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Category: Food and Drink

  • Stock up at Pre-Thanksgiving Market

    PatricksGardenMed

    Patrick Hoover of Patrick’s Garden is just one of dozens of vendors who will be at the Davis Farmers Market’s expanded Pre-Thanksgiving Market, from noon to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24 in Central Park. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

    The day before Thanksgiving, the Davis Farmers Market extends its hours. This year’s annual Pre-Thanksgiving Market will be from noon to 6 p.m. in Central Park, 301 C St., Davis.

    On Wednesday, Nov. 24, the market will have a bounty of seasonal produce, table décor, flowers, olive oil, honey and wine. Several bakeries will have fresh-baked items like pumpkin, apple, pecan and berry pies and pumpkin cheesecake; breads, stuffing mix and cookies.

    Year-round, rain or shine, the Davis Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Normal Wednesday hours are 3 to 6 p.m. November through March, and 3 to 7 p.m. April through October.

    Other special holiday hours at the Davis Farmers Market are Fridays, Dec. 24 and 31, from 8 a.m. to noon. The market will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, but open from 3 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 29. For more information, visit https//davisfarmersmarket.org or visit it on Facebook or Instagram.

  • Farmers market vendors, staff resolve to mask up

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    The Davis Farmers Market Alliance board passed a resolution on Sept. 20 that all staff and vendors will wear masks at the markets. All of its staff and more than 90 percent of its vendors are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photos)

    (From press release) In its continued commitment to public safety, the Davis Farmers Market Alliance board adopted an emergency protocol on Sept. 20, requiring its staff and vendors to wear masks.

    The Davis Farmers Market is doing its part to keep a ‘Healthy Davis Together,’ ” said Randii MacNear, executive director of the market. “Come visit us and be extra safe – with our open-air shopping and 100% masked sellers and employees!”

    The emergency protocol was part of a resolution from the nonprofit’s board of directors, noting that “despite the outdoor nature of the farmers markets run by DFMA, and despite compliance with all local, state and federal rules, the markets can be crowded spaces.”

    The resolution continued, “in furtherance of its commitment to public safety and out of respect for its 44 years of community support, the DFMA Board of Directors wishes to implement COVID prevention protocols that are stricter than applicable local, state and federal rules.”

    Although the market is outdoors, in a setting where masks are not required, most vendors and shoppers already wore them. The temporary rule does not require shoppers to wear masks. The protocol is in effect Sept. 22 through at least Dec. 12. The board plans to review the rule by early December, and consider whether to extend it.

    Year-round, rain or shine, the Davis Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays in Central Park, 301 C St. Wednesday hours are 3 to 7 p.m. through October, then closing at 6 p.m. November through March. Special holiday markets are Wednesday, Nov. 24, noon to 6 p.m.; and Fridays, Dec. 24 and 31, 8 a.m. to noon. It will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. For more information, visit https//davisfarmersmarket.org or visit it on Facebook or Instagram.

  • Sudwerk named top U.S. Brewery & Brewer of the Year

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    Sudwerk won gold medals at the 2021 Great American Beer Festival for The People’s Pilsner and Backyard Hero American Lager. It also won Brewery & Brewer of the Year (Courtesy photo)

    (From press release) Sudwerk Brewing Co. of Davis won the coveted Brewery & Brewer of the Year award ­– and two gold medals – at the 2021 Great American Beer Festival.

    Put on by the Brewers Association, the 35th GABF, which concluded Friday, Sept. 10 in Denver, is the most competitive beer contest in the nation. The 2021 event included 9,680 entries from 2,192 breweries representing all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. For the second year in a row, the festival portion of the event was canceled due to COVID-19.

    Sudwerk won gold for The People’s Pilsner, out of 161 entries in the Bohemian-Style Pilsner category. The Davis brewery also earned gold in the Contemporary American-Style Lager category, for its Backyard Hero American Lager, out of 63 entries. Sudwerk head brewer Thomas Stull and the brewing team were named best brewer of the year.

    Sudwerk is one of the most award-winning breweries in the Sacramento region. Most recently, Märzen Amber Lager won a gold in the same contest in 2019, and a silver in 2018. The People’s Pilsner won a bronze in 2019. Sudwerk chose not to enter the 2020 contest because of the strain of the pandemic.

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  • Forthcoming book features women innovators in agtech in Davis

    From Farms to Incubators Cover Award-winning journalist and filmmaker Amy Wu has written a forthcoming book “From Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators Revolutionizing How Our Food Is Grown,” that profiles dozens of women innovators and leaders in the growing sector of agtech. Agtech encompasses innovations including drones, sensors, artificial intelligence and blockchain that help growers with the challenges they are facing including severe labor shortage and loss of arable land. The book features a number of women in the Davis area including Thuy-Le Vuong, Pam Marrone and Fatma Kaplan.

    • Vuong is the CEO and founder of The Redmelon Company that extracts oil from Gac, a tropical fruit known to be rich in nutrition packed carotenoids.
    • Marrone is the founder of Marrone Bio Innovations (MBI) a bio-based pest management company that produces herbicides, fungicides and insecticides with plant-based or using naturally-occurring microorganisms with the goal of replacing chemicals in agriculture.
    • Kaplan is the founder of Pheronym a company creates biopesticides that use pheromones (chemicals capable of acting like hormones to impact the behavior of the receiving individuals) to control a wide range of agricultural pests.

    The book will be published on May 4, 2021 by Linden Publishing (based out of Fresno) and is available for pre-sales through various outlets including Barnes & Noble and Amazon. This past February Amy was named one of Food Tank’s 15 Leading Women at the Intersection of Food and Technology. In 2020 Amy was named one of Worth magazine’s “50 Women Changing the World.” To learn more about From Farms to Incubators go to www.farmstoincubators.com.

    Amy Wu is an award-winning writer for women’s ag and agtech movement who is bicoastal and splits her time between New York and California.

  • Pre-Thanksgiving Market has early hours

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    Real Pie Company’s Jumbleberry Pie is among the many pie choices available at the Pre-Thanksgiving Davis Farmers Market on Nov. 25. Pre-orders are encouraged. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

    (From press release) The Davis Farmers Market’s annual Pre-Thanksgiving Market is changing to early hours this year. The annual extended-hour market, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Central Park, 301 C St., Davis.

    On Nov. 25, the market will have a bounty of seasonal produce, table décor, meats, cheeses, olive oil, honey and wine. Several bakeries will be there with fresh-baked items like pumpkin, apple, pecan and berry pies; breads, stuffing mixes and cookies.

    The rest of the year, visit the market from 3 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays, and 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, visit https://davisfarmersmarket.org or visit it on Facebook or Instagram.

  • Picnic in the Park makes changes

    Wednesday music and beer to move downtown

    PIPlogo(From press release) The Davis Farmers Market is returning to its roots, putting the focus of its Wednesday market back on the farmers.

    COVID-19 health guidelines halted concerts and alcohol consumption at the market. There haven’t been the usual crowds filling Central Park for Picnic in the Park, yet farm-fresh produce sales are up.

    Since 1995, the Wednesday market has extended its hours into the early evenings. While not abandoning the Picnic in the Park name, the Davis Farmers Market plans to discontinue the music and beer garden.

    Meanwhile, the Davis Downtown Business Association is eager to pick up the music and alcohol portion of the event, and incorporate it into Open Air Davis, as early as next spring.

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  • Order now for Soroptimist Soup Night and Silent Auction Nov. 19

    Pretzel soup salad option

    Kabocha squash soup with a giant beer garden pretzel and green salad are one of three dinner options available Nov. 19 for the Soroptimist Soup Night and Silent Auction. Preorders are required by Nov. 15. (Courtesy photo)

    (From press release) Every year, Soroptimist International of Davis hosts a Soup Night and Silent Auction one week before Thanksgiving. This year, the (virtual) event is more important than ever, as the service club’s primary fundraiser of 25 years – the beer booth at the Davis Farmers Market – was permanently canceled.

    Community members are invited to pre-purchase a meal to pick up at Sudwerk Brewing Co., bid in an online auction, and learn about the club by watching a live YouTube broadcast on Thursday, Nov. 19. The auction and program are open to anyone in the U.S.

    Orders are open through Nov. 15 for the meals, available for curbside pickup at Sudwerk, 2001 Second St., between 4 and 7 p.m. on Nov. 19. Selections include kabocha squash soup with a giant beer garden pretzel and green salad; Märzen bratwurst and slaw on a Village Bakery brioche bun with mixed-green and potato salads; and Linguica sausage with grilled peppers and onions, on a bun with mixed-green and potato salads. Each meal has the option to add an apple tartlet from Upper Crust Baking, and/or a selection of Sudwerk beers. Prices are $30 to $32 per meal, without add-ons. For an additional $20 donation, Soroptimists will offer contact-less delivery to Davis addresses.

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  • Beat the crowds: Shop the Davis Farmers Market early

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    The Davis Farmers Market is open for shopping as early as 7:30 a.m. on Saturdays. Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo 

    (From press release) As UC Davis students return, the Davis Farmers Market is busy — especially on Saturdays. Executive Director Randii MacNear reminds patrons that the best way to beat the crowds is to shop early.

    Pro tip: Though Saturday hours are advertised as 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., most sellers are set up and ready by 7:30 a.m. The market is busiest after 9:30 a.m.

    Davis is known for its farmers markets, especially its flagship Saturday market in Central Park, 301 C St. Alternatives include:

    • The Wednesday market, from 3 to 6 p.m. in Central Park. (The seasonal Picnic in the Park and UC Davis Farmers Market are on hold during COVID-19).
    • The Sutter Davis Hospital Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays through Oct. 29 at the hospital entrance, 2000 Sutter Place, Davis.

    Looking ahead, the annual Pre-Thanksgiving Market will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Wednesday, Nov. 25 in Central Park. For more information on the market, visit http://davisfarmersmarket.org or visit it on Facebook or Instagram.

  • Deadline nears for Oktoberfest dinner

    OktoberfestSudwerk2020It's Oktoberfest season, and the Davis Sunrise Rotary Club doesn't want area residents to miss out. The deadline is Wednesday to sign up for sausage, beer and all the fixin's for its 14th annual Oktoberfest.

    The pre-ordered German dinner will be available for drive-thru pickup from 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Sudwerk Brewing Co., the fundraiser's co-host. Sudwerk is at 2001 Second St. in Davis.

    Each $30 meal includes bratwurst, linguica or Beyond Meat (vegan) brat on a fresh bun, with potato salad and green salad. Along with a meal, attendees may purchase award-winning Sudwerk beer ($10 per six pack of Märzen, Hefeweizen, Pilsner or California Hoppy Lager, or $20 per four pack of 16-ounce cans of Festbier). For dessert, there are Ikeda's mini cobblers ($15 each for marionberry, peach or apple). Rotarians offer home delivery for $20 more.

    The fundraiser supports Rotary causes locally and abroad. One such example is its recent donation to Davis Joint Unified School District to enhance Wi-Fi for students who have limited access to remote learning.

    Buy tickets online until midnight Wednesday at http://sudwerkbrew.com/rotary.

  • Join The Village Feast online on Oct. 17

    Village Feast(From press release) Every year, The Village Feast celebrates the Sacramento region’s Farm-to-Fork season, where the community gathers to enjoy and honor the bounty of local farmers. The event has been an afternoon of dining at a communal long table in Davis’ Central Park, in the style of a Provencal grand aioli.

    This year, because of the pandemic, the entire event will be online, on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 1 to 3 p.m.

    The Virtual Village Feast 2020 is free to attend, and has two parts:

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