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In celebration of Changing Tastes, an exhibition of menus
from the Palace Hotel and Chez Panisse, and A Taste of History,
a unique tasting series hosted at the CHS headquarters, we highlight
in this online guide organizations throughout the state that work
to educate the public on the many ways in which Californians grow,
distribute, and eat food.
 COMMUNITY
PROJECTS
PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS
LIVING HISTORY FARMS
COMMUNITY PROJECTS
MARIN AGRICULTURAL LAND TRUST (MALT)
Since the Californios settled in western Marin County, the region
has been a thriving agricultural center: the origin of the California
dairy industry, home to farms and ranches that harvest oysters,
cattle, and organic produce, and birthplace of family farms started
by early Swiss, Portuguese, and Italian immigrants. In modern times
this region has been greatly threatened by developers.
Founded in 1980 by ranchers and environmentalists, MALT was the
first land trust in the U.S. to focus on farmland preservation.
Started with funding from Proposition 70 and now supported by private
donors, public agencies, and foundation grants, MALT offers agricultural
landowners the voluntary option of selling a conservation easement
as an alternative to the sale of development of their property.
To date, MALT’s work has protected more than 30,000 acres of
land on 46 family farms and ranches in Marin County. MALT sponsors
year-round tours, hikes, and tastings. Learn how you can get involved
by visiting their website at www.malt.org
or calling 415.663.1158.
FERRY PLAZA FARMERS MARKET
In March 2003 several San Francisco farmers markets will move into
the easily accessible Ferry Building at the Embarcadero. The market
will be open to the public on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. This
monumental move will establish a permanent home for small, local,
sustainable farmers to sell their produce to the public. Thousands
of Bay Area residents currently frequent the markets to buy, learn,
and taste from the over 100 regional farmers whose livelihoods depend
on market sales. The project is planning on incorporating a Sunday
gardening market that will feature regional nurseries and offer
workshops on sustainable urban gardening techniques. For more information
contact the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture
at 415.353.5650 or visit www.ferryplazafarmersmarket.com.
FARMS LEADERSHIP, INC.
In 1994 Craig McNamara, a walnut farmer, started the FARMS Leadership
Program with five high schools from Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, and
Marin counties. On working farms and ranches professional mentors
taught the students about different agricultural practices. The
program is now statewide, incorporating Orange, Sonoma, San Diego,
Ventura, and Contra Costa counties. FARMS Leadership Program takes
students out of the classroom and brings them to model farms that
practice sustainable agriculture. On the farms students receive
hands-on, community-oriented education aimed to increase their knowledge
and awareness about local ecosystems and agriculture. To receive
more information visit the website www.farmsleaders.org/farms/
or contact FARMS by phone at 530.795.1520.
PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS
AND LIVING HISTORY FARMS
AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY GALLERY
at the DISCOVERY MUSEUM HISTORY CENTER
101 I Street, Sacramento
916.264.7057
www.thediscovery.org
With the simple twisting of a can-opener and the pressing of a few
buttons on a microwave, we can prepare a meal instantly. The Agricultural
Technology Gallery explores the development of canned and processed
foods by focusing on the technology used to raise and process food,
from human muscle to animals to tools and machines. The equipment
in the gallery reveals the development of agricultural technology
during the last 100 years, from an 1888 Buckeye Force Feed Grain
Drill to a 1930s standard garden tractor. Photomurals and artifacts
tell the story of how the Sacramento Valley and the Delta took a
leading role in the emerging food industry of the early 1900s.
LIVING HISTORY FARMS
s ANTIQUE GAS & STEAM ENGINE MUSEUM
2040 North Santa Fe Avenue, Vista
760.941.1791
www.agsem.com
Located on forty acres of farmland, the museum collects and displays
equipment associated with farm communities from 1849-1949. Much
of the collection is kept in a working condition and used in museum
programs. Crops typical to the area around the turn of the century,
such as wheat and oats, are still grown on the land. Visitors witness
crops being harvested and prepared for cooking.
ARDENWOOD HISTORIC FARM
34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont
510.796.0663
www.ebparks.org/parks/arden.htm
In the nineteenth century the Patterson Ranch was a prosperous working
ranch, complete with a residential mansion and Victorian-style gardens.
The site of the Patterson Ranch is now the 205-acre Ardenwood Historic
Farm, a working farm and museum that exhibits agricultural practices
from the 1870s through the present. Visitors witness farm activities
and farm chore demonstrations. Staff and volunteers attired in Victorian
clothing carry visitors by wagon around the farm.
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