LIVININTHELOIN

Workers broke ground Tuesday on a vegetable garden at San Francisco City Hall, where the public can take free tours and taste fresh produce. In addition, Slow Food Nation, held at both the Civic Center and Fort Mason, will include lectures, workshops, cooking demonstrations, tastings, films, concerts, hikes, a farmers’ market and a “Slow on the Go” food court. Some of the programs are free; others require tickets that range in price from $5 to $65 (slowfoodnation.org) to help offset the $2 million cost.

In collaboration with Victory Gardens 2008+, Slow Food Nation will herald the era of self-sufficiency through the creation of an ornamental edible garden in the heart of San Francisco’s Civic Center. Planted on the same site as the post-World War II gardens 60 years ago, the Slow Food Nation Victory Garden demonstrates the potential of a truly local agriculture practice that unites and promotes Bay Area urban gardening organizations, while producing high quality food for those in need.

Fifty thousand people, including some of the world’s leading food authorities, health care experts, farmers and policymakers, are expected to attend the four-day exhibition in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend – what’s being called the largest celebration of American food in history

July 1- Groundbreaking
July 1 – 11 – Garden Installation
July 12 – Community Planting Day
July 12 – September 21 – Garden Operation, stay tuned for workshop schedule!
August 29 – September 1 – Slow Food Nation, First Harvest September 21 – Community Harvest Day, food donated to those in need