G’day, mates. Just letting you know that there have been a few additions and updates to the OmOrganics.org website:

• Updated Getting to the Know the Farms section with more links and resources. (Now there’s no excuse to not go on an organic agriturismo vacation in Italy.)
• New Feature article giving the lowdown on what we’ve done and what we’re up to in the community.
• Updated What’s In Season section with a mix of warm and cold weather delights. (Hellooo, pomegranates and persimmons!)
• Survey moved to the Contact Us page, so you can still speak your mind...
• What’s New section as always, so you know what to eat for dinner tonight.

On September 29th, Bon Appetit Management Company served up an Eat Local Challenge, where 150,000 diners at 190 corporate, university, and museum restaurants savored 100 percent locally grown meals, with ingredients from within 150 miles. Way to go, B.A.!

Is YOUR work cafeteria cool like that? If you’re one of the unfortunate ones with unidentifiable reconstituted meats and Wilty Brownstem variety lettuce, a) our condolences, and b) take charge of your weekday lunches! Your coworkers will thank you.

• Find out who’s responsible: facilities department, human resources, dining services, third-party contract, the CEO's spouse?, and get a lay of the land through a casual conversation.
• Give some examples of what other institutions are doing, emphasizing the benefits: freshness and longer shelf-life, lower cost of transportation, tastier dishes, increased sales.
• Find local organizations and partnerships in your area to help your cafeteria with the leg-work. (The Food Alliance in the Pacific Northwest helps food service companies be “green”, and of course Bon Appetit and Wild Sage Foods offer “clean cuisine” in our area already.)
• Take baby steps. If your cafeteria can’t change much in the immediate future, you could try for an Amy’s organic vending machine with frozen entrees and snacks, or start by just helping others understand the rationale behind changes made for the sake of sustainability.

Read the full Grist article One Tray at a Time.

Speaking of green cafeterias, Marin Organic and the Marin Food Systems Project are in their second year of their Organic School Lunch program. Now West Marin kids at almost 70 schools get to monch on locally-grown foods donated from Marin County organic farms. Keepin it real -- and local in Marin. Nice work.

Read the Point Reyes Light article.

8 months on the road. Crossing 30 states. 13 wicked challenges. Not a gas station in site...

This reality roadtrip show (hosted by a cheerful Aussie) is set to change the way Americans think about fuel. Using a variety of fuel sources including hot rocks, cow manure, garbage, hempoline, food, sugar and vegetable oil, the Cool Fuel Roadtrip crew drives, flies, floats and peddles its way in Hummers, Harleys, planes and jet-turbine trucks. Guaranteed to please every member of the family, the show is FCC-friendly, environment-savvy, and literally, a breath of fresh air.

In the Bay Area, 11:30am on Sundays on KBHK channel 44/5 - UPN.
Check stations in other areas.

Check out these organic-friendly restaurants with ongoing deals:

• Firefly - Sun-Thurs: $30 for 3 courses and coffee or tea
• Luella - Mon-Thurs (5:30-6:30): $26 for 3 courses
• Hawthorne Lane – Weekdays (4-6pm): happy hour bar bites for less than $5
• Levende – Sundays (11am-4pm): $14 for a main dish, side dish, warm breakfast breads, and one trip to the Bloody Mary bar
• Mecca – Sundays: $29.95 for 3 Southern-style courses

Find these restaurants.

There are some especially cool events in the next two weeks. Sunday, come hang out with us at the 10th Annual Nicasio Farm Harvest Day, which is also the 25th Anniversary Celebration for MALT. (We like grassfed burgers, and free entry.) There’s also the Slow Food Fast Food Picnic in Windsor with Alice Waters and Carlo Petrini, Slow founder visiting from Italy. (Also grassfed beef, not free.) On Monday, come hear Carlo chat with NPR’s Michael Krasny at Fort Mason. And the Bioneers conference in Marin from the 14th-16th. And more...

Check our organically-inclined Events page for more happenins as they are announced.

Fair Trade Rice Farmers Visit from Thailand
Fri, 10/7/05, 7:00pm-9:00pm
Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave, near Dwight Way in Berkeley; Free

Celebration and Fundraiser: OceanFest
Sat, 10/8/05
Farallones Marine Sanctuary, Crissy Field, Bldg 991 in SF; Free

Meet the Farmer - Ella Bella Farm
Sat, 10/8/05, 10:00am - 10:30am
Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market, Ferry Building in SF; Free

Vegetarian Cooking Class: "Comfort Foods for Chilly Autumn Nights"
Sat, 10/8/05, 10:00am-1:00pm
First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St., @ Castro in Oakland; $40

Harvest Celebration at Slide Ranch
Sat, 10/8/05, 10:00am-4:00pm
Slide Ranch, 2025 Shoreline Hwy. in Muir Beach; $15/person in advance; $20 at the gate; $60 for families of 4 or more; age 2 & under free.

Shop with the Chef - Armen Jeghelian of McCormick & Kuleto's
Sat, 10/8/05, 10:30am - 11:30am
Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market, Ferry Building in SF; Free

City Slicker Farms Volunteer Orientation
Sat, 10/8/05, 11:00am-1:00pm
Center Street Farm, 16th and Center Streets in Oakland; Free

Benefit Party: Support People's Grocery
Sat, 10/8/05, 4:00pm-12:00am
Mariposa Grove Housing Project, 828 59th St. in Oakland; $2 - $20.

A Sol Autumn Fundraising Event
Sat, 10/8/05, 7:30pm onward
Sol, 1236 23rd Ave, @ International Blvd. in Oakland; $2 - $10.

10th Annual Harvest Day at the Farm: Nicasio Family Farm
Sun, 10/9/05, 10:00am-5:00pm
Nicasio Valley Farms Pumpkin Patch, 1/4 mile north of Nicasio Square in Nicasio; Free

Slow Food's Fast Food Picnic II - With Carlo Petrini & Alice Waters
Sun, 10/9/05, 12:00pm-4:00pm
Richard Grove and Saralee's Vineyard in Windsor; $90 for Slow Food members, $115 for non-members, and $40 for farmers and students.

Conversations with Carlo Petrini and Michael Krasny
Mon, 10/10/05, 6:30pm-9:00pm
Cowell Theater, Fort Mason in SF; $15 - Slow Food Members $20 - Non members

Berkeley Farmers' Market Fall Fruit Tasting
Tue, 10/11/05, 2:00pm-7:00pm
Tuesday Berkeley Farmers' Market, Derby St. at MLK, Jr. Way in Berkeley; Free

Convert a Carnivore Day at Millennium
Wed, 10/12/05
Millennium Restaurant, 580 Geary St. in SF; 25% off!

An Intimate Dinner with Carlo Petrini, Founder of Slow Food
Wed, 10/12/05, 7:00pm Mill Valley; Tickets are $500 per guest and fully tax deductible.

Mariquita Farm/Hurricane Benefit Dinner at Desiree Cafe in the Presidio
Thu, 10/13/05, 5:30 & 8:30 reservations
Desiree Cafe, Presidio in SF; $45 per person (exclusive of tax and tip)

Bioneers Conference
Fri-Sun, 10/14/05-10/16/05
Marin Center- 10 Avenue of the Flags in San Rafael

Meet the Farmer - David Little of Little Organic Farm
Sat, 10/15/05, 10:00am - 10:30am
Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market, Ferry Building in SF; Free

Berkeley Farmers' Market Fall Fruit Tasting with Cooking Demonstrations
Sat, 10/15/05, 10:00am-3:00pm
Saturday Berkeley Farmers' Market, Center St. at MLK Jr. Way in Berkeley; Free

Shop with the Chef - Eric Tucker of Millennium Restaurant
Sat, 10/15/05, 10:30am - 11:30am
Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market, Ferry Building in SF; Free

Meet the Farmer - Dean Ku of Basic Soy
Sat, 10/22/05, 10:00am - 10:30am
Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market, Ferry Building in SF

Even a little snack. If you use these newsletters, use our website, or simply enjoy having delicious, organic food in the Bay Area, please support our programs that serve local, organic farms and the community. Om Organics is a project of the San Francisco Foundation - Community Initiative Funds, and can only continue with the help of contributions from conscientious people like you!

Any amount is appreciated!
You can make a donation:

• via Paypal.com: to donate@omorganics.org
• by credit card: via the SFF CIF donation page
• by check: "Om Organics: Project of SFF CIF", 225 Bush St. #500, SF, CA 94104

THANK YOU!