“Farm to Fork” is many things:

• A Sacramento festival — We were there last weekend!
• A tasty, locally sourced meal in our dining commons — It's scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 23, and is open to everyone.
• And, most important, it’s what we do at UC Davis — As you’ll see at Harvest: A Gathering of Food, Wine, Beer and the Arts, on Sunday, Oct. 12, and in our new “One California” video.

The video shows how the future of farming in California is strong, thanks to the century-old partnership between UC Davis and the state’s growers, ranchers and producers.

Yolo County farmer Frank Muller talks in the video about his and his brother Louie’s education at UC Davis — Louie (who farms with Frank) graduated in 1977, Frank in ’79.

“What we learned there, we brought home,” Frank Muller says. “Today, we’re still working to make farming more productive and friendlier for the environment.

“You know, we play a big part in feeding our state and the world. The future of farming looks good.”

Craig McNamara, another Yolo County farmer, couldn’t agree more. He's a UC Davis alumnus (1976) and president of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture.

Dateline UC Davis ran into him at Sacramento’s Farm-to-Fork Festival last Saturday (Sept. 27), where he said the exhibits and turnout made him proud of what he does, “and proud that I learned what I do at UC Davis.”

UC Davis, a festival sponsor, had booths for several units, including the World Food Cente, the Agricultural Sustainability Institute, the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security (a collaboration of the School of Veterinary Medicine, and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences).

The Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science also participated, showcasing the Honey and Pollination Center, and the Olive Center. UC Davis Stores took part, too, selling UC Davis olive products and honey, as well as dried tomatoes from UC Davis' Russell Ranch, run by the Agricultural Sustainability Institute.

Student participants in Aggie Grown hauled in a big supply of herbs and flowers from the Student Farm, and assisted festivalgoers in making crowns and bouquets. UC Davis Dining Services showcased its sustainability, which includes an emphasis on buying locally.

Having a booth at the festival is one thing, but even better is inviting the community to the Farm-to-Fork Dinner — which is exactly what Dining Services will do on Thursday, Oct. 23. It's open to the public at the Segundo, Tercero and Cuarto dining commons, from 4:45 to 8 p.m. Admission is $11.80 (including tax) with a university ID, or $14.75 for the general public.

Here's the menu: Soups — Cream of Broccoli with Pure Country Bacon, and Butternut Squash Soup. Salads — Beet and Chickpea with Feta Cheese, and Autumn Pear and Apple Salad. Entrees — Roasted Chicken with Brussel Sprouts, Rustic Olive Loaf, Fresh Fettuccine Pasta with UC Davis Roasted Tomato Sauce and Wilted Spinach, California Pisto Pizza, Grape with Gorgonzola Pizza, Flat Iron Steak with Arugula Pesto (and Roasted Yam Potato and Blue Lake Green Bean Amandine), and Seitan Au Vin (and Steamed Brown Rice and Roasted Acorn Squash). Dessert — Apple Galette Bar and Pumpkin Loaf Cake.

For more information, send an email or call Ben Thomas, sustaiability manager, (530) 754-7128.

Harvest: A Gathering of Food, Wine, Beer and the Arts

On Sunday, Oct. 12, the campus’s Gateway District (south entry) will be the site of an overflowing cornucopia of family-oriented activities, including “The Art of Science” and food sensory booths, all meant to provide a deeper understanding of the university’s role in food and agriculture.

Activities from 1 to 7 p.m. also will include music and food trucks, pumpkin decorating and a petting zoo. The Harvest festival is open to the public, and all events are free with the exception of a food, wine and beer tasting event in the Good Life Garden (at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science). Also, tickets are required for a 7:30 p.m. concert by the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne, performing in Jackson Hall at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.

Read the Harvest festival news release.

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