Last night I attended a fundraiser for Alleycat Acres urban-farming collective, co-sponsored by PubliCola, at Grey Gallery on Capitol Hill. The group of about a dozen volunteers has one established farm already producing food, much of which is donated to community organizations, on Beacon Hill, and is starting a second one at 22nd and Union in the Central District. They're trying to raise $4,500 to help buy tools, pay their water bills, and continue to expand.



An impressive number of folks—about 80, according to the event organizers' estimate (it looked like more to me)—turned out to support the group at last night's event, which featured raffle prizes from Full Tilt Ice Cream, the Northwest Film Forum, Babeland, Cupcake Royale, and more.

Josh and I were joined at our table by PubliCola's own Dan Bertolet and Alleycat's Ashley DeForest. The event raised more than $1,100, or about a third of Alleycat Acres' annual budget, according to founder Sean Conroe.

Afterward, I wandered over to the new Elliott Bay Bookstore—I hadn't been yet—and scanned the aisles for bargains before dashing through the rain toward the Westlake light-rail station.