OK, Full disclosure: garbage is not gorgeous. Even as we choose the name “gorgeous garbage” to launch our Conversation Worth Having series, we assumed it would be an uphill climb to find an audience. But here was our dilemma: how to entice the community to come talk about food waste… all that messy swill of stinky stuff we toss into the bin every day of our lives, unloved. How to make it lovable, and, yes, covetable?
Our hope was to encourage nothing less than a profound shift in perspective. To begin to see organic waste as a sensous entity, one we literally cannot live without. To break through to a realization that it can be transformed into
Soil for food
A way to reduce carbon emissions so we can stay on this planet a little longer
A way to create a truly circular green economy - I mean how many opportunities do we have as individuals to contribute to that?
As it turned out we needn’t have worried. With this cast of speakers and the incredible audience who showed up we could not have asked for anything more to introduce CWH. Heartfelt thanks to Brock, Tucker, Eric, and Ariel for their wisdom and their humility – and for making their remarkable work lives accessible in delicious and meaningful ways we can all enjoy… We’re talking OAEC, Jackson Estate Culinary Gardens, Radio Coteau & County Line Vineyards, Healdsburg Local Government!
Above: The incredible group of farmers, educators, community leaders, diners, and the just plain curious who gathered for Conversations Worth Having #1, “Gorgeous Garbage,” held on Nov. 2 in Studio B.
The Indomitable Brock Dolman, Occidental Arts & Ecology
Ariel Kelley, Mayor, City of Healdsburg
Tucker Taylor, Director, Jackson Estate Culinary Gardens
Eric Sussman, Radio Coteau/ County Line Vineyards, setting up the Find Your Inner Dog scent box game.
James Gore, Sonoma County Supervisor
Deb Fudge, Councilwoman, Windsor
Josh Whiton, Founder @makesoil.org
Daniel Sonnenberg, OAEC, with our “Look, Smell, Play” interactive soil exhibit
To supervisor James Gore, Josh Whiton, founder @makesoil.org, Mimi Enright and Xinxi Tan from Zero Waste, the lovely Daniel Sonnenberg from OAEC … Thank you all for being so supportive of this conversation. We look forward to a viaduct of information around compost planning for Healdsburg (and Sonoma County) that is actionable. We will pass it all on!
Barndiva canapé starred Tucker’s produce- including his infamous crosnes, Japanese radish, ice lettuce
From the cellers we poured our own label 2015 Barndiva Syrah, graciously made by Eric Sussman
Scott Beattie’s Compost Cocktail, Tops n’ Tails: beet and carrot scrap shrub, lemon rind soda, cool pickled beet and carrot garnish, with carrot top green sprigs. Offered N/A or with Square One organic vodka
Most of all we wish to thank everyone who showed up to have this conversation with us. We were bowled away by your engagement and your on-point questions.
One of our mission statements is to make these great nights of discovery and information. Curiosity is our muse, urgency our engine.
When we decided to foist this series on our unsuspecting neighbors here in Healdsburg, we never dreamed we would re-discover community. We thought we were going in search of something we’d lost, when it was here all the time.
@barndivahealdsburg will announce future conversations as soon as dates are finalized. And no, we haven’t stopped talking about garbage! This is such a perfectly delicious problem for our community to solve that even as we move on to the next conversation we promise to stay connected to the many opportunities the evening presented.
Eat the view!
Jil, Dawnelise, Susan, Amber
Gratitude Dining after the event with our speakers, in the Studio B garden
(yes Virginia, holiday parties can still be booked at the Orchard table, weather permitting, but they are cozier inside).
Credits for CWH #1: Gorgeous Garbage
Food is Medicine : aka the palpable presence of alternatives… our irreverent homage to Joseph Cornell by way of Dr Seuss.
Concept: Jil Hales; Artwork: Susan Preston; Soil: OAEC; Veg Starts: Barndiva Farm, Tucker Taylor; dehydrated Veg Scraps: Dawnelise Rosen, Chef Syd.
Vegetable Starts: Barndiva Farm, Tucker Taylor Jackson Culinary Gardens.
Corks chosen by barndiva wine director Emily Carlson from bio dynamic vineyards.
Execution: Geoff Hales, Chef Syd, and Daniel Sonnenberg (thank you Marcos for the silver shelf!)
Information Tower : our what we are reading, watching, who we are following ongoing resource compilation, compiled and designed by Amber Keneally. (see link above)
Look, Smell, Play! : Our interactive garbage to compost to soil installation, executed by Daniel Sonnenberg.
All Photography: Chad Surmick
For all those who played the ‘find your inner dog’ scent game, contact us if you guessed ‘compost’ was #3!
@barndivahealdsburg