandiego_dot_org.

ark-prod-black_turkey-01

Learn more here.

Girl Next Door Honey Pollinates Hearts and Minds

By Sarah M. Shoffler, SFUSD Board of Directors

Bees are critical to pollinating plants and to growing thousands of fruits and vegetables that we eat. They are the only insect who make food that humans eat. But since the 1990s, beekeepers around the world have noticed bee colonies are disappearing. Added to that, droughts mean less access to their food supply. These things together spell trouble for these amazing five-eyed, honey-producing critters.

DID YOU KNOW?There are three types of bees: worker, drone and queen. All worker bees are females. Their wings beet 200 times per second or 12,000 beats per minute. The average worker bee produces about 1/12th of a tablespoon of honey in her lifetime. Bees communicate through pheromones and dances. Plus watch this.

Hillary Kearney of Girl Next Door Honey

But you don’t have to convince Hilary Kearney, Owner of Girl Next Door Honey, of the importance of bees. Her whole business is grounded in making bees accessible to people on every level.

“First and foremost I am educating people about bees and I find that they are often less afraid of them once they have a better understanding of what they do. I like to think of it as 'pollinating hearts and minds,” says Hilary. She does this by: teaching classes on backyard hives, managing home hives, relocating hives, teaching children about bees and giving Beehive Tours to the public. These efforts, she feels, will broaden bee knowledge among the public and lessen people’s fear of bees, which are critical to “engaging people with bees and on a larger scale their local food and ecosystem.”

queen-cup-337695_1280

Hilary cares about her bees. Under normal conditions, bees will produce excess honey, enough to supply us humans with the sweet stuff and still feed themselves. But during a drought, there are fewer flowers, which means less nectar, which the bees need in order to make honey. So they may not be able produce enough for themselves and may have to work harder and travel further just to find the nectar. To support her bees, who rely on honey as their only food, Hilary doesn’t harvest honey during a drought. So when people buy honey from her, they can be assured that the bees it was taken from have enough food and are not starving.

Hillary tending her bees.

In addition, the drought has weakened the wild colonies in the area. They are producing smaller and weaker swarms (when a queen leaves a colony with worker bees to form a new colony). “When I do a bee rescue it takes more effort and resources to keep those bees alive and healthy” she says. Wondering what you can do to support bees?

HOW TO HELP BEES:

• Avoid neonicotinoids in pesticides. These are thought to weaken bees’ immune system and make bees vulnerable to disease, parasites, extreme weather, viruses, poor nutrition, and other stressors.

• Plant organic bee-friendly flowers, like California poppy, citrus, sage, sunflowers and others listed here.

• Make a bee drinking fountain: fill a baking dish or pet water bowl with pebbles or marbles and water. The bees will stand on the marbles while they drink, without drowning.

To learn more about bees, honey, beekeeping and how to help bees, you can check out Girl Next Door’s partnership with Suzie's Farm and their new monthly Beehive Tours. You’ll be able to suit up and go into a beehive with Hilary. Or, come check her and our other bee-positive partners out at the Good Food Community Fair, Sunday, October 11th.

sloowfoodcf_tabloid_text-top-copy (1)

Three Brewers and a Hop Farmer Walk into a Bar: at the Good Food Community Fair

By Sarah Shoffler, SFUSD Board of Directors

Our “Craft Beer and Local Hops: a Community Dialogue” panel discussion at this year’s Good Food Community Fair will feature three San Diego breweries and a local hop farmer. We selected these local producers because of their novel production practices, commitment to sustainability and community, along with their flavorful products.

The youngest brewery on our panel at just four months old, Duck Foot Brewing Company has a unique approach to serving delicious beer to all San Diegans. “With so many great breweries in the county it can be difficult to differentiate yourself, but we have a solid lineup of different styles of beers with a focus on balance,” says Chief Fermentation Officer, Brett Goldstock of Duck Foot Brewing Company. “Plus, we’ve uniquely positioned ourselves to serve a whole sector of the community not served before by brewing gluten-reduced beer. And our gluten-reducing process doesn’t affect the natural flavor, aroma or body of any of our brews.”

Bold and hop-centric Stone Brewing Co. is a San Diego king, both in terms of brewing and in terms of supporting the Good, Clean & Fair Food movement. Longtime supporters of local environmental non-profits, like Surfrider San Diego, sustainability is integral to their business practices: Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens is the largest restaurant purchaser of local, small-farm, organic produce in San Diego County. Their Bistro’s Meatless Monday menu prevents 110,448 lbs. of CO2 from being released annually and they source their vegetables from their organic Stone Farms. Stone also provides their spent grain to local dairy animals for feed. Stone sees operating their own farm as a hands-on demonstration of their commitment to sustainable food production.

Among the pioneers of the local IPA movement, Green Flash continues to experiment to find the next great beer. “Our Genius Lab allows any employee with an idea for an experimental beer to convince a brewer to brew it on our 5 bbl. pilot system,” says Erik Jensen, Head Brewer of Green Flash Brewing Company. “We serve these beers in our tasting room and many are the basis for future production beers. Cellar 3 is a separate facility dedicated to wood-aged sour beer and spirit-aged beer.”

Nopalito Farm & Hopyard is a two-and-a-half acre certified organic hopyard in north San Diego County providing high-quality local hops to local brewers. “While we do dry some of our hops, we prefer to supply brewers with fresh hops, which are typically hard to come by this far south. Plus, we grow damn tasty hops,” says Jordan Brownwood, Farmer and Owner of Nopalito Farm & Hopyard. “Water is the number one issue for farms all over the West Coast, so the drought has heavily affected us,” which is, in part, why they use drip irrigation, heavy mulching and other techniques allowing them to minimize the farm’s water use.

And while our local breweries have not yet faced big water restrictions to their operations, the drought is on all their minds. “The dirty little secret of the brewing industry is the brewing process consumes a large amount of water to make a gallon of beer,” says Brett. Most breweries use 3-7 barrels of water to produce one barrel of beer, depending on their production practices. Duck Foot, Green Flash and Stone evaluate water use at each step in their beer-making processes. And Stone is trendsetting in its water practices having implemented an on-site water reclamation system and water conservation practices years before the drought’s regulations came into effect.

Our panel, moderated by JuliAnna Arnett, a local food systems expert, will explore the ways our local beer and hop industries support good, clean and fair food (and beer!) for all, the impact of the drought, and how they can implement water-wise production. Plus, beer. Really good beer.

Join the discussion and enjoy a quaff with these good folks at 2pm, Oct. 11th at the Quartyard:

     Brett Goldstock, Chief Fermentation Officer, Duck Foot Brewing

     Tom Modifica, Water Reclamation Supervisor, Stone Brewing Co.

     Erik Jensen, Head Brewer, Green Flash Brewing

     Jordan Brownwood, Farmer/Owner, Nopalito Farm & Hopyard

How Recycling Food Waste is Water Wise: An Interview with San Diego Food System Alliance's Elly Brown

By Kathryn Rogers, SFUSD Board of Directors

FSA article photo_Full

With no end in sight to the California drought, local organizations are seeking sustainable solutions to address all aspects of water use. The San Diego Food System Alliance, coordinated by Elly Brown, is collaborating with other local non-profits to process and minimize food waste  - a surprising issue of importance in the water conservation dialogue.

According to a recent Natural Resources Defense Council report, getting food from the farm to our forks eats up 10 percent of the total U.S. energy budget, uses 50 percent of U.S. land and swallows 80 percent of all freshwater consumed in the United States. Yet, 40 percent of food in the United States today goes uneaten. This means that Americans are throwing out the equivalent of $165 billion each year and wasting a significant amount of water at the same time. What’s more, researchers at the NIH have found that food waste accounts for over 25% of total freshwater consumption. Not to mention the approximately 300 million barrels of oil per year for transporting this wasted food along with the methane and CO2 emissions from decomposing food in our landfills.

water-sprinklers-880970_1280

The good news is that the state of California recently passed legislation to begin addressing some of these issues. Governor Jerry Brown signed AB1826 in October 2014, which requires local jurisdictions to have an organic waste recycling program in place by January 1, 2016, and businesses to recycle their organic waste by April 1, 2016.

A forward-thinking policy, no doubt, but how will it be implemented locally?

The Food System Alliance is working in San Diego County to create polices and solutions to address huge gaps in terms of infrastructure for handling food waste. Food System Alliance researchers recently estimated that San Diegans produce 500,000 tons of food waste, but local composting facilities can only process an estimated 10,000 tons of this waste. We still have a long way to go.

Public awareness about how much food waste we are producing and how to store and recycle this waste properly is a critical piece to the story as well. “The National Resource Defense Council and Ad Council are doing a national awareness campaign around food waste launching in early 2016, and we plan to dovetail and build upon that locally,” says Brown.

Ground-level efforts are also helping to educate community members about waste issues and engage them in opportunities to create change. The Food System Alliance has collaborated with the Wild Willow Farm, Hidden Resources, and Sweetwater School District to pilot a Food Recovery Program. The Food System Alliance will also convene groups and individuals for a half-day summit on food waste on October 6: the Food Waste Solution Summit.

“Water conservation should not only be happening in our homes but also in our food system as well by creating less waste and encouraging efficiencies,” says Brown.

To learn more about local efforts to conserve water, join the Food System Alliance and other community partners at Slow Food Urban San Diego’s Annual Good Food Community Fair on October 11.

sloowfoodcf_tabloid_text-top-copy (1)

Café Virtuoso to Address Fair Trade Coffee Roasting and Water Conservation at the Good Food Community Fair

By Tania Alatorre, SFUSD Board Member and Good Food Community Fair Coordinator

We're pleased to announce that Café Virtuoso will present at this year's Good Food Community Fair. Café Virtuoso, founded and owned by Laurie Britton, is the only 100% certified organic and fair-trade coffee roaster in San Diego. Her unique café and roasting facility is located in Barrio Logan, a few blocks from Quartyard, making them the perfect community partner.

Laurie has owned the cafe since 2007. Her daughter Savannah works alongside her and trains their talented team of baristas, and leads café coffee classes and “cuppings,” the practice of observing tastes and aromas of brewed coffees. Both have a profound passion for coffee and for supporting organic and fair trade coffees in addition to being long-time supporters of Slow Food. They have a wealth of knowledge of the global coffee industry and sell a unique range of organic beans and teas that they share with their staff. It’s not uncommon that you walk into the Café Virtuoso and learn something new about the coffee you’re about to enjoy. Chat with the baristas, they know their stuff.

Savannah will kick-off the Good Food Community Fair special programming at 11AM with an engaging conversation on how Café Virtuoso selects coffee from farms around the world, roast beans in house, how they have paved the way for women in coffee in San Diego, and what they are doing to conserve water at their café and roasting headquarters. Stay for their latest cold brew paired with Nomad Donuts donut holes!

You can also find Café Virtuoso at the Little Italy farmers market on Saturday’s.

Master Gardeners Educate and Service San Diego Communities

by Nathan Yick, Slow Food SDSU Chapter Leader

San Diego has over 300* Master Gardeners, passionate gardeners who serve and educate San Diegans on pest control and horticulture for free. Part of a rigorous training program founded in 1980, by the University of California Cooperative Extension, they work alongside teachers and parents helping children with their garden projects. They help community gardens overcome challenges with their plots, and with the drought plaguing California, their services and knowledge are much needed in the gardens.

To help San Diego communities combat the drought, the Master Gardeners have developed their Earth Friendly Gardening program. This program trains gardeners in sustainable gardening addressing things like how to adapt to the drought by providing information on creating an earth friendly garden--information on how to conserve water, maintain soil quality, and reduce waste. Thanks to the Master Gardeners, Community Gardens all over San Diego, like the Agape House by San Diego State University, have thrived and continue to provide fresh and local produce for the community.

"One of my favorite things about being a Master Gardener is helping people with their gardening challenges," says Dominick Fiume who became a Master Gardener through working at the Ark of Taste Heritage Garden in Old Town State Park.

As fulfilling and rewarding experience it is being a Master Gardener, becoming one takes a lot of work. To become certified, students go through a training program consisting of 16 weekly classes taught by agricultural experts which educate aspiring volunteers on pest management and horticulture. They must pass an exam and then volunteer regularly as well as continue their education to keep their certification.

Through their commitment, knowledge and passion for public service in gardening and pest control, the Master Gardeners have helped San Diego communities preserve and create more sustainable gardens.

SFUSD is excited that this passionate and knowledgeable San Diego resource is participating in our 2015 Good Food Community Fair. Look for their booth on wise water use.

*the original story in the Sept newsletter reported there were over 60 Master Gardeners in San Diego. San Diego has over 300.

September Annual Membership Campaign

We invite you to join an international community committed to good, clean & fair food for all. Why become a member?

To CONNECT with other people who care about the same kinds of things you care about. You receive discounts and special invitations to local, national and international events, including Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto.

To LEARN more about good, clean and fair food and the slow food movement. You receive an exclusive print magazine that showcases what is happening in the Slow Food movement locally, nationally and internationally. You have access to special members-only offers and previews.

To ENGAGE in helping to make a more good, clean and fair food system. You receive opportunities to get involved in national campaigns and local activities and projects.

To SUPPORT an organization that shares your values and is working to make the kind of change in the world you want to see. Your membership card proclaims your commitment to Slow Food values. You ARE the Slow Food Movement!

By becoming a member of Slow Food USA, you not only help support Slow Food Urban San Diego (SFUSD) projects in San Diego, and Slow Food projects across the world, you can you enjoy discounts and special offers from our Member Benefit Partners.

Photo credit: L. Joy

Locally, our school garden programs introduce youth to urban gardens and farms to help educate them on healthy eating practices and where our food comes from. We help local farmers and fishermen strengthen their knowledge, skills and connections to Slow Food practices by sponsoring their participation in important national and international programs and conferences, such as the Slow Food School Garden Program, and Terra Madre. We help schools connect their lunch programs to local farms.

Farm-to-table cooking classes. Photo by: L. Joy

Our annual Good Food Community Fair connects our community to organizations who advocate for positive food policies, as well as local farmers, artisans and chefs who support Slow Food principles. Our Ark of Taste projects identify, promote and protect heritage foods in danger of extinction. And, through programs like Slow Sips, we offer film screenings, guest lectures, and other community gatherings that educate and celebrate the bounty of food! These are just a few of the projects and programs you are supporting through your membership. Join us today!

Ark of Taste apples. Photo by A. Dominguez.

Why We Need You

1. Your membership dues provide a stable, sustainable source of revenue for the organization, allowing it to be powered by – and accountable to – everyday people.

2. Members are a source of political capital. Our growing membership demonstrates to decision makers the huge number of people who support Slow Food values.

3. Members are the lifeblood of the Slow Food Movement. You provide on-the-ground action, whether through a commitment to living Slow Food values or your participation in local projects and activities such as those described above.

IMG_0941

Our mission as an international grassroots membership organization is good, clean and fair food for all.

Good Our food should be tasty, seasonal, local, fresh and wholesome.

Clean Our food should nourish a healthful lifestyle and be produced in ways that preserve biodiversity, sustain the environment and ensure animal welfare - without harming human health.

Fair Our food should be affordable by all, while respecting the dignity of labor from field to fork.

For All Good, clean and fair food should be accessible to all and celebrate the diverse cultures, traditions and nations that reside in the USA.

11043321_10153204162758824_6408466219440941353_o

About Us Food is the cornerstone of culture and community, and directly relates to the future of our planet. A better, cleaner and fairer world begins with what we put on our plates - and our daily choices determine the future of the environment, economy and society. If you care about local farmers, ranchers, fishers, animal welfare, the joy of a shared meal, preserving food culture, protecting the environment or avoiding GMOs, we have a place for you at our table.

Who We Are Slow Food Urban San Diego is part of Slow Food USA and the global Slow Food network of over 100,000 members in more than 150 countries. Through a vast volunteer network of local chapters, youth and food communities, we link the pleasures of the table with a commitment to protect the community, culture, knowledge and environment that make this pleasure possible.

SFUSD Slow Sips featuring Slow Meat experts. Photo by S. Shoffler

What We Do Slow Food USA has over 12,000 members nationwide from over 200 local chapters and 40 campus chapters that coordinate local activities, projects and events. Working together with members and supporters across the nation, we:

Care We preserve and share local foods and food cultures. We defend and advocate     policies that promote holistic alternatives to the industrial system. Through tastings, workshops and social opportunities, we explore and celebrate the Slow life.

Cultivate We develop leaders in communities who model joy and justice. We champion local, culturally significant heritage foods, customs and recipes - and bring these experiences into farms, markets, restaurants and homes. We teach the next generation how to grow, prepare and share food responsibly.

Connect Conviviality is central to our mission. We are a global community, connecting people to the land and to each other through local projects, educational events, and shared meals. We become catalysts for change by sharing the joy of Slow Food and prioritizing wholesome living over convenience.

Community and conviviality at our Slow Sips events. Photo by S. Shoffler

For more information on becoming a member click here!

New Member Benefit Parter Brings Local Seafood to Locals

One year ago, the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market opened near San Diego's Seaport Village offering local seafood caught by local fishermen. This area used to be a busy seafood dock during the heyday of our fair city's tuna fishery. In recent years, gift and ice-cream-type shops have dotted our Downtown waterfront. But since last year, every Saturday morning, THDM has brought the fishing culture back to our community. THDM is an open-air seafood market. They sell local seafood caught by San Diego fishermen. The only non-local products are those that San Diego fishermen catch off other parts of California, because that's where the fish are swimming.

Most of the seafood they sell has never been frozen and may have been caught just the night before. The fishermen sell their harvest themselves. Like Farmers Markets, THDM offers San Diego the opportunity to get closer to our food sources. They plan to sell aquafarmed seaweed direct from local aquafarmers in the future.

"The key to fishing sustainably, is fishing a variety of species," says Pete Halmay, sea urchin fishermen and THDM Board of Directors. Likewise, broadening our palates is important. Most Americans eat just a few types of seafood - shrimp, tuna, salmon. But eating seafood that is local and in season lowers our carbon footprint and supports local economies. It also means we aren't putting so much pressure on any one population.

Because the fishermen and aquafarmers sell the seafood themselves, you can chat them up. By the way, these folks love to talk. Must be something about long days and nights at sea. Ask them about what they are selling. How did they catch or harvest it? What's their favorite way to cook it?

And for those who don't care to clean or filet their own fish, THDM has a free cleaning station. Please tip these guys.

SFUSD members get a 10% discount at most vendors at the THDM. To learn more, visit: www.thdocksidemarket.com

More than Honey and Sweet Sips Networking

Honey tasting.

Big thanks to everyone who came out for our Sweet Sips networking event in July at Local Habit. Mead tastings by Golden Coast Mead, honey tastings offered by Wild Willow Farms and local beekeepers from the San Diego Beekeepers Society and special honey-based dishes by Chef Jimmy. A sweet time, indeed.

FullSizeRender_3

And thanks to all who joined us for the re-screening of the More than Honey documentary. This is an amazing, intriguing, beautiful and quirky film. Please see it if you haven't already.

For those of you interested in learning more about bees and what you can do locally, here are a few great local resources:

San Diego Beekeeping Society holds classes and meetups to encourage responsible beekeeping. Lots of expert members there. You can find a list of beekeepers on their website who perform live bee removals and other bee resources in the county.

Wild Willow Farm is a non-profit organization offering beekeeping classes (also farming classes). The instructor is very knowledgeable about bee issues locally and globally and can tell you about hosting a hive on your property.

FullSizeRender_1

Girl Next Door Honey offers beekeeping classes and workshops, one-on-one consulting, a host-a-hive program and performs live bee removals.

If you need to remove bees from your property, please consider live removal by one of these folks or those listed on the Beekeeping Society website. Bees are important to our food supply and need a helping hand. Stay tuned for future bee-related events.

FullSizeRender

Local Food and Beverage Tours with Epicurean San Diego, New Member Benefit Partner

San Diego is home to more than 90 craft breweries and a growing number of farm-to-table restaurants committed to supporting the county's more than 6,000 local farmers. So it's no surprise that when Stephanie Parker moved back home after a three-year, food-forward stint in San Francisco, she felt called to help make the most of San Diego's local food and beverage scene. Parker has been in the food and hospitality business since her college years, and her biggest passion is showing locals and visitors alike the best that her city's farms, coffee roasters, craft breweries, butchers and wineries have to offer.

Cue the birth of Epicurean San Diego, Parker's newly founded food, farm and libation tour company. Epicurean offers half and full-day hands-on food tours on Saturdays that are open to the public for up to 12 guests, as well as private tours for special events. More public tour dates and locations coming soon.

 

Tour guests can expect to stop at three to five carefully curated businesses committed to local, organic sourcing and sustainability. A full day tour might begin with a coffee cupping class at a local coffee roaster, followed by an hour-long organic farm tour and a field-side, linen-napkin and artisanal crafted lunch. The afternoon might include a flight at a local winery, a lesson in curating from a local salumi maker, and a final foray at one of San Diego's famous craft breweries with some cold pints to celebrate the day. Guests are certain to go home with full bellies and a sense of pride in the community they call home (or home-away-from-home).

"Our tours are founded on a combination of passion for learning and a desire to strengthen ties in the community," says Parker. "When we see where our eggs and beverages come from, we have an opportunity to make informed buying decisions that align with our values."

Slow Food Urban San Diego members get a 10% discount on all Epicurean San Diego tours. To learn more, visit epicureansandiego.com.

~by Kathryn Rogers, SFUSD Board Member~