March 13, 2000 Celebrate the spring equinox with a five-course dinner on March 21 By Jennifer McNulty Celebrate the spring equinox with a luscious five-course meal on Tuesday, March 21, as chefs Damani Thomas of Oswald's and Robert Morris of Blacks Beach Cafe host a dinner to benefit the Friends of the UC Santa Cruz Farm & Garden. Wine is being donated by Burrell School Vineyards. The festive affair will take place at Morris's restaurant at 15th Avenue and East Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz, beginning with hors' d'oeuvres at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. The cost, including wine, is $60 per person. Reservations are required. Please call Joan Tannheimer at the UCSC Farm at (831) 459-3240. Local farms that are contributing delectable organic fare include Swanton Berry Farms, Camp Joy, Live Earth Farm, and the UCSC Farm. New Leaf Community Markets and Shopper's Corner are among the merchants supporting the event with a contribution. Located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Burrell School Vineyards is one of the newest in the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation. A small hands-on operation, Burrell School Vineyards is owned by Dave and Anne Moulton, who grow Chardonnay and Merlot grapes at their five-acre ridge-top site. Situated at 1,560 feet elevation, the vines sit well-above the fog line, where they enjoy a long, warm growing season and the cool nights typical of their mountain location. The Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden support and promote the work of UCSC's Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. Through community education, members help spread the word about the need for farming and gardening systems that are environmentally and socially sound. The Friends also sponsor two annual plant sales and other community-oriented events to raise funds for the Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture. The appenticeship is a six-month course during which participants learn the basics of organic farming and gardening. Return to Front Page