11/03/2006: ""Free Community Dinner and a Movie'"

San Juan Island's Farmers' Market will honor and thank their neighbor farmers for providing the island with delicious, fresh-picked, chemical- and GMO-free produce all season. There is growing interest, it seems, in knowing what's in our food and where it comes from.

You're invited to come to the San Juan Island Grange on Friday, November 3rd, for good local food and conversation and a showing of the acclaimed documentary, "The Future of Food." Lopez Island's viewing of the film last February drew a crowd of over 200 people, some of whom are embracing the model of sustainable agriculture to promote brighter economic prospects and a safer, sustainable food supply.

The free San Juan Island community event is open to all and will begin at 5:30 pm with a potluck of as much locally-grown food as possible. The film will be shown at 6 pm followed by a brief presentation by Anne Schwartz, award-winning grower and food activist, from Blue Heron Farm near Rockport and formerly of Cascadian Farms in the Upper Skagit Valley. Anne serves on state and regional boards working on sustainable agriculture issues.

"We used to be a nation of farmers but now farmers make up less than 2% of the U.S. population. So a lot of us don't know much about what it takes to grow food," said a grower from Full Belly Farm in California. You can become a more aware food consumer and learn more about how genetically-engineered food has infiltrated our food supply by seeing this film and discussing the Islands' food future with your neighbors and local food producers.

This will be a "zero waste" event so you are asked to bring your own dishes and utensils. Recycling and composting of food waste and food-soiled paper will be provided.

370-5471 for more information.