Greg D'Alessandro, Waterbar, featuring Star Route Farms
Saturday, February 9, 2019, 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm
Stop by the CUESA Classroom for a cooking demo featuring the seasonal bounty of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, highlighting a farmer-chef relationship forged at the market. This demo will also connect to the theme of Preserving Biodiversity from The Food Change, a new multifaceted educational project from CUESA.
Greg D’Alessandro developed a passion for food inspired from a young age by his grandmother’s cooking and Italian cuisine. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America’s campus in Hyde Park, NY, and worked at restaurants in nearby Westchester County before moving to San Francisco in 2010 and taking a job as an oyster shucker at Waterbar. Nine years later, he has climbed the ranks to become Waterbar’s Executive Sous Chef.
Star Route Farms has been an organic farm in Marin County since 1974. They began on five acres using horse-drawn sulky plows and cultivators and a lot of long haired ambition. As pioneers in the then fledgling organic industry they adopted production and post-harvest technologies–such as precision planters and hydrocooling equipment–in order to insure top quality produce for the consumer. Star Route Farms is the oldest continuously certified organic grower in California. The farm is presently certified by Marin Organic Certified Agriculture (MOCA). The founder/owner, Warren Weber, has long been active in the organic industry as a past president of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), co-founder of the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), president of Marin Organic (MarinOrganic.org) and past vice-president of Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT). The farm is presently certified by Marin Organic Certified Agriculture (MOCA).
After 41 years, they know that organic farming is the best way to build soils, conserve water, maintain habitat, and nurture productive farmland for our grandchildren. Today they farm 40 acres in Bolinas managed by Annabelle Lenderink, including one acre of greenhouses. Annabelle also oversees Star Route’s farmers markets, restaurant and store sales.
All demos take place in the CUESA Classroom (under the white tents in front of the Ferry Building) and are free to the public, with recipes and samples for all.