“Farmacology” author Daphne Miller to speak at Miners Foundry on September 13

Friday, September 13, the Nevada City Farmers Market and Miners Foundry Cultural Center present a special evening with Daphne Miller, MD, the critically acclaimed author of “Farmacology-What Innovative Family Farming can Teach us About Health and Healing” and “The Jungle Effect” with opening remarks by local doctor and author Dr. Jeff Kane.

Part clinician, part ecologist, and part anthropologist, Dr. Miller approaches medicine with the idea that opportunities for health and healing are found not only in the medical system but in such unexpected places as home kitchens, school gardens, community organizations, spiritual centers, farms, and nature trails.

‘The Nevada City Farmers Market is pleased to partner with the Miners Foundry to bring Dr. Miller to our community. In addition to her books she is the founder of Wholefamily MD, San Francisco’s first integrative primary care practice, and passionate supporter of the farming revolution which is changing the way we think about our food, our earth and our bodies,” explains Martha Meredith, Board Member of the Nevada City Farmers Market. “We are extremely fortunate that Daphne will be sharing her story and doing a book signing to support our farmers market.”

In Farmacology, Dr. Miller brings us beyond the simple concept of “food as medicine” and introduces us to the critical idea that it’s the farm where that food is grown that offers us the real medicine. By venturing out of her clinic and spending time on seven family farms, Miller uncovers all the aspects of farming—from seed choice to soil management—that have a direct and powerful impact on our health.

Bridging the traditional divide between agriculture and medicine, Miller shares lessons learned from inspiring farmers and biomedical researchers and artfully weaves their insights and discoveries, along with stories from her patients, into the narrative. Them result is a compelling new vision for sustainable healing and a treasure trove of farm-to-body lessons that have immense value in our daily lives.

Michael Pollan hailed Farmacology, “A highly original and compelling work of exploration with large implications for our understanding of health.” While Alice Waters exclaims, “Dr. Miller’s wit, compassion, and willingness to learn from the people who take care of the land make this a vibrant and important book.”

Dr. Miller received her medical degree from Harvard University and she studied medical anthropology as an undergraduate at Brown University. Now based in the Bay Area with a practice in Noe Valley, Dr. Miller is a regular contributor to the Health section of the Washington Post and has been interviewed and profiled in a wide range of publications and media outlets, including the New York Times, O Magazine, Harvard Medical Magazine, Vogue, the Michael Krasny Show and the Dr Oz Show.

Dr. Jeff Kane will open the evening and introduce Dr. Miller. Fascinated by patients’ stories, he began, in the mid-1970s, to limit his work to facilitating patient support groups. He founded the support programs at Sutter Cancer Center in Sacramento and Sierra Nevada Cancer Center in Grass Valley, where he continues to facilitate and direct psychosocial education.

“On his deathbed, germ theory co-founder Louis Pasteur said, “It’s not the germ; it’s the terrain.” That is, illness often originates from lack of sustenance. Yet we doctors often fail to recognize that, and instead only fix what seems broken. That’s like planting a flower in sand and feeding it Miracle-Gro. We’re good mechanics, be sure; we just deserve to be better gardeners. Exploring the principles of organic farming, Dr. Daphne Miller describes how healthcare can become more personal, safer, cheaper, and vastly more effective,” says Dr. Jeff Kane.

The Nevada City Farmers Market is every Saturday from June 15th to November 16th at 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, between Robinson Plaza & Union St. in historic Downtown Nevada City. The market is a community gathering of local farms and other food vendors and also features live music, art, other non-profit organizations and more.

The Mission of the Miners Foundry Cultural Center is to preserve, enhance and utilize the historic Miners Foundry for cultural, educational and social activities. The Foundry is a non-profit organization that is pleased to support the Nevada County community and other local non-profits.

KNOW & GO
What: Miners Foundry Cultural Center and Nevada City Farmers Market present author Daphne Miller, MD
When: Friday, September 13, 2013
Where: Miners Foundry Cultural Center, 325 Spring Street, Nevada City, CA 95959, Doors 6pm, Talk 7pm
Tickets: $15/Members of Nevada City Farmers Market or Miners Foundry, $18/Non-Members, available online, by phone or in person at Miners Foundry, or in person at Briar Patch Co-Op. Info: www.minersfoundry.org

In addition, food activist Michael Pollan is coming to Grass Valley in November. Details are here.

-Jesse Locks