Amy Stewart

SAVE THE DATE: April 14th, 2009
In cooperation with Copperfield Books we are pleased to announce that Amy Stewart will be speaking at the Seed Bank in Petaluma, California on April 14th at 6pm.

We are excited to have her join us and share from her new book Wicked Plants. I (Emilee) read it from cover-to-cover and love Amy’s take on this sometimes overlooked world of the plant kingdom. It is an alluring book and very informative. Check out the book trailer below for a small sampling of this garden thriller!

Visit Amy Stewart’s website at: www.amystewart.com

Standing room only in the Seed Bank!

Feb. 3, 2010: It was a great evening, and so nice to be in a room with over 400 like thinkers. It was so fitting that Pollan spoke at The Seed Bank, surrounded by thousands of packets of heirloom seeds, the beginnings of the purest foods available. I loved his simplest advice from his newest book “Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual”: “Don’t eat foods your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize,” and “Don’t buy foods with more than five ingredients.” They’re such easy rules to remember.

One new approach for me, however, will be: “Avoid foods making health claims.”  Pollan’s insights on the claims made on cereal boxes brought this one home though. Cereal makers are actually claiming that their breakfast “food” filled with 40 percent sugar “boosts immunity.” It will also be a personal switch to avoid low-fat and “lite” foods, opting to eat less of the real thing instead–another of Pollan’s food rules.

Michael Pollan shares his Food Rules at the Seed Bank

Pollan’s audience at The Seed Bank definitely resonated with his most general rule:  “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” He encouraged planting a vegetable garden, even in a window box, though I’m certain he was surrounded by some of the Bay Area’s most avid veggie gardeners.

“Cook” he told us. That’s the best way to stop eating processed foods. He got a big laugh when he suggested not eating any foods that come at you through a car window, alluding to fast food. And it was wonderful to hear eating food described as “a communion with others and with nature.”

Michael Pollan signed copies of his books at the end of the event.

I’m now even more inspired to eat natural and whole foods, at a table, and in good company . Thank you Jere and Emilee Gettle for a rare evening in a rare location surrounded by rare seeds.