Produce from the UCSC Farm & Garden for sale at the Market Cart
An organic, gourmet Farm-to-Fork field dinner on Sunday, September 9 benefits scholarships for UC Santa Cruz’s farm apprentice program. If you’d like to skip straight to the appealing menu, see end of this article.
The event takes place at the UCSC Farm (located on campus at 1156 High St.) and celebrates the work of the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS). All proceeds will support scholarships for participants in the CASFS Apprenticeship training of new organic farmers and gardeners – officially the Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture program. Tickets cost $125; purchase online. For more information, call (831) 459-3240 or email casfs@ucsc.edu.
This is the 2nd annual Farm-to-Fork dinner, and it begins at 3 p.m. with a reception and farm tour. A 5-course dinner (including vegetarian entrée option) follows at 4 p.m., created with organic ingredients from the UCSC Farm & Garden and other local farms and ranches. See menu below. The tour includes access to gardens, fields, greenhouses, and orchards of the 25-acre farm.
The event, which is partly sponsored by Edible Monterey Bay and Slow Food Santa Cruz, also includes a silent auction and a preview of selections from the Fall Plant Sale, which takes place at UCSC on September 14 and 15.
Dinner will be prepared and served by students in the Apprenticeship program under the direction of a team consisting of program alumni. These alumni include Chef Matthew Raiford (he graduated last year and is Executive Chef, Little St. Simons Island Resort), Amy Padilla (Feel Good Foods organic catering), and Fran Grayson (Ristorante Avanti and The Truck Stop).
The internationally known Apprenticeship Program at UC Santa Cruz has trained over 1,400 organic farmers and gardeners during the last 45 years. Many have started their own training and apprenticeship programs on farms and at urban agriculture projects.
CASFS manages the 2-acre Alan Chadwick Garden and the 25-acre Farm at UCSC, which are both open to the public. Both sites are managed using organic production methods and serve as research, teaching, and training facilities for students, staff, and faculty. CASFS is committed to increasing ecological sustainability and social justice in the food and agriculture system.
Menu
Appetizers
Grilled Companion Bakeshop Sourdough with Tomatoes and Padron Peppers
Cucumber with Poke and Radish Sprouts
Artisan Cheeses with Plumline’s Tangerine and Bearss Lime Marmalades, Farm & Garden Apples and Walnuts
Roasted Poblano and Sweet Corn Gazpacho Shooter
Salads
Arugula & Endive with Peaches, Chèvre and Toasted Almonds
Cherokee Tomato & Cucumber Salad with Balsamic Drizzle
Intermezzo
Lavender and Lemon Ice
Entrées
Chicken Grilled with Padron Peppers & CASFS Honey
Polenta & Ratatouille (vegetarian)
Quinoa Prima Vera (vegan)
Dessert
Chadwick Garden Apple Tart with Sweet Caramel Ice Cream
Wine
Dinner will be accompanied by wine from Bonny Doon Vineyard and other vintners
Some featured items in the silent auction: a private tour of the Grateful Dead Archives at UCSC’s McHenry Library led by Archivist Nicholas Merriwether, a guided tour of Big Sur’s Big Creek Reserve led by Reserve Manager Mark Readdie, a mountain lion tracking session with Environmental Studies professor Chris Wilmers, and garden and orchard consultations by Farm & Garden managers Orin Martin and Christof Bernau.
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