Forging Farmers Fundraiser Success!

The November harvest is a special time for MESA staff, stewards and supporters. At the close of a bountiful farming season, we choose to celebrate the culmination of our 2012 program with our closest friends.

Click here to see photos from the event.

We send many thanks to our talented staff, enthusiastic group of volunteers, and our expanding numbers of event sponsors and in-kind donors. The evening’s festivities showcased MESA’s commitment to solidifying and expanding our network of sustainable food advocates.

Congratulations to our Forging Farmer Award recipients:

Eric Holt-Giménez, Ph.D. (keynote speaker): author, agroecologist and Executive Director of Food First/Insitute for Food and Development Policy. He is the editor of Food Movements Unite! Strategies to Transform our Food Systems and author of Food Rebellions! Crisis and the Hunger for Justice. Eric grew up milking cows and pitching hay and has worked with farmers around the world.

Mariuxi Rovayo: from Quito, Ecuador and participated with MESA in 2002 at Riverdog farm in Guinda, California. In 2004 she started a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) called “Roots” in Quito. Roots connects local, small-scale farmers directly with consumers. Roots supports 20 farms by ensuring a local market with fair prices, provides fresh organic produce to over 500 members and employs four local staff.

Ellen Bartholomew: manages Golden Rule Farm in Willits, CA. She has been a dedicated mentor to many beginning farmers and has hosted MESA Stewards for the past six years. Her passion for quinoa and biointensive farming is contagious, and her commitment to nuturing the next generation of farmers is unparalled.

 

We gratefully acknowledge our generous Stewardship Sustainers and Event Sponsors:

 

Farneth-Rintoul Family

 

Big thanks to our Silent Auction and Event donors:
Alter-Eco

Chez Panisse

CLASH SF

Concannon Vineyard

East Bay Nursery

Equal Exchange

Esalen Institute

Farm Fresh to You

Gather Restaurant and Lindencroft Farm

St. George Spirits

Good Eggs

Harbin Hot Springs

Hidden Villa Farm

Imperial Tea Court

La Cocina SF

Love at first Bite Bakery

Marin Sailing School

Marmot

Occidental Arts & Ecology Center

Organic Valley

Paula Hawthorne Quilts

Rishi Tea

SF Opera

SF Ballet

Spirit Rock

Teance

Verdi Club

Wente Vineyards

ZahZoom Weddings and Parties

 

Many thanks to our fabulous in-kind food donors:

Acme Bread

Berkeley Bowl Marketplace

Bicycle Coffee

Bi Rite Market

Clover Stornetta

Devil’s Gulch Ranch

Equal Exchange

Friend In Cheeses Jam Co.

GreenLeaf

Gordon Biersch

Lundberg Family Farm

Natural Grocery Company

Rainbow Grocery Cooperative

Straus Family Creamery

Stonyfield

Trader Joe’s

Traditional Medicinals

Whole Foods Market Berkeley

Thank you to the talented Orquesta Son de Caña for sending our 2012 Stewards and guests off in hip-swingin’ style!