This issue's dedicated to the NextGen organic eaters. Hope you find the info is useful, or you can pass it on to a parent or cute kid that you know...

To get in the mindset of kids and little people, let's first talk about organic ice cream! The SF Chronicle recently taste-tested store-bought organic ice creams... Sadly, their ratings ranged from "mediocre to low". Bummer! (They can't be that bad, can they?)

If you desire greater than their reluctant first place winner, Straus Family Creamery, check out one of our local organic ice-cream shops. (Note to SF biz people, we need one!)

Ici - College Ave./Ashby in Berkeley.
Sketch Ice Cream - 4th Street/Hearst in Berkeley.
Fairfax Scoop - Broadway Blvd./Bolinas in Fairfax.
Pizzeria Picco (softserve) - 316 Magnolia Ave./King in Larkspur.

Organic Tummies
Don't want your new cutie pie eating any chemicals or preservatives? Or, don't have time to make your own baby food?

Meredith Calhoun, a culinary graduate and former manager at Alice Waters' Cafe Fanny, has created Organic Tummies baby foods - made from certified organic ingredients and free of gluten, nuts, dairy, honey and GMOs. Produce is steamed or kept raw for maximum nutrient value and can be purchased refrigerated (keeps for 2 days) or frozen (keeps for 2-3 months).

Choose from purees (for babies 4 months and up), "combinations" (usually a grain and a fruit or vegetable pureed), and "textures" (more solid whole foods to chew with new pearly whites!).

Find em at the Tuesday Berkeley Farmer's Market, Thursday Marin Civic Center Market; Fairfax farmers' market, and every other week at the Novato Farmer's Market. (More farmers market info.) Will also be available at Whole Foods later this summer.

Peas of Mind
For toddler-sized eaters, the Bay Area also is home to Jill Litwin's Peas of Mind puffets, cute little vegetarian mini-casseroles that are healthy, quick and easy to make! They too are made from organic ingredients and have no added sugars, no GMOs, and no artificial flavors or preservatives. Each puffet has a unique combination of ingredients providing a balanced nutritional meal that is easy to prepare and easy to eat with little hands.

You can find Peas of Mind in the frozen section in several Bay Area stores.

Ok, this is the absolutely coolest and cutest thing. Spattula: Cooking 4 kids Online features kid hosts Belle and Livvy - dubbed "the giggling gourmets" - demonstrating in short online video clips how to prepare a full menu of recipes, including fun extra touches such as napkin origami. Spattula also includes handy references, downloadable recipes, and crafty ideas for artistic young chefs.

The site aims to "convince kids that food does not come out of a box, and encourage families to see cooking not as a chore but as quality time to spend together." New webcasts come out twice a week. Awesome.

Apparently, others think it's awesome as well. It recently won the James Beard Webcast Online award, and the sisters were just on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Just a quick mention of the Mini-Farmers day that comes around to Tilden Park every few months. It's a fun farm exploration program for kids ages 4-6 years. Mini-farmers explore the Little Farm, care for animals, do crafts and try some farm chores. Registration required. For more info, call 510-636-1684, or email tnarea@ebparks.org. Cost: $6 ($8 if not a resident of Alameda or Contra Costa County).

Oh! And on that note, if you've ever wondered about starting up a small (or massive) edible garden at your child's school, check out the Edible Schoolyard's handy How to Start a School Garden page, including 20 reasons to have a garden & kitchen at your school.

And for those not in the know, here're just a few of literally thousands of articles about:
Parents' growing concern about pesticides
Research on the health of kids who eat organics vs conventional foods
Insecticides in kids' food
Pollution in newborns, a benchmark investigation of industrial chemicals, pollutants, and pesticides

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

Stonefruit Menu at Millennium Restaurant
Thu-Sat, 7/1/06-7/31/06
Millennium Restaurant, 580 Geary St./Jones in SF; 4-course prix fixe $45/person, $20/optional wine pair

UAS Green Movie Night: "Global Gardener" Permaculture Education Series
Thu, 7/6/06, 7:00pm-10:00pm
Mercy Housing, 111 Jones St @ Eddy St in SF; $5 Donation, (No one turned away for lack of funds)

Book Event: "Farming With the Wild"
Thu, 7/6/06, 7:00pm-9:30pm
Hewlett-Packard Corporate Auditorium in Palo Alto; Free

Outstanding in the Field: Thomas & Constance Broz of Live Earth Farm, Justin Severino of The Ol'Factory in Monterey, and Alfaro Winery & Alfaro Family Vineyards
Sat, 7/8/06
Live Earth Farm in Corralitos, Santa Cruz County; $145/all-inclusive

Mini-Farmers at Tilden Park
Sat, 7/8/06, 10:00am-11:30pm
Tilden Nature Area, in Tilden Park in Berkeley; $6 ($8 if not a resident of Alameda or Contra Costa County).

Seasonal Cooking Demonstration ~ Annie Somerville of Greens
Sat, 7/8/06, 10:30am-11:30am
South Arcade of the Ferry Building in the teaching kitchen in SF; Free

Cooking Class: "Organic Seasonal Vegetables Fresh from the Garden"
Sat, 7/8/06, 12:00pm-6:00pm
Tunitas Creek Ranch in Half Moon Bay; $25 - $50, sliding scale.

Slow Food SF: Perfect Pairing at Acme Chophouse
Sun, 7/9/06, 5:30pm tasting, 7:00pm dinner
The Acme Chophouse, Pac Bell Park in SF; Pairing/discussion: $30, Pairing/discussion/book: $50, Dinner: $70 includes wine, tax, tip.

Goat Dinner at Aziza Restaurant
Mon, 7/10/06
Aziza Restaurant, Geary Ave./22nd in SF

Hog Island Oyster Company & Straus Dairy: Sustainable Farming, Upstream & Down
Thu, 7/13/06, 11:00am-3:00pm
Meet at Hog Island Oyster Co., Highway One, Marshall in 10 miles north of Point Reyes Station; $25 MALT members / $30 non-members.

Organics 101 at Whole Foods
Thu, 7/13/06, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Whole Foods, 1010 Park Place in Burlingame; $29

Bastille Day at Chez Panisse
Fri, 7/14/06
Chez Panisse, 1517 Shattuck in Berkeley

Convert a Carnivore Day at Millennium
Wed, 7/14/06
Millennium Restaurant, 580 Geary St. in SF; 25% off!

Food Connections Conference: Systems approaches to creating healthy pathways from seed to table and beyond
7/14/06-7/15/06, 6:30pm-9:30pm (Fri), 9:00am-4:pm (Sat)
The Cooperage, Sonoma State University. 1801 East Cotati Ave. in Rohnert Park; $50-80 (see above)

Greenbelt Alliance Outing: Dairy Delight - Tour of Straus Dairy
Fri, 7/14/06, 9:30am-3:00pm
Straus Dairy in Tomales Bay; Free

César Chávez "Fast for Life" Celebration
Sat, 7/15/06, 10:00am-3:00pm
Saturday Berkeley Farmers' Market, Civic Center Park, Center St. at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way in Berkeley; Free

Seasonal Cooking Demonstration ~ Kevin Koebel of Rogue Chefs (a very cool place)
Sat, 7/15/06, 10:30am-11:30am
South Arcade of the Ferry Building in the teaching kitchen in SF; Free

Jessica Prentice at Book Passage at the Ferry Bldg
Sat, 7/15/06, 1:00pm
Book Passage, Ferry Building at Market/Embarcadero in SF; Free

Building Healthy Communities Through Food: A community workshop on increasing access to healthy foods and making change in our communities
Sat, 7/15/06, 9:00am-4:00pm
EcoVillage Farm Learning Center, 21 Laurel Lane in Richmond; Free for adults, $30 for organizational reps

Outstanding in the Field: David Evans, Marin Sun Farms, and Daniel DeLong, Manka's Inverness Lodge
Sat, 7/16/06
Marin Sun Farms in Point Reyes, Marin County; $180/all-inclusive

Outstanding in the Field: Hans & Heidi Haveman, H&H Fish, and Lewis Rossman, Cetrello Bistro & Cafe
Sat, 7/21/06
Half Moon Bay Sea Cove in Half Moon Bay; $180/all-inclusive

Sustainable and Sustaining: Nourishing Ourselves with Traditional Foods
Fri, 7/21/06, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Whole Foods, 1010 Park Place in Burlingame; $39

Vegetarian Cooking Class: "Burgers & Backyard Bites"
Sat, 7/22/06, 10:00am-1:00pm
First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. at Castro in Oakland; $45, plus $5 food/materials fee (due on day of class).

Peach Tasting and Presentation: Local Foods: from Urban Organic to Macrobiotic
Sat, 7/22/06, 10:00am-3:00pm
Saturday Berkeley Farmers' Market, Center St. @ MLK, Jr. Way in Berkeley; Free

Seasonal Cooking Demonstration ~ Stephen Gibbs of Hands On Gourmet
Sat, 7/22/06, 10:30am-11:30am
South Arcade of the Ferry Building in the teaching kitchen in SF; Free

Tour d’Organics Bike Ride Santa Cruz
Sun, 7/23/06
Santa Cruz; $38-60

Farmer's Market Cooking Class at Millennium Restaurant
Sun, 7/23/06, 10:00am-3:00pm
Millennium Restaurant, 580 Geary St./Jones in SF; $125

A Sustainable Seafood Salon - Panel Discussion
Sun, 7/23/06, 1:00pm-4:30pm
Ferry Building, 2nd floor, Port Commission Hearing Room in SF; $45

Peach Tasting at the Tues Berkeley Farmers Market
Tue, 7/25/06, 2:00pm-7:00pm
Derby St. at MLK, Jr. Way in Berkeley; Free

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!