FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

10-18-11 1201AM

Urban Gardens to Open Range: The Present and Future of Bay Area Food Landscapes is the name of a public forum scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Berkeley. The forum, held at the David Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way, will highlight and promote discussion of the possibilities for sustainable food production in the Bay Area.

The event’s featured speakers are local farmers, food producers and thought leaders in the sustainable agriculture movement: Sue Conley, Cowgirl Creamery, Point Reyes; Jered Lawson, Pie Ranch, San Mateo Coast; Magdalena Ridley, LandPaths/Bayer Farm, Santa Rosa; Jason Mark, Earth Island Journal/Alemany Farm, San Francisco; and Sibella Kraus, Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE).

Known as the cradle of the environmental movement, the Bay Area has been a major source of energy for the emerging movement for local, sustainable food production. Now Bay Nature magazine is collaborating with Sustainable Agricultural Education (SAGE) and the Bay Area Open Space Council to bring these two movements closer together.

“Local, organic and sustainable” sound good, but what do they mean to the people who actually produce food in the Bay Area? This event will provide a forum for a lively discussion with local producers and advocates on the joys and challenges of sustainable agriculture.

The forum follows Bay Nature’s publication of an eight-page supplement and foldout map that gives a vivid picture of the Bay Area’s local foodshed. “Urban Farms to Open Range: Putting Bay Area Food Landscapes on the Map” is available as a standalone supplement or bound in to Bay Nature’s recently published October-December issue.

A $10 donation is requested for admission to the forum. Space is limited, so reservations are encouraged. RSVP at www.bnfoodlandscapes.eventbrite.com.

About Bay Nature Magazine: Award-winning Bay Nature magazine is dedicated to the informed and joyful exploration of the natural world of the Bay Area. The magazine is available by subscription and at many bookstores, newsstands and park visitor centers throughout the Bay Area. To learn more, visit www.baynature.org.

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