Slow Food Russian River's
Local Projects & Community Events

Gravenstein Apple Presidia
Heritage Turkey Project
Steele Lane School Garden
Community Events

Gravenstein Apple Presidia

Slow Food Presidia are local projects that work to guarantee a viable future for traditional foods, foods that are good tasting and sustainably produced, foods that represent a sense of place or culture. The Gravenstein apple is a delicious apple that has a long and illustrious history in Sonoma County. It is part of our local agricultural heritage, and yet it is disappearing so fast that it could become commercially extinct. In the 1970’s Sonoma County was the Gravenstein capital of the world: today there are fewer than 10 Sonoma farmers who still make a living selling apples.

The international Slow Food movement is committed to preserving biodiversity and regionally important foods. Working with farmers, processors, and local community leaders, Farmers Markets and chefs, and in collaboration with the California non profit Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), the Russian River Slow Food chapter is helping to develop high-value marketing channels for the Gravenstein, and to increase awareness in the bay area and beyond of the value of buying and eating this local apple. We are actively working to safeguard the future of the apple and the livelihood on those who grow it.

If you have any questions or would like to help please contact:
Paula Shatkin via email or by phone at 707-876-3221

• Where can I buy Gravenstein fresh apples or apple products?

• Eateries featuring Gravs on their menu during
Gravenstein Apple Month (August)

• Apples of Sonoma County

• GRAVS IN THE NEWS!!!

Scroll to the bottom of the Grav article

Below are a few of our local Gravnestein apple farmers.

"I am a person that has had the pleasure of having Gravenstein applesauce and apple pie every year for the last 60 years on my birthday in August. My Mother made both items as a special gift to me for all those years. This is the first year without her and I need to make my own August applesauce and pie. I support your efforts and hope that Gravensteins never become extinct or go off the market."  

  -Sallie Jones

"When growing up in Berkeley, I used to come to Sebastopol with my uncle Walter to buy Gravenstein apples and juice. During WWII we picked the apples – U-pick was big then due to lack of manpower. My mother would can Grav sauce. My wife and I made Gravenstein juice from our own 2 Grav trees with two other couples a week ago and Tuesday I very happily celebrated my 75th birthday with 13 members of our family and a Gravenstein cake. (Well honestly there were some Bramley Seedlings apples in it also this year.) Our oldest tree is 36 years old, a youngster by Sebastopol standards. It was the first tree we planted here when we bought our farm near Healdsburg. Viva la Gravenstein!" 

  -Terry Harrison, Foxwhelp Farm

Where can I buy Gravenstein fresh apples or apple products?

Below are a few of our

turkey farmers from the

2006 program

The Ryan Family

Zachary Thode

An Award Winner

David Thode

2009

In 2001, Slow Food USA initiated a Project to reintroduce Heritage Turkeys to American consumers. The initial goal of the Project has been to encourage farmers to raise the eight traditional varieties, as most of them remain perilously close to extinction. Results of this effort have been encouraging: in 2001, Slow Food's partner on this project, the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC), estimated that fewer than 1,200 breeding turkeys of all eight Heritage varieties remained in the entire country. By 2004, the population of breeding birds had increased to 4,000.

The Heritage Turkey projects mission is to encourage Sonoma County youth and local farmers to raise heritage breeds and to educate them and our communities about the importance of having these breeds available locally. Our Russian River convivium, in collaboration with other Sonoma County service groups, is working with and providing support to local 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) members to reintroduce these varieties to the market. Our convivium underwrote much of the project start-up costs in 2006 and worked with two local families and one local farmer to raise 180 birds.

In October of 2006, we partnered with the Gallo family of Sonoma to host a fund-raising dinner that included a turkey and fine-wine auction at the MacMurray Ranch.  The event partnered with the Sonoma County convivium to present a display of ARK of taste products that were also used as the basis for a dinner prepared by Chef Bruce Reizenman. A cowboy poet accompanied by a cowboy guitar player provided entertainment with a surprise performance by Holly Near.

This event was followed in November with the convivium hand processing and selling 180 heritage turkeys to members and local consumers. The two project-parts raised approximately $12,000, with $5,000 going to 4-H and related projects.  

On Going efforts...
We are proud to say there is an official 4H heritage breeds club in Sonoma County and we are working on creating a model so other convivia across the country can start similar projects if they so desire.

The 4H leaders are Catherine and Chuck Thode. If you are interessted in joining the 4H club please contact them directly at 707.829.0766. Every year we have 10-12 4H members and FFA members growing about 200 turkeys and the members always hold back a few of their favorite Tom's and a Hen's for breeding. If you have any questions or would like to help wtih this project please contact Jim Reichardt via| email or by phone at 707 480-0379.

"Please pass our sincere Thanks to the 4-H families, Jim Reichardt, John Stewart and anyone else involved with the Heritage Turkey Project. The commitment raising these birds is a priceless life lesson for the kids, an opportunity I wish I would have had in my youth. Worth every penny per pound, as we all agreed our turkey was the best we had ever had and made our Thanksgiving more appreciative and memorable."  – Cynthia Rowe, Pezzi King Vineyards

Here are some other helpful links...
Heritage Turkey recipes
Other interesting articles and information about Heritage Turkeys
Farm to Thanksgving-slide show

Steele Lane School Garden

Slow Food Russian River, in partnership with Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary sponsor the Steele Lane Elementary School garden, which not only educates children about the importance of growing and eating fresh vegetables, but provides food and sustenance to many of the neighborhood's families.

Steele Lane Elementary Over-view: Steel Lane is a neighborhood public school in Santa Rosa, CA.  Steele Lane has classes from kindergarten to sixth grade. We also have two special day preschool classes.

A preschool for the general school population is in the works. Steele Lane is a school of approximately 350 students from diverse ethnic backgrounds.  Steele Lane has 62% Latino students but also draws from many Asian cultures, American Indians, Filipinos, African Americans and Islander ethnicities.

The garden at Steele Lane was built in 1989. In designing the garden, it was very important to make the garden accessible to all students. Special ramps and raised beds were constructed so that students in wheelchairs and those with limited mobility could access nature on a regular basis. The garden program continues to evolve on a yearly basis. Our current Garden coordinator, Amber Mamakos is very committed to providing quality education to the students at Steele Lane Elementary. She recently earned her degree at New College in Culture, Ecology and Sustainable Community with a concentration in Ecological Agriculture.  We are hoping to draw more on Amber’s expertise and training in nutrition education. Cooking activities that celebrate the different cultures of the students at Steele Lane are things that we are hoping to do more of in the garden in the near future.

If you would like to help with this project please contact Larry Martin

Slow Food Community Events – This is a partnership!

The SFRR leadership team recognizes the strength of being open to ideas, resources, and talents outside the leadership table.  Therefore, we have developed a process to broaden SFRR’s network and yours, and most importantly, to share the load. SFRR offers the event approval process as a way for members of Slow Food and the greater community of eaters, movers, and shakers to initiate one's own event and also be supported by the SFRR leadership team. 

In order for an event to be produced, there must be a SFRR leader willing to oversee the event as a committee liaison.  This does not mean that the committee liaison will necessarily plan or coordinate the event – but he/she will help shepherd it along.

Keep our Purpose in Mind

It is paramount that our events further our purpose as a group.  While Slow Food aims to foster the businesses that contribute to sustainability and the greater enjoyment of life, networks and alliances are delectable while shameless self-promotion is regarded as distasteful. 

SFRR’s Purpose as stated in our Constitution

The Russian River Convivium of Slow Food brings people together to enjoy the pleasures of life while promoting and protecting the artisanal producers of food and wine within the greater region of the Russian River watershed. Essential to this purpose is the protection and enhancement of the natural environment, the foundation upon which our artisans practice their craft.

How it works:

• You conceive an event idea
• Complete our Event Proposal Form and submit to the leader of your choice or to info@slowfoodrr.org.
• Your proposal will be reviewed at the next monthly leadership meeting
• You will be notified of the status of your event proposal within 2 weeks of the review meeting.

Mini-Events can be all sorts of things. In the past, we have had pot-lucks hosted at a member's home, small group gatherings getting together to learn how to can, shell beans, you name it!

Any opportunity to share one's talents or expertise with a group of fellow members who are interested in the subject or just have a social setting with which to meet other like-minded folks.  The locale depends on the the event.

It is a good way to get together with fellow Slow Food friends or to invite some non-member friends who might be interested in Slow Food but are not sure of who we are. 
  

  You might want to also take a look at the information below to help inspire you and also understand what we need to help you make your event a success.

Good luck!  We look forward to growing, eating, drinking, cooking, and collaborating with you!