Farm-friendly event will include food and drink from local tastemakers and showcase efforts to preserve farmland and support sustainable food systems

Oceanside CA— Visit Oceanside, The City of Oceanside Green Team and the South Morro Hills Association have joined forces to present O’side Feast, a farm-to-table themed event that will highlight the city’s agricultural heritage. Scheduled for Saturday, May 20 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Mraz Family Farms in Oceanside’s South Morro Hills, O’side Feast is part of a larger agritourism initiative in Oceanside that is currently educating the community about the benefits of preserving farmland and supporting a sustainable food system.
Tickets for O’side Feast are $35 per person and include culinary creations from participating dining and beverage vendors, a souvenir O’side Feast tasting glass and fork and a reusable Green Oceanside bag. Attendees must be 21 or over. While the value of each ticket is $150, organizers could offer the special event price of $35 per person thanks to a sponsorship from the City of Oceanside’s Green Team. Tickets will be released in phases over a four-week period beginning April 1, 2017 and can be purchased online at www.osidefeast.com.
Amid the stunning rolling hills and farm backdrop, guests of O’side Feast will sample fare from Oceanside’s hottest local chefs, brewers and winemakers, all selected because of the unique way they incorporate local produce into their menus. Participants were given the exciting challenge to prepare as much of their event menu items with resources grown in South Morro Hills and have as close to zero waste as possible during the food preparation. Guests will have the opportunity to meet these local tastemakers and sample their delicious creations, while also enjoying live music by Barnwall Shift and a mercato featuring farm stands with locally grown produce and gourmet products.
Attendees will also learn about Oceanside’s vision for agritourism, a concept that has been the topic of several recent community workshops. Agritourism could help support the economic viability of Oceanside’s farms by enabling them to generate revenue through immersive experiences for visitors such as overnight stays, educational activities and special events. The goal of the workshops and events such as O’side Feast is to guide an overall community vision plan for South Morro Hills while educating stakeholders and the public about the type of investment and resources required to be successful.
“Done right, agritourism can ensure the health and economic viability of Oceanside farms by providing the type of authentic, local and hands-on experiences today’s travelers crave and are willing to pay a premium for,” said Leslee Gaul, CEO of Visit Oceanside. “Without a comprehensive plan to preserve our agricultural heritage, the likelihood is high that many farming operations will cease and land will be transitioned to high-density housing and development.”
Another benefit of agritourism is that it presents the framework to support a Sustainable Food System that can improve the economic, social and environmental health of the Oceanside community.
“Agritourism not only supports the availability of local food sources, but also opportunities for composting operations to meet the City’s goals of a minimum 75% recycling rate by 2020,” said Colleen Foster, a senior management analyst for the City of Oceanside’s green team. “The sustainable food system model of farm to table and back to farm is proven to mitigate negative environmental effects while supporting positive economic and social benefits in the community.”
O’side Feast restaurant participants include 608, Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen, Local Tap House, Petite Madeline Bakery and Bistro, The Miller’s Table, The Privateer Coal Fire Pizza, The Privateer Marketplace & Wine Bar, The Whet Noodle, Tutto Dolce Gelato, Wrench and Rodent Seabasstropub. Beverage participants includeBeach House Winery, Breakwater Brewing Co., Golden Coast Mead, Jitters Coffee Pub, Living tea Brewing Co., Misadventures & Co.
For more information, visit www.osidefeast.com.