With engaging speakers, superb food, and notable wines, this year’s Savor the Greenbelt, Greenbelt Alliance’s annual farm-to-fork dinner and fundraising event, was an outstanding success. The Presidio Officers’ Club provided a stunning setting on October 13 to celebrate the bounty of the Bay Area with our community of environmental advocates, supporters, and public officials.
U.S. Congressman Jared Huffman, California State Assemblymember David Chiu, and Andrea Mackenzie, general manager at the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, spoke eloquently about the importance of protecting the Bay Area’s open and agricultural lands and promoting smart growth within our cities and towns. Congressman Huffman thanked Greenbelt Alliance for keeping the Bay Area special. Assemblymember Chiu remarked on our success in winning on all six ballot measures positions we endorsed last November. Andrea Mackenzie praised our critical involvement in getting the two-thirds majority of votes required to pass Measure Q in Santa Clara County, also last November.
Greenbelt Alliance’s board chair, Andy Barnes, and his wife, event co-chair Sara Barnes, delivered the welcome and closing remarks while CEO Jeremy Madsen, discussed the connections between the Bay Area’s spectacular greenbelt and issues such as water, food, climate change, and the future of our cities and towns.
With record-breaking attendance, this year’s reception and dinner was easily one of the most successful Greenbelt Alliance has seen yet. Guests were treated to hors d’oeuvres and a four-course meal created by two-time James Beard Award-winner Chef Traci Des Jardins. Chef Traci, who donated her time and graciously spent time meeting guests during the reception, ensured that each course used locally-sourced, sustainably-grown ingredients—honoring Greenbelt Alliance’s work to protect farms and ranches around the Bay Area. The evening was enlivened by local wines and champagne donated by five leading vineyards in Sonoma and Napa counties. Greenbelt Alliance thanks everyone who attended, sponsored, and contributed to Savor the Greenbelt 2015, and looks forward to making Savor the Greenbelt an ongoing success for many years to come.
Click here for photos from the event courtesy of Drew Altizer Photography.
Click here for more information about the speakers and sponsors from Savor the Greenbelt 2015.
