Juan Pablo "JP" Perez, founder of J & P Organics, and his dad
A Watsonville reading and reception on Sunday September 12 celebrate the 2010 publication of a fabulous oral history series on California’s organic farming. The event will be from 2-4pm at the Watsonville Public Library, which is opening on Sunday just for this occasion.
I urge anyone interested in the history of California Central Coast’s organic farming and sustainable agriculture to attend this free event – I know I’ll be there! Attendees will also get to enjoy local treats.
The oral history series, entitled “Cultivating a Movement,” includes interviews with 58 large- and small-scale farmers, activists, farmers’ market managers, and educators. Read this May article for many more details on the series.
Sunday’s reading will highlight oral histories from the Pajaro Valley and Northern Monterey County. These interviews include: Dick Peixoto from Lakeside Organics, Dale Coke from Coke Farm, Andy Griffin from Mariquita Farm, Ken Kimes and Sandra Ward from New Natives Farm (read about Ken’s recent accident and how the local community has rallied to help with staggering medical bills – and how you can help), JP Perez of J & P Organics, and Nancy Gammons of Four Sisters Farm and the Watsonville Farmers’ Market.
Some of the farmers will be in attendance at the reading, and there will be a question and answer period. Also of note: The Watsonville Library has an excellent, museum-quality exhibit about the agricultural history of the Pajaro Valley plus a special local history room.
Both the Watsonville Public Library and the Agricultural History Project will soon house the complete set of ten printed volumes of interview transcripts and narrator photographs. If you’d like to view transcripts and photos online, they are available – along with audio clips and other resources – at this UC Santa Cruz Library web site.
Cultivating a Movement was created and produced by the UCSC Library’s Regional History Project including director Irene Reti.
Please follow me on Twitter @santacruzfoodie.
The Details
Reading & Reception for Cultivating A Movement
Sun Sept 12, 2010, 2-4pm
Free
Watsonville Public Library
275 Main St., Suite 100, Watsonville 95076