SB Food and Farm Adventures Group Visits Cottage Hospital

In celebration of National Nutrition Month, The Santa Barbara Food and Farm Adventures Meetup group will visit Cottage Hospital on Wednesday March 6 to learn about their Farm to Hospital program and shop at their farmers market.

Starting at 1pm, the group will tour one of the Hospital’s gardens and listen to Chef Pedro Garcia and Ruben Cosio talk about their connection with local farmers and how they utilize organic produce for Room Service and other culinary outlets. Dietitian Courtney Robinson will then discuss the nutritional advantages of cooking from scratch with fresh produce instead of prepackaged items, many of which contain fillers and allergens that conflict with patients’ diets.

After a quick tour of the cafeteria and National Nutrition Month station, the afternoon will finish with a trip to the farmers market and the Santa Barbara Fish Company seafood stand, where Chef Pedro will prepare samples of dishes he created using ingredients from the market.

The Santa Barbara Food and Farm Adventures Group was founded in 2010 by Gerri French, a dietitian at Sansum Clinic and nutrition instructor to the chefs at Santa Barbara City College. French said she created the group to connect like-minded people and to increase awareness and support for local farmers.

“The increased numbers of people interested in this group has inspired me and it continues to encourage me to appreciate our wonderful community,” said French.

Now boasting over 1000 members, the group meets several times each month at various locations to learn about Santa Barbara cuisine from the people who produce, market and prepare it. Past events have included visits to farms, markets, restaurants, culinary stores, wineries, and the marina.

4•1•1

All events are open to the public. If you would like to attend the Cottage Hospital visit on March 6, register by clicking the link below so that hospitality services can have badges ready for you. Here’s the link.