Virtual Harvest Benefit

Turning Green is proud to announce its first ever Virtual Harvest Benefit taking place online Saturday, November 7. Friends, patrons and community members of Turning Green will join the Virtual Harvest Benefit across the Bay Area to celebrate an inspirational evening of storytelling, conversations and a delicious fresh, local, organic dinner. Each year, the Virtual Harvest Benefit raises funds for Turning Green’s flagship programs, Conscious Kitchen and Conscious Campus, that inform, inspire and mobilize the next generation of ecoleaders. Attendees, tasked with simply heating and plating the meal, will join the Zoom dinner table with participating chefs, Alice Waters, Tanya Holland, Ashley Ugarte, Guillaume Pfahland and Dolores Coleman, to talk about the meal preparation, ingredients and share rich stories and meaningful anecdotes; followed by a Keynote by chef and humanitarian, José Andrés.


While navigating the pandemic, economic downtown, civil unrest and racial injustices, Turning Green has continued to support students, families and elders throughout the Bay Area. Turning Green’s program, Conscious Kitchen, has served marginalized families across Marin County, Santa Venetia and the Canal with hot, organic, nourishing meals and fresh, organic farm boxes. The 2020 Virtual Harvest Benefit will honor and unite those speaking up for social equity and will spotlight Turning Green’s devotion to cultivating a healthy, just and thriving planet through education and advocacy around environmental sustainability and social responsibility.


"We have a rare opportunity to gather with esteemed chefs to hear food wisdom, savor wonderful stories and enjoy each other’s virtual company as we share a fresh, local, organic dinner delivered to your door — curated by master chefs and farmers who represent the cultural diversity of our community, nation, farmland and peoples,” said Judi Shils, Founder and Executive Director of Turning Green. "Amid a year of extreme uncertainty, we’ve also been given a chance to consciously envision and chart a course toward the future we want for humanity and our shared earth. Turning Green has the privilege to elevate, empower and educate our next generation of leaders, providing much-needed hope and concrete impact through our robust, mobilizing programs. We hope you will join us to support our organization and collective future, as we work toward a healthy, resilient and just world. Here’s to that dream!”


The Virtual Harvest Benefit begins at 5:30 PM. Individual tickets are $350 and available through turninggreen.org/a-harvest-dinner-at-home/; VIP tickets and sponsorships, available now, range from $500 to $25,000 and include wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres with Alice Waters and Tanya Holland before dinner. For more information and to purchase tickets and sponsorships, please visit turninggreen.org/a-harvest-dinner-at-home/, call 415-289-1001 or email info [at] turninggreen.org.


About José Andrés:

José Ramón Andrés Puerta is a Spanish-American chef, restaurateur, and founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a non-profit devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. He is often credited with bringing the small plates dining concept to America. He owns restaurants in He was awarded a 2015 National Humanities Medal at a 2016 White House ceremony for his work with World Central Kitchen. World Central Kitchen made it possible for Conscious Kitchen to support meal service for families and older adults daily in Marin City during the Covid Relief Effort.



About Alice Waters:

Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA, sparked the movement to local, organic, sustainably sourced, “Slow Food” nearly 50 years ago. Today, she continues her work to bring these ideals to the public school system, advocating for a free nutritious and delicious school lunch sourced directly from local regenerative farmers. She fosters a collaborative spirit in the kitchen, that we will all experience as we prepare a meal together!



About Tanya Holland:

Tanya Holland, owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland, CA, will explore and pay tribute to the delicious, restorative foods of the African diaspora and the African American experience. Her dishes are infused with the concentric layers of flavors from the African American South and North Africa with a fresh take via farm-to-table philosophy and contemporary technique.



WHAT:

Virtual Harvest Benefit — Featuring an inspirational evening of storytelling, conversations and a delicious fresh, local, organic dinner to support Turning Green’s flagship programs.



WHERE:

Online only; Zoom link shared after ticket purchase



WHEN:

Saturday, November 7, 2020, 5:30 PM



WHO:

Chefs

Alice Waters, Owner, Chez Panisse, Founder Edible Schoolyard Project

Tanya Holland, Chef / Owner, Brown Sugar Kitchen

Ashley Ugarte, Confections Sous Chef, Dandelion Chocolate

Guillaume Pfahl, Executive Chef, Conscious Kitchen

Dolores Coleman, Owner, Dee’s Organics



Keynote:

José Andrés, Founder World Central Kitchen



Host Committee:

Al Baylacq · Lydia and Mike Freed · Ken Kurtzig

Vanessa Lyons · Sandie Schmaier · Erin Schrode

Cathy Simon · Betty Gaye Toney



Purveyors:

Tomatero Farm · Frog Hollow Farm · Full Belly Farm · Triple T Ranch & Farm · Mindful Meats · Cowgirl Creamery · Tomales Farmstead Creamery · Nicasio Valley Cheese Company · Miyoko’s Creamery · Dandelion Chocolate · RW Garcia · Good Earth Natural Foods · Earl’s Organic Produce



TICKETS/INFO:

$350 Individual Ticket includes dinner with chefs and keynote/program



VIP Tickets & Sponsorships

$500 VIP Ticket includes dinner with chefs, keynote/program plus wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres with Alice & Tanya prior to dinner.



Corporate sponsorship opportunities, available at turninggreen.org/a-harvest-dinner-at-home/.



Turning Green would like to thank the following sponsors:

Earl’s Organic Produce, EO Products, Good Earth Natural Foods



ABOUT TURNING GREEN:

Turning Green is a global student-led movement devoted to cultivating a healthy, just and thriving planet through education and advocacy around environmentally sustainable and socially responsible choices. We inform, inspire, and mobilize a global network of elementary, middle, high school, college and graduate students to become visionary catalysts for sustainable change in their lives, school campuses, and local communities through our flagship programs: Conscious Campus and Conscious Kitchen.