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Sierra Commons, the Nevada City-based nonprofit dedicated to developing local small businesses, will host its inaugural event showcasing area food entrepreneurs.
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The event, called FoodX, will take place Saturday, Sept. 26, at Miners Foundry Cultural Center at 325 Spring St.
Among its programs, Sierra Commons offers mentorship for budding businesses. One program, Business Igniter, is designed to help would-be entrepreneurs go from concept to a working business model. In addition, it offers Food Accelerator, which focuses on the particular needs of food businesses, covering issues such as permitting, sourcing and food safety. Several local food businesses have gone through both programs.
“The culminating event of a cohort is a graduation party, where the businesses get to present their food and get feedback and celebrate. So we wanted to do a kind of a big ‘ta-da!’ and bring all of our graduates together for a joint celebration,” said Sierra Commons founder and executive director Robert X. Trent.
Local products to be showcased include organic artisan tortillas, locally sourced acorn flour treats, Japanese home cooking, slow-cooked pulled lamb arepas, Sevillano olive hummus, red pepper romesco, chocolate dipped biscotti, locally roasted espresso, and more, according to a press release from Sierra Commons.
Speakers will include second-generation beekeeper Spencer Wingfield of Wingfield Honey Co. who will offer a window into the world of the honeybee and the relationship between healthy hives, healthy soil and the food we eat. Attendees can also watch chef demonstrations featuring local culinary talent, including Alan Goskar, the executive chef at Lola at The National Exchange Hotel; Jennifer Vanatta, head chef at Petra Modern Mediterranean; and Alexeis Filipello of Rasa Kitchen, who blends gourmet culinary arts with Ayurvedic nutrition.
The event will happen the day after another event, Food Fight, hosted by Sierra Harvest, another nonprofit whose mission is to promote fresh, local and seasonal food in Nevada County. Food Fight is a tasting event with chefs, bartenders and makers offering bites that are 100% locally sourced.
The two events will comprise the first-ever Sierra Foothills Food Festival, which the two organizations hope to repeat every year.
FoodX will feature dozens of booths where entrepreneurs can showcase their goods and services. The event is not limited to entities in Nevada City and Grass Valley; it’s open to any food business in the foothills.
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“We have this concept of setting up a mock grocery store aisle full of local products to showcase what local food looks like. There’s going to be education, little talks and demonstrations, so it’s going to be a really robust event,” Trent said.
Toward the end of the day, lottery winners will be chosen, who then can select five items from the shelves.
The event is meant to draw both consumers looking to experience new food businesses, as well as prospective industry partners who can elevate the businesses.
“We’re trying to gather buyers and investors and people like that, that can help elevate our entrepreneurs. Let’s say they just got a cottage food license, but they have their eyes set on having wider distribution, then we can help them make connections to do what it takes to scale their business,” Trent said.
Starting at 4 p.m., activities move outside for Wine Down, a social event with food trucks and live musical acts from the local recording label Dowd Records: Beautiful Dudes, The Brett Shady Band and Beach Noise.
VIP ticket holders gain early access to the event, as well as entry into the Nevada City Winery VIP Lounge, located at the adjacent Nevada City Winery, where attendees can connect with program graduates and receive a tote bag with product samples and a preview copy of the Rural Food Ecosystem Playbook.
FoodX will run from noon to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26; VIP entry is at 11:30 a.m. Early bird general admission tickets are $45, and VIP tickets are $125. Children under 12 can attend for free.
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