Muir Ranch Fundraiser to Feature TED Speaker, Heirloom LA Truck

To celebrate Earth Day and raise needed funds, Muir Ranch is bringing together some notable members of the food community for a Long Table Dinner fundraiser Sunday.

Muir Ranch is the student-run garden on John Muir High School’s campus in Pasadena that also functions as a CSA and culinary education program. Students have also sold their flowers and produce at local farmers markets.

Sunday’s farm-to-table family style dinner will be served from the Heirloom LA food truck by Muir Ranch student servers.

Read about Heirloom LA's food truck making weekly appearances at Everson Royce in Pasadena here.

The menu includes a black kale salad with spicy pumpkin seeds and Asian pears, roasted lamb with John Muir Ranch marjoram, maple brown butter and sage doughnuts and more.

The guest of honor will be Ron Finley, who spoke at the TED conference in February about helping revolutionize the “food desert” of South Los Angeles that is full of fast food and few healthy dining options. 

Finley runs L.A. Green Grounds, which has planted gardens on the side of the road, in homeless shelters and elsewhere in South Los Angeles and aims to help support residents grow their own food.

It’s about “getting kids of the street and letting them know the joy the pride the honor of growing your own food,” Finley shared in his TED talk.

“If kids grow kale, they eat kale. If they are not shown how food affects the mind and the body they blindly eat whatever’s in front of them.”

See video of Finley’s TED talk attached to this article or here. 

The fundraiser will be at 1905 Lincoln Avenue in Pasadena from 3-6 p.m. Sunday.

See full Muir Ranch fundraiser details, menu and ticket purchasing information here.

Are you interested in attending this event? What do you think of growing your own food? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.