Celebration!

Preparing food

Joyce and Pia prepare mixed greens salad

Stanley adds yellow color to bee picture in Tree's artwork of The Free Farm congregation

Vegan dinner menu: Thanks to Bi-Rite, Earl's Organics, Double Rainbow, Rainbow Grocery, and Veritable Vegetable for their donations

Appetizer spread includes Michael's hummus

Sufi dance of universal peace circle

Pam, Ruby, Lolita and John

Dinner line

Honorable mention to my neighbor Jonathan, a winemaker who gave this bottle of antioxidant-rich Syrah

Margaret uncorks wine bottles

Colorful dinner plate

Colorful appetizer plate

Abundant food

Kris, friend and Hannah

No comment :-)

Tree introduces Babar Jug Band

K and friend

Two wise women at this table: Golden Gate Gardening author Pam (http://www.pampeirce.com/) and award-winning filmmaker Karil (http://karildaniels.com/)

Forks over knives

Cheers :-)

The Phaetons

Alen serves up lemonade made with honey from The Free Farm

Ro and friend

Babar Jug Band

Tree and Pam

Artists Stanley and Pam

Margaret shares poem

Margaret and Page

Adelaja shares his thoughts on what The Free Farm means to him

Dessert time

As promised, Alen made her famous Scharffenberger chocolate chip cookies!

K plays Chopin

Yasue scoops up Double Rainbow soy vanilla ice cream

Stanley wrapped these truffle treats and got these cool peace buttons as mementos

Byron looks forward to filling up bowl with desserts

Beekeeper Pam (http://pamdeluco.com/) holds up memento of Tree's artwork (with Stanley's coloring of bee) printed on her homemade paper Pam and Valerie on dance floor

Pam gave complimentary massages after dinner

Claire writes thank you message to Tree on poster board

Tree and Eric

Drummer Ro and friend perform

Pam and Valerie

Dancin' the night away

Heather, Page and Byron

Tree, Claire and Angie

Junko band performs

Public Service Announcements:

Tues., Jan. 31, 2012, 5-7pm, Real Rural Launch Party
California Historical Society, 678 Mission Street, SF
The Bill Lane Center for the American West and Roots of Change are proud to announce the launch of journalist and photographer Lisa Hamilton's innovative multimedia project "Real Rural" — bringing California's rural life to the state's urban public. Hamilton's portraits of people and places, along with surprising, provocative quotes from the subjects, will be featured on BART trains throughout the Bay Area beginning in late January, and on an interactive web site. The California Historical Society will mount a related exhibition this fall of Hamilton's photographs shown in conjunction with relevant materials from the California Historical Society's vast collection. See a preview of the project and meet Lisa Hamilton. RSVP to rsvp@calhist.org or 415.357.1848, ext. 229.
http://californiahistoricalsociety.blogspot.com/

Wed., Feb. 1, 2012, 1:30-3:30 pm SF Food Security Task Force
City Hall - 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Rm. 278, SF 94102
http://www.sfdph.org/dph/files/mtgsGrps/#foodsecurity

Wed., Feb. 1, 2012, 6:30-9 pm, Chinese Medicinal Herb Farms in the U.S.
ACTCM, 555 De Haro Street, Room H, SF
ACTCM hosts Peggy Schafer of the Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm in Petaluma, CA and Jean Giblette of High Falls Gardens in Philmont, NY. The evening will begin with a social and reception. Then Peggy and Jean will share information regarding their efforts to support the growth of Chinese medicinal herbs here in the United States. Peggy will also share information about her new book, The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm: A Cultivator’s Guide to Small-Scale Organic Herb Production, which includes 79 detailed herb profiles, growing information, and medicinal use. The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm is the first cultivation guide of its kind, and presents invaluable information for growers interested in producing high-quality efficacious herbs in all climates of the United States, with the historical connectedness of ancient practitioners. Please RSVP to leeswain@actcm.edu http://www.actcm.edu/events_detail.php?topmenu=5&root=5&id=776&eventsid=127

Sun., Feb. 5, 2012, 10 am-12 noon, Tu B'Shvat at The Free Farm
Join Congregation Emanu-El’s Young Adult Community, Contemporary Jewish Museum’s Contemporaries and Moishe House for this tree planting event!

Sun., Feb. 5, 2012, 1 pm Bees and Flowers
California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr., Golden Gate Park, SF
Pollinators like bees are a crucial link in ecosystems and agriculture around the world, allowing flowering plants—from roses and sunflowers to cotton and strawberries—to reproduce year after year. Bees, who depend on these plants for nectar, communicate the locations of flowers to each other with dances. In this fun, interactive program, discover how these pollination partners help one another, and perform a bee-dance of your very own.
http://www.calacademy.org/events/