SOL food comes to Santa Barbara
http://www.thedailysound.com/100110SANTA-BARBARA-SOL

By AMY BENNER -- OCT. 1, 2010
Santa Barbara is fighting back against processed cheese and microwave mystery loaf with the first annual Sol Food Festival, a one-day, Santa Barbara County-crafted event aimed at calling attention to sustainable, organic, and local food systems.
The festival takes place on Saturday at Plaza De Vera Cruz - just across Cota St. from the Saturday Farmers Market - and can teach you everything you ever wanted to know about local produce and the people who support it.
"We want to develop a more sustainable and just food system in Santa Barbara County," said David Fortson, event co-planner and owner of eco-lifestyle company LoaTree. "This festival is intentionally right next to the farmer's market, so people buying their food can cross the street and learn about where their food comes from, how to eat it, and its impact."
The Sol Food Festival was co-founded by Alison Hensley and Heather Hartley, and has been in the works for over a year.
"Basically, Alison had the great idea that we needed to have a fun, educational festival to educate people about sustainable, local businesses, and to inspire them to participate more," said Hartley. "I was kind of thinking about the same thing, and so we started planning. It's really exciting to see it come to fruition."
The festival features three different platforms, each of which offers a cornucopia of demonstrations and lectures about pretty much every aspect of food from seed to dinner table and beyond.
The main stage, also known as "the cooking stage," is the newest addition to the Sol Food Festival, which grew out of several exhibits tested at Santa Barbara's Earth Day celebration. The cooking stage presents nearly eight hours of cooking demonstrations, such as making cinnamon-basil ice cream a la S'Cool Food, which is an organization that provides food and nutritional education and workshops for schools looking to give their cafeteria a makeover.
Food Network Iron Chef, executive chef at Bon Appétit magazine, and local gal Cat Cora will demonstrate a three-course meal and announce the winners of the Santa Barbara Independent's Foodie Awards. After that, she and Erik Talkin, executive director of the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, will judge a competition between Chef Pink of Square One, Chef Budi of the Ballard Inn, and Chef Erik Stenberg of Fairview Gardens; local chefs who must make a dish using farmer's market ingredients.
"We have an education side and we have a culinary side," said Fortson. "Anyone can find something valuable, and take it home with them."
The two other stages provide a clear what's what and who's who of local horticulture, agriculture and activism, plus all the FYI and DIY a person can stand.
Experts will discuss, among other things, city composting and community agriculture programs, food justice issues that pertain to Santa Barbara County, and the importance of co-ops. Doug Hagensen's talk about the Santa Barbara County Foodbank's Backyard Bounty program - stage three at 12:25 p.m. - shouldn't be missed.
The Foodbank, David Fortson said, was instrumental in making the Sol Food Festival a reality.
"We're really proud to be a partner with the Foodbank," said Fortson. "Their work, especially in this economy, is essential. They're making sure we've got well-fed people here, and we're happy to support them."
Other workshops include how to make your own compost and biodynamic gardens, information about raising turkeys with special guest Pilgrim the Turkey, and earthworms and beekeeping.
"We in Santa Barbara have access to arguably the best food available, and we can grow it year round," said Fortson. "It's incredible how much other food we import, and how much of our food gets sent away."
Fortson said they hoped to see several thousand people attend.
Hartley, too, is very optimistic.
"It's going to be a really fun, delicious event," she said.