Ableman has started food gardens at the Santa Barbara AIDS Hospice, an 11-acre farm at the Midland School, and a market garden at the Jordan Downs housing project in Watts. Working with low-income communities from LA and NYC to organizations as diverse as the Esalen Institute and the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Ableman’s work as an educator and consultant has helped to inspire numerous projects and initiatives throughout the world.  

He has traveled around the world documenting other cultures culminating in the internationally acclaimed publication of   From the Good Earth:  A Celebration of Growing Food Around the World (Abrams, 1993). 

His second book, On Good Land:  The Autobiography of an Urban Farm (Chronicle Books, 1998), is the story of his fight to preserve a piece of what was once some of the richest farmland in the world. 

His third book “Fields of Plenty; A farmer’s journey in search of real food and the people who grow it” was released in 2005.   

Ableman’s photographs have appeared in publications throughout the world and in solo exhibitions at the Oakland Museum, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and the Field Museum in Chicago.  

He lectures extensively throughout the U.S. and in Europe.  His work has been featured in National Geographic, on National Public Radio's All Things Considered, in the Utne Reader, Gourmet Magazine, and in the Los Angeles and New York Times. An award-winning film about Ableman’s work, Beyond Organic, narrated by Meryl Streep aired nationally on PBS in 2001.     

Ableman currently lives and farms on an island in British Columbia with his wife and two sons. 

Michael Ableman will present the keynote lecture at the Friday Night Forum where he will be joined on a panel by Chef Monique Jamet-Hooker and Farmer Kay Jensen.  He will speak again on Saturday in the Main Tent at the Festival.

David began working in restaurant kitchens at the age of 16 and soon realized what wonders could be created with food. He trained at the Culinary School of Kendall College (Evanston, IL), graduating in 1992. He also attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France that same year.

Upon returning to the Midwest, David worked for Don Yamauchi at Carlos’ Restaurant (Highland Park, IL) and helped them gain national exposure (“Food&Wine” magazine named Carlos’ in the Top 25 Restaurants in the Nation that year.) Next, he worked for Roland Liccioni at the famed Le Francais Restaurant (Wheeling, IL) where he started as line cook and worked his way through all stations to become sous chef under Liccioni. David was most recently chef de cuisine of Sanford Restaurant in Milwaukee.  

During David’s six year tenure at Sanford, the restaurant was voted 21 out of Gourmet’s Top 50 Restaurants in America and number one for Overall Restaurant, Service, and Desserts from the 2003 Reader’s Choice Awards in Milwaukee Magazine. Sanford received the highest rating for food (29) and service (29) from the Zagat Guide and maintained an AAA Four-Diamond Rating.  David garnered local press in 2002 for being the only chef in Milwaukee with an urban garden, which provided the restaurant with fresh produce.  In January of 2004 David had the honor of cooking at the James Beard House in New York City at a dinner entitled “The Next Generation.”  

David is the educational officer for Slow Food’s local Southeast Wisconsin convivium. He created “Braise on the Go” Traveling Culinary School in the summer of 2006 and is working toward opening Braise Restaurant.  

David will participate on the panel at the Friday Night Forum, and conduct a cooking demonstration on Saturday at the Festival

* Note:  Monique Jamet-Hooker was originally scheduled as this year's guest chef.  Due to illness, Monique was forced to cancel.  
We thank David for agreeing to participate under short notice.

The Food for Thought Festival is free and open to the public. 
Events at the Festival will include:            

Informational and interactive displays by over 60 local organizations and businesses.

The Food for Thought Recipe Contest.

Speakers and Presentations.

Cooking Demonstrations by guest chefs.

Live Music, Kid's Activities, Great Food, and More!

     Food for Thought Festival 2008