Talkin Business
Foodbank of Santa Barbara County chief executive Erik Talkin has published his first book, Hunger into Health, with a foreword by Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges.
The former London filmmaker, who made movies in the 1990s starring Helena Bonham-Carter and Parker Posey, worked in in a community soup kitchen for six years before heading the food bank 10 years ago.
“The book was written when my family was evacuated because of the Thomas Fire,” explains Erik. “They went to Utah in search of fresh air, and I spent my hours when we weren’t running extra food bank programs writing the book.
“Although it was written in a short space of time, it’s a distillation our adventures and innovations over the last decade.”
In the entertaining tome, Erik recounts participating in a bi-annual “food security” challenge living on food stamps for a month with an allowance of $6.23 a day, using a single gas burner and a single saucepan to “work any culinary miracles” as he tried to eke out three nutritious meals daily.
“On day 30, I was hungry, with just three apples and a fistful of kitten cookies. It serves to remind me of what people I work with have to go through.”
Erik is now working on a children’s picture book to help youngsters understand how and why some of their classmates don’t have enough to eat and what they can do to help.
Food for thought, indeed.
Horse Play
The fields are impeccably groomed, the horses are ready, and the best of the best competitors are heading to our rarefied enclave for the hotly anticipated opening of the Santa Barbara Polo Club’s 107th season on Sunday.
The season at the Engel & Volkers stadium will feature an exhilarating summer of action-packed tournaments and events at one of the most prestigious equestrian venues on the Left Coast.
It kicks off with the 12-goal series followed by the highly competitive 16-goal series in July and August, and there will be a series of youth polo tournaments throughout the summer to promote the sport to all ages.
“With the Santa Ynez mountains as our backdrop and the Pacific as our front door, the club really brings to life the polo lifestyle combined with a history that spans over a century,” says John Muse, president. “It’s going to be quite a season.”
The club is also celebrating Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 13, with a $15 bottomless mimosa deal during the championship match of the Folded Hills Pope Challenge.
I’ll drink to that.
