Some Good (Food) News : Edible Silicon Valley

Local COVID-19 Edition | San Francisco Bay Area - Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties

GET  |  Heirloom tomato plants from Love Apple Farms ready for pick up 

Bay Area gardeners look forward all year to the spring tomato sale at Love Apple Farms in Scotts Valley. That’s because the farmer – Cynthia Sandberg – who is co-founder of the World Tomato Society (in Los Gatos!) is renowned for her expertise on all things tomatoes and her heirlooms are sought for their flavor, quality and uniqueness. This year’s sale for the coveted “love apple” aka tomato plant starts demand a new system. Order from the farm website, make an appointment to pick up your tomato plants and the staff can load them in your car. The sale goes through June 7. And here’s a tip: keep checking the website for the gardening classes she teaches – you’ll learn from one of the world’s best.

WATCH  |  Luscious documentary about Chef David Kinch supports restaurant workers

David Kinch, chef of three-star Michelin restaurant Manresa in Los Gatos, is featured in a beautifully-shot documentary called “A Chef’s Voyage.” It follows Kinch and his team to France for a collaboration with legendary French chefs and provides a rare glimpse behind the scenes of their tour. Not only is the film a welcome diversion from endless days sheltering in place, it’s also another way to support laid-off restaurant workers. The film can be rented for 3 days with donations ranging from $4.99 to $100 – you choose — from now through May 4. All proceeds will go to support the Restaurant Workers Relief Program which provides meals to workers impacted by Covid-19. View the trailer. Rent the film and donate.

WATCH  |  Chef José Andrés’ Earth Day presentation via UC Berkeley's Edible Education 101 Spring Courses Now Online. 

You don’t have to be a student at UC Berkeley to learn about the food system from the top minds on the subject. Alice Waters and UC Berkeley’s Edible Education 101 program is uploading videos of the guest speakers in this semester’s Soil to Soul course, available for free viewing anytime. Here’s one that’s particularly relevant today:  Chef José Andrés, founder of the World Central Kitchen that’s serving millions of meals to at-need populations in California and across the nation during the Covid-19 crisis, presented Feeding the World in Need on Earth Day 2020.  Subscribe on YouTube to watch it here. And peruse all the lectures in the series here.

DONATE  |  Support Bay Area hospital teams with food from local restaurants

Here’s a way to support frontline workers in hospitals in the Peninsula and South Bay AND provide much-needed business to local restaurants. Frontline Foods, in partnership with the World Central Kitchen, will process donations that are paid directly to Silicon Valley restaurants to provide healthy and tasty meals to hospital workers. Check out the Frontline Foods website to see the participating hospitals and restaurants and donate!

YAY!  |  School District distributes 36,950 meals to students in one day 

The Santa Clara Unified School District hasn’t let school closures prevent students and their families from receiving much needed emergency food. Since March 16, the district has been offering weekly bundles of five breakfasts and five lunches every Monday at drive-through pick up locations at seven schools on a rotating basis. The April 13 distribution of 36,950 meals hit a new record. A bonus: freshly harvested produce from the district’s 11-acre farm is also offered once a week at a designated school site. It’s evident the emergency food program is serving a real community need.