HONEYFEST SAN DIEGO (I'm really enamored with this event)

HoneyFestSD Jan 13,14,15 - Invitation from Brian Hedden on Vimeo.

On this sweet lil' blog o' mine, one of the postings that has received the most views is entitled "True Sustainability: The Soil of Our Soul Gardens" and it basically reveals an epiphany I had, at that time, about how our ability to endure is deeply related to each other.  It's the only way forward and the only way that we will survive - together.  So, I am really excited about this weekend's HoneyFest here in San Diego because it is an embodiment of exactly this.

I became an active member of the local sustainable agriculture movement in '09 and, the following year, I joined the Cultivating Food Justice Conference planning committee.  The CFJ event asserts that healthy, sustainable food is necessary for our planet and our lives, yet it is quickly becoming a hardship for people to afford and find.  Thus, it is a forum for the community to mobilize, educate, and inspire. Workshops, speeches and discussions center around issues as far ranging as The Farm Bill, DIY fermenting and canning, turning your lawn into a vegetable garden, identifying edible native plants, migrant farm workers’ rights, how to live and eat more sustainably in your daily life, and much, much more.  And, this is how I met and became familiar with Amy Lint and Malachi Obado, the founders of the local non-profit Grow Strong that this weekend's festival is benefitting.

Malachi is originally from Kenya, where he and Amy met when she was living and working there as a Peace Corps volunteer.  Since then, they relocated back to San Diego where Amy, along with the International Rescue Committee, helped to create the New Roots Community Farm.  An urban gem in City Heights, San Diego's center for refugee populations, New Roots illuminates the harmony that can ensue when people of all walks of life come together to build forward.  The First Lady even visited this farm when she launched her "Let's Move" campaign for solving the problem of childhood obesity last year. 

I have had the distinct pleasure of knowing Amy and Malachi, as well as considering them part of my large, beloved community, for the past year and a half.  Brian Hedden, who created our invitational video above, asked me how I came to be a part of the HoneyFest planning committee.  My answer was simple.  "Amy called me," I responded.  And, this is it in a nutshell.  Sustainability is all about Relationship - our relationships to and with each other, first and foremost. 

So, I am hoping to BEE with YOU this weekend.  With an UnBEElievable Program that looks like this:

WE'RE CELEBRATING ALL THINGS BEE RELATED & YOU'RE INVITED!!!
As you know, the HoneyBee plays a crucial role in our world yet, their dying off and we need to change this, now.

JOIN US, SAN DIEGO, IN BUILDING TOWARDS A RE-NEWED WAY of BEE-ING
In which our beloved HoneyBee makes a dramatic comeback!

THIS FRIDAY NIGHT, 01/13 6-9PM
WE'LL BE AT RED SEA ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT IN CITY HEIGHTS
CONSUMING PLATES FULLS OF ETHIOPIAN FOOD EATEN BY OUR HANDS WITH INJERA
AS WE SIP THE COUNTRY'S TRADITIONAL HONEYWINE & EDUCATE OURSELVES WITH THE FILM
"VANISHING OF THE BEES."   Your $10 donation on this evening supports local business as well as the local non-profit GrowStrong.

SATURDAY, 01/14 AT THE PEACE & RESOURCE CENTER
WE'RE OFFERING 2 WORKSHOPS
INTRO TO BEEKEEPING FROM 10-1PM IS ALREADY FULL
However, you can join us for a lunch of tasty bites - sambusas and tamales made locally & available for purchase - from 1-2pm
and then stay for the Honey & Herbs Cough Syrup Workshop from 2-4pm.
Please register for this $25 workshop here.

Then, on Saturday 01/14 Night from 6-10pm +
WE GONNA BUZZ in the PROSPERITY HIVE because we're celebrating the Hive's
OFFICIAL FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARY & so much more.

Tickets are $15 at the door & include a night of art installations, local music, honey tasting & more!

Chef Jen is providing an explosion of honey-infused bites for your tastebuds at $5/plate and, of course, honey-themed drinks - like Bee Pollen Kombucha + alcoholic beverages - will also be available for purchase & for quenching your palate.

JOIN US!
♥

6-7pm Acoustic Ambiance with Ricardo
7:15-8pm Bluegrass Git-Down w/ Mike Pope & the Big Decisions
8:30-9:15pm SDMA's World Album of the Year Award Winners
Todo Mundo
9:30-10:15 Soul Ablaze with spoken word by Gina Tang
10:30 Community Jam (All are welcome. Bring your voice, your instruments, your love & your dance!)

PLUS, there will be many secret surprises & guest appearances on this evening!
A NOT TO BE MISSED EVENT for 2012!

The Hive is also an art gallery, so come celebrate the work of local artists:
Mario Torero
Mark Jesinoski
Mario Blanco
Rich Walker
True DeLorenzo
Rory Canfield

Then, ON SUNDAY 01/15 10-4pm
BEE in the Know Festival and Vendors Bazaar
Bee-Related Vendors, Games, Events, Kids Activities, Bee Education
Support local industry and purchase all things BEE related at our BEE-zaar. Enjoy live musical performances, activities for the kids & fun for the whole family. You are also invited to join us in "buzzing" around Balboa Park like a swarm of Bees searching for their new hive throughout the day. Wear black and just show up – we'll buzz together on every hour beginning at 11 and ending at 2 p.m.
with a Natural Lip Balm and Salve-Making Workshop from 12-1pm
and then a "WHAT'S BEEYOND PANEL DISCUSSION from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
at Casa del Prado, Balboa Park

Why are bees dying off and what can we do about it locally? The panel will cover why Colony Collapse Disorder is occurring and how the U.S. government has responded (or failed to respond). Then we will discuss local beekeeping in San Diego and how you can get involved. We will also get an update on the changes in San Diego's laws, expected to pass this month, that will allow backyard beekeeping on a small scale. Last, we will hear about the role of beekeeping in traditional societies, and how Grow Strong is working to support that.

HOW COULD U MISS ALL THE BUZZ???????