Our newsletter issue on the greater sustainable food movement has been pushed to 2007... Everyone is so busy right now, and what better way to bring in the new year than to talk about how to use it. Sorry to all the go-getters for the delay.

In the meantime, this issue is focused on some killer projects, happy hours, and events...

Happy holidays!

We have two very exciting, practical projects coming up. Help us make them a reality! Your contribution makes all the difference.

Om Direct
We just received a fantastic grant from the Columbia Foundation to launch a robust, easy-to-use online application for local food distribution. You'd think that with the booming demand for local, organic foods, we'd have the channels to connect the growers to the buyers, right? Unfortunately not.

With our global food supply built on fewer suppliers, fewer varieties, and bigger centralized warehouses, we're missing that basic link.

Once we launch our new web tool, Om Direct, all that inventory, availability, ordering, and online community will be free for the taking at the click of a button -- for farmers markets, growers collaboratives, city government purchasing depts, restaurants, stores and institutions.

Wholesale buyers and local producers rejoice! Information-sharing and community prosperity are the goal.

Many, many thanks to our local supporters, who have contributed to the conceptual design: Bix Restaurant, California Alliance for Family Farmers (CAFF), Marin Farmers Market Association, Marin Organic, Medicine Restaurant, Millennium Restaurant, Oola Restaurant, Picco Restaurant, Rue Saint Jacques Restaurant, SF Department of the Environment, SF Department of Public Health, SF Food Systems, Whole Foods.

We still have a ways to go to cover our budget, including our amazing software developers, so please pitch in! Your help will have an immediate impact on our community of farmers, ranchers, and all their wholesale customers.

For more info, please email us or give a call: 415-205-9766.

Directory for the Peninsula
The #1 request we get for our website is "Expand the listings to include the Peninsula and South Bay, ^#%#%$!" There's nothing we want more. It's all a matter of funding...

All we need is a pesky $6000 to cover our research, admin, and data entry costs. Want complete market, restaurant, retail store, caterer, and CSA listings for the Peninsula? Help us make it happen!

General help....
Can't decide where to contribute? Please donate to our general fund, and we will use your contribution wisely and appreciatively. We're a project of the San Francisco Foundation Community Initiative Funds, so of course your donation is tax-deductible.

All work and no play makes Om...a really dull organization. Starting in January, we're starting up a casual, low maintenance, monthly happy hour. No agenda, no entry free -- just a fun, friendly gathering to enjoy organic food and drinks at a tasty, undiscovered place around town.

Super cheap or free organic drinks and snacks. Mix and mingle, nosh and get knackered. Sweet!

First one is on Tuesday, January 23rd at B Restaurant, the beautiful new bar/restaurant overlooking Yerba Buena Gardens south of Market in SF... (We also hyped about it in the last Tasty Bites.)

Mark your calendar!

Have you checked out our Restaurant or Retail Store listings lately?

Thanks to our amazing intern, Josh, we now have easy interactive maps to find the closest organic-friendly restaurant or store to you. Very cool indeed.

Just zoom in and click a pointer to find your good-food destination.....

Thanks, Josh!

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

The Mushroom Menu at Millennium Restaurant
Thu-Sat, 12/1/06-12/30/06
Millennium Restaurant, 580 Geary St./Jones in SF; 4-course prix fixe $50/person, $20/optional wine pairing

Frugal Foodies Tuesday Night Dinners
Tuesdays, 12/5/06-12/26/06; 6:30pm-9:30pm
A live-work studio in Southwest Berkeley; $7/person

Holiday dinners at Maverick Restaurant
12/12/06-12/23/06
Maverick Restaurant, 3316 17th/Valencia in SF

Winter Solstice Tea Dinner at Samovar Tea Lounge
Fri, 12/22/06; 6:00pm-8:00pm
Samovar Tea Lounge: 498 Sanchez/18th OR Yerba Buena Terrace at 730 Howard St. in SF

Noël at Côté Sud Restaurant
Sun, 12/24/06
Cote Sud, 4238 18th St./Collingwood St. in SF; $65, does not include any beverage, taxes or gratuity

Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes at Incanto Restaurant
Sun, 12/24/06
Incanto Restaurant, 1550 Church St., Noe Valley in SF; $75 per person, excluding beverages, tax & service.

Christmas Eve Dinner at Baywolf Restaurant
Sun, 12/24/06
Baywolf Restaurant, 3853 Piedmont Ave. in Oakland; $72

Noël at Rue Saint Jacques
Sun, 12/24/06
Rue Saint Jacques, 1098 Jackson/Taylor in SF; $65.00. It does not include any beverage, taxes or tips.

Holiday Menus & 50%-off Wine at Bacar Restaurant
Wed-Fri, 12/27/06-12/29/06
Bacar Restaurant, 448 Brannan/4th in SF

New Year's Eve at Coco500
Sun, 12/31/06
Coco500, 500 4th Street/Brannan in SF; $85

New Year's Eve at Bacar Restaurant
Sun, 12/31/06
Bacar Restaurant, 448 Brannan/4th in SF; $110 (first seating), $135 (second seating)

New Year's Eve at Range Restaurant
Sun, 12/31/06
Range Restaurant, 842 Valencia St. in SF; $65

New Year's Eve at Aziza
Sun, 12/31/06
Aziza, 5800 Geary blvd @ 22nd Ave. in SF; $49

New Year's Eve Dinner at Incanto Restaurant
Sun, 12/31/06
Incanto Restaurant, 1550 Church St., Noe Valley in SF; $95 per person, excluding beverages, tax & service.

New Year's Eve Dinner at Maverick Restaurant
Sun, 12/31/06
Maverick Restaurant, 3316 17th/Valencia in SF; Bottomless Wine Glasses with Dinner $95, Dinner only $65

New Year's Eve Dinner at Baywolf Restaurant
Sun, 12/31/06
Baywolf Restaurant, 3853 Piedmont Ave. in Oakland; $95

New Year's Eve at Chez Panisse
Sun, 12/31/06
Chez Panisse, 1517 Shattuck in Berkeley

New Year's Eve at Millennium Restaurant
Sun, 12/31/06; 2 seatings: 5:30-6:00pm OR 8:00-9:00pm seatings
Millennium Restaurant, 580 Geary St./Jones in SF; 4-course prix fixe $80/person, $30/optional wine pairing

New Year's Eve at the Fifth Floor
Sun, 12/31/06; 2 seatings: 5:30-7:30 or 8:00pm or later
Fifth Floor Restaurant, 12 Fourth St. in SF; $95 for earlier seating; $225 later seating

Cajun New Year's Eve at Oliveto Restaurant
Sun, 12/31/06; 2 seatings: 5:45pm-6:30pm (no music); 8:30-9:30, with Aux Cajunals
Oliveto, 5655 College Ave. in Oakland; $80 first seating; $120 second seating

New Year's Eve Celebration at Samovar Tea Lounge
Sun, 12/31/06; 2 seatings: 6:30pm or 9:30pm
Samovar Tea Lounge, Yerba Buena Gardens in SF; $50

New Year's Eve at Poggio Restaurant
Sun, 12/31/06; 5:30pm-9:00pm seatings
Poggio Restaurant, 777 Bridgeway in Sausalito; $55 per person

Party for Peace in the New Year!
Sun, 12/31/06; 8:00pm-1:00pm
Zeum Arts & Tech Museum (in Yerba Buena Gardens, at 4th & Howard), 221 Fourth Street in SF; $40 prebuy, $50 at the door, $15 youth/students, kids under 12 free

Annual Dine About Town in SF
1/1/07-1/31/07
Restaurants throughout SF; $21.95 lunches, $31.95 dinners

Cooking classes: In the Kitchen with Wendy Van Wagner
Wednesdays, 1/3/07-1/31/07, 6:30pm-9:00pm
Mission District in SF; $50

Full Moon Feasts
Sat, 1/6/07
Three Stone Hearth, Addison and Bolivar Drive in Berkeley; $40 donation / $10 for kids under 12

Workshop: "Growing Roses Organically"
Sun, 1/7/07, 11:00am-1:00pm
Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave., @ Lawton St. in SF; Free

Class: "Introduction to Sustainable Environmental Systems"
Wednesdays, 1/11/07-5/27/07, 10:00am-1:00pm
Merritt College campus, Self-Reliant House and Environmental Center , 12500 Campus Drive in Oakland; $60 (3 units)

Greg Stelthenpohl and Magatte Wade-Marchand, Founders of Adina Juices, at the Commonwealth Club
Thu, 1/11/07, 5:30pm (reception); 5:45pm (program)
Club office, 595 Market St., 2nd Floor in SF; $8 Commonwealth members; $15 non-members

Vegetarian Cooking Class: "Healthful Resolutions"
Sat, 1/13/07, 10:00am-1:00pm
First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. at Castro in Oakland; $45 (in advance), plus $5 food/materials fee (due on day of class).

Slow Food on Film screening/reception “Ripe for Change”
Sat, 1/13/07, 6:00pm
California College of the Arts, 450 Irwin St in SF; $20 Slow Food members - $25 non-members

Celebrate Winter Citrus Fruit
Wed, 1/17/07, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Whole Foods, 1010 Park Place in San Mateo; $32

Preserving with the Seasons: Making Marmalade with June Taylor
Sat OR Sun, 1/20/07-1/21/07, 9:30am-1:30pm
Still-Room, 2207 4th Street in Berkeley; $140

32ND Winter Fancy Food Show
Sun-Tue, 1/21/07-1/23/07, 10:00am-5:00pm (Sun-Mon); 10:00am-4:00pm (Tue)
Moscone Center in SF; $35/person before Dec. 8th; $60/person thereafter

Winter Poultry (Hands On)
Tue, 1/23/07, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Whole Foods, 1010 Park Place in San Mateo; $35

Om Organics Monthly Happy Hour!
Tue, 1/23/07, 6:30pm-8:30pm
B Restaurant, Yerba Buena Garden Terrace; Free

Eco-Farm 2007
Tue-Fri, 1/24/07-1/27/07
Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove (near Monterey)

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!