Publisher's Note
There is a lot about the future that is unknown and a bit scary. We are all dealing with the uncertainty of climate change, political upheaval, and personal and family health issues. These worries swing the future into question. But even amidst emotional fears and apprehension, there are always those who are dreaming about new ways to do things.
This past November we lost farming elder, Stephen Decater of Live Power Farm, who along with his wife, Gloria, placed their farm in one of the first agricultural preservation easements so that future generations may also use the land to grow food. In Stephen’s absence, Gloria and her family will guide the farm into a new chapter, into the unknown.
Another loss occurred just this past March with the passing of Sally Schmitt, co-founder of the French Laundry and largely unsung torchbearer within the world of California cuisine. Her granddaughter, Polly, reflects on Sally’s legacy (p 19), and how her unique style of leadership in the kitchen and in the family inspired subsequent generations to pursue their own creative callings with discipline and confidence.
Filigreen Farm is not only growing biodynamic blueberries and so much more, but doing so on land that is now preserved into perpetuity. The Anderson Valley Land Trust (p 41) is an organization which is actively planning for what’s ahead. They are hosting a symposium to create a shared vision for homes, jobs, and livelihood for the generations still to come.
There are so many creative ways to envision a future where we trust and rely on each other more. When we plan a future that involves strengthening our community ties and therefore our local resilience, we all benefit. I get inspired when I hear about how the folks at Fortunate Farm (p 38) are experimenting with radical trust, allowing their self-serve “honor stand” to run itself while staff work the fields and grow the food. I got a kick out of learning how educator and business owner Jane Wolfe (p 35) has leveraged her family’s po’ boy shop in New Orleans to increase literacy, and how former media executive Ron King began a new life chapter by starting a donkey rescue nonprofit (p 11) outside of Hopland! The combination of compassion and creativity gives me hope.
So while I may have my moments of concern about what is out beyond the horizon, I am equally buoyed and inspired by the creative dream being manifested by these visionaries. They are literally crafting a new way of imagining the future.
Warmly,
Holly Madrigal,
Publisher
The Scent of Summer
Lavender at Running Springs Ranch
Deep in the interior of Mendocino County, the road winds through oak woodlands. Off onto a dirt lane, deer scatter, and past the golden hills rises a violet expanse—a hillside of lavender at Running Springs Ranch. Humming with pollinating bees, if the wind shifts you may be awash in the smell—not too sweet but distinctive, intoxicating, an aroma of the Mediterranean that reduces stress and invigorates the senses.
Running Springs Ranch welcomes visitors, so if you want to experience the enlivening atmosphere where lavender and crystals combine, plan a stay at this unique place in the rugged hills of Mendocino County, where Steffny, Alan and Nick grow organic lavender in the presence of Azeztulite crystals. They harvest this special lavender, grown at 2300’ elevation, and distill it into the highest quality essential oils and hydrosols. Only two ingredients are used in their distillation: lavender and mountain spring water.
Historically, lavender has had many uses as a healing aromatic and as a culinary ingredient like the lavender honey in the recipe below. Try it. We think it is a perfect nibble for a summer evening as the cooling temperature revives appetites held back by the day’s heat.anakopita with leeks instead of spinach.” So, I looked it up and discovered Prasopita–praso, meaning leek, and pita, meaning pie. This preparation will give you time to gaze at the beauty of this humble vegetable.
Goat Cheese Croquettes with Lavender Honey
Ingredients
4 oz fresh goat cheese (chèvre)
1 large egg, beaten
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
4 Tbsp panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1/4 c raw clover honey
6 heads fresh lavender flowers (or 1 tsp dried lavender flowers)
Peanut or vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Make the lavender honey by warming the honey over low heat in a small saucepan. Stir in the lavender and then take off the heat. Cover and leave it alone for at least one full day.
Warm the honey again over low heat until it is runny. Strain through a wire sieve into a clean container, then let it cool. You’ll have more than you need for this recipe, so you can store the excess in the refrigerator for up to six months.
To prepare the croquettes, divide the goat cheese into eight equal ½ ounce servings. Roll each into a ball with your hands (about 3/4 inch in diameter), then roll each individually in flour.
Dip the floured ball into beaten egg, making sure it is evenly coated. Next, cover the coated ball completely in panko. Chef’s note: using a fork to maneuver the cheese around helps. Place the coated ball onto a plate, and continue with the other balls in the same manner. Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill.
Add about 3/4 inch of peanut or vegetable oil to a cast-iron skillet and heat over medium-high. Gently place the chilled croquettes into the oil and fry about 1 minute per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Allow them to cool somewhat before drizzling a tablespoon of the lavender honey over them.
Garnish with lavender petals and serve while still warm.
More information about Running Springs Ranch can be found at: RunningSpringsRanch.com
Patrona Restaurant & Lounge
Sharing How Delicious Life Can Be
by Holly Madrigal
Patrona sits on a shady corner spot in Ukiah’s bustling downtown. The neighborhood has become a hub for quality, casual-fine dining, and Patrona may have been the first to provide this specific seasonal taste of place. Guided by what they loved to grow in their own gardens, and by the flavors they found there, “taste Mendocino” became a mantra. Now celebrating their 18th year in business, this unique gem has long been a local treasure.
“When Patrona opened in 2004, we wanted to make a restaurant that was a communal table, a community space, and a place where people could taste Mendocino County,” said Bridget. “We were both chefs at wineries with big gardens. There was something so wonderful about demonstrating to people, through food and local wine pairings, where they were—a sensual experience of this land, this place. This is what this place tastes like. The connection that people make when they are able to actually experience the fruits of the land on which they are standing makes people so happy, it’s invigorating.”
Building on her experience from ten years working with Fetzer Vineyards and Bonterra Vineyards, and Craig’s many years as Executive Chef with Chalk Hill Winery, the pair took the plunge and opened a restaurant where they could build on their experiences to realize this vision for Ukiah. But they were committed to making Patrona an everyday restaurant, not too exclusive. They wanted to make food they would like to eat and serve to family and friends. From the beginning, Patrona was meant to be a reflection of their own home table extended to the community.
Working with local wine expert Colleen Stewart, the team seeks to discover and share appreciation for the many excellent wines found here. Colleen hosts the restaurant in the evenings and is always eager to help diners discover an exciting wine that they may not have known about.
The “fresh is best” approach to their dining experience is also evident in their vibrant cocktails, where lime, lemon, orange, and grapefruit are juiced by hand each day, and all bitters and infusions, such as cucumber vodka, habañero tequila, and beet gin, are made in house. “We would love to start doing Sunday afternoon classes to learn about how to taste or pair wine with foods and create fabulous cocktails. It could be casual, where we are guides on how to explore your palate,” added Bridget.
Bridget laughed when asked about how they survived the pandemic as a local business. “These have truly been the hardest two years, pivoting, recreating everything that we do, trying to find ways to make it work. Our staff are truly our family, and we all pulled together. First, we were closed for a couple of months, then we were outdoor only, then partly indoor with partitions.” She noted, “Both the city and ABC were very flexible and worked with us to make things happen. What we learned was how important it was to work together.”
Patrona sits on a shady corner spot in Ukiah’s bustling downtown. The neighborhood has become a hub for quality, casual-fine dining, and Patrona may have been the first to provide this specific seasonal taste of place. Guided by what they loved to grow in their own gardens, and by the flavors they found there, “taste Mendocino” became a mantra. Now celebrating their 18th year in business, this unique gem has long been a local treasure.
“When Patrona opened in 2004, we wanted to make a restaurant that was a communal table, a community space, and a place where people could taste Mendocino County,” said Bridget. “We were both chefs at wineries with big gardens. There was something so wonderful about demonstrating to people, through food and local wine pairings, where they were—a sensual experience of this land, this place. This is what this place tastes like. The connection that people make when they are able to actually experience the fruits of the land on which they are standing makes people so happy, it’s invigorating.”
Building on her experience from ten years working with Fetzer Vineyards and Bonterra Vineyards, and Craig’s many years as Executive Chef with Chalk Hill Winery, the pair took the plunge and opened a restaurant where they could build on their experiences to realize this vision for Ukiah. But they were committed to making Patrona an everyday restaurant, not too exclusive. They wanted to make food they would like to eat and serve to family and friends. From the beginning, Patrona was meant to be a reflection of their own home table extended to the community.
Working with local wine expert Colleen Stewart, the team seeks to discover and share appreciation for the many excellent wines found here. Colleen hosts the restaurant in the evenings and is always eager to help diners discover an exciting wine that they may not have known about.
The “fresh is best” approach to their dining experience is also evident in their vibrant cocktails, where lime, lemon, orange, and grapefruit are juiced by hand each day, and all bitters and infusions, such as cucumber vodka, habañero tequila, and beet gin, are made in house. “We would love to start doing Sunday afternoon classes to learn about how to taste or pair wine with foods and create fabulous cocktails. It could be casual, where we are guides on how to explore your palate,” added Bridget.
Bridget laughed when asked about how they survived the pandemic as a local business. “These have truly been the hardest two years, pivoting, recreating everything that we do, trying to find ways to make it work. Our staff are truly our family, and we all pulled together. First, we were closed for a couple of months, then we were outdoor only, then partly indoor with partitions.” She noted, “Both the city and ABC were very flexible and worked with us to make things happen. What we learned was how important it was to work together.”
Bridget said the staff went above and beyond, which helped them make it through. After the closure, some of the staff moved on, but many returned once it was safe to do so. Bridget reflected, “We do everything we can to make it work for our crew. It has always been what we have done, but now it’s even more clear. Making sure our employees have good wages and flexibility with family life is important, and so is keeping prices accessible. We want to create this excellent food that our customers can afford to enjoy.”
The restaurant has had some difficulty resuming pre-pandemic hours of operation with continued staff shortages, but they have been slowly building back. They are now open seven days a week, having recently launched an all-day Happy Hour on Sundays and Mondays with a shortened schedule, modified menu, and excellent drinks from 12 - 6pm. The rest of the week they have the full complement of dishes, wine, and cocktails, serving both lunch and dinner.
Bridget and Craig have worked hard to provide a menu full of fresh produce from local farms, ranches, and waters, all at a price point that allows for many to enjoy. Burgers any way you like them, including the Hibachi Burger—a ginger and garlic infused John Ford Ranch beef with grilled smoky sweet pineapple and sesame slaw. Salads are centered around gorgeous New Agrarian Collective lettuces. Noyo Harbor Cod is featured in the legendary Fish and Chips and Orange Chili Cod dishes, and there’s even the vegan Beatrice Bowl of creamy white beans, rice, kale, and avocado in a rich romesco sauce. “We don’t only want to be a date night restaurant, but a casual neighborhood place where you can come with your family or meet up with your friends and have a meal that nurtures your soul,” Bridget explained.
The couple makes sure to put their energy into supporting our local food system. The Patrona menu proudly names the farms which they support, and the restaurant has hosted many “Meet the Farmer” nights, where a meal was prepared using fresh-from-the-farm produce, eaten with the people who grew it. They have also hosted a number of fundraisers for the Gardens Project, a program of NCO which encourages creation of community gardens at senior centers and apartments around town. Bridget is now focused on helping the Good Farm Fund (GFF), a group that provides mini grants to directly support small farmers. Bridget serves on the Steering Committee to help guide the GFF program, and she utilizes the restaurant to connect diners to where their food comes from.
Bridget and Craig work hard to balance their lives at the restaurant with their role as parents of two. Bridget said, “From the beginning, we wanted to create a physical space where people can come together and enjoy life, showing people how much there is to enjoy. We have so much to be grateful for. There is so much to eat just outside your door, in your garden, or in the forest.” When asked what foods excite her at the moment, she mentioned tender dandelion and spring miner’s lettuce she finds while out on strolls. She mused, “Even as I realize how far there is to go, how complex the world is, life is so amazing right in front of us. We want to share a bit of that here at Patrona.”
Patrona Restaurant & Lounge
130 West Standley Street, Ukiah
(707) 462-9181 | PatronaRestaurant.com
Open Sunday & Monday, 12:00pm - 6:00pm
Happy Hour all day, limited menu
Tuesday - Saturday, 11:30am - 9:00pm
Holly Madrigal is a Mendocino County maven who loves to share the delights of our region. She’s fortunate to enjoy her meaningful work as the director of the Leadership Mendocino program and takes great joy in publishing this magazine.
Who’s Rescuing Whom?
The Oscar’s Place Donkey Sanctuary is a Fresh Start for All Involved
by Lisa Ludwigsen
Anyone familiar with donkeys will tell you that, despite their obviously similar appearance to horses, a donkey’s demeanor is closer to that of a dog. Think a big, friendly, 1,000-pound dog.
Visiting the donkeys at Oscar’s Place Donkey Sanctuary in Hopland reinforces that comparison. Just like dogs, when a guest arrives, some of the donkeys make a beeline to see who the visitor is. Others hang back for a while, but they are all curious, aware, and interested. And they are utterly charming as they seek out a pat, a scratch behind the ears, or even a hug.
When a 1,000-pound animal snuggles up for a gentle hug, the effect is transformative. The day’s stress and worry fade away. Time slows down. The experience is delightful and genuinely heartwarming. Donkeys are the ultimate therapy animals.
Except for some telltale hide marks from their time at a kill lot, a visitor would never guess that these gentle animals have been rescued from dire circumstances. Most were purchased at an auction, on their way to slaughter. They arrive at Oscar’s Place, after two weeks of quarantine and medical checkups, in various states of trauma. Once they are rehabilitated and healthy, they are available for adoption to loving homes.
The man behind this ambitious, heartfelt, 15-month-old project is Ron King, a former media executive with 20 years’ experience in the media and fashion worlds. Like many people with second or third career acts, Ron’s path to his current work was circuitous, a matter of timing and opportunity that led him to a place he least expected.
In 2019, Ron found himself at a crossroads. Between jobs and newly single, Ron was offered a job overseeing the sale of a sprawling, elegant 75-acre estate owned by his friend, Phil Selway. While temporarily living on the property, Ron happened upon a TikTok video of donkeys at a kill lot in Texas. The video led him to an article in The Guardian detailing how the use of donkey hides in traditional Chinese medicine is decimating the global donkey population. The medicine, called ejaoi, is used to treat anemia, insomnia, bleeding, and dizziness. It is so popular that five million donkey hides a year are needed to keep up with demand. At that rate, donkeys would be wiped out within five years. Taking a big leap into the unknown, Ron proposed to his friend, Phil, that they keep the Hopland property and turn it into a donkey sanctuary.
Fifteen months later, Ron oversees not only the growing donkey population at Oscar’s Place—23 foals will be born this spring, adding to the 95 adult donkeys—but also a burgeoning media conglomerate. A reality TV pilot has been completed, multiple national media outlets have covered the story, and Ron co-hosts a podcast. This important exposure helps illuminate the plight of donkeys, as well as raise awareness of the work of Oscar’s Place. As one might imagine, operating expenses are significant for a growing animal sanctuary, and Ron is always seeking donations and sponsorships.
Though the sanctuary isn’t open to the public, volunteers are a crucial component of the operation. “At the beginning, we asked volunteers to help with ranch chores,” shared Ron. “Now we ask them to spend their time just loving on the donkeys.” That socialization is an important aspect of their rehabilitation. When they arrive, many of the donkeys need to relearn trust in humans. Tammy Bishop travels each week from Whitter Springs in Lake County to spend time brushing and socializing with the animals. “I knew I wanted to help out at a donkey rescue and just love spending time with them,” she said with a smile, while stroking a donkey.
The goal of Oscar’s Place is to rehome their rescued donkeys (to date, 31 have found homes), but Ron strictly adheres to his three-part agreement with the adopters: the donkeys will be safe and happy for the rest of their lives; they will not be working animals; and bonded pairs will not be separated. They are allowed to be used as livestock protection, a traditional use for working donkeys, but only as a secondary task. They must first be a pet. To that end, the adoption process is comprehensive and doesn’t happen quickly. Many adoption requests are denied. Other donkey rescue operations are less stringent in their requirements, but Ron stands firm in his commitment to the animals under his care.
At its core, Ron’s personal mission is to keep moving toward connection of all kinds while making the world a better place. ”After a very full life, I am now able to differentiate between things I enjoy and things that bring me joy,” he shared. “I enjoyed beautiful clothing, fancy cars, and international travel, but taking care of donkeys actually brings me a lot of joy.” As he moves through the corral, sharing loving affection for each donkey and calling them by name, it’s clear that Ron has found his joy. And it appears the donkeys have, too.
If you would like to support Oscar’s Place, become a volunteer, or learn more about donkey rescue, visit OscarsPlace.org.
Lisa Ludwigsen is a writer and marketer working with food, farms, and family small businesses throughout Northern California. She has worked in organic agriculture, natural foods, and environmental education for over 20 years.
Soothing the Divine Itch
A Natural Remedy for Poison Oak
by Lisa Ludwigsen
It’s safe to say that anyone enjoying Northern California’s inspiring natural world is in proximity to poison oak. It can be a tricky and seductively beautiful plant. And some of us are sadly familiar with the divine itch that comes from poison oak contact. Accepting the fact that we must resist the urge to scratch that itch turns some people into philosophers; it can drive others to the brink of insanity. Patiently waiting for the rash to move through the stages of emerging irritation to gooey mess to finally fully healed is a great equalizer. Time heals all, as they say. It just takes a while.
The cause of the rash is an oil, urushiol, which coats all parts of the plant—leaves, stems, and fruit. In its summer glory, proudly sporting shiny, multicolored leaves on woody stems, poison oak easily blends with similar native plants like blackberries, scrub oak, wild rose, Virginia creeper, and wild grape. In winter, the delicate white berries hang on bare branches and beg to be included in a winter kitchen table flower bouquet. In poison oak country, always proceed with caution and know your plants!
The best way to avoid poison oak is to learn to identify the deciduous woody shrub, which looks distinctly different in each season. Poison oak usually has three ovate (egg-shaped) leaflets grouped together along the woody stem. Remember “Leaves of three, let it be” as good guidance for avoiding accidental contact.
Over-the-counter anti-itch remedies range from steroid creams to calamine lotion and oat baths. I’ve tried them all. My stubborn insistence on walking off-trail over the years has landed me in lots of trouble with poison oak. Thankfully, there are also products like Tecnu that will remove the oil before a rash breaks out, if you think you might have been exposed.
Not surprisingly, a few local native plants make very good treatments to reduce itching and dry out the rash of mild cases of poison oak. They include manzanita bark, mugwort, gumweed, jewelweed, and horsetail. You can easily have these plants on hand—they often grow near by poison oak, or can be found at your local co-op—and they can be used in various preparations (tinctures, decoctions, balms) in case that divine itch starts calling your name.
Mugwort & Horsetail Wash for Poison Oak
First, make a strong decoction of equal parts mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) and horsetail (Equisetum arvense), adjusting the recipe below for the quantity desired. A decoction is a strong tea where the plant matter is simmered in water, then cooled and strained, as described below.
In a small pot, measure 2 Tbsp dried herbs—or 4 Tbsp fresh herbs—to 1 pint cold water.
Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Cool, then strain, pressing all liquid from plant matter.
Mix final decoction volume with equal parts witch hazel. If it is well strained, pour into a spray bottle and spray on affected areas. If the wash has sediment, either pour over affected area or apply with clean cloth or saturated sponge.
Store remaining wash in the refrigerator. The coolness will only add to the relief!
A Bit About the Plants
Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) can be found near streambeds or moist areas in elevations below 6,000’. It grows up to four feet tall and has leaves divided into three lobes. The telltale feature is that mugwort leaves are dark green above, and a grayish green below. It has a minty, sage smell.
Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) grows in moist to wet places. Its growth is straight and up to four feet tall. The stalks are composed of small segments that feel rough, which is due to the silica in the plant.
It’s easy to disdain poison oak, but it holds an important place in the natural world, where it has evolved with humans. Many years ago, while attending a workshop on the coast, I was complaining bitterly about how poison oak caused me such misery. A local Native American woman looked at me with kindness and said, “Poison oak occurs in disturbed areas, so it really is a protector of the forest. It keeps people out so the land can heal.” I realized then that I am in a relationship with this plant, and that it’s my job to be respectful and aware. When I forget, the plant is there, once again, to remind me.
Photo credit, p15 by James Whitney courtesy of Unsplash.
Mugwort photo courtesy of Lisa Ludwigsen. Horsetail photo by botany08, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.
Lisa Ludwigsen is a writer and marketer working with food, farms, and family small businesses throughout Northern California. She has worked in organic agriculture, natural foods, and environmental education for over 20 years.
Living the Legacy
Sally Schmitt’s Granddaughter Reflects on Lessons Learned
by Polly Bates
When I was little, every so often I and my younger sister, Rita, would venture “up front” to our grandparents’ house at the entrance to The Apple Farm for a sleepover. We would push the couches together to make a giant nest to play and eventually sleep in, and challenge Grandma Sally to never-ending rounds of fast-paced card games. She usually destroyed us. Later on, as Grandpa Don prepared apple juice spritzers (we were still too young for wine coolers), we would help Grandma as she indulged our young, simple palates by making what we lovingly called “Creetzas.” This delicacy consisted of stone ground crackers with our favorite Jack cheese from Lemon’s Market melted on top, as if it were a pizza. Simple. Local. Delicious. I’m sure they ate something else for dinner themselves, but the Creetzas stand out for me because, in retrospect, it’s hilarious that our renowned gourmet chef of a grandmother would make such a thing. Yet, it’s also telling because I would still describe her food in the same way—simple, local, and as fresh as possible.
My grandparents first made their mark on the food world in Yountville, Napa Valley, where they managed the Vintage 1870 building. It started as a “shopping arcade” that featured handpicked local artists and supported many first-time business owners, but it soon expanded to include my grandmother’s cafe and later her restaurant, The Chutney Kitchen. Sally’s food became very popular, and eventually they purchased an old building where she could create a restaurant that truly reflected her vision—the celebrated French Laundry. I don’t remember much from those days besides running around the gardens, trying to ride in the dumbwaiter, and playing with my grandpa’s orange slice boats in their hot tub when we visited. Yet, even at that age, I had a sense that the community they were cultivating and the food experience they offered were a special endeavor that would influence the trajectory of many lives.
In 1984, my grandparents purchased The Apple Farm in Philo, an old, rather run-down 32-acre farm, as a place to eventually retire. They asked my parents, Karen and Tim Bates, if they would like to try their hand at farming apples. So my parents moved to the property with my two older siblings, and have since spent nearly 40 years reviving the original orchard and adding almost 80 heirloom apple varieties to it. They became pioneers in organic and biodynamic farming, and soon I, and later my sister Rita, joined the pack of kids running around the orchard.
When my grandparents finally moved to the farm in 1993, the welcoming spirit that had surrounded The French Laundry came with them. They built a commercial kitchen, four guest rooms, and a home for themselves off the end of the old barn. From the moment it was built, the “big kitchen,” as we called it, was always overflowing with some tantalizing smell. No one on the property could stay away for long. Once you came near, you would inevitably get roped into some task: sifting flour for baking, cracking apricot pits to extract the kernel for jam, or washing the never-ending dishes. We didn’t mind, though. We wanted to be around whatever magic Sally was cooking up in there. It was like we all floated around the edges, putting little pieces of the puzzle together, which she would eventually gather up and fit into the frame she’d made. The final result would always be a delicious creation of such beauty and delight. I remember our family always saying, “Some people eat to live, but we live to eat.”
As a teenager, I spent many nights helping my mother and grandmother execute the cooking lessons we offered out of that kitchen. Those lessons allowed my grandmother to continue sharing her love of cooking and food philosophy with our guests without the daily demands of running a restaurant. I didn’t always love being there, cleaning up the mess of a bunch of adult strangers, but now I wish I’d paid more attention to all the little culinary details that were imparted. Luckily, I still managed to learn a lot “by osmosis,” as my mom says. Sally had a stern but gentle way of teaching. Mistakes were quickly corrected, but there were always more opportunities to try again and get it right in her kitchens. I now know, though, that the most important lessons I learned from her were not actually about food at all.
A legacy cannot be established in just one generation. It is a build-up of small acts of love over time. Sometimes we don’t even realize what we are part of until someone from the outside helps us see it with fresh eyes.
A few years ago I was working as a mentor at an arts-based youth camp in Oregon, when Sola, one of the program facilitators, asked how I’d arrived at this work. I didn’t have a clear answer at first, but my family’s farm came up, as well as the fact that everyone on my mother’s side was some sort of creative entrepreneur. I knew that I was, too, but my calling to the performance arts had always felt like it didn’t quite fit—like it was too sparkly and urban to be put in the same category as running a small farm, restaurant, flower business, or arts and crafts furniture company. My work friend wanted to know, “Where did that entrepreneurial spirit come from? None of those are easy things to do, so surely there was some encouragement or support coming from somewhere?”
My mind immediately jumped to a conversation I’d had with my Aunt Kathy and my Uncle Bill. I was trying to help my Grandmother Sally with her cookbook memoir project—a brilliant but often overwhelming undertaking instigated by my cousin Byron on Sally’s 80th birthday. It had become a little stagnant due to busy lives and the recent passing of my dear Grandfather Don. I had some time on my hands and thought I would take a crack at trying to help keep the project moving forward. Byron and his brother, Troyce, had already taken a ton of beautiful photos and laid out the design, and my grandmother had written a lot, but it needed more structure. My enthusiasm about the project reignited Sally’s excitement, and I took a heavy box of manuscripts home to sort through them.
In reading the manuscripts, I realized that Grandma Sally was so humble that it would be hard to convey the true impact of her life through her words alone. Byron had done a lot of interviews with her old staff members that were very revealing, but I wanted to find a way to include more of her five children’s perspectives. So I sat down with her daughter Kathy (and Kathy’s husband, Bill) to learn more about my grandparents. Bill, who came into the family as an employee first, described them as truly self-effacing (because “the ultimate in being impolite was to blow your own horn”) and private, unlike the generations of today who live their lives so publicly online. They would never share when they were in a challenging financial situation or needed help, but the things they did share through their actions deeply impacted a whole community of young people.
My Grandpa Don was a true storyteller and a powerful but humble public figure. He loved people and was an incredible host, and, according to Bill, he believed that “if you nurtured people, they could do great things.” I remember getting small tastes of this from him in the rare moments I got him alone. At one point he handed the Apple Farm Napa deliveries over to me and took me along to show me the route. Hearing his stories about his connection to each restaurant and chef we visited, and seeing his pride when he introduced me, showed me how much he invested in building relationships in his communities and bringing people together. He was known as the ultimate host—always ready to top off your wine glass with the best the region could offer.
My grandmother’s way was much less direct. Kathy described her as often having an impact on people without realizing it. “She had confidence and instilled that in all of us.” There was a whole group of young folks who became adults in her kitchens, where it was “expected that you jump in and help where it was needed,” Kathy shared. “In that process, you learn about everything and become better at creating the end product if you’re involved the whole way. And that’s what makes it more fun and interactive for everyone.” So many of them left there well equipped to start their own successful projects.
Kathy described how she was able to easily transition into building her own floral business by incorporating the little lessons her parents had taught her while she was growing up in and around the Vintage 1870 and the French Laundry. She just felt like she naturally knew what to do and how to understand every angle of the business and how to bring her employees along. Kathy put it this way: “They gave us a base and a fundamental training that all of us used,” but they also “let us feel our way; they didn’t come down on us for not making certain choices. I think that’s what makes our family a little unusual—we are not afraid to always be exploring or trying something new.”
As I recalled that conversation and was describing my grandparents to Sola, I realized that every single one of their family members had inherited not only their confidence, but also their desire to pass that forward, to instill it in others through their own form of mentorship. My parents were no exception. They had taken on the operation of the Apple Farm with very little knowledge of apples, and were not only doing an incredible job at maintaining and evolving the farm, supporting and eventually taking over the cooking experiences and the event space, but for years they had also been bringing us (their four children) along in the process. On top of that, they had also been taking on young “farmhands” interested in learning farming skills and welcoming them into our home and family. They were mentors in the deepest sense of the word, carrying forth my grandparents’ philosophy that, “It’s not just about teaching people a specific skill—it’s a whole sense of community and sharing a table together that makes an experience valuable.”
This was exactly what I had been learning through mentoring at these camps as well. It wasn’t specifically about the dance skills, stilt lessons, or sewing techniques I taught these youth. It was about the community we could create when we all came together to share, and the inspiration and confidence they could also bring to the table when they felt held, heard, and cared for by those that came before them. Identifying this characteristic in my grandparents allowed me to recognize and acknowledge how my path and my life choices fit into a framework that is so much bigger than me.
In this last year, I had the honor of caring for my grandmother and helping her build physical strength (using my personal training skills) to retain her independence and mobility as much as possible. It was so challenging for all of us to experience her health and autonomy shift, but it was also incredible to see how four generations of family came together to care for her. She was able to celebrate her 90th birthday in good health, hold her incredible cookbook memoir, Six California Kitchens, in her hands, and share it with all of us. I was blessed with the opportunity to be there with her, holding those marvelous hands, as she transitioned out of this physical world.
One evening after we did her exercises, I prepared a simple goat cheese and spinach dinner omelet for us in the way she’d lovingly taught me when I visited their home in Elk. I will forever think of her when I eat omelets. Simple (but requiring good technique). Local (cheese from our goats, eggs from our hens). Delicious (if you think omelets aren’t for dinner, think again). When we sat down to eat, I asked if she and Grandpa realized the legacy they were creating for our family as it was happening. In her characteristic modest manner, she chalked it up to luck and good timing. I’ll admit I was a little shocked. I’d created this story in my head that my grandparents had planned this thing out from the start, had seen the run-down farm they bought in all its potential glory, and had clearly imagined passing this land on to the next generations. If you take a look around The Apple Farm today, and the beautiful family compound it has become over the years in addition to everything else it produces, you might recognize, like Sola did and like I do, that there was a little more to it than just luck and timing.
All those little acts of risk-taking, of teaching, of hosting, of feeding, of encouraging, of sharing what they had, and of mentoring added up to something much more. I still call it a legacy, even though Grandma Sally may have been too humble to claim that word. I am so honored to call them family, but more importantly, I am in awe of the way that everyone who spent time with my grandparents was left with the tools, knowledge, and desire to continue and expand upon their legacy in their own unique way.
The Apple Farm
18501 Greenwood Road, Philo | PhiloAppleFarm.com
All photos courtesy of The Apple Farm
Polly Bates currently splits her time between The Apple Farm, where she is the Director of Communications, and Oakland, where she runs her own wellness and entertainment company called Daring Arts Movement. She is passionate about travel, dance, functional fitness, and working with youth to build sustainable practices and systems for a better world.
Filigreen Farm
Biodynamic & Biodiverse
by Torrey Douglass
A number of years ago, while visiting the farmhouse at Filigreen Farm, I was walking by a picturesque pond with farmer Stephanie Tebbutt. “Has that pond always been there?” I asked. I’d been in the valley for a few years and had seen very few natural ponds, but plenty of constructed reservoirs plopped onto the landscape with the aesthetic feel of a mound of preschooler’s playdough dropped on the floor. ”No, we put that in ourselves,” Stephanie responded, and I marveled at how seamlessly the body of water blended into the landscape, organically shaped and encircled by native grasses, looking like it’d been there since time began.
In fact, the pond was built in 2001, twenty years after Stephanie and Chris Tebbutt first drove up Highway 128 from Mendocino into Taa-Bo-Tah, or Long Valley, as the Tabahtea Pomo First Peoples called Anderson Valley. They were two horticulturists looking for soil, water, and a climate that would open its doors to the diversity of the temperate plant kingdom. Their search had carried them all over the northwest and as far as Puget Sound, but it wasn’t until they arrived in Anderson Valley that they found the land they sought—unique climatic conditions ripe with potential, land “where the walnut meets the grape.”
Originally homesteaded in 1906 by the Farrer family, Filigreen Farm is positioned at the narrowest stretch of Anderson Valley at a site where two distinct climate zones meet: the moist zone on the north and east slopes, originating in Alaska and including the temperate forests of the Pacific Northwest; and on the opposite hillsides, the warmer Mediterranean zone that comes up from the south, characterized by a combination of open rangeland and oak woodland. The interplay of these two climatic qualities makes for the richness and diversity of the place, on a particularly human scale.
In order to preserve the natural beauty and agricultural legacy of its 97 acres, the Farrer’s old ranch is now held for posterity by the Yggdrasil Land Foundation. An additional easement with the Anderson Valley Land Trust ensures the protection of the farm from non-agricultural development or logging. The Tebbutts, who made their home next door in 1982, facilitated a lease for the property in 2004, and Filigreen Farm was begun.
Both Chris and Stephanie studied horticulture in the UK, after apprenticeships at the Round Valley Garden project with Alan Chadwick, then worked as landscape designers prior to turning to farming full time. They have largely chosen a perennial form of agriculture, with orchards, vines, and berry crops making up the lion’s share of production. Over the past twenty years, the existing Gala apple orchard has been diversified through a grafting program that has brought over forty varieties into production, all on a trellis system with semi-dwarf rootstock. This approach allows workers to prune trees and pick fruit while keeping their feet on the ground.
Starting with Maiden’s Blush in mid-July (from the time of Shakespeare and tasting like roses), and ending with Hauer Pippin in early December (the “Christmas Apple”), the apple harvest spans much of Filigreen’s harvest season. Tried-and-true favorites such as Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Fuji are punctuated by heirlooms like Ribston Pippin and White Winter Pearmain and the trialing of newer varieties such as Z-Star and Winecrisp.
Other crops include Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, 18 varieties of table grapes, and a delectable variety of pears, including the sweet and spicy Warren pear and the Hosui Asian pear, a favorite that tastes like maple syrup but with juice and crunch. Blueberries are a signature crop at Filigreen, with multiple varieties that make for a six-week season in early summer, provided they are spared an extended hot spell. While no match in complexity of flavors for the farm’s early, more “wild” varieties such as Sharp Blue and Misty, Chandler, the high bush cultivar, is the star at the farm. Its large, juicy berries—sometimes almost comically large, the size of a small cherry—ripen at the very end of the season. The olive orchard, also on a trellis system to allow for mechanized harvesting, is comprised mainly of the Spanish varieties Arbequina and Arbosana, and a small amount of the ltalian Leccino and Frontoio. The olives are harvested in the fall and cold pressed at Olivino’s certified organic facility in Hopland to create an outstanding, vividly fresh olive oil brimming with flavor.
The diversity and variety of crops on the farm is part of the biodynamic farming methods employed at Filigreen. Biodynamics can be defined as a holistic and ecological approach to agriculture that manages the farm as a living, breathing, and self-sustaining organism. These practices seek to integrate scientific understanding with recognition of spirit in nature. “ln biodynamics we like to say, ’Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there,’” quipped Stephanie. “There is nothing new about this. The principles of biodynamics can be found woven into origin and indigenous forms of agriculture the world over. It goes without saying that the greater the diversity, the greater the life force. Add to that the horticultural challenge and fascination in expressing the diversity of a particular genus—not just a diversity of species, but the varieties within that species—and you get to practice at what nature does with her generous hand.”
Timing on harvests, with a wide array and overlapping ripeness of crops, makes for a lively exchange between field and packing shed. Field Manager Edgar Serna, who has lived and worked at the farm alongside his extended family for thirteen years, says, “We pick for color and sugar, so a lot of tasting goes into the decision. Each type of blueberry, for example, ripens differently. The same for table grapes. We have breakfast in the field a lot!”
A key aspect of biodynamics includes running the farm as a self-sustaining system. To do that, Filigreen relies on a tiny, prehistoric plant which first appeared in the irrigation pond about ten years ago, likely hitchhiking on the feet of native waterfowl stopping by to take a splash.
Thinking it might be an invasive weed, Chris identified it, only to realize it was manna from heaven! Azolla filiculoides is a minute and primitive aquatic fern that lives in symbiotic relationship with a cyanobacteria, resulting in a “super organism” made up of two fused genuses. When growing conditions are at their optimum, azolla has the ability to double its biomass in a matter of days. In early spring, the Filigreen team can harvest twenty trailer loads off the pond, leaving a clear surface, and then repeat the process a month later, when a carpet of azolla has, again, achieved complete coverage.
The cyanobacteria hosted by azolla captures nitrogen from the air as a source of nourishment for the fern. When harvested and integrated into the soil, it provides the same percent of nitrogen, per ton, as manure. It’s like having a herd of cattle providing ongoing fertilization, or “vegan manure” for the soil. But there’s more.
Back in the Eocene epoch, when the Arctic Circle was a warm, fresh-water lake over the salt sea, “the plant that changed the world”1 covered over 800,000 square kilometers. At the time, the Arctic would have been home to primitive hippos and crocodiles instead of polar bears and walrus—and azolla, which flourished in those conditions.
Over a period of about a million years, azolla, with its unsurpassed capacity to sequester carbon on a big scale, would draw carbon and nitrogen out of the atmosphere, complete its life cycle, then drop to the bottom of the sea. On the surface, a new flush of azolla would begin the process all over again. The draw-down was something in the region of tens of trillions of tons of carbon, all of it buried in the ultimate safe-deposit box: the bottom of the sea. It was this humble plant that cooled the climate of the earth, triggering an entirely new wave of evolution, such that plant and animal life that we recognize today could begin to evolve and flourish.
The final plot twist is worthy of a Greek tragedy: all of that azolla that sank to the bottom of the salt sea became the gas and oil reserves now being mined, fought over, and exploited in the Arctic. In other words, the plant that cooled the earth is being hauled from the deep to burn as fossil fuel and warm the planet back up again.
Today azolla is a critical component of Filigreen’s soil health. Chris shared, “The heart of any farm is its fertility program. Biodynamic farming calls for that fertility to come from within the farm, itself, with a minimum of borrowed outside inputs.”
The bounty that comes from the azolla-enriched soil is available from late spring into fall at Velma’s Farm Stand, named after the wife of Buster Farrer. The farm was originally homesteaded by the Farrer family in 1906, following European colonization. One of thirteen children, Buster was given the ranch to farm and live on, which he and Velma did for the following 63 years. They grew alfalfa, raised cattle, planted an apple orchard and for many years had a “truck farm” or summer garden where Velma grew all manner of vegetables. These she sold from their little red barn just off Highway 128. Anyone heading to Philo from Boonville today will find it hard to miss the sign on the roof of that refurbished barn: Velma’s Farm Stand at Filigreen Farm.
Once the first flush of spring vegetables comes in, the stand is open to the public each weekend. Throughout the season, people can find fresh produce as well as flowers and value-added goods, like the fantastic Filigreen olive oil or dried fruit. The onset of the pandemic in 2020 magnified the need for locally produced food, and the farm stand made accessibility a key focus. Velma’s accepts CalFresh EBT and offers Market Match so that customers can double their food dollars when purchasing fresh, biodynamic fruit and vegetables.
The stand also sells beautiful bouquets of flowers, sourced from a diversity of flowering plants, both perennial and annual. The plants attract and support beneficial insects like native bees, hover flies, bumblebees, predatory flies, lacewings, Lady bugs, moths, and even ground-dwelling beetles and spiders. Production Manager, Annie Courtens, has expanded both the flowers and vegetables grown on the farm for the marketplace. “Bringing a bit of wild origin species to the cut flower market has been an opportunity to educate customers and florists about these unique flowers, that oftentimes are longer lasting, more vibrant, and more fragrant than their commercial counterparts,” shared Annie.
Sometimes Annie can be found at Velma’s on a summer weekend, chatting with shoppers as they peruse a wide array of seasonal produce and products—leafy greens and cellar staples, stone and pip fruit, berries, dried fruit, olive oil, flowers, wreaths, and herbs. The exceptional quality and variety of the stand’s offerings seem pulled from an Old World oil painting depicting a table heavy with the largesse of the land. The abundance reflects the farm’s devotion to sustainability, biodiversity, and responsible land stewardship—all realized on the liminal stretch of Anderson Valley where the walnut meets the grape.
Jessica’s life as a flower farmer has not always been this organized. The birth of the flower farm plan got off to a rough start. When the idea sparked in September 2018, farm planning began almost immediately, but then a devastating house fire in early November destroyed not only the family’s home and belongings, but the supply of seeds and bulbs purchased for that season. Yet through an outpouring of love and support from the community, Jessica’s dreams were still able to come to fruition that season on a new piece of land much better suited for the project due to its larger growing space. It was truly a silver lining that allowed the farm to proceed.
The farm itself is considered a “micro-farm,” with approximately ¼ acre in production and an expansion on the horizon. Jessica utilizes no-till farming practices that encourage diverse pollinator habitats, increase healthy soil microbiology, and aid in the reduction of atmospheric carbon released from the ground. The goal is to encourage a community of flora and fauna that work in an interconnected system, fostering health and vitality from the tiniest invertebrates and fungi in the soil, up through to the plants, and beyond to the bees, birds, and humans that enjoy the blooms.
Jessica believes that organic, sustainable farming is the only option for her, though it is no easy task. A no-till farming system can involve a great deal of physical labor. New flower beds are carefully aerated using a large broadfork to minimize soil disturbance and preserve the habitat that thrives below the surface. Next, a layer of cardboard is rolled out for weed suppression, erosion control, and as a bonus food source for worms. The final bed prep task involves spreading a generous layer of compost with basic farming tools: shovel, wheelbarrow, and rake. No tractors are used on this farm, just good old fashioned manual work. FloraQuest strictly uses products certified for organic use, sourced locally if possible, which support the health of the habitats that make up the farm.
Timing is everything when it comes to growing flowers. Each variety is organized into a planting calendar that helps determine when and how many seeds to sow throughout the season. Flower farmers normally follow a succession planting schedule in which any given flower will be planted repeatedly at a specific time interval. For example, sunflowers are planted every one to two weeks to ensure a continuous harvest throughout the entire season. Zinnias are sown every three to four weeks because they produce flowers for a longer period of time between plantings. Seeds are often started in the summer and fall for spring blooms the following season, and overwinter for summer blooms. Planting is best in the cooler evening hours to give the flowers a chance to acclimate and reduce transplant shock. Once in bloom, prime harvest time is early morning when the flowers are most hydrated. Every flower has an ideal stage of harvest—some have the best vase life when harvested early in bloom before the petals even open, some as the petals are just beginning to open, and others once they have blown fully open. Juggling the timing of everything can be a bit tricky, but the rewards are a beautiful, consistent flow of blooms.
So, what happens once the flowers are cut? Sustainably-minded farming practices lead to sustainably minded floral design techniques. Many of FloraQuest’s arrangements are displayed in mason jars, which can be reused by both the customer and the farmer. As an alternative to the toxic foam typically used in the floral industry, larger arrangements for weddings and events are designed with chicken wire to hold the stems in place. Hand-tied bouquets are wrapped in recycled paper sleeves rather than cellophane, and no floral preservatives are used. Additionally, any leftover flowers that have been cut from the field and are suitable for drying are used in the creation of dried flower arrangements and wreaths throughout the autumn season.
As a youngster, Jessica learned and enjoyed floral design by helping her mother in a floral shop near Chicago, where she became familiar with boutonnières, corsages, and wedding bouquets. At that time in her life, it never occurred to her that this would later influence her career choice! Fast forward twenty-some years, and she has taken those elements and made them her own in her budding business.
The beauty of creating something from nature is that there are no strict rules to follow. Texture, mood, and a touch of wild characterize Jessica’s designs today. Highlighting the elements inherent in the blooms is what truly brings her floral arrangements to the next level. She believes that flowers speak in their own sort of language. Flowers can bring people back in time and elicit a sense of nostalgia. They go hand in hand with celebrations of all kinds. They can lift moods, bring peace and calm, and show appreciation or empathy. In short, flowers are used to show someone that you care. With all that we have been going through in the past two years, flowers have increasingly become a beautiful way to nurture emotional well-being and psychological health.
In the coming seasons, Jessica hopes to slowly expand the farm to include more flower beds filled with perennials, native shrubs, and annuals. She is always seeking knowledge on how to become a better steward of the land and coexist harmoniously with the natural rhythms of the creatures that live both above and below the soil. Every season involves some experimenting, whether it be with new varieties of flowers, foliage, and grasses, overwintering frost-hardy plants from the previous season, or companion planting different flowers in the same growing bed. Some of her current interests include Korean Natural Farming (KNF), vermicomposting, seed saving, and vegetative propagation of dahlias and heirloom chrysanthemums. There are always new things to learn and improve upon, and FloraQuest Farm is eager to grow, literally and figuratively, with each season in Mendocino County.
FloraQuest Farm was born out of a passion for environmental stewardship, love for flowers, and desire to share beauty and artistic creativity with the community. Engaging and supporting the fieldto-vase model is what builds strength, stability, and health in the local flower movement in our community. Jessica loves to build relationships and interact with her customers directly, embracing the “get to know your farmer” attitude. Like the local food movement, the local flower movement can bring the beauty of nature into our homes in a way that is better for us, the flower farmers, and the world we share.
Velma’s Farm Stand at Filigreen Farm
11750 Anderson Valley Way, Boonville | FiligreenFarm.com
Jennifer Huizen, ClimateWire, July 15, 2014
Torrey Douglass is a web and graphic designer living in Boonville with her family. Her life’s joys include reading by the fire, cooking something delicious, and inspiring her dogs to jump into the air with uncontained canine happiness.
Fog Bottle Shop
Where Orange is the New White
by Devin Myers
Orange wine is not new. It has been around for more than 9,000 years. In olden times, though, it was just called . . . wine. Crafted from white fruit like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Chenin Blanc, the skins and even some of the stems are left in during the fermentation process. This adds healthy wild bacteria and yeasts which contribute to range, depth, and complexity of flavors, and the individual nature of the skins imparts beautiful hues.
Though orange wine may have fallen out of fashion in the West when some wine makers started monocropping or adding interventions like sulfites, sugars, or egg whites, it never fell out of favor in its places of origin, places like Georgia, Slovenia, and Italy. Recently, it has enjoyed a resurgence in America, largely due to the thirst for a greater diversity and newness of wine flavors.
Fog Bottle Shop focuses on what we drink and where it comes from. In the same way that people like to buy produce from farms, farmers markets, and farm stands, this shop is about supporting the smallest of the small, focusing on those winemakers who grow all their own fruit organically, biodynamically, with no additives, so it is just about the grapes.
Winemakers who are also farmers, and who grow all their own grapes, make up less than 1% of the industry. The ethos of the shop is first and foremost to support and hold up those people who are doing that—friends, family, friends of friends, and locals in the area. The secondary focus follows wines from a particular thread of coastally oriented vineyards across the world: Australia, New Zealand, the coast of California, the coast of Mexico and Baja, and the European coastal growers in Catalunya, Italy, Sardinia, and Sicily.
It is a highly curated shop, and everything here is fantastic. Take the Caesura Sparkling Viognier, for example—a local sparkling wine fermented with fruit skin contact, made by Caleb Leisure, who is considered by many to be one of the best American wine makers specializing in natural wines. He farms his fruit in Yorkville and makes his wine in Cloverdale, using giant clay vessels which he imported from the country of Georgia. Known as queveries, these are built traditionally by a few families of tenth-generation potters from Georgia, where orange wine was first made.
Another star of the wine shop is Chill Pill, a Chenin Blanc from Subject to Change Wine Company out of the Deanda Vineyard in Redwood Valley. This wine is a good expression of classic orange wine, with that stunning color, a taste which is a blend of very tropical, savory, and herbal flavors, and a very fun label.
Fog Bottle Shop has these and many other interesting and delicious wines from around the world. Located in the heart of Mendocino Village, their selections offer tastes of both local and faraway sun drenched vineyards. Stop by for your own taste of orange wine—or, as we call it, just wine.
Fog Bottle Shop at Fog Eater Café
45104 Main Street, Mendocino
(707) 397-1806 | FogEaterCafe.com
Compost
California’s Attempt to Wrangle Our Waste
by Lisa Ludwigsen
It’s alive! Teeming with macro- and micro-nutrients, biological activity, and trace minerals, it could be argued that compost holds the mysteries from the natural world. The rich look, feel, and complex smell conjures all the dark, moist, wild places of the deep forest. What appears to be simple dirt actually adds life, plant nutrients, and vitality to the garden, farm, vineyard, and even rangeland.
For a long time, backyard composting was a back-to-the earth kind of thing. Save all those kitchen scraps to layer with grass clippings and dried leaves or small branches, keep it moist, and occasionally turn it to mix up the layers. What results is a powerful fertilizer and mulch to add back to the garden. It is low-tech and doesn’t cost anything. It really is garden gold.
And now, some very interesting developments are afoot in the world of compost, all starting with those basic kitchen scraps. Yes, compost has become exciting!
Kudos to you if you are making your own compost (check out our instructions in the sidebar if you want to begin). For those folks too busy or without adequate space to make our own compost, all those household scraps end up in a bin that is hauled away or taken to the local waste management company. The sheer volume of all that organic waste—called green material—has been identified as a key factor in many of our landfills reaching capacity, and is also a significant source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. According to calrecycle.ca.gov, landfills are the third largest source of methane in California.
To reduce green waste in the landfill, a new California bill, SB 1383, now requires households and businesses to compost all food scraps, including meat, bones, and dairy, along with other biodegradable items like paper, organic textiles (think cotton sheets and towels), lumber, wood, and other items. It’s estimated that diverting this waste generated by households and businesses, including restaurants, will reduce the volume of organic materials in landfills by 75%. That waste can then become compost!
Working out the logistics is a big ask of waste management companies and their customers, but there is time to bring everyone on board. The bill was passed in 2016 by then-Governor Jerry Brown but will not be fully implemented until 2024.
The timing is good for farmers and ranchers. The chemical fertilizers used widely in conventional farming have become more expensive and less readily available due to supply chain issues. Commodity crop farmers have seen some fertilizer prices rise 300% since 2021, according to the March 2, 2022 issue of Modern Farmer. In response, some farms are now integrating compost into their soil nutrient mix because it is less expensive and can be produced domestically, from recycled waste, no less. Though the law has no requirement to provide free or low-cost compost to farmers and ranchers, local composting companies have provided rebates on purchases, as well as giveaways.
No-till farming is another method that incorporates regular use of compost. Most farms use tractors to turn the soil in preparation for planting, a practice that releases carbon into the atmosphere. A technique used in no-till farming involves letting a layer of biologically active compost condition the soil before planting, thereby keeping the carbon in the ground—a practice known as carbon sequestration. This use of compost also prevents erosion and retains moisture.
On a very large scale, research is showing that small quantities of compost, just a half-inch spread over swaths of rangeland, coupled with rotational livestock grazing, increases biodiversity of grasses and sequesters carbon by encouraging plants to develop deep roots and draw carbon out of the air. The research conducted by the Marin Carbon Project and others since 2010 has shown that, despite common thought on the deleterious effect of grazing on rangeland, grazing animals, within a carefully managed plan including the addition of compost, are important for stimulating the growth of grasses and breaking up soil as they move through an area. Areas not treated with that small quantity of compost were not as biodiverse. Read the data at www.marincarbonproject.org.
Locally, Cold Creek Compost in Potter Valley has been making compost on a large scale since 1995, when it became the first fully permitted compost facility between San Francisco and Oregon. It is one of the few composting facilities permitted to handle food waste, so it is well positioned to assist with the stream of organics that will need to be diverted from some landfills. The Cold Creek website is a good source of information on their process and compost, including nutrient analysis.
Whether you turn your household waste into garden gold or add your household organics to the effort to make compost available for farm and rangeland applications, what’s important is that we all do our part to help reduce waste. The serious climate issues on our doorstep present us with many opportunities to reconsider how we grow and eat food and deal with the waste that we create. Utilizing compost to improve our soil and reduce our reliance on chemicals is a positive piece of the solution. It is exciting, indeed!
How to Make Your Own Compost
If you would like to make your own garden gold, it just takes a little preparation and a small space. All you need is enough room to make a pile at least two feet from any structure.
To build the pile that will ultimately be compost for your garden, follow these basic guidelines:
Wet the ground that will be underneath the pile.
Place the first layer of twigs or pieces of woody product on the ground. This will provide some aeration at the bottom of the pile.
Alternate layers of green material, like grass clippings or animal manure, with shredded (1” to 2” in size) dry, carbon material, such as hay or dried leaves. The animal manure should be chicken or rabbit or other barn animal, not dog or cat feces (which can contain bacteria not eliminated through the composting process).
Keep layering, with green and dry carbon material.
Remember that your pile will lose volume as it cooks down, so the higher you make it, the more compost you’ll have in the end.
Thoroughly water the pile. It should be kept moist but not soaking wet. To that end, if you live in a location with significant rain, cover your pile with black plastic or a tarp of some kind.
You’ll notice that the pile will heat up after a few days. That’s the microbial action taking place. Keep the pile moist, like that of a wrung-out sponge, to keep the process going.
Turning the pile occasionally will increase the heat and quicken the process.
Add kitchen scraps and shredded dry ingredients when you have them, water them in, and keep turning. You’ll soon notice the material losing significant volume, up to 40%, as it breaks down and begins looking like soil. It is finished when you can no longer discern the individual ingredients of the pile and it looks and smells like rich soil.
The entire process will take between 6 weeks and 2 years, depending on the ingredients, the outdoor temperature, and degree of moisture.
Most backyard composters choose to gradually add layers to their pile, instead of creating the pile at one time and letting it sit without additional material. Called the ‘batch’ method, adding gradually takes longer but is often the most convenient. It’s quite rewarding to apply your homemade compost to your garden, creating a closed loop of sustainability in your garden without any outside inputs.
To purchase compost by the bag, check with your local hardware store or nursery. For a listing of businesses that either sell larger quantities of compost or accept material for composting, go to www.findacomposter.com
Lisa Ludwigsen is a writer and marketer working with food, farms, and family small businesses throughout Northern California. She has worked in organic agriculture, natural foods, and environmental education for over 20 years.
Eat & Read at Melba’s
A New Orleans Po’ Boy Shoppe Enriches Community and Literacy with Free Books and Author Visits
by Torrey Douglass
For a woman who says she never read “a proper book” until age 43, Jane Wolfe is one of the most passionate advocates of literacy you could ever hope to meet. With 43 million American adults possessing no more than a sixth grade reading level today, it’s a cause that is more than ready for some attention, and Jane is uniquely qualified to step up to the challenge.
Jane has the direct manner and buoyant spirit of a person who has lots to do and can’t wait to get started. She is both thoughtful and quick, pausing before answering my questions during our Zoom interview like she’s checking in with an internal touchstone before responding in her warm New Orleans drawl. She has the attitude of someone who knows how to face difficult circumstances and turn them around with a powerful blend of humility, humor, and hard work.
At 16, Jane married her husband, Scott Wolfe, and left high school to work in the grocery business they started together in the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. With the help of a $10k loan, Wagner’s Meats opened in what would today be referred to as a food desert, but at the time was known as “an area of poverty in the city.” The store focused on providing the African American community with meat and other ingredients found in gumbo, red beans and rice, and other signature dishes beloved in the city. Scott, a consummate capitalist, grew the business into a chain of ten stores, employing more than 300 people and serving over 100,000 customers at its peak.
If Scott was the brains of the operation, Jane was its heart. Every store featured a marquee out front with a life-affirming quote to uplift and inspire passers-by, selected and meticulously proofread by Jane. (Any employee who left out necessary punctuation was expected to correct it right away.) She created a store policy whereby any child who earned at least one A on their report card received a free soft serve ice cream cone. Jane remembers how kids and their parents would visit the store with their report cards in hand, smiling with delight, to get that ice cream cone. “It was a beautiful moment of communion with the community,” she recollected. “Instead of just being a business, I began looking at capitalism in a social manner.”
Then Hurricane Katrina hit, and all ten stores and the communities they served were inundated with water. By that point, the couple had been operating their business for 30 years and retirement was on the horizon, so they decided not to reopen. Instead, Scott went into construction to help rebuild the city. Jane was tempted to attend college, but she was afraid it might be awkward to be a college student in her 40s. Her son reminded her that the age of 50 was on its way no matter how she spent the years until then, and Jane took the plunge, enrolling in Tulane for her undergraduate degree at the age of 43.
“At college I got a lot of books thrown at me, and I read them all,” said Jane. After graduating from Tulane with degrees in both history and religious studies, she attended Harvard Divinity School to study religion and social entrepreneurship. There she continued reading, drinking up knowledge, always thinking about how she could bring these new ideas to her community back home. She shared, “Every time I met an author or went to an author’s discussion I thought, ‘Everybody should have this.’”
In 2015, when Jane was in her last, overworked days of finishing her Harvard degree, Scott was ready for something new. Jane said, “Go ahead and open a little po’ boy shop.” He found the ideal location where the 7th, 8th, and upper 9th Wards come together, and Melba’s Po’ Boys was born. In addition to the 24-hour restaurant serving up Po’ Boys, Shrimp and Grits, gumbo, fried chicken, breakfast, and more, they opened a laundromat called Wash World in the same building.
A few years later in 2018, Jane’s academic advisor, Jonathan Walton, came to New Orleans with his family. A writer and religious scholar, he’d recently published his first book, The Lens Of Love: Reading the Bible in its World for Our World. Jane purchased 100 copies and organized an author event at Melba’s, giving a book away for free with each lunch purchase and providing diners the opportunity to chat with Jonathan about his book before continuing with their day. As his wife and three children helped behind the counter and he spoke with people who came from homes with few books, Jonathan looked up and said, “Jane, this is so needed—to get these books into the hands of everyday people!”
That was the spark that inspired Jane to begin Eat & Read at Melba’s, a literacy project that brings authors to the restaurant, either in person or virtually, for book signings, book giveaways, and conversations. While the books included in the program represent a variety of topics, prominent subjects include African American history and the role of race in America, religious and spiritual matters, children’s books, women in history and society, and New Orleans food, culture, and local history. Authors have included Colson Whitehead, Gregory Boyle S. J., Sister Helen Prejean, Professor Deidre Mask, Chelsea and Hillary Clinton, Michael Pollan, Sherri L. Smith, and many more.
Reflecting on the program, Jane shared, “What I’m doing right now in New Orleans—in this book desert—is fertilizing our community with ideas. It’s the reason I get up in the morning.” It is the perfect combination of social entrepreneurship, spiritual compassion, and intellectual generosity, an avenue through which Jane can share the mind-expanding excitement she experienced in college with customers who come through the restaurant every day. “I want to awaken ideas that people do not have time to seek out, to [give them a chance to] just think about them.”
For some people, the regular book events are on their radar and not to be missed. These folks usually belong to the 25,000 member email list that Jane notifies a few days before every event. She estimates about 40% of the attendees come intentionally. For the rest, a free book with lunch and the chance to speak with its author is an unexpected delight. Those unanticipated moments are Jane’s greatest joy. “When I’m at the book giveaway for an hour, people come in and the surprise of literacy hits them. It’s a beautiful moment of surprise.”
While people receive a free book with food at the author events, there’s also an ongoing offer that does just the opposite. When a customer buys a book from a large shelf stocked with works from alumni authors, they receive a free side, brownie, or daiquiri with the purchase. Some favorites sell out time and again. Chicken Soup for the Black Woman’s Soul has been reordered a number of times.
The combination of thought-provoking reading and delicious New Orleans food is a definitive success, and it’s getting attention. The program has received support from organizations like Scholastic, which donated $5,000 worth of books, and the Clinton Foundation, whose “Too Small to Fail” initiative partners with the Family Read & Play space at the laundromat, a reading nook with table, chairs, books, and art supplies where kids can hang out while their parents do laundry. On top of that, Melba’s is on Inc. 500’s list of the fastest growing companies and has been recognized as Louisiana’s fastest growing company. When we spoke, the organization had only just received its nonprofit tax id number ten days prior. Jane hopes her model of using the restaurant industry to address a societal ill can be replicated across the country.
Besides running the program, Jane teaches World Religions at a local Catholic university, a subject that is clearly close to her heart. She credits learning about religion during her years at Tulane and Harvard with returning her to her faith tradition. She went to college to understand what religion was for, and now believes one key component is that “it helps you to think of the other.” For Jane, thinking of others is reflecting in how she uses her business to share her love of books, with the ultimate goal of turning both staff and customers into lifelong learners. She still takes time to read and enjoy her favorite po’ boy—shrimp with extra mayo, ketchup, and hot sauce, “dressed” with lettuce, pickles, and tomato—but she doesn’t sit still for long. After all, there’s much to be done to address the literacy crisis in America, and she can’t wait to get back to it.
Eat & Read at Melba’s
1525 Elysian Fields Ave, New Orleans, LA
(504) 267-7765 | Melbas.com
Torrey Douglass is a web and graphic designer living in Boonville with her family. Her life’s joys include reading by the fire, cooking something delicious, and inspiring her dogs to jump into the air with uncontained canine happiness.
Honor Stands
Thoughts on Honesty and Need
by Gowan Batist
I was first introduced to Honor Stands in France, on a narrow lane across from a heavy clay field in which a draft horse was patiently pulling a drag harrow. To an American, even a small-town West Coast kid like me, it was radical to see a drawer of change laid out on a table, containing quite a few Euros, and the farm’s offerings totally open to the passerby. I loved shopping at them and wanted to have one of our own at Fortunate Farm when I came home. In the early days, we only opened the stand on weekends, and we staffed the tables laid out in our barn. This was mostly because we didn’t have a system set up for self-checkout yet, and because my folks loved the chance to see our customers, which they didn’t get to do during the week like I did.
When Covid hit, we converted the farm stand to fully self-serve, established a hand-washing sink and extra safety procedures, and bought gallons of produce-safe surface sanitizer to spray down all the counters and surfaces every evening. We heard from many customers that the stand was an essential part of their food security—as the stand was open air it felt safe, and it couldn’t be disrupted by global shortages as easily.
Throughout the pandemic, new farm stands have popped up like mushrooms. I’ve heard of several new ones just this week, and I hope that, like me, the other farmers around the community find that they are a valuable addition to their business and useful for their customers.
The individual farm stand is much like a farmer’s market booth, except that it may be unstaffed. These stands give you a window into that particular farm’s ethos, aesthetic, and growing practices. A collective farm stand, like the one we run with our neighbors at Fortunate Farm, and the one recently opened at Ridgewood Ranch, combines the offerings of multiple farmers and pastoralists into a single stand. This greatly reduces the labor of each individual farmer or rancher and forms a dynamic and interesting whole out of the smaller selection of products each of them does best, and creates a more convenient experience for the shopper.
If a farm stand is something you’re considering adding to your farm, make sure you know the relevant rules regarding your zoning and business permits, which will vary based on where you live (unincorporated county vs city limits) and your type of business. One of the necessary expenses we incurred was installing a wheelchair accessible porta-potty and hand washing station near the stand.
The single most common question I am asked about our farm stand is about theft, and what, if any, security measures we have in place. I’m mostly asked this by customers, but by farmers as well. That question is one of many in agriculture that seems like a small thread, but when you pull on it, it unravels the entire tapestry of how the person asked sees the world and their role in it.
Last summer I was sitting in the shade of our olive trees with a friend, catching up about life from ten feet away. (You can do things like sit under a tree while vending is happening when you have a self-serve farm stand.) I was raw from multiple deaths in our family in short succession, and the many ways the pandemic was punishing our business. We were sharing our stories of loss and survival when someone popped out of the farm stand, walked over, and asked if I worked here. I said I did. She said that she forgot her wallet but wrote down what she took and would Venmo or PayPal us from town. I said that was fine, thanked her for coming by, and went back to my chat. My friend asked if I worried that I had just been scammed.
When we first opened an honor farm stand, I joined a few online groups of farmers discussing them, and this question came up over and over again there, too.
In fall of 2013, our Federal Ag loan was stalled in the middle of our escrow process, threatening to wreck the sale. It cost us over $100,000 for a commercial bridge loan to save the farm before we even got there. The reason? Some Republicans had refused to approve the Federal budget, which included the USDA loan program we were participating in, as a stunt over Planned Parenthood. That was a political scam.
Last year, someone fraudulently applied for a Federal Covid relief loan in our business name, for $65,000. This happened at a time when Covid was absolutely taking a wrecking ball to my family. It was in the immediate aftermath of the loss of my dad, the loss of my crew member's mom a few weeks following him, while my partner's dad was in the ICU, and while my aunt's family had just lost loved ones. We had to scramble to respond, do a FOIA request, explain to the IRS that they would not be getting $65,000 from us, etc. Seeing the paper trail of the person in Stockton who put us through this stress at that vulnerable time is probably the closest I have come to actually seeing red. That was a financial scam.
The very expensive medical supplies that auto-shipped to my folks’ house had to be canceled after my dad’s death. To order more or change your prescription, there's an automated system. To cancel, you have to speak to a person. So my grieving mom sat on hold for six hours waiting to talk to someone, being automatically hung up on after every hour. If you've experienced the loss of a spouse, you know it's not a time when your phone line is generally free for hours. Every day that she tried and failed, a credit card was getting charged for expensive supplies for a person who no longer needed them. That was a corporate scam.
People needing food are not in any of these categories, even in the regrettable circumstances that they do lie or cause harm to our business. Human beings feeding their bodies can never be the same as the above instances, because the human body, unlike capitalism, has limits and will stop when its needs are met. That said, I would prefer people to be honest and simply ask for food. It makes our accounting easier, and we could then share local resource information with them.
When we opened our farm, our entire start-up fund for the season had been drained by the aforementioned emergency loan. An anonymous person left $2,000 in cash on the seat of my unlocked truck, with a note saying it was from some older homesteading women who wanted our farm to succeed. In their honor, we have given a free farm subscription CSA to a family every year since. We are regular donors to all kinds of food aid in the county. Giving food away is something that we owe the community for the privilege of being held up by them when we are in need, like we have been lately. When my mom was hospitalized this spring, we were snowed under by casseroles. Nothing we have ever given or had taken has come close to what we’ve received.
People probably steal from our farm stand sometimes, as they do from all stores. We've never had a massive theft like someone running off with the (admittedly pretty heavy) beautiful cash box my uncle made, and we also have to consider the cost savings of not paying staff time for someone to sit at the stand. Overall, people are generous, and I know some folks overpay. There is also an amazing local man who gives us several hundred dollars annually to offset some of the costs of our food donations. He is the perfect example of using your privilege, and your extra cushion of dollars, to go straight to direct private relief for people, and we are grateful.
To be honest, outright theft bothers me a lot less than people who I see come into the stand, grab a few things without adding the price up, throw a bill in the till and leave. I do want people who can afford it to honestly pay for the cost of our labor and overhead, and when and if they can, pay it forward too. I notice the discrepancy between people asking about theft vs people asking about casual lack of correct checkout, when I think the latter actually amounts to a higher loss. This is reflected all throughout our society—there is hyper-criticism of poor individuals, and little focus on the negligence of more affluent people. We live in an exploitative system from the stolen land we grow food on to the way our taxes are spent and our loved ones extorted by for-profit medical care. I would like to see us be more suspicious of corporate subsidy scams that steal our tax dollars than we are of our neighbors. Don’t let other struggling human beings be the stand-in for the systemic challenges we are all under pressure from.
As a farm community, we are abundant and generous. On the coast, The Botanical Gardens farm donates thousands of pounds of produce to the Food Bank every year. Meals on Wheels utilizes fresh local produce from the Senior Center garden and donations from farmers. Caring Kitchen delivers healthy local meals to cancer patients, and Action Network provides direct food aid to families. I know there are many more inland I’m less aware of. As a community, we bring our donations together to fund programs like the Good Farm Fund, which do the most practical thing possible–directly grant funds that small farms need to be more resilient to food security for our community.
Farm stands are part of the food landscape of our county now, possibly more than they ever have been. It can feel like a radical change to step out from behind the table as a farmer and head back out to the field while customers come and go. I encourage you to try it, both as a farmer and a customer. What if we lived like we all radically trusted each other? What more would we become capable of, if we lived that experiment long enough to make it true?
Gowan Batist is a Post-Industrial Pastoralist working towards regeneration on landscapes her ancestors devastated. She is seldom seen, but sometimes glimpsed out in the fog or the oak savanna propagating native plants, spinning wool, hand shearing sheep, or sprawling on the ground with dogs. Her writing can be found at https://www.patreon.com/GowanBatist
Thinking Like a Watershed
Anderson Valley Resilient Lands Symposium
by Barbara Goodell
Anderson Valley and the Navarro River Watershed are an ecological microcosm endowed with resplendent redwood forests, undulant hills with grassy oak woodlands, and the largest coastal river basin with a residual salmon habitat in Mendocino County. Last year, Anderson Valley Land Trust (AVLT) celebrated 30 years of work protecting 2,700 acres in 29 perpetual conservation easements. With an active, engaged community, AVLT has continued to expand their conservation efforts during the pandemic by Zoom and by golly.
Given this momentous anniversary year, they paused. The board wanted to determine what their conservation role would be over the next 30 years. AVLT Board President Yoriko Kishimoto asked, “How can Anderson Valley bolster the resiliency of the land with its basic elements: earth, air, water, and fire?” With the challenges of serious drought, wildfire susceptibility, food security, a growing population, and widespread climate change, they floated a question: How can land and resource conservation in Anderson Valley expand to address those challenges while still providing for other community needs, including housing and job opportunities? What emerged was the idea of gathering Anderson Valley landowners, residents, businesses, and non-profits together to explore and address these concerns.
Thus, the idea of the Resilient Land Symposium was born. The goal of the gathering is to encourage identification of Anderson Valley’s needs, and to inspire the successful creation and implementation of potential solutions—regenerative agriculture, sustainable logging, local food production, fish-friendly farming, dry farming, a thriving watershed, a healthy fishery, and winter water storage. The symposium will also address California’s 30 x 30 legislation, enacted to protect 30% of California’s wildlands, coastal and inland waters, and open spaces in order to build climate resilience, biodiversity, and outdoor access for all by 2030.
AVLT, with co-sponsors the Anderson Valley Winegrowers Association’s Environmental Committee and the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District’s Navarro River Resource Center, as well as a long list of supporting partner organizations, will offer an overview of Anderson Valley and its watershed, looking at its history, its present, and potential future.
For inspiration, Obi Kaufman will be one of the featured speakers. Some of you may have met him when he came to Boonville to share his California Field Atlas. He is a gifted illustrator and author and has dedicated his life to studying California’s natural world. He has also published The State of Water, as well as Forests of California, and Coasts of California. Obi blends science and art to enhance our understanding and appreciation of the web of life. Other speakers will offer their expertise, and panel discussions will follow, annotated with resource materials to help participants understand the overlapping issues and, ideally, plan next steps. Afterward, Q&A conversations will continue to explore topics in greater depth, and there will also be time to mingle for more cross-pollination of ideas.
By sharing information and best practices, and learning from leaders and peers, the symposium will identify top initiatives and locate the gaps, opportunities, and challenges Anderson Valley faces in addressing and redressing them. What is Anderson Valley not doing today that it should? Is a periodically dry Navarro River the new normal? How are cumulative effects making an impact on quality of life, natural resources, and long term economic viability? What further collaborative opportunities can be formed beyond the community’s individual efforts and boundaries to advance land and resource resiliency in Anderson Valley?
By bringing together people from different sectors of the Anderson Valley community, each possessing their own issues and priorities, the symposium hopes to begin crafting a shared vision for how we can move forward together into a future that will demand creative thinking, deep understanding, and ongoing resilience. While AVLT values environmental protection and land conservation, they by no means bring preconceived notions for the specific form that vision should take. That is for the participants to discuss in order to collectively respond to the issues which threaten the health and wellness of Anderson Valley’s land, natural resources, and people.
Two Events this October: The Symposium and a Tour of Filigreen Farm
The Resilient Land Symposium will take place at the Philo Grange on October 15, 2022 from 9:00am - 3:30pm. A farm-to-table lunch will be offered. The symposium will also be recorded/live streamed as much as possible.
A special AVLT tour of Filigreen Farm, the regenerative, conserved, biodynamic property farmed by Chris and Stephanie Tebbutt, is scheduled for October 16, 2022.
Separate pre-registration is necessary for these events before September 10, 2022, and both will have registration limits. Call (707) 895-3150, email avlt@mcn.org, or go to AndersonValleyLandTrust.org for more current information about the symposium speakers and panels or to register or ask questions about symposium or the Filigreen Farm tour.
Anderson Valley Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to the preservation and restoration of Anderson Valley’s unique rural landscape, protecting forests (including working forests), agricultural land, oak woodlands, water courses, and open space. AVLT hosts educational events including outdoor interpretive events—visit the website for details.
Anderson Valley Winegrowers Association (AVWA) was established in 2005 to promote and protect the unique grape growing region of Anderson Valley. They have recently formed an Environmental Committee to encourage regenerative soil and water best practices for their membership. Go to AVWines.com for more information.
Navarro River Resource Center is a part of the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District and is a non-regulatory, public agency providing conservation leadership for voluntary stewardship of natural resources on public and private lands. Their mission is to conserve, protect, and restore wild and working landscapes to enhance the health of the water, soil, and forests in Mendocino County. Learn more at MCRCD.org.
Barbara Goodell is a retired teacher and curriculum writer who moved to Anderson Valley in 1978 with her family to establish a permaculture homestead. She is on the AV Foodshed committee, AV Adult School Steering Committee, and is an AV Land Trust Board Member.
Izakaya Gama
A People-First Mendocino Institution
by Sara Stapleton
Driving through the coastal hamlet of Point Arena a decade ago, things felt pretty quiet. My mom and I were staying in nearby Anchor Bay, and we had been directed to Point Arena’s pier with the promise that, if we got there at just the right time, we’d be rewarded with fresh fish right off the boat. It was a weekday as I recall, and I remember driving up Main Street with hardly a person in sight.
Recently, though, this little village by the sea has seen a new influx of creative energy. With its mild climate, rich river-bottom soils perfect for growing beautiful produce, and the bounty of the sea at its edge, it’s no surprise that the area has drawn those passionate about farming, cooking, and eating alike. Izakaya Gama is one of the newest additions here, and the proprietors couldn’t be happier to finally open their doors.
David and Elyse Hopps, owners and co-creators of Izakaya Gama, migrated to Mendocino County in 2018 to be a part of the culinary team at the now Michelin-starred Harbor House Inn in Elk. They quickly fell in love with the area and settled into the small community. But after spending years honing his skills at Saison in San Francisco and then working as sous chef of Harbor House, David felt called to step away from the exclusive nature of fine dining. The husband-and-wife team wanted to create a space where unique, high quality cuisine could be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike—to offer an approachable, more affordable menu that could appeal to everyone. Having spent their formative cooking years working in Japanese restaurants, David and Elyse were ready to make their dream of opening their own izakaya a reality, serving the community that they had come to love.
In Japan, izakayas are casual, lively gathering places that can be found in almost every corner of the country. Something akin to a gastropub or tavern, the atmosphere is relaxed, but the food is never overlooked. It is a place for people to decompress after a long day of work, or to come together with friends. It is warm and welcoming, and that is the feeling that Gama aims to provide. “Gama is a place for people to go out, have fun, and sample a variety of incredible foods from our area,” said David.
True to the style of traditional izakayas, dishes are presented in the form of small plates, lending to the convivial atmosphere and perfectly suited for sharing. The menu offers skewered local meats such as chicken, duck, or Wagyu beef from their kushiyaki grill, Japanese-style pickles, the occasional spotlight on Fort Bragg uni, and their crispy, crunchy karaage—fried chicken with aioli and house-made shichimi togarashi (a spice blend of Piment d’Ville, sea lettuce, black sesame, and sansho pepper)!
An important element to any traditional izakaya is their beverages. Gama sources a wide selection of sakes and Japanese craft beers. Elyse recently became certified as a sake sommelier, so don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions!
In his time as a sous chef in the area, David has built close and reciprocal relationships with many farmers, fisherman, and craftspeople, as well as with the MendoLake Food Hub. Gama’s cuisine, in true Japanese style, hopes to truly showcase the ingredients themselves, allowing them to shine in their delicious simplicity. The menu features what is found in abundance here—crisp, flavorful root crops and tender greens, fresh seafood and other salt water delights, as well as different mushrooms and fungi foraged for use in broths and other dishes. While they will feature some different types of sushi on the menu, the Chef points out that, for the sake of our environment, Gama won’t be flying in fish from all over the globe. Elyse and David are very passionate about creating a restaurant and a business that is sustainable, and a big piece of this is working to source things as close to home as possible, working with the incredible ingredients that we already have at our fingertips.
Photos left to right: Restaurant front with a Noren curtain displaying the logo (Gama means toad in Japanese); Karaage—Japanese fried chicken; Elyse and David Hopps at their soft opening.
It has taken a generous serving of patience and perseverance for Gama to finally be able to welcome guests into their beautiful restaurant space, which is graced with a long local cypress wood bar and tables. In April of 2020, the couple first got word of a space available in Point Arena and decided to take a look. Although it was in the earliest and most uncertain days of the pandemic, they saw the potential, and the seed of bringing their vision to life was planted. Throughout the next few months, they faced countless discouraging delays, but though progress had slowed to crawl, they were committed. So in the spirit of the times and in the spirit of this place, they adapted.
Luckily, the owner of their as-yet unusable restaurant on the south end of Point Arena also owned a small space with a kitchen on the north end of town. While there wasn’t indoor seating, there was a take-out window, which was perfect given the pandemic restrictions. David and Elyse decided to offer a pop-up, to-go style service, which met with great success. Through the window of the small, brightly colored space, they served many a bowl of rich, steaming ramen, with other menu items announced each week through social media. Giving the people a taste of what was to come allowed them to gain local support and to get their name out, while providing comfort and nourishment in whatever delicious way they could throughout those strange, unpredictable times.
The buzz and excitement has been building, and Gama began taking reservations in their dine-in restaurant on April 1st. Be sure to find your way out to the south coast and take a seat with friends, or cozy up to the bar and make some new ones! Izakaya Gama is sure to be exactly the warm, welcoming space that we could all use these days. And the food, well, you can be sure it will be local, fresh, sustainable, and delicious. Kanpai!
Izakaya Gama
150 Main St, Point Arena | (707) 485-9232 | Izakaya-Gama.com
Open Wednesday - Sunday, 4 - 9pm
Sara Stapleton makes her home in a mountainous valley southwest of Willits and works as a postpartum doula with a focus on providing nourishing whole foods to new mamas and families. You can also find her selling New Agrarian Collective’s beautiful produce at the farmers market from time to time, and exploring the backroads of our county with her partner whenever she can.
Singing Frogs Farm
Pioneers of No-Till Farming in Sebastopol
To start a farm you need three things: dirt, sun, and water. In recent years, researchers have taken a closer look at the dirt piece of the farming equation, studying how soil quality impacts the nutritional value of crops and, more broadly, the long-term viability of farms. Healthy, vibrant soil is biologically rich on a macro and micro level—in other words, full of life. Compared to depleted soil, soil rich in organic matter can absorb more water, store more carbon, and produce better, more nutrient-dense food. Good dirt is the lifeblood of a farm.
For “no-till” farmers Elizabeth & Paul Kaiser of Singing Frogs Farm, retiring the plow was an essential first step for preserving soil health, though they didn’t realize it at the time. When the couple started on their no-till journey, there wasn’t even a term to describe this unique method of farming that plants crop after crop in unturned soil. Over the years they refined their techniques through trial and error, and as they did so, the no-till farming movement evolved and became established right along with them. In the process, they’ve experimented their way into the enviable position of managing a profitable, highly productive, fully organic, pesticide-free farming operation.
The couple met as Peace Corps Volunteers in The Gambia, West Africa. After returning to the U.S., Elizabeth earned her Masters in Public Health and Paul his degrees in Natural Resources Management and International Development. They were inspired by John Jeavons and Eliot Coleman, intensive farming experts who specialized in growing large volumes of organic food on small plots of land. In 2007, they found eight acres in Sonoma County where they could start their regenerative farm while remaining close to family. The property would eventually employ the equivalent of seven full-time, year-round workers and produce more than six times the state average for crop output per acre.
In their second year of farming, while plowing under his cover crop, Paul was barely able to stop the tractor just inches in front of a mama Killdeer—a plover—dancing in front of her camouflaged ground nest, trying to pull his attention away from her eggs. The Killdeer was shaking from the shock of staring down a tractor to save her eggs. Paul plowed around her nest for the rest of the season. This highlighted the dichotomy the Kaisers saw between trying to promote life and sometimes inadvertently killing it, and the memory of this experience was one of their first steps away from tillage.
Tillage refers to the practice of turning over the soil to loosen it, break up and bury weeds away from the sun, and mix in fertilizer. Tillage also dries out the earth, exposes the beneficial insects within to predators, and creates a fine, silky soil with little biological complexity. This practice also puts a hard stop to the development of micro- and macro-biological life in the soil, rendering it dependent on added inputs. As Paul explained in a 2017 keynote speech he and Elizabeth gave at the Northeast Organic Farming Association:
“Tillage breaks up your large aggregates in the soil, reducing the soil size so you have a larger surface area to volume ratio—which means more volatilization of nutrients. A lot of your nitrogen and carbon gets volatilized out of the soil, [and] combines with the oxygen from the tillage in the air to form nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide, two of the most potent greenhouse gasses. And yet, as a farmer, the two things you need most in your soil are carbon for soil structure and nitrogen for plant growth. So the very act of tillage is taking the two things you need most in your soil, removing them, and creating greenhouse gas emissions.”
At first, the motivation for pursuing a no-till approach was threefold: social—they had great employees and wanted to keep them, so they needed the farm to remain productive throughout the year; economic—property taxes were looming, and winter season crops would help pay for them; and ecological—they knew that leaving the soil undisturbed was better for the overall ecology of the farm (as with the Killdeer). At first, they continued to aerate the soil by “broad forking,” using a tool devised from a horizontal bar with long vertical tines attached to it. The broad fork can be sunk into the soil and gently pulled to break up compacted beds and allow more air to circulate beneath the surface. It’s a helpful tool for farmers transitioning away from tillage.
By leaving the soil unturned, the micro- and macro-biology—also referred to as organic matter—can build up naturally. Photosynthesizing plants turn sunshine into sugars, complex carbohydrates, and other micronutrients. They use some, but also exude about 40% of what they generate into the soil through their roots. Farms in the U.S. average less than 2% organic matter in soils that contained 6-10% before humans intervened. By planting a diversity of crops and leaving the soil undisturbed, Singing Frogs Farm built up the organic matter in their soil to over 11% in less than five years.
Except for a few crops like carrots, radishes, and beans, most plants are started in the nursery. That way, only the best and strongest are moved into the beds. By transplanting mature, healthy seedlings into soil rich with organic matter, they consequently need less water, are more disease and pest resistant, and possess larger leaves which shade the ground, benefitting the soil biology and outcompeting the weeds. On the rare occasion when rows are dormant, they are covered with a breathable black fabric to expedite the decomposition of roots and trimmings left behind by former crops, building up that crucial organic matter. This approach means the team spends virtually no time at all on weeding—a task that is the bane of organic farms everywhere—all without using pesticides, organic or otherwise.
Another essential component of the no-till methodology is biodiversity. Planting a diverse mix of species keeps the pests guessing, and welcoming animals onto the property, both wild and domestic, provides natural pest control. In addition, multi-cropping in the same beds adds health and resilience to both the crops and soil while reducing watering, wind and sun stress, and weed management. Hedgerows, which Elizabeth calls “biological infrastructure,” protect the plant rows from wind and frost, stabilize field temperatures, and create healthier microclimates for crop growth. Hedgerows also host all manner of critters, from owls and snakes who hunt rodents to bees and other pollinators. She understands how beginning farmers, faced with their endless to-do list, can be tempted to postpone hedgerow planting. But the bushes and trees take time to mature, particularly in a temperate zone, and since the hedgerows play an essential role in the land’s biodiversity, crop health, and farm productivity, she recommends planting them as early as possible.
About 70-80% of the time, a thin layer of compost is added to a bed after its plants are harvested. After all, the mature seedlings they will move into that bed are the plant equivalent of growing teenagers, and all teens are renowned for their endless appetites. But the farm uses less compost than you might think. The Kaisers subscribe to the notion that “a farmer’s footstep is the best fertilizer.” In other words, maintaining frequent, direct contact with the land and its crops will allow a farmer to provide hands-on care, as well as the opportunity to spot and address issues before they get out of hand. Consequently, they advise new farmers to start small, to “do less really well,” as Elizabeth puts it. When they have a patch of land that is struggling, they plant short-term crops in it to ensure it is visited often and gets extra attention.
And the rows get a lot of attention. With the exception of those that can’t be used for food crops due to rainy season flooding, the beds grow 3-8 sequential crops—all generating income—over their 12 month cycle. If the transplants need generous space but take a while to grow—like leeks or cauliflower—a short term crop is planted in the open area so the row can continue to produce revenue while the slower plants mature. By the time the quick crop, like lettuce, is harvested, the cauliflowers are large enough to shade the space where they grew and prevent weeds.
At first, all of the food grown on the farm was sold through the Singing Frogs Farm CSA. These days, the CSA has a substantial waiting list and distributes 40% of the farm’s output, while 50% is sold at farmers markets, and 10% to local restaurants. Almost all of what they grow remains within a 10-15 mile radius of the farm.
When asked what she enjoys about living and working at Singing Frogs Farm, Elizabeth mentioned the pleasure of working outdoors, the satisfaction of watching things grow, and the joy of working with “tremendous people.” She motioned across the field to a CalPoly graduate who studied sustainable agriculture and is there to gain experience before starting his own farm. Working a different row is a woman who had her own farm on the East Coast before relocating to the area for her husband’s new job. She showed up one day asking for a part-time position so she could get her hands back in the dirt.
The team is hard-working, highly valued, and necessary for the exceptionally productive farm to continue operating. As a result they are paid well, and burnout is avoided since no one on the property works more than 40 hours per week. This is possible since almost all working hours are spent in production (planting and harvesting) rather than maintenance (tilling and weeding). The sum of all these parts is a farm that generates $145,000 in revenue per acre per year. The state average for organic, tilled farms is $14,000 per acre.
With results like this, one might think it makes sense to scale up. While that would be possible, Elizabeth is quick to point out that 70% of the planet’s food is grown by small producers. She and Paul would rather see 100 three-acre farms in and near population centers rather than one 300-acre farm located remotely.
The success at Singing Frogs Farm has generated a lot of interest from other farmers, researchers, and agriculture specialists. Elizabeth and Paul are generous with their knowledge, shared through farm tours, speaking gigs, and workshops. They conduct studies all the time, from studying the quality of water runoff to measuring organic matter at various soil depths. In 2019, they agreed to participate in a study on how soil health impacts the nutritional value of crops. Cabbages from the same seed pack were grown at both Singing Frogs Farm and a nearby, traditionally tilled organic farm, then analyzed. The Singing Frogs Farm cabbage contained more vitamins, calcium, carotenoids, and phytosterols than its counterpart. In fact, when compared with a previous USDA study of organic vegetables, the nutrient density of vegetables from Singing Frogs Farm was 100% to 400% greater. The book containing the study, What Your Food Ate: How to Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health, is by David R. Montgomery and Anne Biklé, available in June 2022, and is another piece in the picture of how vital soil health is to the quality of our food.
Restoring organic matter to the soil is not just good for us, but necessary to keep our world livable. An EU/UN(1) study found that agriculture has the greatest capacity to reduce carbon emissions at the cheapest cost compared to other sectors: 89% of that capacity is better soil management—putting all that carbon back in the soil where it belongs. “There are so many solutions to climate change,” Elizabeth shared. “I just love our answer.” Looking over the fields of crops, green and bushy as they turn sunshine into sustenance, it’s easy to agree.
Singing Frogs Farm
1301 Ferguson Road, Sebastopol, CA | SingingFrogsFarm.com
1Hoglund-Isaksson et al. EU Low Carbon Roadmap 2050, Energy Strategy Reviews, vol 1 #2 2012