From
Field to Fork
A celebration of food, farms
and farm workers
Thursday, July 25, 2013
W
elcome to the 3rd “From Field to Fork”
fundraiser for House Farm Workers!
Our hope is that you will enjoy the bounty of Ventura County’s
fields and orchards, prepared
for you by six outstanding
chefs, along with wines from
local wineries. And we hope
you enjoy the beauty of this
special place, The Walnut
Grove at Tierra Rejada Ranch.
As you savor the flavors and
admire the view, know that
you are benefiting the people
who make this food and
landscape possible: the farm
workers who plant, tend and
harvest the many crops grown
in Ventura County’s wonderful soils and climate.
Thank you for supporting our education and advocacy efforts
as we strive to expand the availability of safe, decent and
affordable homes for farm workers and their families.
Bon appetit!
PROGRAM
John Krist, master of ceremonies
4:00 PM
Horse-drawn tours of Underwood Family Farms
Farm Worker Housing film presentations:
“A Home of Their Own” and “Mi Casa es Su Casa”
5:00 PM
Wine and appetizers
6:00 PM
Welcoming remarks
Dinner
Chefs, farmers and winemakers talk about their offerings
8:00 PM
Buenas Noches y Muchas Gracias a Todos!
MENU
Appetizer Course
Heirloom tomato bisque with truffle oil and smoked-gouda grilled cheese;
eggplant caprese with porter balsamic reduction and basil;
goat cheese and fresh-fruit tartare wonton with apricot glaze.
Dishes prepared by Chefs Candace Hilger of Twenty88 Food & Drink
and Stephen Stroh of Chef Stroh’s Pestos.
Produce provided by Craig Underwood, Underwood Family Farms.
Beverage: 805 Margaritas, featuring Ventura Limoncello and Tequila Alquimia.
First Course
Hiyashi chuka (Japanese cold noodle salad) with fresh vegetables.
Dish prepared by Chef Cindy Liu of LooHoo’s.
Produce provided by Jason Tamai of Tamai Farms.
Wine: Cantara Cellars.
Second Course
Smoked grass-fed beef tongue carpaccio with summer melons, cucumbers,
herb salad and meyer lemon vinaigrette.
Dish prepared by Chef Tim Kilcoyne of Hollywood Beach Wine Company
and Scratch Food Truck.
Produce provided by John Fonteyn, Rio Gozo Farms; and Chris Sayer, Petty Ranch
Wine: Four Brix Winery.
Third Course
Grilled chicken with tomato BBQ sauce and grilled vegetable salad.
Dish prepared by Chef Gabe Garcia of Tierra Sur.
Produce provided by Phil McGrath, McGrath Family Farms.
Wine: Herzog Wine Cellars.
Fourth Course
Coconut milk panna cotta with cardamom and ginger, topped with chai berry compote.
Dish prepared by Kate Dunbar of Petite Rêve Cafe.
Produce provided by Tamai farms and Underwood Family farms.
H
OUR SPONSORS
ouse Farm Workers! wishes to thank the following event
sponsors, whose generous contributions made “From
Field to Fork” possible.
Visionaries
Community Leaders
Brokaw Ranch Co.
Coastal Pipco
Faria Family Partnership
Farm Bureau of Ventura County
Leavens Ranches
Lloyd-Butler Partnerships
Pinkerton Ranch
Ventura County Star
Stewards
Brokaw Nursery, Rick & Linnea Brecunier,
Gail Weller Brown and Jerry Brown, Deardorff Family Farms,
Index Fresh, Pyramid Flowers, Row B Productions, San Miguel Produce,
Underwood Family Farms, United Staffing Associates
Builders
Barkley Insurance and Risk Management Services, Carol & Logan Hardison,
Clinicas del Camino Real, J.D. McGrath Farms, Ventura County Agricultural Association,
Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors,
Ventura County Credit Union, Vintage Production California
Collaborators
R.A. Atmore & Sons, Randy & Joanna Axell, Katie and Rob Brokaw, DeWitt Petroleum,
Donlon Ranch, Ed Friel, Litton, Williams & Strain, Tom & Brianne McGrath Family,
Oxnard Lemon Co., Josh & Tori Pinkerton, Rancho Abuelos, Resource Conservation District,
Santa Paula Creek Ranch, Santa Rosa Berry Farms, SOAR, Southland Sod Farms,
Sundance Berry Farms, Travis Ag Construction, Ventura Rental Party Center
ABOUT HOUSE FARM WORKERS!
V
entura County has some of the best agricultural land in the United
States and also is one of the most expensive places to live. Ten cities
and nearly 100,000 acres of irrigated agriculture exist side by side in
relative harmony, but low-income workers — including those on the farm
— are hard-pressed to find affordable homes. As a result, multiple farmworker families often share a house designed for one family. Sometimes a
garage or shed is called “home.”
House Farm Workers! is a program of the Ag Futures Alliance’s Farm
Worker Housing Task Force. Volunteers work countywide and in seven
cities to educate the public about the need for affordable farm-worker
housing, and urge public officials
to permit and support more such
projects.
In the past 10 years, more than
500 family rental homes have
been built or planned in five cities
and on unincorporated land.
Nevertheless, the need for safe,
decent and affordable homes for
the county’s estimated 20,000
resident farm workers remains
acute.
Play area at Villa Cesar Chavez, Oxnard.
If you want to learn more about
this effort, which is critical to the county’s agricultural economy, two films
are available upon request: “Mi Casa Es Su Casa” and “A Home of Their
Own.” The first is a professional documentary, and the second was filmed
and narrated in part by children of farm workers.
We invite you to become involved by joining a city committee or the
countywide task force, arranging a film presentation in your community,
or just sharing what you learn tonight with neighbors and friends.
For more information, contact House Farm Workers! at (805) 824-4413 or
housefarmworkers@verizon.net. Visit us online at:
www.facebook.com/HouseFarmWorkers or www.housefarmworkers.org.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
H
ouse Farm Workers! wishes to thank the following
individuals and organizations for their hard work and
contributions to this evening’s event:
The chefs
Kate Dunbar, Petite Rêve Cafe
Gabe Garcia, Tierra Sur
Candace Hilger, Twenty88 Food & Drink
Tim Kilcoyne, Hollywood Beach Wine Co.
Cindy Liu, LooHoo’s — Asian Comfort Food
Stephen Stroh, Chef Stroh’s Pestos
The farmers
John Fonteyn, Rio Gozo Farm
Phil McGrath, McGrath Family Farms
Chris Sayer, Petty Ranch
Jason Tamai, Tamai Farms
Craig Underwood, Underwood Family Farms
Other contributors
The Abundant Table
Ag Innovations Network
Berylwood Tree Farm
Cabrillo Economic Development Corp.
Sue Chadwick
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Fallini Ranch
Alex Flores
John Sanders Jones
John McGrath Family
Carmen Ramirez
Lee and Elisabeth Rossi
Santa Paula FFA
Santa Paula Latino Town Hall
Richard and Audrey Vincent Trust
Young Farmers & Ranchers
The wine and beverage makers
Cantara Cellars
Four Brix Winery
Herzog Wine Cellars
Tequila Alquimia
Ventura Limoncello Co.
The coordinator
The Planning Committee extends special
thanks to Chef Tim Kilcoyne of Scratch
Food Truck and Hollywood Beach Wine
Company for coordinating the efforts
of all the chefs and farmers responsible
for this evening’s menu. Find him on
Facebook at Chef-Tim-Kilcoyne.
Planning Committee
Gail Weller Brown (chair), Ellen Brokaw,
Tim Kilcoyne, John Krist, Leslie Leavens, Dan Long,
Tracy Perez, Daniela Ramirez
Program designed by John Krist and printed by Signature Graphics, Ventura.
ABOUT TIERRA REJADA RANCH
T
ierra Rejada Ranch was established in 1935, when brothers and thirdgeneration Ventura County farmers Monroe and Eldon Everett purchased
360 acres and planted tomatoes, lima beans and sugar beets. In the 1940s,
they planted Valencia oranges,
and in the 1950s they planted
English walnuts. In 1970,
Monroe’s daughter Linnea and
her husband Rick moved to
the ranch. In 1972, as the local
walnut industry declined, they
began planting a few acres
of pumpkins. Each year more
walnuts were removed and,
in addition to more pumpkins,
acreage was converted to
pick-your-own blackberries and
vegetables for a roadside stand.
After 20 years or so of running the roadside business, Rick and Linnea leased
and then sold the business and a portion of the property to Craig Underwood. In
1991, a small area under the walnut trees was set up to accommodate company
picnics and events, the first being a fund-raiser for the Moorpark Rotary club.
ABOUT OUR VISIONARY SPONSORS
Coastal Occupational Medical Group in Oxnard was established in 2005, and
provides full-service, comprehensive occupational health care to Ventura County
businesses.
Farm Credit West is the top customer-owned financial services cooperative for
the agricultural industry in California’s Central Coast, San Joaquin Valley and
Sacramento Valley regions. It is part of the 97-year old Farm Credit System – the
largest provider of credit to American agriculture.
Limoneira is an agribusiness and real estate development company founded and
based in Santa Paula. It owns and manages approximately 7,300 acres of land,
and is a leading producer of lemons, avocados, oranges, and other specialty
crops.
Founded and owned by the Reiter family, Reiter Affiliated Companies is the
largest year-round fresh multi-berry producer in the world. The Oxnard-based
company grows strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and other fruit exclusively
for sale through Driscoll’s.