July-August 2016

July-August 2016

We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby!

Fashion Challenge Returns

Lillee Jean Trueman,

AKA “The Eyeball Queen”

By Oscar Benjamin

Jaime Tafoya Educates on Farm-to-Fork

Passionate About Joan By: Cliff Weimer

Capitol INDIE Collective, Inc turns 5 years old!

Capitol INDIE Collective, Inc

5th Birthday Bash!!

July 29, 2016 6:00 Doors Open 7:00 pm Live Show Begins At CLARA Midtown 2420 N Street, Sacramento, CA

Inside INDIEblush Jul-Aug:

20

Cover Stories: We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby!-

28

By Christina Marie Cover photo courtesy of Prevailing Photography

Passionate About Joan By: Cliff Weimer

8 12

Lillee Jean Trueman

By Oscar Benjamin

FASHION:

32

Thank you for your readership!

Photo-Essay:

Classic Beauty by Bob Kozma

Farm-to-Fork By: Jaime Tafoya

All stories and reprints used with permission.

All rights reserved.

Please direct any questions or comments to our website.

Editor-in-Chief/Founder: Christina Marie Staff photography: Quroscuro, CMYK photography Proofing: Pamela Finney

7: Intro from our Editor

About Our Contributors for this Issue: Christina Marie, Founder, Editor-in-Chief:

Christina Marie is a Writer, Producer, Director, and Actress with over 30 years experience in the entertainment business. She obtained her Theater Arts degree from CSU Sacramento with a Minor in Music. After working on the stage for several professional theaters, she converted to film. She is driven by the INDEPENDENT spirit in film, fashion, wine & food, and the outdoors. When not working, Christina enjoys camping, crafting, regional wine tours, day spas, and spending time with her extended family.

QUROSCURO

With over 30 years of combined photography experience and the creative minds of Darren Paquette, Craig Fouts and Jessie Rand we work to create a high-end finished product ready for print in magazines, billboards and all other advertisement needs.

Cliff Weimer, Film Historian

Clifford Weimer is a Sacramento-based writer and film historian; his website, inthebalcony.com, is celebrating its tenth year, and he also writes a regular column for ClassicFlix.com. He’s contributed bios, documentaries, and other material for numerous DVD releases for various companies, including VCI Entertainment, AC Comics, and others. Some of his work can be found on such DVDs as The Green Hornet, The Phantom Empire, and Buck Rogers.

Arlene Barshinger, Media Outreach

Arlene Barshinger is a model, film producer, actress, and photographer. She is half German and half Korean, and was born in Fort Belvoir, VA. She’s been involved in such projects as Fruitvale Station, HBO’s Looking, HP commercials, and worked as an American Express Print Model. She also currently models for INDIEblush Magazine and Hopelessly Romantic.

Oscar Benjamin, Music & Film Industry Writer/Photographer:

Oscar has always lived with the idea that an individual should always pursue their dreams and interests to the fullest that they can. This philosophy shaped Oscar’s career and positions he’s held over the span of his adventurous life. Oscar’s been a mobile disk jockey, a truck driver, a commissioned artist, and more. He relishes his current life as a professional photographer and writer who’s documented a number of high profile motion pictures, TV shows, red carpet premieres and numerous other entertainment events. He continues to enliven IndieBLUSH with his first-hand tales of the entertainment industry.

Pamela Finney, Sales, Features, and Proofing:

Pamela Finney has a Bachelors in Communication and an ABT Masters in Education from Simpson College, along with a Masters in English from CSU Fullerton, and spent many years as a college English professor. Pamela is a breast cancer survivor who has also spent most of her life acting, always dreaming of becoming a full-time SAG-AFTRA actor, an accomplishment she is finally realizing.

April Potter, Sales and Marketing

April Pirl Potter has been involved in the Fashion, Arts & Entertainment industry for over 15 years, working in film, television, music and fashion in various capacities. She is an Actress, MC, Stylist, Producer, Director, Writer, Videographer, Talent Booker and Promoter of the arts. She is fiercely dedicated to inspiring and connecting with others using media and entertainment as her medium, sharing it through Megatude Media.

If she’s not on a production of sorts, April can be found playing out in nature with her two dogs Johnny Cash and Pirl.

Sabrina Baladad-Perez, Fashion Writer

Sabrina is a fashion design student at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in San Francisco (FIDM). She is a FIDM Social Ambassador and contributing writer for The Odyssey Online. Sabrina is a coffee lover, creative crafter, and proud Bay Area Native. She is always on the lookout for the latest trends and new places to adventure.

Do YOU have what it takes to make us INDIEblush?

Send us a sample of your writing, photography, video, or join the sales team! INDIEblush aims to be a competitive magazine in the INDIE market. We need writers who are PASSIONATE about writing and all that is INDIE, photographers who have a unique eye with a knowledge of commercial production, and videographers who get 1 minute journalism. Is that you? Email us at indieblush@gmail.com.

Grow with us!

Contribute by becoming a member today. www.capitolindiecollective.org

From the Editor: Birthdays are a big deal in business. Surviving to your 5th Birthday is instrumental to any business’s success. Capitol INDIE Collective, Inc celebrates their fifth year by expanding the non-profit and moving into CLARA Midtown, Sacramento. Due to the arduous work of improving the space and launching membership, this July/August, we are a little short and sweet.

This Bi-month, we celebrate REGIONAL EXCELLENCE learn about extraordinary NorCal Artisans... and so much MORE! Do you know of an INDIE who could use coverage? Our mission is to highlight the INDIE films, fashions, wine producers, and more in the Northern CA region and beyond. In the past we have highlighted Bollywood and other regions that produce Independently made products and services. Please contact us with your story! We also take photo submissions through our site. You may be highlighted on our blog, social media, or in the magazine itself.

Thanks again!

~Christina Marie

YOU could be Advertising here. www.INDIEblush.com

Introducing Lillee Jean Trueman

A.K.A. The Eyeball Queen

Oscar Benjamin

The joy of discovery is one in which no price can ever be levied. It is especially applicable to discovering new talent through any of the dizzying amount of communication platforms that are available either through traditional venues like the cinema, the theater, or through the relatively new venues via the internet like YouTube and Vimeo. Lillee Jean Trueman is a self-taught glamour make-up artist who at the age of fifteen has developed a remarkable fan following through her tutorials, which highlight her infectious personality combined with outspoken opinions, which have clearly established her as a force that deserves to be noticed and celebrated. Her entrancing eyes and classic Hollywood leading lady visage that is reminiscent of a young Lauren Bacall or Veronica Lake, but Lillee is clearly more than a young girl who inherited the genetic lottery. Lillee bills herself as “The Eyeball Queen” and her tutorials are featured on her blog and YouTube channel.

This IndieBlush columnist is honored to present the very first interview with Lillee and I am quite certain that it will not be her last.

The interview was conducted appropriately enough via Skype, which connected this writer on the west coast to Lillee in her east coast home.. Lillee’s mother was on hand to offer amusing anecdotes and provide support for her daughter, although this columnist was quite confident that would not be needed as Lillee displays a rare confidence for someone of her age.

of the internet age especially in light of the fact that she is so young. Trueman offers her thoughts and states, “I feel like this is me, and if you cannot accept that, then that is on you. I feel like around this time there is a really bad role model thing going on with kids thinking it is real cool to do drugs and drink alcohol because of these things called memes. They are basically saying that it is cool to do all of this and to me it is the most disgusting thing and I don’t want to be friends with someone who does those things.” Trueman continues, “People seem to find me very engaging and like to follow me. Changing yourself for someone else is not okay.”

Health and taking care of oneself is a priority with Lillee Jean Trueman and it is a topical issue considering that questions of bad nutritional choices currently plague Trueman’s generation. It is not an easy task to make a conscious decision with nutrition no matter what stage of development an individual is currently occupying. Lillee addresses this in her own life and responds. Trueman enthusiastically exclaims, “This ties to the time that I was heavy set. I was prediabetic and there were black patches on my neck, so I started to Google it and had learned that it had to do with being prediabetic, which ran in my family and I didn’t want to start stabbing myself with a needle with insulin and it was not an option for me! I didn’t like the way that I looked; I didn’t like the way that I couldn’t fit into clothes and even shoes that I wanted to wear. This was major because I love fashion. I just started to gradually eat less and it had to be me who did this. I gradually began to get into working out and it is about eating what you feel is good but in moderate amounts.”

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In order to understand an individual, one must travel in time through the interviewee’s mind: Lillee’s saga begins with a classic and accidental shattering of a children’s fairy tale. Lillee Jean Trueman recalls, “this all started when my mom bought me eye shadow and it was at Christmas. The funny part about this Christmas in general was that I had seen her sneaking towards the Christmas tree so I was like, ‘Oh Santa hello!’ So it turned out not to be true, but that was alright because Santa Mommy left me great eye shadow kits and glitter! I was like ‘glitter-what is this?’ This really started when I was six and it real flew off from there-especially with the glitter.”

While viewing Lillee’s video tutorials, one easily realizes that she is a young teenager who has embraced her own appearance and is not ashamed whatsoever to present herself online in a light that many would consider less than glamorous. It is rather bold for anyone of any age to open oneself up to those who are quick to criticize anyone for any sort of venture online. That being stated, I wondered how Lillee had addressed this very common issue

(Continued next page)

There is a common denominator that appears to connect her style of make-up and that is the spectacular splashes of vivid colors that Lillee utilizes and I wished to confirm my own speculation as to how it appeared to be synonymous with her own optimistic embrace of life and all of its colors. Lillee notes, “My inspiration is all around me. For instance I woke up the other day and literally looked out and saw that the sky was blue and the grass was green, so I thought I would adopt that look for the day! I guess Broadway would be the stronger influence because the make-up has to be very dramatic and you have to use colors that you can see way back there! Vivid colors are something I live for and I love living in color--it is the Lillee effect.”

My own particular viewing of her tutorials had given me the impression that Lillee Jean Trueman was perhaps intrigued by the make-up techniques and colors of the late 1960’s through the mid 1970’s. Lillee sets the record straight and comments, “time period is what I am feeling at the moment. For example I did a ‘50’s Barbie look so I threw on some vintage jewelry and I thought to myself that I am Barbie today. It really depends on my mind and I even did a ‘20’s look in one of my tutorials also.”

It may be considered a little bit of a cliché to discuss the topic of peer-to-peer pressure when it comes to issues of gender, ethnic background, body shape and appearance, but nevertheless it sadly still influences how many may treat an individual. Lillee Jean Trueman has thrust herself upon the world stage and that very topic is one that she has a passionate opinion about. Trueman waxes, “This is a such a pet peeve that I have with teenagers my age. Why would you discriminate against a person? You look at them and they may not be physically attractive or appealing to you, but that doesn’t mean that their personality will not bloom right before your eyes. Give them a shot, and who is to say that you are so great?”

For those who are now going through their teenage years there is no doubt that this may well be the most confusing period of your development as a human being. It can be even more so if you are in the public eye and it is not a stroll through Disneyland being under the sometimes unflinching eye of public scrutiny on the way to fame. Trueman pauses and addresses this issue. “I like to deal with it by being more engaging to my followers. I respect those who follow me because they have the same level of enthusiasm that I have. I started on the first of July last year with zero followers and kept in touch with my followers from the beginning. It will evolve with me as I go along.”

What is Lillee’s opinion that those who are heavily into make-up are perceived as superficial individuals who are hiding insecurity about themselves? It is a question and topic that clearly vexes Trueman as she initially responded with a colorful sound effect that would be difficult to reproduce let alone describe. Lillee composes herself and tackles the topic. Lillee responds, “If someone is going to judge you, it is obvious then they can’t rock that eyeliner like you do! Do what you do because they are just jealous! I have been told that I wear too much make-up, I look like a clown or am I a transvestite! It makes my laugh because if you ask me, transvestites have

pretty damn good make-up and they slay! Let them hate because I am going to do what makes me happy. This is my canvas and I just develop off of it.”

Make-up and make-up application is more than just merely grabbing the first products you see and applying them to your face. There are questionable products with very questionable ingredients and that is a source of concern for Lillee. Trueman explains, “A major thing for me is cruelty-free products and they have to be Vegan.

I cannot use something that is not cruelty free. Do you know that some of the brands out there have petroleum in them? Why would you want to put that oil on your face? I definitely do research everything top to bottom.

I don’t even read the reviews because I know what is good for my skin. You have to know your face and your products and you will be set!”

There can be no doubt that having a strong foundation in the form of one’s family will contribute immensely to the success of an individual, especially in a career that deals with so much public scrutiny. Lillee Jean Trueman benefits from having parents that are engaged, especially a mother who actively encourages her daughter’s dreams and choices. Lillee comments, “She is my everything. What can I say? We do twin talk! We will Yoda each other.”

As Lillee Jean Trueman continues with her blog and video tutorials, this IndieBlush correspondent was curious where she wishes to go with this and perhaps how far! Trueman smiles and responds, “I aspire to create my own make-up company. I really want to branch out further with it.” Lillee concludes, “Some people have said I should be an actress, but I don’t know how I would do that because I think I may forget the lines! It would actually be kind of cool for me also, because I am very dramatic and if I fail, I would do so with fabulousness and it would be something that I would like to at least try!”

For more information please follow the links below to Lillee Jean Trueman’s blog and YouTube channel.

www.YouTube.com/The Eyeball Queen

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Classic Beauty

A Photo Editorial by: Photographer: Bob Kozma Bob Kozma Photography http://BobKozmaPhotography.com Designer: Mariya Milovidova M&M Art and Fashion http://mmartfashion.com Hair and Makeup: Teresa Song http://teresasong.format.com Models: Svetlana Jilenko http://www.svetlanajilenko.com Fulya Sezer

http://www.modelmayhem.com/3106894

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The contemporary beauty of Mariya Milovidova’s designs are framed by classic lines of the Palace of Fine Arts.

Photographer: Bob Kozma, Designer: Mariya Milovidova, Hair and Makeup: Teresa Song, Models: Svetlana Jilenko, Fulya Sezer

Photographer: Bob Kozma, Designer: Mariya Milovidova, Hair and Makeup: Teresa Song, Models: Svetlana Jilenko, Fulya Sezer

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Photographer: Bob Kozma, Designer: Mariya Milovidova, Hair and Makeup: Teresa Song, Models: Svetlana Jilenko, Fulya Sezer

Photographer: Bob Kozma, Designer: Mariya Milovidova, Hair and Makeup: Teresa Song, Models: Svetlana Jilenko, Fulya Sezer

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The M.A.N.A. Show w/Myki podcast celebrates one year in the Sacramento area!

We thank everyone who has supported our show and look forward to continuing our efforts in supporting and promoting our local artists, films, music, and photography in 2016.

Podcast Random Rants Lez B Honest Artist Spotlight Visit our webpage and listen to the latest show, older episodes, and to find us on Instagram and Twitter. http://www.manashow.com Plays on iTunes and Stitcher Radio

We’ve Come a Long Way, BABY!

Subsequent years have brought themes like, “Fashion Pairings” which added pop-up boutiques next door to the Crest at what used be a shell of a store. That store is now Sharif Jewelers and Sharif sponsored the event in 2012 along with regional restaurants, bringing in a collaboration between different genres of commercial arts (Culinary Arts and Fashion Design) to create fashions based on restaurant menus.

Capitol INDIE Collective expanded the collaboration in 2013 to include the Sacramento Library with “Poe Couture” giving contestants a work of literature from Edgar Allan Poe and the mission to interpret the poem as a fashion. It was an engaging theme that also tied in with the SF&MF’s Poe Film Challenge. The evening was topped off by an after party at Blackbird Kitchen +Bar. Additional entertainment was provided

by Richard Altenbach who created an original orchestral piece based on Poe’s works.

“Trashion”, 2014’s theme, encouraged designers to create works from trash and recycled materials.

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The first year, with strategic partners: SacramenThe Capitol INDIE Collective Fashion Challenge began in 2011 as an answer to the regional need for emerging designers and students to gain a portfolio piece and be recognized for innovation.

to Film & Music Festival and the Sacramento Bee, they challenged designers with a newspaper couture competition. It was ten grueling days of design as the contestants competed for the best design, construction, best use of the materials, and wear-ability.

Melinda Carrie won that year with the ball gown to the right.

The first challenge introduced designers & students to filmmakers in the region, and gave the designers an opportunity to network beyond the traditional avenues of designing for the runway.

“We had to go dark a year”, says Executive Director, Christina Marie. “It was awful, but now we are back!”

Christina is referring to the new possibilities with CLARA Midtown (The E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts). Capitol INDIE has just leased the last available studio there and intends to hold the Challenge in the large community space in November this year.

“CLARA Midtown gives us the infrastructure of a studio we need as a small non-profit to deliver our educational programs and an additional space for our big shows!”

Fashion Challenge has added other strategic partners over the years including SAC Fashion Week, Allure Salon & Spa, Quroscuro, Capsity, International Academy of Design and Technology, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, the Crest Theatre, and the Art Institute.

However, in 2015, Capitol INDIE Collective lost their venue provided by the Crest Theatre and the Sacramento Film & Music Festival and had to seek an alternative. Things looked bleak when they realized that taking on a new venue would be outside of their usual budget and their usual annual raise failed to deliver a better budget on which to operate.

This page and facing: designs from 2011’s challenge.

Photos this page by West Ramsey

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The City of Sacramento and the School District came together with the community to create CLARA, resulting in a bustling campus of the Arts.

Many are wondering what the theme will be this year. “We like to keep them guessing!”

Christina says. Based on previous years, one can guess it will be a challenge and the cost will remain relatively low.

“The object is to stretch the designer and make them grow without breaking the bank.”

Success stories include the discovery of Sacha Laurin, designer and entrepreneur/owner of Kombucha Couture.

She has shown at the Oscar’s Nokia Gifting Experience, Paris Fashion Week and more.

To learn more about Fashion Challenge, please see: www.capitolindiecollective.org

Or follow the challenge through Facebook: Facebook/CICfashionchallenge Special thanks to Phil Kampbel, Prevailing Photography, and West Ramsey for the images seen here.

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Fashion Challenge 2016 coming in NOVEMBER

Passionate about Joan The Birth, Death, and Rebirth of Carl Th. Dreyer’s La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc

By Cliff Weimer

Dreyer’s Story Carl Th. Dreyer’s 1889 birth was inauspicious, the result of a clandestine affair between a well-to-do married Danish farmer and his Swedish maid; the baby was left at an orphanage and eventually taken in by a harsh middle-class couple. Excelling in his schoolwork, Dreyer became a journalist, but by his mid-20s he was enchanted by the burgeoning film industry and began writing for the screen. In the 1920s, Germany and France were the great filmmaking centers of the artistic world, and he gravitated to Paris, where he was able to obtain financing for a film on the life of Joan of Arc, a national heroine enjoying renewed interest and popularity following her 1920 canonization by Pope Benedict XV. Dreyer, one of the most meticulous of all filmmakers, co-wrote the film with Joseph Delteil, a biographer of the Maid of Orleans, and based the work on the actual trial transcripts from 1431, when the 19-year-old Joan was executed by the French for heresy (in a part of France ruled by the British).

Joan’s Story France was at war with itself; the One Hundred Years War separated the French crown into two factions, the Armagnacs and the Burgundians, and over decades neither side could gain a substantial advantage over the other until the English signed a pact with the Burgundians and began a swath of conquest that stretched from the English Channel to Paris. In 1428, the English began the siege of Orléans, a key town on the Loire River and the gateway to the south of France. Should Orléans fall, the rest of the country would likely fall with it.

again but was ambushed and captured by the Burgundians.

The trial for heresy was expected to be short and fatal for Joan, a young peasant girl matching wits with highly-educated religious persecutors, but she foiled all of their attempts to entrap her into confession of heresy. Eventually, the best they could do (after 28 hearings) was find her guilty of cross-dressing: it was considered an “abomination” for women to dress as a man, even in armor, and she was convicted and burned at the stake.

“God forgive us! We have burned a saint.” – One of the British soldiers at the execution The Passion of Joan of Arc Dreyer struggled with finding the right actress to play Joan; reportedly, he hoped to lure American superstar Lillian Gish to France to play the role, but the French backers balked at a non-French woman in the part. One night, Dreyer happened to wander into a small theatre and saw a comic play with a stage actress named Renée Falconetti (who professionally only used her last name); he was entranced by the great deal of expression in her eyes during the performance, and although she had almost no screen experience, was signed to play Joan (she’d never make another film). Joan in hand, he next set about to build a lifesize set of the town and Joan’s prison, replicating – with stylistic and artistic flourishes – contemporary art of the period. Despite the impressive, historically accurate sets, Dreyer decided the film would be shot almost entirely in close-up with no makeup for the actors, both to highlight Joan’s inner turmoil and for dramatic impact. He’d later state that he intended that all along; the sets were there for the actors, so they’d feel as if they were actually inhabiting Joan’s world.

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Joan had been born in Domremy, a village loyal to the a Ar- copy today through Please purchase magnacs despite being in the heart f Burgundian territory, in about 1412. By 1425 she began to share messages she There were battles with both the Catholic Church and INDIEblush.com. said came from angels who visited her in her mother’s French censors over the script, the filming, and the final garden. The messages were political: God would deliver France from the British, the French should take heart.

Predictions Joan made about upcoming battles were accurate, and she gained an audience with Charles VII, would-be King of France, who had her thoroughly tested and examined by religious leaders –who found her to be of sound mind and body, although they were hesitant to declare her divine. She said God commanded her to go to the besieged Orléans and lead the French to victory, and Charles granted her request: with her appearance there and aggressive tactics, the siege was broken and the battle turned in favor of France. She next took the Army on a long trek to Reims, traditionally where French kings are inaugurated, and the British were defeated again and Charles duly crowned. By the end of 1429 there was a truce between England and France, although the British still held Paris. In early 1430 fighting broke out again and Joan donned her armor and took up the Flag of France

cut of the film, which premiered on April 21, 1928, in Dreyer’s native Copenhagen. The French premiere was delayed a full six months, as the Church and the State both argued over its merits and depiction of the role of the Church in Joan’s fate. In 1929, the film’s original negative was destroyed by fire, and future releases were forced to rely on a second version of the film created by Dreyer from alternate takes he’d saved (told you he was a perfectionist). It wasn’t until 1981, thirteen years after Dreyer’s death, that a print of his original 1928 cut of the film was discovered – in a storage cabinet in a mental institution in Oslo, where apparently it had been screened for the staff or patients and then forgotten.

The Film Today, The Passion of Joan of Arc is revered as one of the great artistic works in the history of cinema. Writer

“Whatever thing men call great, look for it in Joan of Arc, and there you will find it.”

– Mark Twain

Pauline Kael said that Falconetti’s performance may be the greatest ever captured on film; French director Jean Cocteau (Beauty and the Beast) said the film seems to be “an historical document from an era in which the cinema didn’t exist”; Roger Ebert described The Passion of Joan of Arc as “so intimate we fear we will discover more secrets than we desire” in Joan’s torment. This author’s official list of Ten Greatest Films Ever Made ranks the film third (behind Citizen Kane and Seven Samurai); the story of the last day of Joan’s life has important lessons for us today, about torture, misogyny, the false piousness of hypocrites—and the power of simple faith.

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Crest Theatre

On August 6, 2016, the Crest Theatre in Sacramento will show The Passion of Joan of Arc with a new avant-garde score composed and performed by George Sarah with a string quartet, chamber singers, live keyboards and electronic beats.

More information and to order tickets: http://www.crestsacramento.com/ event/1178285-passion-joan-arc-1928-sacramento/.

“Farm-to-Fork” and what it really means.

By Jaime Tafoya

I’m a Chef and I love what I do. I’m also big advocate of cooking and serving local healthy foods to my customers. But I’m not writing this article to get you to spend your hard earned money on kale, heritage meat and hip local food events. I’m writing about the plain issues that affect us all: our health, our economy, educating our next generation, and providing access to healthy local foods.

I was driving through the Sacramento Delta farmlands this weekend thinking about this article. I really wanted to write about the direction of the farm-tofork movement and my experience with it. I wanted to bring in some friends to help showcase it and I wanted to drive home some points that are important to me as they relate to local food, how chefs are involved with it, and how ordinary people can gain access to it--to keep the fire burning and the interest going. Cooking with local foods is exciting and people are doing incredible things with it. Producers and farmers are making amazing products and growing incredible varieties of vegetables.

Is farm-to-fork feasible for all? A 2015 study by the University of Merced shows that up to 90 percent of Americans could be fed entirely by food grown or raised within 100 miles of their homes. Most areas of the country could feed between 80 percent and 100 percent of their populations with food grown or raised within 50 miles. The study was led by Professor Elliott Campbell, with the University of California, Merced, School of Engineering. Campbell used data from a farmland-mapping project funded by the National Science Foundation and information about land productivity from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Source: http://www.ucmerced.edu/news/2015/mostamericans-could-eat-locally-research-shows

But I was beginning to get a taste for other food as a youth too, McDonalds was a big thing, Round Table Pizza and of course, Taco Bell. This was the ‘70’s folks, and looking back, it makes me cringe to think that we had “taco” day at school provided by none other than Taco Bell. I really looked forward to having tacos at school! In hindsight, this is what corporate America has always done best. Lure young people into unhealthy habits and get them hooked for life. Genius.

HEALTH I was diagnosed with high blood sugar about 5 years ago, and it really scared me. I did not like the meds prescribed and decided instead to change my diet.

It took a while, but after nearly eliminating my consumption of most processed foods and refined sugar, getting more active, eating fresh local fruits and vegetables, my blood sugar and metabolism normalized.

Why fresh? Fruits and vegetables lose their optimal nutritional value as soon as they are picked. When picked, vitamins such as C, E, A, and some B vitamins begin to deteriorate and thus decrease. Thus, the longer the food sits the more it decreases in nutritional value. Another health benefit to buying locally grown is that you are getting produce at its peak state. Local farms can allow their fruits and vegetables to ripen longer or even fully ripen, which also adds to nutrition. Eating healthy locally grown foods can optimize health and reduce the risk of diet-related chronic diseases.

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In the 70’s on my grandmothers’ farm in Hollister CA, we ate was what was growing in the fields at a specific time of year. We ate seasonally and canned the excess bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables for use during their offseason as so many did before us for centuries ago. We visited roadside farm stands on our travels from the SF Bay area to Hollister. I used to love going to Casa de Fruta, the large roadside farm stand and attraction in the Pacheco Valley on State Route 152.

Farm-to-Fork was not a “thing” then. It was just what I knew.

Buying locally produced foods and vegetables, boosts our local economy and creates jobs. A 2014 Penn State University Research Study indicates that community-focused agriculture has had a measurable effect on economic growth. “…direct sales have a positive effect on total agricultural sales, which in turn have an effect on income growth, this study demonstrates that direct sales do indeed expand local economies…” – Stated Lead Researcher, Stephan Goetz, professor of agricultural and regional economics in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

The farmers and food producers I have met in the Sacramento region are a testament to a thriving market for healthy, locally produced food. These folks are

“Farm-to-table (or Farm to Fork) refers to a movement concerned with producing food locally and delivering that food to local consumers. It may also be associated with organic farming initiatives, sustainable agriculture, and community-supported agriculture.� ~Wikipedia

concerned about the environment and the quality of food that is produced. We need to keep our money in the local economy and not import our vegetables from areas such as South America and Mexico whose environmental standards are questionable, even if that means not having access to certain products year round. For example, you may have to question eating strawberries during winter as they are probably shipped in from far away.

EDUCATION Organizations like the National Farm to School Network and Food Literacy Center of Sacramento are educating our youth and helping to change our food culture. Programs like these bring farm-fresh, foods to schools so that kids can enjoy great nutrition. The programs also offer excellent educational opportunities, bringing students to farms, and chefs to classrooms, among many other things.

That’s what it’s really about: education and getting people excited. I spend a lot of time at my job educating my customers. On any given day at my job I might have beef that was raised by Lucky Dog Ranch in Dixon, Fish from Passmore Ranch in Sloughouse, vegetables that came from Soil Born Farms in Rancho Cordova and eggs raised by Fairma Ranch in Lincoln.

I want my customers to know where there food is coming from.

farming season.

Community and school gardens are also recognized as an important source of fresh produce, particularly for under-served populations in low-income neighborhoods.

Farmers Markets are still one of the best resources for getting access to fresh locally produced produce and craft products. There is literally a farmers’ market held every day of the week and one within easy reach of any neighborhood. Farmers’ markets provide the opportunity for eaters to meet and talk directly with the people who grow the food they are buying. By the same token, farmers can learn more, in a direct way, about what their customers want and need to know about the food from their farms.

Several years back, as I started my new current career path at Bon Appetit Management Company (with whom I am still employed) we had a corporate mandate to buy local. My first experience was having the local vendors coming directly to our kitchen in Rancho Cordova, California. Meeting the producers and farmers changed my perspective on what it’s like to cook seasonally and with local products. For a “creative” like me, it was a magical moment. Boxes of new and interesting produce gave me a way to experiment and research along with my Chef mentors on recipes and methods of preparing. Meat, fish, vegetables, baked goods and more all made up the bounty that I was seeing--no longer constrained to basic menu and supplies from big food vendors.

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Please purchase a copy today through ACCESS It takes work to eat local. Going to farmers’ markets INDIEblush.com. is good start, visiting a farm is even better. Meeting As time progressed, I started doing my research on farmers and being in the fields is an experience everyone should have. Meet the growers. Talk about the products. It creates a connection. It’s no longer a commodity when the food has a story behind it. We benefit from it. Now I have a connection to my food, I know where it came from, and who grew it. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. This is a program were a farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a “membership” or a “subscription”) and in return receive a box, bag, or basket of seasonal produce each week throughout the

just what “farm-to-fork” meant. Yes, it’s a buzz word of sorts, prominently promoted by our own Sacramento Convention and Visitors bureau and the darling topic of food writers, but there is substance in the trend (which in fact, has been around since man began agricultural practices). It wasn’t until modern times that the need to produce more food for more humans found ourselves completely disconnected from production for the sake of convenience. As a result we have incurred terrible health, environmental damage and system that pushes cheap food on us all including the most vulnerable and poor in our society.

(cont’d.)

The gathering: on May 28th, 2016 I gathered a few industry friends to join me at Soil Born Farms on the banks of the American River in Rancho Cordova California. It was a beautiful sunny Saturday, and we were here to discuss the Farm-to-Fork movement, our involvement in it, what is happening now, and what the future holds.

In attendance were: Jim Muck, Organic Farmer and Owner of Jims Produce in Wheatland, CA

Adam Pechal, Executive Chef, The Gate Restaurant at The Murietta Inn and Spa

Jaime Tafoya, Chef at Bon Appetit Management Company and Executive Chef of Ryde Hotel and Event Center

Billy Ngo, Chef and Owner of Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine

Mike Lim, Executive Chef, Frank Fats

Chris Dann, Executive Chef Partner, Localis

The group toured Soil Born Farms with Co-Founder and Director Janet Zeller.

Soil Born was the perfect backdrop to our meeting as they have been at the forefront of this local urban agriculture and education project. We started at the Public Farm Stand and selected some ingredients for the dishes we would prepare that day. Meanwhile Zeller explained much about the founding of Soil Born Farms and its future plans. We utilized local ingredients in our dishes as well as products we garnered from the Soil Born Farm Stand.

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What we made:

Chef Mike Lim Szechuan seasoned Dixon Lamb (Superior Farms) with chopped raw Asian Salad (bok choy, radish, carrots, ginger, almonds, cilantro) in sesamecucumber dressing

Chef Chris Dann Braised Llano Seco Pork (Chico, CA), Peach BBQ sauce, Kohlrabi & Bok Choy Slaw, fried Shallot on local Brioche Bread

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Chef Billy Ngo (1) Passmore Ranch Sturgeon Nigiri, Rue and Forsman Ranch Organic short Grain Rice. Charred Soil Born Farms Scallion, Chili Oil and Soy (2) Passmore Ranch Crudo, Garlic & truffle Puree, Charred soil Born Farms carrot Radish, fennel and arugula

Jim Muck French Potato Salad - freshly harvested Red Norland Potatoes, purple basil, green basil, tarragon, scallions, olive oil (all ingredients from Jims farm in Wheatland; except scallions)

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Chef Adam Pechal Charred Peach Salad with onions, pickled fennel, toasted pistachio, radishes & herbs

Chef Jaime Tafoya Marinated Lucky Dog Ranch skirt steak (Dixon, CA) with Moroccan Sauce on a bed of sautĂŠed beet greens, shaved carrots drizzled with local olive oil, grilled apricot, red and yellow beet puree, edible flowers.

(All vegetables and fruit from Soil Born Farms)

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The more we promote through our efforts as chefs then the better we can influence society. We have fun with our food- it’s our passion! The connection to the land and food is elemental. The way it makes us feel when customers get turned on by our food is satisfying, seeing another person cook at home with fresh local products is exhilarating.

What I’ve come away with, though is something broader and bigger in vision: The Farm-to-Fork movement is about economics, social equality, health and the environment. These are all things we believed in strongly to begin with, but now our careers have dovetailed into these passions--a perfect blending. So today, we are doing our best to be a part of supporting and promoting the movement of family farms and local artisan producers.

The Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau has championed the cause in recent years. They are doing a great job at promoting farm-to-fork for all the aforementioned benefits. “The greater Sacramento region can really serve as a model for smart, real-world solutions to the challenges we face within our food system,” said Nicole Rogers. “From the authentic collaborations between our farmers and chefs, to creating career pathways for young people within food and agriculture, our community continually raises the bar.”

Says Nicole Rogers, Director of Farm-to-Fork at the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau.

NOTES FROM THE FIELD I spoke with local rice farmer, Michael Bosworth, recently about his role in the local food scene Michael stated that at Rue and Forsman Ranch has been direct marketing rice to restaurants in the Sacramento area since 2006 and after 10 years of building relationships with chefs, they have expanded our offerings to 7 different varieties to provide a better selection. He has watched and participated in the growing

Michael Bosworth of Rue and Forsman Ranch pictured with Billy Ngo of KRU restaurant

demand for locally grown foods and the reconnection of farmers and chefs in the area. He stated, “As a farmer, I am excited that folks are becoming more interested in where food comes from, how it is grown and who grows it for them. This reconnection of eaters and farmers creates a more efficient and nimble food supply and more economically sustainable farms.”

Another associate, Chef Dennis Sydnor of Fair Oaks Tavern, said, “Plain and simple it is amazing to be a Chef in farm-rich Sacramento. The variety and quality of products available are outstanding. The farmers make my job easy, a little heat and the right seasoning and the hard work, and dedication they put in on the farm, really shines through.” He continues, “We as Chefs can help steer our communities toward eating local, by getting involved in community-based organizations, like schools, churches and civic groups.

We can partner with programs like Food Literacy Center, who go in and teach children, educators, and as a byproduct, families, how to plant and maintain a garden.”

What about the single parent in Del Paso Heights trying to feed there family? It’s a far cry from the well-todo in the posh suburbs who can shop at Whole Foods.

Challenges exist. To get more local products into the

mainstream has its challenges. There is a price issue. “They (restaurants) hammer us, the small farmer can’t sell you lettuce for the Salinas price of $6.00 a carton, and stay in business,” laments Farmer Jim Muck. Consumers may have to pay a bit of premium, especially at restaurants. Small farms don’t have the sophisticated distribution networks that large farms do. It costs money to deliver goods direct to restaurants and it costs a bit more to grow on a small scale. But it’s been my experience that buying direct as a consumer from the farm or farmers market is very cost effective and sometimes cheaper than at stores.

We also need to change our mindset about the value of our food. “When it comes to what we put in our bodies we’re not willing to pay the price. We want cheap food.” Says Chef, Chris Dann.

For restaurants with a fixed cuisine it’s challenging. “There’s not much local fish I can buy. We do however, source sturgeon from Passmore Ranch (Fish & Produce Farm in Sloughouse) Our rice is local and comes from Michael Bosworth of Rue and Forsman. Stated Chef, Billy Ngo. Mike Lim of Frank Fats reiterated this fact. “Specialty Asian cuisine requires products that are just not available locally.” But, Frank Fats (like KRU) is taking the lead in sourcing what they can locally, which is fantastic. “It’s the willingness of the Chef ”, stated Chris Dann of Localis.

There is strong leadership and passion in the field to educate people. Janet Zeller of Soil Born Farms is taking the lead from ground zero. She’s educating the public on what it takes to get food from the ground to the table by creating a farm that people can come to. “More people are willing to ask the questions where does it come from and why does it matter?” Stated Janet Zeller of Soil Born Farms. “We have three generations out of the kitchen.

At Soil Born Farms we have created intergenerational experiences, getting the kids out really young to experience the farm and know where food comes from.”

“Chefs need to touch soil. I try to go as often as possible. You can tell a better story; tell a real story about food. I like the reaction I get when I tell where the food comes from. Eat the food, if you want to know about it, ask! We don’t describe it on the menu. We want to find diners that are interested.” Stated Chris Dann. ”We have gotten lazy as a populous. If we change the culture, if we can just take 15 minutes to cook something and that is a step in the right direction. There are farmers’ markets everywhere. You have to make the time, and we have to make the time to get our food.”

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Janet Zeller, Co-Founder and Director of Soil Born Farms talks with Jim Muck of Jims Produce.

About the Author: Jaime Tafoya is a Chef, Filmmaker and life adventurer. Born and raised in the early “foodie” scene of the San Francisco Bay Area and Sonoma County California in a food-centric family and formally trained by renowned Chef mentors, these experiences helped formed his personal culinary vision, passion and love for food. This California Chef-Filmmaker is currently embarking on a farm-to-fork pilgrimage from Sacramento to the nation’s capital in Washington DC to raise money and awareness for healthy, environmentally sustainable local food programs. You can support his campaign by going to www.gofundme.com/farmtofork Reference and links: Soil Born Farms https://www.soilborn.org/ Food Literacy Center http://www.foodliteracycenter.org/ Farm to School Network http://www.farmtoschool.org/ Jaime Tafoya http://jaimetafoya.wix.com/farmtofork Local Farmers Markets http://www.california-grown.com/Market-times.html Jims Produce http://jimsproduce.net/ Passmore Ranch http://passmoreranch.com/ Rue and Forsman Ranch https://www.nextgenfoods.com/farms/Rue.aspx Bon Appetit Management Company http://www.bamco.com/cooking/nutrition/ *From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farm-to-table

SOUP $9

Eat. Vote.

Fund.

Repeat.

Entry donation gives you dinner and a vote for the best Arts project pitched.

Take an active role in developing the ARTS in Sacramento. Winners are instantly funded!

For the Community Radical Inclusion: We believe that everyone should have access to creating and appreciating ART. When you eat, someone less fortunate eats too! For each dinner purchased, we will donate one dinner to Loaves and Fishes.

Radical Expression: Your opinion counts! And funding assists in achieving the Artists’ visions more accurately. The MORE participation, the MORE funding, the MORE radically expressive we are as a community!

Radical Collaboration: When we work together, we succeed together.

By simply dining with us, you are giving a member of your region a chance to do something amazing for your enjoyment! Enjoy dinner, Art pitches, discussion with your table & voting for your favorite project.

The take for the night less 10% for supplies goes to the Artists immediately!

See the fruits of your labor: When projects are complete, you are notified on when and where they have been installed. Capitol INDIE Collective mentors the project through completion to assure that your Art-funding has impact in our community.

Food Donors get a captive audience: Have something to say? Bring a dish! (It‘s not just SOUP!) We’ll give you 5 minutes to share your message! Not sure what to bring? Call us! 916-919-5965

Every Second Saturday The Auditorium at CLARA Midtown 1426 24th Street Sacramento, CA 95831 6:00 PM 5 minute Pitches 7:00 PM Dinner/Voting For Artists/Creators ARTISTS: GET FUNDED. This is an open call. Do you have a project that needs funding? Are you frustrated with the grant process? Do you want instant gratification from the community you serve?

Radical Inclusion: Visual, Performing, Creative, Digital Media, Commercial ARTS. We fund it all.

Radical Expression: Funding assists in achieving your vision more accurately. The MORE participation, the MORE funding, the MORE radically expressive we are as ARTS community!

Radical Collaboration: When we work together, we succeed together.

Give a 5 minute pitch for a small project. Maybe you just need closing funds. Maybe you need a few more gallons of paint. Maybe you want to sew a new costume. The take for the night less 10% for supplies goes to the Artists immediately! You also receive the fringe benefit of building a new audience for your work!

See the fruits of your labor: Capitol INDIE Collective mentors the project through completion to assure that your Art has impact in our community. Return to CLARA to show them what you’ve done- or we’ll promote your installation/show to our community funders!

Want to learn more?? Call us! 916-919-5965 or visit the website at: www.capitolINDIEcollective.org

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