Freestone Fermentation Festival

Event Coordinator:
Jennifer Harris
707.527.5564
wildworldoffood@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 27, 2011

Food Celebs Michael Pollan and Sandor Katz Join the Public to Judge

First Ever Kombucha Contest

Freestone, California

While TV has it’s People’s Choice Awards, Freestone’s Third Annual Fermentation Festival on Saturday, May 21, will hold its first ever People’s Kombucha Awards. A bubbly beverage that packs a gustatory punch, kombucha -­‐‑ a drink best served cold – is suddenly hot. And we want to know what the public loves about this brew!

Festival goers will receive ballots and invitations to the Kombucha Tasting Tent, which will take place during the festival’s first hour. Each participant in the competition will offer the best of their brews to be sampled and voted on. Later, an expert panel of judges will weigh in, and awards will be given in multiple categories. As each winner is announced, the brewers will step forward and say a few words about their craft, or ‘bucha’ as it’s sometimes called.

Nationally Known Judges

No less a famous food aficionado than Michael Pollan, author of The Omivore’s Dilemma and Food Rules, is one of the judges. Pollan will be joined by fermentation guru Sandor Katz, author of Wild Fermentation, Hanna Crum, creator of kombuchakamp.com.,Chris Mann, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Guyaki Teas, and Jenny McGruther, founder of NourishedKitchen.com. Together with the public, they’ll decide who’s brewed up the best in taste and sensation.

Explains Jennifer Harris, the festival Event Coordinator and devoted home brewer: "Pickles and sauerkraut are well-­‐‑known fermented favorites, and yogurt is an America staple. Cheese is so popular it has its own magazine now. But as we were planning the festival, we started noticing how much excitement there was around kombucha. More and more companies are making it, and people are starting to brew their own. So we thought an awards ceremony would be a great idea."

What is Kombucha?

The history of kombucha, like the drink, is a little cloudy. Some claim it originated in China many centuries ago, where it was known as the ‘Immortal Health Elixir.” Others trace a first mention of kombucha to 19th century Russia.

What most will agree on is kombucha’s health giving benefits: it has a long anecdotal history of preventing and fighting degenerative diseases such as cancer and arthritis.

Author Alexander Soltzhenitsyn claimed that drinking kombucha cured his stomach cancer while he was locked away in a Russian gulag: legend has it that Ronald Reagan followed his advice for halting the advance of his own cancer in 198 .Containing multiple species of yeast and bacteria along with the organic acids, active enzymes, amino acids, and polyphenols produced by these microbes, the exact quantities of a sample can only be determined by laboratory analysis. Kombucha is usually produced by placing a culture in a sweetened tea, as sugars assist fermentation. Black tea is a popular choice but green tea may also be used, as well as any other flavor.

Whether it’s enjoyed as a healing beverage or an unusual drink with a unique flavor, kombucha is becoming one of the fastest growing beverages in the country. At the Fermentation Festival, guests will learn everything they ever wanted to know about the drink, including the secrets of brewing their own.

About the Freestone Fermentation Festival

A celebration of all things fermented, the festival – now in its third year – is an opportunity to: sample an amazing variety of fermented food and drink, explore exhibits on the miracle of fermentation and its many health benefits, enjoy educational food demonstrations, enzyme foot baths, and kid friendly activities, choose from an assortment of delectable gourmet lunches, and flavor the day with a diverse mix of inspired Sonoma County acoustic music. All proceeds from the festival benefit Sonoma County’s Ceres Community Project, a non-­‐‑profit that provides 30,000 free meals each year to individuals and families dealing with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. These meals are prepared by volunteer teen chefs who learn about preparing and eating locally grown organic food, and the value of giving back to their community.

For tickets and more information, go to www.freestonefermentationfestival.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 2011

Fermentation is the New Broccoli

Festival, Feast and Fermentation Gurus at Unique Sonoma County Celebration

Freestone, California April 6 , 2011  - In Sonoma’s fabled West County the tiny town of Freestone is about to become the hot spot for devotees of cuisine’s newest darling: fermentation. Saturday, May 21, at the Third Annual Freestone Fermentation Festival, guests can sink their hands into vats of sauerkraut, learn the intricacies of making cheese, watch a kombucha judging contest, and hear experts discuss fermentation as it relates to health and the environment.

Food celebrities

Sandor Katz, fermentation’s rock star, and David Blume, globally recognized for his work in sustainability and ecology, headline the panel of speakers, as many of Sonoma’s finest musicians entertain throughout the day, from noon until 5 pm. Expect to see a number of people famous in the food world strolling about, including Michael Pollan of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, who’s including a section on fermentation in a forthcoming book.

Adding second day of events

Due to the success of first two festivals, a separate symposium and feast will be held the day preceding the festival, Friday May 20th. The feast will be unique in the annals of fine dining: a completely fermented offering, from hors d’oeuvres to dessert, imagined by one of Sonoma County’s most famous chefs, John Ash. Working with other local chefs, Ash has created a menu designed to showcase the most exciting flavors of fermented foods, and will pair each dish with a local wine.

All three events – festival, feast, and symposium - are open to the public, although the dinner is limited to only 120 guests. Those interested are advised to reserve their space quickly. 

Everything’s fermented

The latest buzzword in food, fermentation is celebrated by all who appreciate the taste of wine or beer, a fine sourdough, or a plateful of sauerkraut. But lately, it’s the health benefits of fermentation – and microbial culture - that have grabbed the attention of foodies, doctors and nutritionists. Have fun finding out why at the festival, and learn even more at the symposium and dinner.

Back to the Future

As old as civilization, fermentation is enjoying a tasty revival based on the enthusiasms of nutritional experts, artisanal food makers and advocates such as Katz, author of Wild Fermentation. Recently profiled in The New Yorker, Katz is among a stellar line up of fermentation specialists at Friday’s symposium.  For tickets, directions, and more information, go to www.freestonefermentationfestival.com.

Beneficiary

Proceeds from Fermentation Festival, feast and symposium benefit the Ceres Community Project, a Sonoma County non-profit that in only five years has become a vital resource for families with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. The mission of Ceres is to teach teens about growing, preparing and serving healthy food; last year the non-profit cooked and served 26,000 nutritious meals for local families, and is today the model for at least five similar non-profits opening nationwide. (www.ceresproject.org)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 2011

3^rd-Annual Freestone Fermentation Festival Details

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 2011

Third Annual Freestone Fermentation Festival

Highlights

A celebration of all things fermented, held in the village of Freestone, between Sebastopol and Bodega Bay, with painting and dance activities for the kids, workshops, food samplings, kombucha awards, seminars, and tours of nearby businesses. Enjoy an entire afternoon of wonderful music, from samba to bluegrass while you dance or hoop on the grass. Local gourmet food producers will offer delectable lunch options.  Straus Creamery will create a Cultured Sundae Bar with yogurt and healthy toppings!

The entire event is set on the beautiful campus of the Salmon Creek School, two miles north of Freestone. Indoor activities will take place in and around their new, first-in-the-state, LEED-Certified meeting facility. Tour this new green building, the organic school gardens, or choose a nature trail through redwoods. Early bird online tickets are $12 adults, $7 children.

Be sure to stop in Freestone for the Open House, with a visit to Wild Flour Bakery, a garden tour at Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary's meditation garden, a taste of wine at Freestone Vineyard’s new Guest Center, and an inside look at Enduring Comforts. Visitors will be welcomed with tours and talks at these popular landmarks.

Presentation Topics

Demonstrations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 2011

Fermentation Symposium Overview

When Friday May 20, 2 – 5 pm

Tickets/Symposium $45

An eclectic panel of experts in the scientific, medical and food communities will explore the trends in fermentation.  Designed to be interactive with the audience, the symposium will open up to questions and ideas from those attending.

Click on a panelist below for more information:

Sandor Katz

An advocate of the slow food movement and self proclaimed fermentation fetishist, Sandor Katz is a crusader for the value of fermentation, and travels the country espousing and explaining the benefits of live bacteria. A Brown University graduate and former policy wonk, Katz is the author of Wild Fermentation and the Revolution Will Not be Microwaved. He believes that fermented foods have played an important role in his own healing and good health status as a person living with AIDS. Last November, he was the subject of one of The New Yorker’s most talked about feature articles. (www.wildfermenation.com)

Dr. Charles Bamforth

Dr. Bamforth is the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Brewing Science at UC Davis. He was recently dubbed the brewmaster general in Playboy magazine's recent Roll Call of the nation's most intriguing college professors, and is the author of a number of books on brewing, including the recently released book Beer Is Proof God Loves Us: Reaching for the Soul of Beer and Brewing. www.foodsci.ucdavis.edu/bamforth.com)

Michael Stusser

Osmosis owner and festival founder Michael Stusser will moderate the panel. Years ago, studying Zen in Japan, Stusser underwent cedar bath therapy for a painful physical condition, and was amazed by the outcome. From that moment, his goal has been to introduce as many as possible to the benefits of the cedar bath, and his Osmosis Spa is the only place in the country that offers the experience. Year after year, Osmosis wins the Best Spa in Sonoma County award, and recently was honored with the Most Spiritual Spa in America award. As he began to understand the positive inter-relatedness of things fermented, and their affect on health, his idea for the Fermentation Festival was born. (www.osmosis.com)

After the symposium, guests may take a tour of beautiful Shone Farm, a teaching facility associated with the Santa Rosa Junior College agricultural program, sip a glass of wine from a nearby winery, and enjoy the talent of local musicians.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 2011

Fermentation Feast Overview

When Friday May 20, 7 – 9 pm

Tickets/Feast $100

Symposium and Feast $120

Shone Farm opens its doors to serve the first ever menu of all fermented offerings, from hors d’oeuvres to desserts. Inspired by the dishes of different cultures, from Italian and Middle Eastern to Japanese and Korean, a five course menu will showcase fermented cuisine that local chef John Ash promises will ‘astound the taste buds.’ Each dish will be paired with a local wine, and the entire sumptuous experience concludes with fermented food’s great diva: chocolate.

Separate serving sections will be set up, so guests can speak with each contributing chef, and learn about both the dish preparation, and the magic of fermentation as it infuses the cooking process. As they explore and savor their dinner, guests will also enjoy the chance to speak with the symposium panel in a more casual setting.

In a county famous for its extraordinary food offerings and pioneering culture, the feast is unique, with proceeds supporting one of the worthiest causes in the area, the Ceres Community Project.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11 February 2011

SANDOR KATZ, SAUERKRAUT AND SONG AT THE THIRD ANNUAL FREESTONE FERMENTATION FESTIVAL

A Benefit for the Ceres Community Project
Contact: Colleen Craig (707) 206-5436

Freestone, California - Bay Area residents who’ve always wanted to sink their hands into a vat of sauerkraut or soft cheese will get their chance this spring. After two successful years, the Third Annual Freestone Fermentation Festival on Saturday, May 21, promises to be a major Sonoma County event, featuring author Sandor Katz, the rock star of the fermentation movement. A self proclaimed ‘fermentation fetishist,’ the engaging Katz was profiled in The New Yorker’s food issue last November, and is flying in to extol and explain the advantages of eating sauerkraut, cheese, kombucha and other fermented delights.

In addition to Katz, this family friendly community event – the only one of its kind in California - features a full afternoon schedule of do-it-yourself workshops, exhibits, delectable cuisine, and special activities for the younger crowd.  An eclectic line up of bands and singers will showcase the area’s musical talent, from Celtic to carnival drumming. The festival/fundraiser begins at noon and ends at 5 p.m. in the town of Freestone, located between Sebastopol and Bodega Bay. Tickets are now available online, at www.freestonefermentationfestival.com, and are $12 for adults and $6 for children.  Children under three are free.

As a companion event to Saturday’s Freestone festivities, a fermentation symposium and dinner extraordinare is planned for Friday, May 20, at the facilities of beautiful Shone Farm, a 365 acre teaching venue for Santa Rosa Junior College, near Forestville. Featuring a high profile line-up of experts from the medical, culinary and scientific communities, the panel discussion takes place from 1p.m to 5 p.m., and will be followed by a tour of Shone Farm grounds.  At 7 p.m., a feast of local wines paired with a variety of fermented dishes created by a host of master chefs -- including John Ash -- will be served onsite, and is limited to 120 guests. “These dishes will astound the taste buds and fire up the imagination,” says Ash. Ticket prices and dinner information will be available on the website by February 18.

As old as civilization, fermentation is becoming a cause célèbre in the cuisine world, with foodies of every stripe and background proclaiming its many benefits. Influential writer Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma) is including a chapter on fermentation in his next book. Not only is a little bacteria good for the immune system, but the strong and complex flavors of fermented foods are a tasty addition to whatever menu is being served.  

“The west county has been a vital center for healthy habits that are now taken for granted, such as eating locally and seasonally, and organic farming,” says Michael Stusser, founder of Osmosis Spa, and one of the festival’s key sponsors. “Fermentation is the next big thing, and we’re thrilled to have generated so much interest in only three years.” Stusser is a well known spa leader, having brought fermentation bathing from Japan to California with the cedar enzyme bath. Festival guests will be able to sample an aromatic footbath during the event. Other Open House treats and tours will be offered in Freestone at Osmosis, Wild Flour Bakery, Enduring Comforts and Freestone Vineyards.

Event goers will not only be helping themselves to a unique day of food celebration, they’ll be helping others heal through food. All proceeds from the festival benefit Sonoma County’s Ceres Community Project, a non-profit that provides an astonishing 30,000 free meals each year to individuals and families dealing with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. These meals are prepared by volunteer teen chefs who learn about preparing and eating locally grown organic food, and the value of giving back to their community.<

For more information on sponsorship opportunities and tickets to the festival, symposium and dinner, log onto www.freestonefermentationfestival.com Advance purchase is recommended.

Contact: Colleen Craig/Osmosis Day Spa and Sanctuary
(707) 206-5436 cell
(707) 829-6768 fax
colleenccraig@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 7th, 2010

Freestone Fermentation Festival offers family activities, music, and fermentation demonstrations

Post by Holly White-Wolfe, Writer for the Sonoma County Parenting section of the San Francisco Examiner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 6th, 2010

FREESTONE FERMENTION FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS- VISIONARY WINEMAKER, PAUL DOLAN AND PERMACULTURE GURU, TRATHEN HECKMAN

Summary: Second Annual fund-raising event expands with more children's activities and entertainment, a thrilling line-up of musical acts, three expert speakers and a full roster of “how to” fermentation demonstrations.

FREESTONE, CA, May 6th, 2010 – Things are bubbling-up in Freestone, where Osmosis Day Spa, Wild Flour Bread and Freestone Vineyards are about to host the effervescent family friendly Freestone Fermentation Festival to be held on Saturday, May 15 from noon-5pm at Salmon Creek Falls Environmental Center. Fermentation is the common element that links them, leavens their famous bread, heats the cedar enzyme baths and creates the wine.

Nationally known physician and chef, Dr. John La Puma, a pioneer in the growing “food-as-medicine” movement, heads up a solid triumvirate of fermentation fanatics. Paul Dolan, fourth generation North Bay winemaker, will share his epiphany that moved him to convert all of his vineyards to be certified organic, creating a superior product while sparing the soil and air.

Trathan Heckman, Executive Director of DailyActs.org and GreenSangha.org is a passionate home gardener and food preserver who will bring his insight into the importance of creating healthy relationships in our communities by keeping it local, sustainable and socially responsible.

The festival presents the perfect situation to mingle with Master Fermenters of every kind gathered to share their wares and wisdom. Festival goers can graze on a wide variety of fermented foods to their hearts content, including breads, cheeses, miso, pickles, sauerkraut, natto and kombucha. Scores of hands-on demonstrations and educational presentations for children and adults promise to make this a unique spring community festival.

An expanded line-up of children’s entertainment and activities includes Face Painters,
Native American Story Telling, hula hooping, ventriloquist, and much more.

Top local talent will provide a steadily flow of outstanding music from Noon to 5pm including The Mighty Chiplings, The Dream Farmers and The Hubbub Club to mention a few. This unique celebration allows the quirky and expressive spirit of Freestone to shine, with a grin factor that is off the charts.

All proceeds benefit West County Health Centers, supplying health services to those in need, and Ceres Community Project that provides healthy meals to families dealing with life threatening illness.

Advance ticket price to the festival is $15 for adults, $5 for anyone 14 and under, below 3 is free. Convenient online purchase offered at www.freestonefermentationfestival.com or locally available at COPPERFIELD’S in Sebastopol and Santa Rosa, OSMOSIS in Freestone and HAND GOODS in Occidental.
Day of event gate prices are: $20 adults, $7 children if there are any left!

For more information;
Contact: Michael Stusser
mstusser@osmosis.com
www.freestonefermentationfestival.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 3rd, 2010

Bite Club Eats publishes excellent article on Fermented Foods

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 1, 2010

NEWS FLASH: CURRENT ISSUE OF SUNSET MAGAZINE RECOMMENDS FREESTONE FERMENTATION FESTIVAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 15, 2010

“Food-as-Medicine” Pioneer, Dr. La Puma, Keynotes Freestone FermentationFestival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 8, 2009

“Fermentation Can Save the Nation” Says Post Carbon Institute, Announcing Its Partnership with Freestone Fermentation Festival

Freestone, CA (April 8) The Post Carbon Institute announced today its full endorsement of and partnership with Freestone’s first fermentation festival to be held on May 16. “Fermentation can save the nation,” declared Richard Heinberg, senior fellow at the renowned Sebastopol think tank focused on grassroots strategies for the global economic and energy crises fostered by fossil fuel dependence.

The first annual Freestone Fermentation Festival (FFF), held at the Salmon Creek School, will feature dozens of local exhibitions, chefs, brewers, and experts on “all things fermented” including breads, cheeses, sauerkrauts, kombuchas, tempehs, and healing enzyme baths. The community-oriented fete will include tastings, hands-on demonstrations, music, and educational presentations for adults and children of all ages. All profits from the event will be donated to the local West County Heath Centers.

“In a pre-fossil fuel world, local festivals were opportunities for celebrating, sharing information, and coordinating efforts,” said Heinberg ,an Ecologist columnist, international expert on peak oil, and the award-winning author of 8 books including his recent “The Party’s Over: Oil, War, and the Fate of Industrial Societies.”

“As we move away from fossil fuels and toward a more localized economy, festivals (like the Freestone Fermentation Festival) will help us realize the value of what we are regaining – a sense of community, intergenerational solidarity, autonomy, and sufficiency,”

Heinberg’s keynote address ““Social Fermentation: Can Economic Breakdown Lead to New Beginnings?” kicks off the festival at 12:30, Saturday, May 16, in the new Salmon Creek School, first public K-8 school building striving for LEED certification in the Sate of California.

Other FFF program participants include: Jessica Prentice, LOCAVORE; Lou Preston, Preston of Dry Creek; Malcom Morrison of Sonoma Biologics; and Mary Shelia Gonella, Occidental Nutrition. Exhibitors and sponsors include: Lynmar Estate, Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary, Redwood Hill Farm and Creamery and Wild Flour Bakery. Music by the Freestone Samba Band.

The festival is open to the public from noon-7pm Saturday May 16. Admission is: $5. $5 for parking. And children under 5 are free. Hybrid automobiles and two-wheeled vehicles park free.

For more information visit www.freestonefermentationfestival.com or contact Suzanne Alexandre (707) 789-9884.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2009

A secret is bubbling up in Sonoma County.

Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary and its historic, hometown hamlet of Freestone, California will be celebrating its best kept secret on May 16, 2009 – fermentation. The magical phenomenon of fermentation fuels an entire world of life’s little all-natural luxuries, including sun-drenched biodynamic wines, savory goat cheese, wood-fired brick-oven baked bread, and the only cedar enzyme bath spa treatment in North America.

The public is invited to join this tight-knit, Northern California farming community devoted to all things fermented for a rare, behind-the-scenes, sneak peek at the exciting, transformative processes involved in gourmet wine- and bread-making. Guests will rediscover first-hand the simple, low-tech tools embraced by our ancestors to coax unique creations from nature, influenced by the ever-changing environment, seasons, temperature, and humidity.

The process of fermenting foods is as old as humanity. From the Tropics – where cassava is thrown into a hole to soften and sweeten – to the Amazon where, over 2,000 years ago locals harvested ripe cacao seedpods and allowed them to ferment spontaneously, enriching the color, flavor, and aroma that we now know as “the food of the gods,” fermented foods are valued for their health benefits and complex tastes. From the first successful batch of fresh baked bread to that sublime taste of carefully cultivated wine, the practice of fermentation is one of connection with and reverence for microscopic life.

In the spirit of reconnecting to real food and to the mysterious process of life itself, the Freestone Fermentation Festival will be a village-wide gathering hosted at Salmon Creek School. The public is invited to participate in hands-on, educational presentations by the award-winning Wild Flour Bakery, Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary, and other Master Fermenters, and enjoy festive entertainment by the Freestone Samba performers and more.

Tours of the school’s new LEED-certified building and nearby redwood trails will be offered.