Discover Your Inner Farmer Just a Short BART Ride Away

Rockridge Market Hall merchants will hold an afternoon of demonstrations, food tastings and book signings inspired by the urban farming movement and showcasing local food artisans at the complex in Oakland right next to the Rockridge BART station on April 21.

The public is invited to this free event which will feature demonstrations on butchery, cheesemaking, honey harvesting and fruit preserving.  Local food producers will be on hand to offer tastings of their products and there will even be a goat petting zoo to delight youngsters.

Ongoing tastings and demonstrations throughout the Market Hall will take place between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

The Oakland’s Havenscourt Homestead’s Nigerian Dwarf Goat Petting Zoo will be open for visitors at the event from 12 to 4 p.m.

From 1 to 2 p.m., pioneering urban farmers Novella Carpenter and Willow Rosenthal will demonstrate honey harvesting followed by a panel discussion and autographing of their new book  “The Essential Urban Farmer.”  The discussion will be moderated by Margo True, Sunset Magazine Food Editor editor of Sunset's popular book, "One Block Feasts."

A demonstration for home cooks on chicken and rabbit butchery will be offered by the Marin Sun Farms Butcher Shop. There will be a Pop-up Oyster Bar at Hapuku Fish Shop which will offer fresh, briny, local shucked oysters. Fiscalini Farms will offer tips on making fresh mozzarella.

At 12 p.m. Market Hall Bakery Chef and Director Neucimar Dias da Silva will present a workshop called “When Life gives you lemons,” which will include ideas on preparing lemon curd and lemon preserves.

Kassenhoff Growers Nursery with Peggy Kass and Helen Krayenhoff will be on hand to give advice to gardeners and help them pick out selections.

You can find out more about the event and the Rockridge Market Hall here.

Rockridge Market Hall is located at 5655 College Avenue, Oakland.