May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy,

more lovely, than this our own country!

Daniel Webster

This event took us by surprise, it was my daughter Alex’s and my first time at the infamous “Double T Acres” and what a hidden gem right here in our Central Valley!

First a little Double T Acres history…..

This started as a small family dairy in 1951, and now second generation owner Tony T. Azevedo has turned this farm into a thriving organic dairy with “agritainment”, hosting many events surrounded with a unique old western charm full of collectables. Tony was the first farmer in the San Joaquin valley to make the transition from traditional to organic farming and an ambassador for Organic Valley coop, educating in sustainable farming confirmimg the importance of organics and the environment.

The Heartland Festival…..

This annual Ecological Farming Association event should be on the top of the valleys list of to do’s, it was well filled with local foods, wagon rides, children activities, the local Historical Societies “Tumbleweed” mobile museum, music, dancing, vendors and your favorite locavores Alex & Anna with our “Hey Honey Lemonade!”

Thank you to our Local Choices social group members Brandy Rucker, Rose Wickler and their beautiful children…. for coming out to meet us!

Despite the heat, all in all it was a great day for some outdoor wholesome family fun. We believe it is important to support these family farm events to keep the values of our community and environment healthy & educated.

Please visit Thedoublet.com to see all this farm has to offer!

Enjoy my photos, until next time…. Just Anna!

Come join Local Choices at this unique farm event & taste our fresh squeezed sweet organic

“Hey Honey Lemonade!”

at the

Heartland festival

A celebration of Food, Farming & Healthy Living

Saturday ~ June 27, 2009

10:00 am ~ 4:00 pm

Double T Acres

22368 West 2nd Ave ~ Stevinson, Ca 95374

$5.00 per person ~ 12 & under free!

~ Garden Demos ~ Farming Demos ~ Renewable Energy ~ Healthy Foods ~ Farmers Market ~ Farm Tours ~ Petting Zoo ~ Children’s Activities ~ Square Dancing ~ Live Music ~

~ All Day Entertainment ~

Visit www.thedoublet.com for all the details!

Thanks to all that joined us at our “Womens Local Choices Night”, there were awesome local vendors, great guests, beautiful weather, tastey BBQ’ed grass fed beef , organic wines and delightful music by Rachel Rene!

*Congratulations to our gift basket winner….

Karen Sliger, who loved all her local goodies!

If you are disappointed you missed this event not to worry, there will be another in the fall….

who’s up for a relaxing dinner in the country with local foods?

We’ll keep you posted!

Be a *locavore with an evening of healthy local choices!

Women’s Local Choices Night

Friday, June 19th

6~9 pm

Come enjoy a causal evening in the country

celebrating local women sharing their unique products……

Hey Honey Organic Lemonade, Pure Valley Honey, Pink Papaya Spa Parties,

Juby’s Salsa, Visalus Nutrition, Weston Price Foundation, Riverdance Farms,

Athena’s Olive Oils, My Sisters Bakery, Kangen Water, Rancho Piccolo

and music guest

Rachel Rene

This venue will be for women only

on

Riedinger Ranch

3301 E. Linwood Ave

Turlock, CA

For more information please contact

Anna Riedinger (209) 667-7947/(831) 594-5638

annariedinger@gmail.com

*those who prefer to eat locally grown produced food

this event is free!

Food, Inc is the upcoming film that no doubt will cause many to look at store bought food in a whole new way.  The sustainable, organic & eat local movement has been around for awhile but recently has been seen more and more in main stream media and now in our theaters.  Will this drive it home for those who are not sold on the importance of these beliefs?

Below the trailer gives us a peek at what to expect, tell us what you think….

The Pick and Gather at Riverdance Farms

and Merced River Fair

A Farm Festival that is really On-a-Farm

May 30 – 31, 2009

12230 Livingston Cressey Road

Livingston, CA 95334

Saturday: May 30th 9 am till 5 pm
Adults: $ 10.00: Children (3 to 12): $ 5.00

Come Pick Organic Blueberries and Cherries. Listen to live music and vivid storytelling. Experience the Merced River, its fish, wildlife, plants and the stars and planets overhead. Workshops highlight home gardening, farming with nature, alternative energy, local food and how to prepare and preserve it. Take a hay ride or climb a hay mountain. Enjoy fun and educational kids’ activities and local artists’ demos and exhibitions. Food is available; mostly local, organic and healthy. Saturday night camping. Evening astronomy program, great for families or adults!

Saturday night campsites $ 10.00

Taste of the River Valley: Food and Wine Event: Sat 4 pm to 7 pm
Author Mark Arax is the featured speaker, plus live music
$ 20.00 for Day Participants: $ 25.00 at the Gate.

Laid Back Sunday: 8 am till 2 pm
Adults: $ 5.00, Children (3 to 12): $ 2.50.
More U-pick fruit, farm tours, live music. Enjoy the river.

http://pickandgather.wordpress.com

For more info contact Cindy  Lashbrook at (209) 761-0081 ~ riverdancefarms@clearwire.net~

May 21 ~ 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

At the San Joaquin River Parkway in Fresno

William Emery, author of  “Edges of Bounty: Adventures in the Edible Valley”, will read from and sign copies of his book at Respite by The River, readings and performances related to life in California’s Central Valley.

This event is PERFECT for everyone involved in 4-H, the book is a glorious, probing series of stories about people in the Central Valley who make things themselves- who milk their own goats, make their own cheese, who keep bees or harvest organic fruit and work the farmer’s market every weekend- these are the people you know and love in the Valley.

This is a book about local food and what beauty is to be found in the valley; stories garnered from a year’s journey visiting farmers, goat herders, cheese and mead makers, livestock auctioneers, painters and orchard dwellers, fishermen and strawberry stand builders.

Join photographer Scott Squire and writer William Emery as they meander—bewildered, impressionable, and wry—through the roads, back roads, and backwaters of America’s greatest agricultural valley. Leaving behind the packaged comforts of supermarkets and restaurants, the pair roamed California’s Central Valley in search of “edibilists,” or those engaged in the production of their own food.

Free and open to the public; for more information call (559) 248-8480, ext. 154

or visit  www.riverparkway.org.

April 29th ~ May 3rd, 2009

“The Magic of Ag” is the theme, bringing awareness and appreciation of our large agricultural valley loaded with big and small farms & ranches. Kat and her hard working crew have been preparing for the Henry Miller Farm here at the fair for some time, to educate the community just how much impact animals have in the agriculture cycle.

The hands on petting zoo is filled with a variety of critters from baby calfs and goats to a very large Belgium Blue. A steady flow has passed through this huge venue in awe, most visitors for the first time experiencing new born chickens, goat & cow milking and the importance of feed and care, lot’s of learning going on here!

As popular buzz words have hit main stream media here in the central valley such as eating local, recycle, sustainability, green, grow your own foods…we thought it was a good time to actually put our own twist on this movement. So Kat and I have put together a simple back yard garden display in the middle of this farm, showing just how easy it is to do. We used all recycled materials from fence posts to old tires and planted a vegetable & herb garden that looks eco-friendly, relaxing and like you want to hang out for awhile!

Come check us out, see our “Organic Oasis” and we’ll show you how you can create this in your backyard!

If you don’t make it to this fair not to worry

you can catch up with us and our “Organic Oasis” at the Merced County Fair in july!