Fields That Dream at Cody's Tonight
Sorry for the short notice, but if you've got the time, come to the Telegraph Cody's tonight to hear Jenny Kurzweil speak about her new book Fields That Dream. If you're local but can't come tonight, make sure to get to the Telegraph Cody's before July 10, when this historic location of the famous bookstore (and my favorite by far) will close its doors for good (note that Cody's itself isn't going under; the other two stores will stay open). Fred Cody watched Berkeley riots tear down Telegraph outside his windows, and the Cody's staff voted to keep their display of The Satanic Verses even after the bookstore was bombed for carrying the controversial book. And the Telegraph store has a charm and ambience you rarely find these days.
From the event description: There are more than 3,100 farmers? markets in the US, up 79 percent from 1994, and organic food is a $7.7 billion industry. That, according to Jenny Kurzweil, is the inspiration for FIELDS THAT DREAM: A Journey to the Roots of Our Food. Kurzweil tells the stories of the real people behind the statistics ? the refugees, immigrants, former chefs, and union organizers who are now small-scale organic farmers ? while she explores the history of how America moved from a country of family farms to a landscape dominated by large agricultural corporations. She asserts that the enormous increase in the number of farmers markets and organic sales reflects America?s increased health consciousness, and observes that when consumers learn about the dangers of pesticides and genetically modified food, or the power of international agriculture, they are often completely overwhelmed. Kurzweil hopes to demonstrate that by buying and eating organic food or food that is locally grown, readers can wield enormous political power and join a world-wide movement toward reclaiming the land and food supply. Jenny Kurzweil is a writer and editor for the Society of Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, and has spent ten years as an organic cook creating seasonally based menus in cooperation with local farms. 7:30 PM at Cody?s Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley
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