ALICE WATERS Update

Over 300 guests attended our 4th Authors Gathering, “Alice Waters in Conversation with Craig McNamara” at the Farm on Putah Creek on May 26th from 5:30 to 7:00 pm.

Ms. Waters arrived at around 4:30 pm to meet and greet ~10 high school students from Grant, Florin, and Davis Sr. High Schools that have participated in CLBL’s programs during the 2008-2009 school year. She was treated to a glimpse of 5 baby barn owls in their owl box (see photo), a walk and talk around CLBL’s on-site Free Spirit Farm (see photo), and learned about the important work that CLBL is doing with creating native pollinator habitat.

Guests began arriving around 5:00 pm, and were treated to a VAST array of food, wine, and other surprises (see photos). We were very fortunate to have The Buckhorn Grill cater the entire affair, with assistance and menu preparation by Slow Food Yolo’s Georgeanne Brennan and Ann Evans. The highlight of the appetizer menu was Buckhorn’s brand new wood-fired oven, with owner John Pickerel “manning the oven” (see picture) to create delicious pizzas from all-local products. The rest of the food was also just as wonderful – all created with products donated from the following local farmers and venders;

• Bledsoe Natural Pork
• Bruin Farm
• Cache Creek Meat Co.
• California Vegetable Specialties
• Capay Organics
• Dixon Ridge Farms
• Fatted Calf
• Free Spirit Farm
• Full Belly Farm
• Good Humus Produce
• La Tourangelle
• Terra Firma
• UC Davis Olive Center
• Yolo Land & Cattle

In addition, six Yolo County wineries attended and poured their delicious wines, which made the event really shine. The wineries who donated their time and product were;

• Berryessa Gap Winery
• Marr Cellars
• Putah Creek Winery
• Rominger West Winery
• Sender Wines
• Traverso Wines

After an hour of socializing and enjoying the wonderful food and drink (including apple juice from apples picked by hand by Sonoma FARMS students), and enjoying the music of the Plainfield Pickers (see picture) the guests sat down to enjoy the conversation between Ms. Waters and Craig McNamara. Highlights of the talk can be found on the blog of Stuart Leavenworth of the Sacramento Bee, and included Craig switching places with California’s Secretary of Agriculture, AG Kawamura, for a portion of the talk. Upon conclusion, many guests further enjoyed the beauty of the Farm on Putah Creek at sunset, more socializing, and purchasing two of Alice’s signed books.

The day concluded for around 40 of the guests with an intimate dinner with Ms. Waters at the home of Craig and Julie McNamara. Simply put, the dinner was divine. It was created by Rachel Levine, Executive Chef of Nugget Markets, and was sponsored by Nugget Market/Kate & Eric Stille. CLBL is so appreciative for the donation of time and effort by Rachael, her “assistant” Annie Main of Good Humus Produce, and all of the additional donors of food and services to this amazing dinner, who are as follows;

• A Savvy Event – Emarie Chervinskas
• Bledsoe Pork
• Free Spirit Farm
• Good Humus Produce
• La Tavola
• Nugget Markets
• Peculiar Press – Amy Hayson
• Berryessa Gap Winery
• Rominger West Winery
• Crew Wine Company

Finally, we can’t end without saying a special thank you to several others who made this event come together so perfectly; they are as follows:

• John Pickerel and Melanie Bajakian
• The whole crew at the Buckhorn, and especially Debbie LaShure
• Hartmann Rentals
• The Plainfield Pickers
• Uptown Studios
• Ken Pierce