Now that we are on a two week FM @Selma break, there is time and energy to slow down, focus in, reflect on these last many months and send out a huge thank you to everyone who has been part of our breakfast salon– by volunteering with food prep and service, blogging about us, helping with the hoop house builds, supporting us with wonderful fundraisers, or simply coming to share a meal with us.  We are deeply appreciative and grateful for your support.

What started out as a small idea for sharing home baked toast, tea and coffee with friends has taken on a life of it’s own.  With weekly specials ranging from eggs Benedict with hollandaise sauce to oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts, vegan blinis to home cured pancetta, Friday Mornings @Selma, nee Selma Cafe’ has served more than 3,000 plates of delicious repasts.

In addition to supporting the local food economy by sourcing our food locally and seasonally, creating affiliations among people sharing the same interests and mission around sustainable agriculture, and using the proceeds from all those thousands of breakfasts to build two hoop houses, FM @Selma has shown folks that working together on a grassroots level can make good and important things successfully come to fruition.

People routinely ask Jeff and me, “how do you DO this every week??” Our answer is always the same.  “We don’t do this alone!!”  Without the consistent and energetic support from our volunteers, FM @Selma could not continue.

First, massive thanks to Susie Baity Stearns who stepped up months ago and took on a huge organizational role, including facilitating volunteers for prep night and Friday morning service, supporting the chefs in menus and food decisions, and creating protocols for training volunteers, all while making her multi-tasking look easy.  Garin Fons, Olivia May, Remi Holden,  Nevon Clark, Evan Dayringer, Brad Wicklund and Riva Jewell Vitale are just a few of the many regular volunteers who keep the wheels smoothly turning.  JD Deucher-Rubin, who at 12 years old is our youngest volunteer, is enthusiastic, hard working and a lot of fun.  He certainly gives me hope about the next generation’s interest in healthy local food, and taking care of community.

Next, a big, big thank you to our chefs who have creatively approached the challenge of FM @Selma with grace and ease, coming up with delicious breakfast specials that amaze and satisfy.  Thank you Max and Ari Sussman, Scott Macinnis, Silvio Medoro,  Oliva May, Elizabeth Edwards, Jeremy Lopatin, John Roos, Dan Vernia, Emil and Monica Bosh, Eve Aranoff, Bad Fairy and Wonder Woman, Sylvia from Pilar’s Tamales, Heather Leavitt and Roberto (Beto) Dominguez, Eric and Ines Storhok, Tammy Coxen, Brian Steinberg, Aren Stebby, and Linda Diane Feldt.  Please let me know if I’ve forgotten anyone!

It’s difficult to write a thank you post and realize that I can’t name every person who has shown up in our kitchen to help out over the last 10 months.  It’s been more than 8 weeks since my last post, and my system for keeping track of who has volunteered fell apart when my mom’s health started to decline and I was back and forth to Los Angeles.   Since my mom’s death, and my dad coming to live with us, I haven’t had the time or energy to pull all the names together.  My lack of time and organization is no reflection on the appreciation and heart felt gratitude that Jeff and I both feel about the community interest and support of both FM @Selma and our Repasts, Present and Future goals and mission.

Please, if you have volunteered in any capacity, or want to mention others who have helped out, join in the thanks in the comment section of the blog, or pop me a message and I will add them myself!

FM @Selma is ready to start up again in the new year Friday next–Jan. 8, 2010, with Dan Varnia from Mind Body & Spirits as our guest chef.  We are very excited to have Dan back again,  but we still need volunteers to sign up and make it all happen smoothly.  Whether you are an old hand volunteer or a newbie, we would really appreciate your help!

Wishing you all the best in the new year, and we’re looking forward to seeing you in our kitchen soon,

Lisa