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Home Front for Sept. 28:

COMPOSTING ... Robin Mankey, co-author of Ecology Action's "Booklet 34 - Food for the Future Now" and owner of a local company, Take Root, will teach about "Composting" from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, at Common Ground, 559 College Ave., Palo Alto. Bring a 5-gallon bucket of green material, which can include grass clippings, weeds or non-meat kitchen scraps. Cost is $31. Information: 650-493-6072 or www.commongroundinpaloalto.org

HARVEST FESTIVAL ... The annual harvest festival, with a bake sale, entertainment, books, jellies and jams, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Friends Meeting House, 957 Colorado Ave., Palo Alto. Information: 650-856-0744 or www.pafm.org

INDIAN SUMMER DINNER ... Author of more than 50 cookbooks and Palo Alto resident Lou Seibert Pappas will offer "An Indian Summer Dinner" from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30, at the Gamble Garden Carriage House, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto. The class includes cooking with guidance from Pappas, followed by enjoying the meal. Cost is $55 for nonmembers, $45 for members. Information: 650-329-1356 or www.gamblegarden.org

MODERNISM DEFINED ... The 2012-13 Architecture + Design Speaker Series kicks off at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at the Los Altos Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos. The first talk in the "Modernism — Defined and Refined" series, sponsored by the Los Altos Neutra House, will be by Gregory Mottola and Karl Backus, principals in Bohlin Cywinski Jackson San Francisco, whose recent buildings include Pixar Animation Studios, Adobe Systems headquarters and Apple's flagship stores. Cost is $20 or $100 for the six-part series, $10 for students, plus $20 for a catered reception following at the Neutra House, 181 Hillview Ave., Los Altos. Information (and the complete speaker schedule): www.neutrahouse.org or King Lear at 650-941-4164 or neutra@los-altos.org.

EDIBLE DESIGNS ... Landscape Designer Maureen Decombe will teach a class on "Edible Designs for Peninsula Gardens" from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 6, in the Gamble Garden Carriage House, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto. The class includes a walk to visit some local edible gardens. Cost is $35 for nonmembers, $25 for members. Information: 650-329-1356 or www.gamblegarden.org

RESTORE HABITAT ... On the second and fourth Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., volunteers work with Acterra to restore habitat at the Pearson-Arastradero Preserve (1530 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto) and local creeks. Gloves, tools, snacks and training are provided. Tasks include removing invasive plants, collecting seeds, spreading mulch and planting native grasses. Wear long sleeves and long pants and bring a hat and reusable water bottle. Information: www.acterra.org/stewardship.