Everything we do has an effect somewhere on something. Even when we do nothing. When we decide to eat pizza, believe it or not, we are effecting something, somewhere, and somebody!
American Flatbread is where it all began for many of us 20 years ago. There would be no American Flatbread frozen pizzas in many states if it were not for George Schenk and his gigantic leap of faith. It all started in the idyllic Waitsfield, VT: www.americanflatbread.com/
Currently we arre spending billions of dollars as a nation to educate and train farmers. At the same time the entire food production process is consolidating and becoming more centralized. The dangers of industrial farming is well documented. We currently live in a nation where less than 1% of the populace actually farms yet 100% of the ever-growing populace eats. We all know about the ever increasing prices at the gas pumps and many of us are aware of the very knowledgable predictions that our oil-based ways have less than 50 years left. Most cities have a 10 day, at best, supply of food that continually needs to be replenished. What happens when shipping food on large trucks, just as our frozen pizzas are shipped, becomes cost prohibitive? Fresh food does not come without costs! As much as possible we purchase from and support local Farmers' Markets. We support, and urge you to do the same, Farmers' Markets. Here is a great listing of markets as recognized by the USDA: http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm
Local Harvest is a great web-site with tons of useful information. The freshest, healthiest, most flavorful organic food is what's grown closest to you. Use our website to find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.
Some great area resources that we utilize here include:
We shop each week at a number of San Luis Obispo area Farmers Markets for our produce and weekly restaurant specials. I've even been called a Farmers' Market Groupie!Check out what is in season here on the Central Coast at their web-site: http://slocountyfarmers.org/
GROWN IN HARMONY WITH NATURE - FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1949. Old
Creek Ranch is nestled in the hills behind the small coastal town
of Cayucos. In 1949, Bob and Ruth Blanchard, looking for a healthy and safe
environment to raise their young family, moved away from Los Angeles and purchased
the small dairy farm in Central California. We buy eggs and ham and forage
raised pork, lamb, and beef from Yvonne at the Arroyo Grande and San Luis
Obispo Farmers' Markets.
http://www.oldcreekranch.net/
Marisa makes her Three Sisters Farmstead Cheese on her dad's dairy farm against the Sierra foothills. Our New World Parmasean is a mix of Italy's famed Grana Padano and this wonderous farmstead cheese. The product of generations of California dairy family traditions, Serena turns all natural ingredients into a delicious flavorful treat. Made from rBST free jersey cows' milk, it has a unique savoury taste and has won several national and international awards. http://threesisterscheese.com/
James Fraioli lives near our bakery and has compiled a beautiful and very useful book that helps us decide what seafood we can safely and sustainably use in our restaurant. His book Ocean Friendly Cuisine contains beautiful photographs, well researched facts regarding our ocean and lakelands health, and a wonderful forward by Jean-Michel Cousteau. This fantastic cookbook is written in association with the very amazing Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Surfrider. Where we are there is few better organizations to be involved with. This organization leaves me in awe everytime I think about the waters that surround us. The Surfrider Foundation USA is a non-profit environmental organization working to preserve our oceans, waves & beaches. http://www.surfrider.org/
Slow Food was founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986, Slow Food
is an international association that promotes food and wine culture, but also
defends food and agricultural biodiversity worldwide. It opposes the standardisation
of taste, defends the need for consumer information, protects cultural identities
tied to food and gastronomic traditions, safeguards foods and cultivation
and processing techniques inherited from tradition and defend domestic and
wild animal and vegetable species. http://www.slowfood.com/
Direct Relief International, established in 1948, provides medical assistance to improve the quality of life for people victimized by poverty, disaster, and civil unrest at home and throughout the world. We work to strengthen the in-country health efforts of our partners by providing essential material resources – medicines, supplies and equipment. We are proud to provide our food and services at fund-raising events throughout the Santa Ynez Valley. http://www.directrelief.org/
Here's some great local-to Los Alamos organizations that we support and believe
in a great deal:
Save the Mesa is a nonprofit environmental organization. We seek grassroots involvement in our community through education of our members and the public. Our primary goal is to preserve the rural character of the Nipomo Mesa and surrounding areas. We strongly encourage adherence to existing land-use plans and ordinances. http://www.savethemesa.org/
About an hour up the road is the Morro Bay and Cayucos coastline. I take my dogs there many Sundays just to walk along mostly unspoiled beach. We were baking at a Surfrider fundraiser when I was introduced to these folks; the Cayucos Land Conservancy. Protecting this historic and beautiful open space is the main goal of the Cayucos Land Conservancy (CLC). Established in 1999, CLC is committed to the enduring preservation of that rural setting with its many natural and scenic resources so that this and other generations can enjoy its beauty. http://cayucoslandconservancy.org/
The Los Alamos Valley is a beautiful and incredibly complex place; after all, we have 2 biker bars in the same small town! http://www.losalamosvalley.com/
I’ve had very smart people tell me that this is the best deal in California for a hotel room. In the middle of wine country, nearby pristine beaches and rolling oak savannah, eating dinner at Flatbread, comfortable room, breakfast at Quackenbush, and repeat… Check out http://www.theskyviewmotel.com/
Stephan Bedford is a genuis as well as a heck of a nice guy. His winery and tasting room are within walking distance of our bakery and we are honored by his presence everytime we meet. We also serve quite a few of his wines in our restaurant. http://www.bedfordthompsonwinery.com/
Chef Jasper provides great meals and John is a major reason why we ended up in Los Alamos. Check out more on their establishment at http://www.generalstoreca.com/
Before they were called hippies, the dunites waxed poetic among the natural dunes along our coast just 15 minutes from our little bakery. Learn more about them at: http://www.dunescenter.org/
It may be politically incorrect and a bit pretentious but we wanted to point out some of the reference points that help educate us on some of the decisions we make daily:
The Oil We Eat: Richard Manning has written an amazing piece on our disappearing prarieland and the need for diversity that connects our dependence on Wheat, Corn, and Rice directly back to tthe very fossil fuels that have us, literally, up in arms. As a former Physics major, I find Manning's connection of the planet's "primary productivity" number, the laws of thermodynamics, and the so-called "Green" revolution very intrigueing. You can read Mannning's article at http://www.harpers.org/TheOilWeEat.html.
Bob Banner has been publishing Hope Dance for some time and we always find it insightful, intelligent, and useful.
Democracy Now! is a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program airing on over 300 stations in North America.Pioneering the largest public media collaboration in the U.S., Democracy Now! is broadcast on Pacifica, community, and National Public Radio stations, public access cable television stations, satellite television (on Free Speech TV, channel 9415 of the DISH Network), shortwave radio and the internet. http://www.democracynow.org/
