Living Coast Discovery Center to Host 8th Annual Farm to Bay Event on Saturday, Aug. 5
SAN DIEGO – The Living Coast Discovery Center, a nonprofit zoo and aquarium on San Diego Bay in Chula Vista, will host Farm to Bay, its eighth annual culinary celebration, on Saturday, Aug. 5 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The unique tasting event brings together some of San Diego’s finest restaurants, breweries, wineries, farms and more to support the Living Coast’s wildlife, education and sustainability programs in its largest fundraiser of the year.
Farm to Bay will be even more special this year as the Living Coast celebrates its 30th anniversary by honoring San Diego County Supervisor Greg Cox for his vision, guidance and support, without which the Living Coast would not exist today.
This year, Chef Jeff Roberto has joined Farm to Bay as culinary chair. Roberto is a formally trained sushi chef and co-founder of Sushi on A Roll (SOAR), which is celebrating its 24th anniversary this year. The only sushi catering company of its kind, SOAR provides sushi for a wide array of hotels, country clubs and concert venues. Roberto also consults with several restaurants and hotels in San Diego, setting up and designing their sushi programs, and has prepared sushi for many dignitaries and celebrities over the years.
Roberto is a long-time supporter of the Living Coast, having participated in the Farm to Bay event for the last several years. He has also generously donated his signature group sushi-making classes to the Farm to Bay auctions, which are always a crowd favorite and top revenue generator for the Living Coast.
In addition to Sushi on a Roll, other confirmed restaurant partners for this year’s Farm to Bay celebration include: Matua’s Sushi Bar & Islander Grill, Rolled Up, Eclipse Chocolate Bar & Bistro, Loews Coronado Bay Resort, Dang Brother Pizza, San Diego Convention Center, Amore Cheesecakes, Elite Athlete Services Chula Vista (formerly the Olympic Training Center), Daniela’s Kitchen, Savor Catering and Woobar, with many more expected to be added soon.
A number of local farms, grocers and specialty purveyors will be participating in food sampling including: Catalina Offshore Products, Sprouts Farmers Market–Chula Vista and Eastlake, Jimbo’s Naturally and Farm Fresh to You.
The event will also include wine, beer, spirits and non-alcoholic beverage samplings from Novo Brazil Brewery, Bay Bridge Brewing, Chula Vista Brewery, Modern Times Beer, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Cutwater Spirits, Quigley Fine Wines, FruitCraft (formerly California Fruit Wine), Wiens Family Cellars, Barefoot Wine, PRP Wine International, Cool Down Coffee, Hubert’s Lemonade, Boochcraft, Juice Wave and Suja Juice, among others.
Farm to Bay is the only San Diego food and wine event set within a protected national wildlife refuge, where guests can enjoy a unique, intimate nature and wildlife experience alongside dozens of native animal species. The event includes samplings from over 40 local restaurants, farms, breweries, wineries and distilleries, as well as live musical performances on multiple stages, live and silent auctions and up-close animal encounters with the Living Coast Discovery Center’s beloved animal ambassadors (including sea turtles, sharks, hawks, eagles, owls and more).
In keeping with the Living Coast’s commitment to the environment and sustainability, the Farm to Bay event committee has taken the necessary steps toward producing a zero-waste event. In 2016, as a result of their efforts, 78 percent of event waste was recycled or composted and diverted from landfills. Since 2013, Farm to Bay continues to reduce its overall waste by using reusable and Earth-friendly materials. Event waste is hand-sorted and composted onsite thanks to the efforts of the City of Chula Vista’s master composters.
Tickets for the event are on sale now for $100 at www.thelivingcoast.org/farmtobay. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets early as the event is expected to sell out. In 2016, the Living Coast matched its highest net proceeds in the event’s history, raising $96,000 through sponsorships, ticket sales, auction and Raise the Paddle donations.
The event is made possible by the generous support of its sponsors, including this year’s presenting sponsor, Marine Group Boat Works, as well as the Chula Vista Clean, Mission Federal Credit Union, BAE Systems, Baldwin & Sons, Cox Communications, Loews Coronado Bay Resort, Republic Services, San Diego International Airport, Sprouts Farmers Market–Chula Vista and Eastlake, Wells Fargo, Walmart, Amara Bay, Jim Biddle, EDCO Disposal, Hoffman Hanono Insurance Services, The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP, Sycuan Casino, The San Diego Foundation, General Dynamics NASSCO Jeff Katz Architecture, Waitt Foundation and Port of San Diego. Media partners for the event include San Diego Magazine, Edible San Diego and Sunny 98.1 FM.
Additional sponsors and food and beverage partners continue to be added to this event. For inquires relating to participation or to donate an item to the live or silent auction, contact Jessica LaFave at jessica@thelivingcoast.org or (619) 409-5906.
About the Living Coast Discovery Center
The Living Coast Discovery Center, a 501(c) 3 educational zoo and aquarium located within the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge on Sweetwater Marsh, began operating as a non-profit in 2010 after assuming operations of the Chula Vista Nature Center. The Living Coast Discovery Center offers hands-on exhibits and up-close encounters with plant and animal species native to Southern California coastal habitats, including endangered sea turtles, sting rays, leopard sharks, jellies, shorebirds, reptiles and a large collection of raptors such as hawks, falcons, owls, American bald eagle, golden eagle, and more. More information about the Living Coast Discovery Center is available at www.thelivingcoast.org or (619) 409-5900.
