Patrons of the Kelley House Museum’s speakers series, “A Sunday Afternoon With . . .” will have the opportunity of hearing Sarah Bodnar and Gowan Batist, speak on their year of eating locally. Their experiment, although it took place in 2013, fit so well with our current exhibit on the history of procuring food for work and families of the North Coast; that we invited them to share their experiences of that year with the community once again. The Kelley House Museum hosts Bodnar and Batist on Sunday, October 23rd, beginning at 4:00 p.m.
For those readers who may be less familiar with these pioneering women of the local food and farming communites, here is a brief biography of Gowan Batist, from the Heritage Radio Network website, describing their program which aired in June of 2015.
This week’s featured farmer is Gowan Batist. Gowan is a farmer, metalsmith and soil nerd. Born on the Mendocino Coast in California and raised pulling crab pots out of the ocean with her Grandfather who taught her that work is love. She studied metal fabrication until succumbing to the pull to farm. She completed an Oregon State University Certificate program and Master Gardener training and cut her teeth on a 150-acre farm outside Portland. She always wanted to return to Mendocino, which she did to manage a farm at a local nonprofit, Noyo Food Forest. Now, at the age of 26, she is the proud owner of Fortunate Farm, made possible by a unique partnership with North Coast Brewing Company. Her 40-acre coastal farm focuses on heirloom vegetables, invasive species management, and large-scale composting. Her goal is to feed her community in a way that sequesters carbon. http://heritageradionetwork.org/podcast/greenhorns-radio-episode-231-gowan-batist
The Good Farm Fund was co-founded by Sarah Bodnar, and, as stated on their website, is “a community organization that aims to provide direct support to small farmers in Mendocino and Lake Counties and increase local food security for all members of our community.” The Good Farm Fund has established a Farm Grant Program, which distributes funds to local farms, having applied and demonstrated that their specific proposed projects meet the goals of the program: to assist small farms and build on their participation in our communities’ food systems. Funds are raised through events such as Farm to Table dinners http://www.goodfarmfund.org .
Sarah is also currently working on the campaign in support of the “Mendocino Heritage Initiative,” Measure AF. In fact, both Sarah and Gowan are so busy in their support of local agriculture and farmers that we are fortunate to have them take time out from those endeavors to share some of their personal history with members and non-members of the Kelley House Museum. So, if you didn’t get to hear about it from them three years ago, here’s your chance! Members pay $5.00 at the door; non-members pay $7.00. Seating is limited so please plan to come a bit early. For more information, you may either visit our website kelleyhousemuseum.org or call us prior to the weekend at 707-937-5791.