The most anticipated event of the year, Green Feast is an unforgettable evening – a community celebration of local food taking place on a September evening on the fields of South Coast Farm. Over the next month, The Ecology Center is pleased to highlight the local purveyors who make this event possible.

Spotlight on Green Feast 2010 Purveyor: Tenerelli Orchards

In Littlerock, California there is a 35 year-old farm sitting on 55 acres that boasts 13 small orchards. It’s in this setting that John Tenerelli of Tenerelli Orchards grows 25 varieties of peaches. He’ll be offering up his delectable peaches for (one of) this year’s Green Feast desserts. Nectarines, cherries, apricots, mulberries and plums are also produced on the farm from June through November and can be purchased across Southern California at over 20 farmer’s markets.

For more on Tenerelli Orchards, contact John at 661.917.0103.

The Ecology Center would like to extend its gratitude to Tenerelli Orchards for its second year of participation in Green Feast!

The most anticipated event of the year, Green Feast is an unforgettable evening – a community celebration of local food taking place on a September evening on the fields of South Coast Farm. Over the next month, The Ecology Center is pleased to highlight the local purveyors who make this event possible.

Spotlight on Green Feast 2010 Purveyor: Weiser Family Farms

Weiser Family Farms began in 1977 when Sid Weiser, a chemistry teacher and counselor at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles decided to pack up the family and follow his dream of working off the land. Sidney and his wife Raquel laid down roots in Tehachapi, California. There, they learned to tend to the fruit trees . . . apples, peaches, and pears. In the ensuing years, they acquired farmland in other locations where they branched out into a variety of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

In 1982 their son Alex jumped in to assist the family in selling at local Farmers’ Markets. There he encountered chefs, the public and specialty produce buyers who wanted seasonal, high quality and superior tasting produce. Listening to this input, Alex began to focus on creating a bio-diverse farm dedicated to applying sustainable farming techniques. His overriding desire was to supply people with unique fruits and vegetables at their peak, rather than picked for commercial usage. Today, Weiser Family Farms grows in the Greater Bakersfield area, Tehachapi and the Lucerne Valley, cultivating a tapestry of high quality produce year round.

Want to know the latest Weiser farm news? Visit their blog. Want to know what fresh produce is available? Check out their Crop Availability page!

The Ecology Center would like to extend a huge thank you to Weiser Family Farms for their second consecutive year of participation in Green Feast!

The most anticipated event of the year, Green Feast is an unforgettable evening – a community celebration of local food taking place on a September evening on the fields of South Coast Farm. Over the next month, The Ecology Center is pleased to highlight the local purveyors who make this event possible.

Spotlight on Green Feast 2010 Purveyor: Winchester Cheese

Winchester Cheese Company is owned and operated by Jules Wesselink who was born and raised in Haarlem, Holland. Jules has operated his own dairies in California since the 1950′s. As the metropolitan Los Angeles area has grown Jules’s dairies have moved from Artesia to Chino, and now to Winchester. The dairy now has 500 Holstein cows located in a beautiful setting.

BOERE KAAS, which means “Home made on the farm”, is the favorite choice of cheese-loving Holland. In a class by itself, it is distinguished by its delicious and unique flavor in comparison to cheese mass-produced in factories. Winchester cheese is made by Valerie Thomas, Jules Wesselink’s daughter, and David Thomas, her husband.

Cheese is made on the farm in Winchester in the same natural way, using the same natural ingredients and fresh raw milk. According to Winchester Farms, “We age it like fine wine, to perfection, to bring out its natural goodness.”

In July of 2006, Winchester’s sharp gouda won the bronze medal at the prestigious World Cheese Awards in London, England.

Want more details on how Winchester makes their award-wining cheese? Visit their site! Really love cheese? You can also join their cheese club.

The most anticipated event of the year, Green Feast is an unforgettable evening – a community celebration of local food taking place on a September evening on the fields of South Coast Farm. Over the next month, The Ecology Center is pleased to highlight the local purveyors who make this event possible.

Spotlight on Green Feast 2010 Purveyor: Sadie Rose Baking Co.

At Sadie Rose Baking Company, handmade breads are baked daily using the finest all natural ingredients. Doughs are leavened with natural starters and baked in a French stone- hearth. Sadie Rose bread products include boules, baguettes, challah, ciabatta, focaccia, sandwich loaves, flat breads and more. Since Sadie Rose breads have no preservatives, they are best enjoyed on the day you buy them. The breads can be frozen if the loaf is wrapped tightly in plastic and placed in a sealed plastic bag. When ready to eat, unwrap and thaw, sprinkle with a little water and put in a 400 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.

Sadie Rose breads are available at select farmer’s markets and specialty markets in San Diego County. For the location nearest you, click here.

For the latest on Sadie Rose Baking Co., visit their blog!

The Ecology Center is thrilled to have Sadie Rose Baking Co. on the list of purveyors for Green Feast 2010. Many thanks to Sadie Rose.

The most anticipated event of the year, Green Feast is an unforgettable evening – a community celebration of local food taking place on a September evening on the fields of South Coast Farm. Over the next month, The Ecology Center is pleased to highlight the local purveyors who make this event possible.

Spotlight on Green Feast 2010 Purveyor: Homegrown Meats

The Homegrown Meats / La Jolla Butcher Shop offers high quality, hormone- and antibiotic-free meats and produce including beef, lamb, poultry, game, homemade sausage, custom cuts, dry aging and local, grass-fed beef. They recently received their official certification from the American Grassfed and Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) associations.

The Homegrown Meats specialty is local, grass-fed beef. They partner with local family ranchers who oversee 14,000+ acres of prime grazing land and Homegrown retains control over the conditions, feed and the AWA certified humane treatment of the animals through the entire process. The Homegrown website is full of info and tips on grass fed beef.

For Green Feast, Homegrown Meats is raising Wild Boar! Chef Azmin Ghahreman of Sapphire in Laguna Beach will be putting together an extra special dish for this specially raised meat.

To learn more about Homegrown Meats, visit their website or sign up for their email list!

Want to visit in person? The Shop is located at 7660 Fay Avenue, Suite C, La Jolla 92037.

The Ecology Center is so grateful to the good people at Homegrown Meats for their generous contribution to Green Feast 2010!

The most anticipated event of the year, Green Feast is an unforgettable evening – a community celebration of local food taking place on a September evening on the fields of South Coast Farm. Over the next month, The Ecology Center is pleased to highlight the local purveyors who make this event possible.

Spotlight on Green Feast 2010 Purveyor: Santa Monica Seafood

Jack Deluca always had a passion for the sea.  From the age of nine he was at the docks pulling lines, scaling and gutting fish, and filleting the fish – all the elements of bringing seafood to market.  By the age of 16 he was the proud owner of his own fishing vessel and at 21 he was the co-owner of his own wholesale company.

In 1939, Jack and his brother Frank set up shop at the end of the Santa Monica Pier selling fresh fish to restaurants and tourists alike under the company banner of Santa Monica Seafood. For the next 42 years Jack and Frank worked to build Santa Monica Seafood into one of the top distributors of seafood in Southern California. In 1985, the second Santa Monica Seafood retail/wholesale facility was opened in Orange County and in 1997 a retail-only store was opened in Costa Mesa. Today, his great-nephews are carrying on the family business.

Jack Deluca founded Santa Monica Seafood with the philosophy, “Provide the highest quality product at a fair and reasonable price.” The philosophy of providing the highest quality product now demands ethical and sustainable sourcing of fish and education of both customers and the public at large.

Santa Monica Seafood relies on a number of wild and farmed certifying agencies, along with a group of science advisors and an assortment of professional affiliations to guide their ethical and sustainable fishing practices.  The Company is currently certified to sell over 15 species of Marine Stewardship Council certified wild species.  They recently joined with the Monterey Bay Aquarium to promote and develop new and better ways to source seafood that conforms to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Initiative. As active supporters of the Seafood Choices Alliance, Santa Monica Seafood can count on the SCA and the Monterey Bay Aquarium for their global perspectives and ability to bring scientists together with environmentalists. Finally, their Master of Science degreed, former governmental fishery biologist does validation visits on fishing boats, farms and processing plants around the world qualifying our vendors and sources.

For more on Santa Monica Seafood, visit their website. For more info on their facilities and retail stores, click here.

The Ecology Center would like to extend a huge thank you to Santa Monica Seafood for their participation in Green Feast 2010!

The most anticipated event of the year, Green Feast is an unforgettable evening – a community celebration of local food taking place on a September evening on the fields of South Coast Farm. Over the next few months, The Ecology Center is pleased to highlight the local purveyors who make this event possible.

Spotlight on Green Feast 2010 Purveyor: South Coast Farms

George Kibby and his crew at South Coast Farms have been farming certified organic fruits and vegetables in San Juan Capistrano for over ten years. Their mission is to provide the community with the best tasting organic fruits and vegetables while farming as good neighbors both to the people they feed and the earth we all share. (If you’ve ever had South Coast Farm strawberries, you’d know how well this mission has been fulfilled.)

You can get to know South Coast Farms by visiting The Farm Stand, which is open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm and on Sundays from 9am to 4pm. There you’ll find fruits, veggies and specialty items from local artisans. What George cannot grow on his 28 acres, is sourced from other local farmers.

In 2000, George and farm manager, Rebecca Noble, established the CSA program. If you’re not familiar with CSA (community supported agriculture), it’s essentially a partnership between a food grower and a food consumer, like yourself. South Coast Farm CSA members receive a regular or large size basket of seasonal, organic foods once a week of bi-weekly. Baskets can be picked up at the farm or at one of the drop-off locations throughout Orange County. For more about the South Coast Farm’s CSA, click here.

For the scoop on how George started farming, visit the South Coast Farms website. Today, South Coast Farms and The Ecology Center are neighbors – literally steps away from one another – and we couldn’t be more fortunate.

The Ecology Center would like to extend its gratitude to our neighbor and friend, South Coast Farms, for their consistent support in all of our endeavors, including Green Feast 2010!

The most anticipated event of the year, Green Feast is an unforgettable evening – a community celebration of local food taking place on a September evening on the fields of South Coast Farm. Over the next few months, The Ecology Center is pleased to highlight the local purveyors who make this event possible.

Spotlight on Green Feast 2010 Purveyor: MM Livestock Co.

Operating since 1867, MM Livestock Co. is a small family-run cattle and sheep operation, specializing in naturally raised lamb and beef.  MM Livestock Co. sheep are Suffolk/Dorper cross and cattle are primarly Angus/Simmental. Currently, they offer heritage lamb a small flock of Khatadin sheep and heritage beef from Belted Galloway Cattle as well as meats from their production herds and flocks.

MM Livestock meats are certified Naturally and Humanely Raised.  They are hormone, steroid, and antibiotic free. All meats are U.S.D.A. inspected, graded and processed and can be custom cut.  Pasture-raised Berkshire pork, Buff Orpington chickens and purebred Duroc pork is available from MM Livestock’s sister farms.

MM Livestock farm animals are raised on pasture and grass fed.  They get organic barley 30 days pre and post birthing.  They’re finished strictly on grass. Their chickens eat only barley, a mineral mix and whatever they can pick at in the grass. No sub-clinical antibiotics are used.  Highly  concentrated garlic and diatomaceous earth are used to keep the animals from getting worms and other parasites.

We ranch sustainably.  For MM Livestock owner, Megan McDowell,  “sustainability” means you should leave the land better than you found it, and the animals you put on it and take off it should be a benefit to the land.  Everything is better, including the animals. Everybody benefits. Sustainability is the ability to keep that going.  If we can run animals for 130 years on the same piece of ground and have it more productive than it was 130 years ago, we’re doing something right.

Megan loves showing people around the ranch, so let her know if you’d like to come by for a visit.  People who’d like to raise a live animal can talk to MM Livestock about that, too.  We provide live animals through Private Treaty with special consideration for 4H and FFA project animals.

People can buy MM Livestock Co meat products, retail or wholesale, at the Temecula Farmers Market, held Saturdays from 8 – 12:30; at the Murrieta Farmers Market, held Sundays from 9 – 1, or at Lazy Brothers Neighborhood Market in Murrieta. Telephone Megan at (951) 259-2072 to make special arrangements or to enquire about pricing and availability.

Megan McDowell, Owner
MM Livestock Co.
22155 Waite Street
Wildomar, CA  92595
Website:  mmlivestockco.com

The Ecology Center would like to extend a huge Thank You to Megan and MM Livestock Co. This is their second year participating in Green Feast!