Slow Food Nation & Swanton Berry Farm talks at Ferry Plaza Market on Aug. 30

[Guest guest]

Ferry Plaza Market to Table Events (Free!)

 

Saturday, August 30

10:30 am - Meet the farmer

Jim Cochran, Swanton Berry Farm

Jim founded Swanton Berry Farm in 1983 with the goal of providing

flavorful strawberries that were not grown at the expense of farm

workers' health or dignity. Over the years, Swanton has become an

industry leader in developing organic methods for growing

strawberries.

The two foundations of Swanton's farming methods are soil building

and crop diversity. They spend several years building up the soil

before they plant strawberries and then rotate crops around the

fields to control diseases and pests. Since 1987, researchers from

the University of California at Santa Cruz have studied Swanton's

methods and reported them in various publications. While Swanton

Berry Farm was once alone in the organic strawberry business, now

more farmers have been encouraged to try. They are happy to share

their experience in order to encourage other farmers to adopt

organic methods. CCOF since 1990.

Swanton Berry Farm was the first strawberry farm (and the first

organic farm) in the U.S. to sign a contract with the United Farm

Workers of America/AFL-CIO. In 2006, the farm began offering an

Employee Stock Ownership Plan to employees, the first such program

in production agriculture in the U.S.

Location: CUESA's teaching kitchen, outside under the arcades north

of the Ferry Building's clock tower

 

8:00 am - 1:00 pm (every hour, on the hour) - In honor of Slow Food

Nation, CUESA's Executive Director, Dave stockdale will give free 15-

minute introductions about the history, mission, operations and

programs of the market. Maps provided. Location: Education Booth in

the South driveway.

See http://www.cuesa.org/events/calendar/