Below is the press release (text version)of the California Farm Conference -
"Cultivating the Farm-City Connection".
Full press kits, photos, and assistance in arranging interviews with farmers
and other interesting participants are all available upon request.
The conference is unique, in that it will bring together multiple interest
groups to discuss and shape the future of California food and agriculture.
Please join us.
Many thanks,
Michael Straus
P/R Coordinator, 1999 California Farm Conference
22890 Highway 1, Marshall, CA 94940 USA
voice mail: 415-289-6958; fax: 415-663-8079
http://www.beyondorganic.com; info@beyondorganic.com
------------------------------------------------
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 1999
Press Contact: Michael Straus
Phone: 415-289-6958
Fax: 415-663-8079
e-mail: info@beyondorganic.com
http://www.caff.org
15TH CALIFORNIA FARM CONFERENCE TO CULTIVATE THE FARM-CITY CONNECTION
SACRAMENTO, CA - In the wake of staggering statistics showing a loss of 2
acres of U.S. farmland every minute since 1970, the 15th California Farm
Conference, entitled "Cultivating the Farm-City Connection", will connect
farmers, consumers, educators, food professionals, environmentalist and
policy makers in a targeted series of workshops offering concrete solutions
to a growing problem. The conference will be held November 7-9 at the
Berkeley Marina Radisson Hotel, in Berkeley, CA.
Chez Panisse, Olivetto's, and One market, known for their support of local
farms, will also prepare a family style Farm to City Celebration Dinner
using the finest ingredients from local farms. The meal, which is open to
the public as well as Conference registrants, will be hosted by renowned
chef/author Bradley Ogden at his San Francisco waterfront restaurant, One
Market, on Sunday, November 7th at 7:00 pm.
As urban, suburban and rural boundaries collide, the need for a good
interface between them is fundamental to the destiny of California's
agriculture.
While it is inevitable that cities must grow to meet the demand for housing,
this year's
California Farm Conference will focus on intelligent planning and policies,
such as
urban agriculture, small scale family farming, and conservation programs
that will effect the future of the urban/suburban/farm connection.
"It's really hard to grow food in a bed of asphalt. For as long as I've
been farming it's been clear to me that it would take a lot more than a ton
of manure," said Peter Worsley, organic grower, Inverness, CA. "I think
this conference will help all of us understand the complex issues facing
us," added Worsley.
Consumers are becoming increasingly removed from the agricultural process of
growing and producing the food they eat. Many people in urban areas have
never set foot on a farm, and the supermarket shopping experience would
almost lead one to believe milk is made in a factory, not by cows. Although
the vast majority of Californians feel little connection with agriculture,
the agricultural economy affects every Californian:
· California has the most productive farmland in the United States,
producing 55% of our nation's fruits, nuts and vegetables.
· Nearly 10% of jobs in California are directly dependent on agricultural
production.
· 8.5% of California's annual personal income is generated by the farm
economy.
· Over 30% of all land in California is open space because of working farms
and ranches.
· We all eat.
Agriculture's role in sustaining economic prosperity, independence, and a
sense of place is far reaching. Agriculture produces not only the food we
eat, the clothes we wear, and the products we work and play with, it also
provides rural lands which are a rich cultural legacy, furnishing both open
space and wildlife habitat.
The three day conference is sponsored by leading California food,
agricultural and governmental organizations, including the Community
Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), the University of California
Cooperative Extension (Alameda County), and the California Federation of
Certified Farmers' Markets. It is open to the public.
For more information on Farm Conference registration and the Farm to City
Celebration Dinner call 510-222-5091 or email: kbarzin@compuserve.com
-END-
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