Event Details
The dream of farm life is timeless—but today’s farmers are rewriting that story in real time.
Join us for a thought-provoking evening with Jennifer Acker, author of Surrender; Andy Naja-Riese, CEO of the Agricultural Institute of Marin (AIM); and Tamara Hicks, owner of Toluma Farms & Tomales Farmstead Creamery and author of Feasts on the Farm. Together, they’ll explore the shifting landscape of farming in the Bay Area—where tradition meets innovation, and storytelling meets lived experience.
In Surrender, Acker introduces us to Lucy Richard, a woman who leaves behind a successful career in New York City to return to her family’s struggling goat farm in rural Massachusetts. What unfolds is an intimate portrait of reinvention, resilience, and the emotional and financial realities of farming life. Lucy’s journey—marked by inexperience, loss, love, and unexpected community—mirrors many of the challenges and transformations faced by farmers today.
In conversation, Jennifer, Andy, and Tamara will connect fiction to reality, unpacking the history of farming in the Bay Area and the new models shaping its future. From the rise of smaller, diversified vegetable farms to collaborative approaches like shared land, equipment, and labor, they’ll discuss how today’s farmers are reimagining sustainability—not just for the land, but for their own lives. How can farmers support one another in an industry that has long demanded everything? What does it look like to build systems that allow for rest, resilience, and even something as simple as a vacation?
They’ll also explore how our community can play a role—through supporting land conservation efforts, engaging with local food systems, and participating in experiences like farm visits, cheese trails, and hands-on learning that deepen our connection to the land and the people who steward it.
Your ticket includes:
- A dynamic conversation with Jennifer Acker, Andy Naja-Riese, and Tamara Hicks
- Delicious bites and wine, including cheeses from Toluma Farms (with more to be announced!)
- Book signing, connection, and community mingling
Option to pre-purchase a copy of Surrender. A limited number of Feasts on the Farm will also be available for purchase at the event.