Visitors to Williams-Sonoma on Friday at were treated to the sights, sounds, smells and even tastes of local organic faire during the cooking store's debut "Meet the Farmer" event.
More than 200 people showed for the first in a series of cooking demonstrations that will run every other Friday through this summer, said Jennifer McColm, event organizer and president of the California Certified Farmers Markets.
Her organization includes the Calabasas Farmers Market and about two dozen others throughout southern California as well as more than 3,000 vendors.
“The idea is to have a hub to bring to Williams-Sonoma--you can come here, talk to the farmers and ask questions,” McColm said. “We’re pairing that with a local chef and good tips from the growers themselves.”
Organic local farmer Gene Etheridge of Etheridge Family Farms was on hand to share his insights on food and answer questions from the crowd ranging from native plants to what constitutes certified organic.
“We want to change the culture of eating in our country,” Etheridge said.
Using local ingredients and some high-quality kitchen gear courtesy of Williams-Sonoma, a juicing and cooking demonstration was given by Greg Fahlman, a “self-taught home chef” who said that trips to Calabasas Farmers Market every Saturday helped him lose and keep off 75 pounds.
“It has changed our lives,” Fahlman said. ". . . We are so lucky to have a farmers market in Calabasas.”
The series will follow up June 15 with Chef Juliano Brotman from Planet Raw. For more information, click here.
The Calabasas Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday at 23504 Calabasas Road, across the street from the
