About the Anderson Valley Foodshed

The Mendocino Local Food Guide is a project of the Anderson Valley Foodshed. The project  began in 2007 as a resource to help eaters locate and buy locally grown and produced food and farmers. We started with the initial paper version in 2007, with a second edition that came out in 2009, the website became live in 2012.

The Anderson Valley Foodshed works toward a vibrant, healthy local food system for our community. We celebrate our local foods, farmers and gardeners. We aim to increase our capacity to grow a diverse, year-long supply of food for all who live here. We work toward these goals through education, connecting people to each other, and creating new opportunities to grow, process and enjoy locally grown food.

Below is a timeline of our activities through the years:

January 2004
An ad hoc group of concerned eaters and farmer/gardener citizens from the Anderson Valley gathered to address the fundamental question: Where does our food come from? The Anderson Valley Foodshed Group was born. Early efforts began with organizing farm tours and getting to know local farmers.

October 2005
The eating local campaign C’mon Home to Eat was initiated. In 2006 the campaign took off on a County-wide level and has continued annually since then.

Spring 2006 and 2007
The AV Foodshed Group organized the first STEPS meetings, which brought together representatives of farming, restaurants, stores, farmers’ markets, local food groups and government agencies to network around local food issues, focussing on the future of our local food economy and identifying the STEPS that would lead to a sustainable local food economy. The outcome of these meetings is captured in the diagram Steps Toward a Local Food Economy.

2006 -2009
The group produced two printed editions of the Mendocino County Local Food Guide.

2010 – present
The group continues to organize the Not-So-Simple Living Fair, a weekend of hands-on workshops and demonstrations celebrating rural living and homesteading skills held at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds.

January 2011- May 2012
Work commenced on developing a web version of the Local Food Guide.

Present Activities
The Anderson Valley Foodshed Group continues to organize farm tours and seasonal local food potlucks, show food and farm related films, offer classes and collaborate with local groups like the AV Grange #669, the AV schools, the Boonville Farmers’ Market, The Mendocino County Fair, The AV Chamber of Commerce and Mendocino Permaculture. Some of the highlight events that have become part of the annual Anderson Valley local food calendar are:

  • Seed and Scion Exchange- last weekend in Jan, 1st weekend in Feb. (Mendocino Permaculture)

  • Boonville Winter Market –Saturdays November thru April 11:00- 1:00 pm, in front of the Boonville General Store

  • AV Goat Festival- 4th weekend in April at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville

  • Boonville Farmers’ Market- May thru October 10:00
    am-12:30 pm (see the BFM Facebook page)

  • Not-So-Simple Living Fair – Last weekend in July www.notsosimple.info

  • C’mon Home to Eat- month of October, with events happening all month, restaurants feature local food, farm to table dinners at the Boonville Hotel, local foods labeled in the stores, Farm tour and local food potluck.

  • Chestnut Gathering at Zeni Ranch (Mendocino Permaculture)- First weekend in November

  • Holiday Dinner at the AV Grange #669- (co-sponsored with the AV Grange #669) Second Sunday in December