Prince Charles Meets With Marin Organic Farmers

MARIN COUNTY, Calif., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ — His Royal Highness Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will visit the Point Reyes Farmer’s Market on Saturday, November 5th.  The royal visit, organized by Marin Organic, draws attention to the efforts of Marin Organic and many other organizations in Marin County working to promote and protect sustainable agriculture.

"We are working to create the first all-organic county in the nation.  A county in which residents and eaters recognize their mutual interdependence," said Helge Hellberg, executive director of Marin Organic. "The visit of His Royal Highness and his wife is such an amazing honor and confirmation that our work here is of critical importance far beyond our county line," added Hellberg.

Marin County has been an innovator in sustainable agriculture for more than 30 years and has become a model county for its agricultural efforts. Marin Organic is part of a group of several organizations and governmental agencies in Marin that work collaboratively to keep agriculture in this county alive and thriving. Marin County is home to internationally acclaimed pioneers in organic foods and farming and last November, it became one of the first counties in America to ban genetically engineered crops.

"Marin County is unique because it has some of the country’s best organic producers," said Hellberg.  Marin Organic members include such well-known names as Warren Weber of Star Route Farms, the oldest continuously certified organic farm in California; Sue Conley of Cowgirl Creamery, home of award- winning organic cheeses; and Straus Family Creamery, the first organic dairy west of the Mississippi.

Marin Organic has just released the first-ever Marin Organic Farmer Calendar, featuring some of the many faces of sustainable agriculture in Marin County. "The story of why the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are visiting Marin County is in this calendar. As a society, we have forgotten what the lives of the people who grow our food look like. This calendar really tells the story of the organic farmers in this county," said Hellberg.

For more information on Marin Organic programs, Prince Charles’ visit, Marin organic farms and calendar, call 415-663-9667, or visit www.marinorganic.org.