Farm dinner fundraiser showcases the best local ingredients
Start with the dirt.
Under a shaded canopy of palm and orange trees at The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, “eco-entrepreneur” Evan Marks discussed the nonprofit educational facility’s upcoming fundraiser, Green Feast, with a group of chefs.
The seventh annual communal farm dinner, which showcases sustainable and locally grown food, will benefit the center’s workshops, programs and courses, which teach environmental solutions in the home and community.
“We could use plenty of options here,” Marks said, spreading his arms wide during the talk at the 1-acre center. “That makes a dish with an extra bit of love.”
The edible landscape offers artichoke plants, kale, garlic and onions, among many other vegetables.
Tending such organic farms is one of the many skills the 34-year-old founder is passionate about implementing at the education center.
The Ecology Center, founded in 2005, is nestled in the middle of farm fields on Alipaz Street. Its headquarters and general store are stationed in a 137-year-old historic farmhouse that was once home to Pony Express rider Joel Congdon. The two-story Victorian home, listed as the oldest wooden structure in San Juan Capistrano, was where Congdon planted Orange County’s first walnut grove.
In 1991, the city bought the Congdon House to preserve San Juan Capistrano’s historic heritage.
Today, Marks wants to reconnect the links among the past, present and future, by reinvesting in local agriculture, nurturing Southern California’s environment and fostering communities working together to create a healthy ecosystem.
“There’s much need here,” he said. “There’s so much consumption, and here there are so many resources to leverage a healthy future. It’s exceeded my expectations, and it’s been a huge success.”
The Ecology Center, which welcomed an estimated 25,000 visitors last year, offers field trips to schoolchildren and a range of programs, from lectures and workshops on how to grow organic gardens to an interactive exhibition on watersheds that shows where water comes from and how to conserve it. The center said many of its visitors are aware of the state’s drought and are asking how to save water. Homeowners have purchased rain barrels from the farmhouse’s store, Tools for Change, a shop selling eco-approved products, such as a worm bin for visitors interested in composting and making their own nutrient fertilizers.
Marks, who graduated from Corona del Mar High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in agroecology at UC Santa Cruz, worked on farms in Santa Cruz to learn farming techniques.
He branched out his background in permaculture – a discipline that stresses environmentally sustainable design and building – by working in Hawaii and in Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, Ghana and Nigeria. When he returned home, he wanted to share what he had learned.
Through a friend, he was able to connect with George Kibby, the owner of South Coast Farms in San Juan Capistrano. Kibby suggested the Congdon House as a location where Marks could establish his vision, and after submitting a proposal, Marks secured a lease for the house as an environmental education center.
The center’s annual fundraiser, Green Feast, Marks said, is a way to celebrate the region’s best chefs, organic farmers, ranchers, fishermen, winemakers and bakers involved in making local and sustainable food.
The dinner, held in the farmhouse garden, will feature 18 chefs creating dishes that combine vegetables, meats and even flour and sugar found within 250 miles of The Ecology Center.
“It’s a really good fundraiser for us, and it has grown,” Marks said, noting that last year’s dining experience sold out in two weeks, drew over 200 ticketed supporters and raised $150,000.
The farm-to-table meal on Sept. 12 will feature such chefs as Ryan Wilson and Steve Kling of Five Crowns/Side Door, Pascal Olhats of Pascal Restaurants, Cathy Pavlos of Lucca Cafe and Provenance and Greg Daniels of Haven Gastropub.
Executive chef Rob Wilson of Montage Laguna Beach has prepared entrees for Green Feast for the past five years. But this September, he and eight other chefs will be making appetizers.
Wilson, who took out the lawn at his family home to grow vegetables and herbs like cilantro and parsley, said the event connects the future to better food practices.
“Being a part of a community that uses locally grown produce is important,” he said during a chef’s lunch preview. “It’s our job to inform and educate the people, and we need to be more sustainable and responsible with our growing practices.”
“I look forward to the camaraderie and getting together with really great chefs,” he added. “It’s fun to get creative and honestly say that I’ve never used anything outside a 250-mile range. When you put those ingredients all into a dish, it’s really satisfying.”
The fundraising event, Marks said, will help make a long-lasting impact on The Ecology Center, as proceeds will be invested directly into the educational programming initiatives in schools, offices and homes.
“We’ve had so much success and we’re continually thinking of how to scale our efforts on site and off site,” Marks said. “We’re just in the beginning of the journey.”
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IF YOU GO
What: The Ecology Center
Where: 32701 Alipaz St., San Juan Capistrano
Information: (949) 443-4223 or theecologycenter.org