Ted Turner at Earth Day festival

Eat, Drink & Be Green: Don't worry: We're not talking about green beer. We're talking about Green Valley and the upcoming Celebrate Earth Day with Green Valley, taking place at Iron Horse Vineyards on Sunday, April 17, from noon to 4 p.m.

If you want to join in, you should get your tickets right away. An official announcement of the event went out earlier this week and half the $300 tickets for the VIP portion of the event, which is limited to 100 guests, are already gone. General admission tickets, $65, are selling, too.

This year's featured speaker is Ted Turner, who will explore his version of the future in a conversation with Boyd Matson of National Geographic Magazine.

A curated art exhibit explores “Vintage Future: What the Future Used to Look Like,” which suggests you may want to don your finest Mad Men or Jetsons attire.

A food and wine tasting will showcase the chardonnays and pinot noirs of Green Valley, with De Loach Vineyards, Dutton-Goldfield Winery, Freeman Vineyard & Winery, Hartford Family Winery, Marimar Estate, Sequana Vineyards and, of course, Iron Horse Vineyards all participating.

A highlight of the day's edibles will be grill bison filet — Turner has over 50,000 head of bison at his ranch — along with local produce, cheeses and breads. There will be a tasting of “future foods” and some delicious chocolates.

For more information and to secure your spot, contact Joy Sterling at 887-1507 or email joy@ironhorsevineyards.com. You can also send a check to The Green Valley Foundation, c/o Iron Horse Vineyards, 9786 Ross Station Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472.

Proceeds from the event will benefit The Captain Planet Foundation, founded by Ted Turner in 1991. The organization supports hands-on environmental education projects designed to empower young people around the world.

Happy Birthday, Nonesuch School
Nonesuch School is hosting a 40th anniversary celebration this Saturday at the Sebastopol Masonic Center (373 North Main St.) from 5:30 until 11 p.m.

The evening includes a special performance by David and Tracy Grisman.

Under The Radar with Kevin Russell, a band we like a lot, will join in the fun, too, as will Kate Price on hammer dulcimer and vocals and Jeff Martin on bass.

A full polenta dinner, featuring chicken or with mushrooms and tofu, prepared by chef Sheldon Murphy will be available throughout the evening.

A silent auction includes a one-day sailing cruises on the San Francisco Bay, jewelry, a day on a yacht, a variety of services, cookbooks and scores of other items.

Admission is $20 in advance. Tickets are available at People's Music in Sebastopol and The Last Record Store in Santa Rosa. At the door, the price is $25. Dinner is $10 and a variety of beverages, including local wines and beer from Lagunitas Brewing Co. will be available for purchase.

For more information about Nonesuch School, one of Sonoma County's treasures, visit nonesuchschool.org.

More Fun at the French Garden Restaurant
If you're as impatient as we are waiting for the Sebastopol Farmers Market to open on April 3, you might want to stop by the French Garden Restaurant (8050 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol) between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sundays, when freshly-harvested produce from the restaurant's nearby farm is available. Last Sunday the market included some of the best lettuces we've seen in months, along with gorgeous leeks, many types of micro-herbs and much more.

This Sunday evening, the restaurant is hosting a winemaker dinner with John Balletto of Balletto Vineyards. The evening gets underway with a reception with the winemakers at 6:00 p.m.

Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. A first course of pan-seared scallops with chickweed, blood orange, prosciutto and truffle vinaigrette is paired with 2008 Pinot Gris; next comes 2007 Estate Pinot Noir with rabbit sausage, cranberry-wine sauce, fried shallots and pistachios. A third course features trout wrapped in potato and served alongside sauerkraut with ginger beurre blanc and a pea shoot salad served with 2007 Gewurztraminer. Following the trout, it's wild boar with Italian plums, a confit of vegetables and sage paired with 2006 Syrah.

For dessert, chef Patrick Quillec is pairing 2007 Zinfandel with chocolate soup, whipped creme fraiche and St. Andre panini.

Cost is $65 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are essential; call 824-2030.

Tonight, Sara Winge and Bart Hopkin offer an evening of eclectic music in the bar from 7 to 10 p.m. Admission is free. When Da Puna Bruddahs played last Saturday night, the bar and lounge areas were packed by 7 p.m. and there was a standing-room-only crowd all night.

Party on the Slab
Next Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m., Tierra Vegetables is hosting a celebration of the concrete slab where the historic White Barn, which was purchased, dissembled and moved to the farm, late last year will be rebuilt.

Chef Mateo Granados will be cooking a family-style feast using the farm's produce, polenta and chicken. There will be a vegetarian option, too.

Although it was not confirmed as of press time, the marvelous Hubbub Club is expected to play at the party so expect a joyful ruckus as well as great food.

Cost is $40 per person and all proceeds go towards the reconstruction of the barn.

If you want to attend, email evie@tierravegetables, though if you decide at the last minute, no worries, just stop by and you'll be welcomed. The farm is located at 651 Airport Blvd., just east of Highway 101.

Flowers, Gardens, Bugs & More
The San Francisco Flower & Garden Show opens next Wednesday and continues through Sunday at the San Mateo Event Center.

This year, Sonoma County is well represented at the popular show.

Anna Riordan and Randy Shadrick of Outdoor Environments Landscape Construction is creating a 700 square foot environment featuring walled gardens, hardwood decks and a blue stone walkway planted with thyme, citrus and many bird-friendly plants.

Terra Botanica Landscape of Petaluma is also participating.

On Sunday at noon, Frederique Lavoipierre, founder of Insectapalooza, makes a hands-on presentation about garden allies entitled “The Backyard Jungle.” Although her presentation takes place on the Sprout Stage, where children's entertainment is offered throughout the show, it should be of interest to anyone who wants a healthy thriving garden. Plus, her bugs are just plain interesting and her depth of knowledge utterly fascinating. She will also have a garden allies display at the Pacific Horticulture booth for the duration of the show.

This year's show features a 6000 square foot edible garden and there will cooking demonstrations by a number of Bay Area chefs and cooks.

For a complete schedule of seminars, demonstrations, prices and directions, visit sfgardenshow.com. Admission ranges from $15 for a half-day to $25 for an all-show pass. Children 16 and under are admitted free.

Michele Anna Jordan hosts “Mouthful” each Sunday at 7 p.m. on KRCB 90.9 & 91.1 FM. E-mail Jordan at michele@micheleannajordan.com. You'll find her blog, “Eat This Now,” at pantry.