Greetings from Fred Earl

Hello everyone, I am glad that I had the opportunity to come to Rimini Italy to experience San Patrignano, Squisito. It has been a life changing experience. The people here have welcomed me with love. I have been able to share with many about Rubicon bakery.
I hope that I can let go of the excitement by Monday so that I could return to you all. There is lots of food and entertainment. I’m so excited. See you all soon with lots of pictures and stories to share.
Fred Earl

Hello Team- Cassandra McElveen

Hello team, just wanted to let you hear a little about what I have experienced here. The food is great. The people are amazing. I’ve have a chance to see team work, in full force, on a different and unbelievable level.
There are other organizations here that have also been very impressive. I can’t wait to share with you. Last, but not the least. They have two hour lunch, imagine that in the Bay Area. See you all soon.
Cassandra McElveen

A bakery with prisoners as the bakers

In Italy, the award winning bakery Rebus works with felons both during and post incarceration as the workforce. They have heard of Rubicon and are eager to meet with us on Saturday to share stories about the work.

We are amazed by the similar work being done round the world and by the awareness of our work and the interest in what we do.

We are in awe of what is possible, and the very large number of simpatico organizations both small and large using business as a direct way to address poverty, drug abuse, and the "abandoned" of the world. We are in good company here at the "good food" arena and are proud to be one with our international colleagues.

More about San Patrignano

The more we see, the more we realize how amazing this place is. In addition to hosting Italy’s leading food festival, Squisito, which this year is highlighting social programs that use food to address inequity (thus Rubicon’s presence), the San Patrignano community runs multiple high quality businesses:

• There is a dairy farm on premises which make several award winning cheeses
• There is a carpentry business that manufactures high end cabinets primarily used to outfit yachts
• There is a winery which produces numerous varietals that are shipped internationally
• There is wrought iron foundry which creates both sculptural and architectural products
• There is a horse breeding farm which raises and trains horses for international horse jumping competitions. Last year their team won a world championship. There is an enormous jumping course on the campus that is the site of a major annual competition
• There is the leading private hospital for the whole district which specializes in HIV/AIDS services. Originally created for the residents who were former IV drug users who became diagnosed in the 1980’s in the early days of the epidemic, it has become the treatment center of choice for the community at large because of the high quality of care
• All the energy for the entire community is created at the co-generation plant which runs on the methane created by the farms and waste water treatment plan.
  

All of this is done by a non governmental organization supported by its own businesses and donations with no government support at all!

Rubicon in Afghanistan?

The booth next to Rubicon’s here at the amazing Squisito conference in San Patrignano is run by an Afghani organization that produces and promotes saffron grown in Afghanistan as an alternative to opium. Turns out that high quality, organic saffron on the international market brings a better price than opium. What they need is access to international markets with their product.

We are amazed by their creativity and bravery, but they want us to set up a Rubicon in Afghanistan. “We saw your CNN documentary and we know that the kinds of people you serve at Rubicon are very similar to the dispossessed, unemployed in Afghanistan,” they said. "If you could bring your credibility, knowledge and resources you would have a big impact on so many people”.

And we thought our strategic plan to expand geographically might mean the South Bay…