More than a handful of eco-importance

Heirloom food fair
Head over to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa for the National Heirloom Exposition, Sept. 13-15, which will feature “the largest ever display of heirloom produce in North American pure food history”: 250 vendors with more than 1,000 varieties of heirloom fruits and veggies, as well as seed companies, including the revered Petaluma Seed Bank. Also, a garden-art show, tastings and food demos from award-winning chefs, a “giant produce” contest, a rare- and heritage-breed poultry and livestock show, movies, hydroponics exhibits, and more. Paradise’s own yodeling, accordion-playing cowboy, Sourdough Slim, will be there and he’s sure to wow the crowd with his old-timey music and antics. See http://theheirloomexpo.com for more info.

Support the transition
The GRUB Cooperative (1525 Dayton Road) is showing the film The World According to Monsanto at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 12. All donations will go to the re-emerging local Transition Movement, which is focused on working to transition the local community from oil dependency to self-sufficiency. Stepping away from factory farming and GMO crops (as Monsanto creates and lobbies for) and toward locally focused production of food is just one facet of the Transition Movement, which is catching on worldwide. http://grubchico.org

E-cycle event
On Sept. 10, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Computers for Classrooms (315 Huss Drive, off Hegan Lane) is hosting its September Saturday event, featuring a free electronics drop-off for used computers, monitors, televisions, cell phones, printers, DVD players, VCRs, etc., as well as free computer check-ups for low-income families and low-cost refurbished computers and laptops for sale to low-income families. Free computer or TV pickup for the elderly or disabled. Call 895-4175 for more info. www.computersforclasssrooms.org

Become a master gardener
The University of California Cooperative Extension office in Butte County is currently recruiting students for its 2012 Master Gardening Training Class sessions, which run January through May 2012, and will be held on Thursdays in Oroville. Go to http://cebutte.ucdavis.edu/Master_Gardener719 for applications. Applications must be returned by Sept. 30. Call 538-7201 for more information.

A sweet little book
Lyon Books carries a small hardcover called How to Cook the Perfect Day (pictured), by Nikki McClure. “You can follow recipes exactly, leveling off the cup of flour with a knife,” writes McClure, “but food must be created with love if it is to be eaten with passion.”

McClure’s book contains lovely, black-and-white paper-cut images to go along with a short collection of recipes she made use of while “cooking the perfect day.”

The book leads off with a “Good Morning Forage” of found apples, figs and pomegranates, followed by a recipe for freshly made waffles topped with fresh peaches and real maple syrup. A fresh green-bean salad that includes fennel, ginger and carrot is perfect for lunch, and dinnertime’s tofu curry and Celestial Apple Pie sound delightful.

McClure’s simple book reminds us: “Eat with friends. Eat outside.”

Collect seeds
The Big Chico Creek Watershed Alliance is hosting an evening Yahi Trail hike on Sept. 14, 5:30-7 p.m., to collect native-plant seeds for the BCCWA’s Native Plant Project. Meet at Horseshoe Lake parking lot in Upper Bidwell Park. Wear hiking shoes, bring a water bottle. Snack and water provided. Email <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript">{ document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,97,32,104,114,101,102,61,34,109,97,105,108,116,111,58,99,111,111,114,100,105,110,97,116,111,114,64,98,105,103,99,104,105,99,111,99,114,101,101,107,46,111,114,103,34,62,99,111,111,114,100,105,110,97,116,111,114,64,98,105,103,99,104,105,99,111,99,114,101,101,107,46,111,114,103,60,47,97,62)) } </script> or call 892-2196 for more info.