Publisher’s Note
I’m not going to lie—some issues of this magazine come together more gracefully than others. This one was a toughie, and it’s entirely my fault. I made the classic self-employed mistake of saying yes to too much, resulting in becoming buried in an avalanche of competing deadlines. But what’s so bad about deadlines? As Douglas Adams said, “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” Let’s just say: there’s been a lot of whooshing.
Thankfully, this issue is as strong as ever, thanks to the rest of the Word of Mouth team, our fantastic contributors, and, of course, our much-appreciated advertisers who are essential to our operations. And perhaps it’s because restoring equilibrium to my life is an overriding goal at the moment, but the idea of balance seems to loom large in this issue. Felix and Yiping of Cocina Picante (p17) carefully balance flavors to create their fresh and zing-y selection of salsas, while the Redwood Coast Senior Center (p9), works hard to offer local seniors healthy meals, socializing opportunities, and activities necessary to live a balanced life. Whether it’s lunch Monday through Friday, gatherings for knitting or ping pong, exercise classes, or the Fourth Friday Food Truck all-ages community party, there is an abundance of fun to be had down at the Redwood Coast Senior Center.
Husch Vineyards (p36) created a healthier relationship with their land when they retired their disc tractor back in the 1970s, resulting in soils that hold moisture, resist erosion, and host an abundance of nutrients and beneficial critters—let’s hear it for earthworms! We can contribute to a more equitable economy when we purchase fish and shellfish in Fort Bragg’s Noyo Harbor (p13) from the very people who catch it, like Captain Dan, The Animal Fair, Princess Seafood, and others. This keeps more dollars in our community compared to buying seafood at a chain supermarket—and the flavor and quality are superior, as well. Balance is also important in ecological relationships. Californians have been depleting groundwater for years without restoring it, a trend that is thankfully changing (p30). The Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency is addressing the issue on a community level, and installing a rain garden on your land can do so on a personal one. And ranchers in Marin are taking a more thoughtful approach to their relationship with the North American beaver, looking at it more as a potential partner rather than a pest (p39), since a healthy beaver population can increase the biological diversity and wildfire resistance of an ecosystem.
Most people I know are simply seeking a baseline of peace in their lives, and prioritizing balance is an essential part of that. Balance is necessary for excellent cooking, effective land management, and feeling grounded and fulfilled as we divide our time between work, rest, and play. Pushing out to the edge of one’s limits can be exciting and reveal unrealized capacity, but for sustained health and happiness—and far less whooshing—balance is the way to go.
Torrey Douglass
Co-Publisher & Art Director
Anchor Bay Thai Kitchen
Authentic and Exceptional Thai Food
by Torrey Douglass
Out on the southern Mendocino coast between the towns of Point Arena and Gualala, Anchor Bay sits inconspicuously, a tiny community tucked between a sheltered curve of coastline on one side and tree-covered hills rising inland on the other. It’s so small you might very well drive right through without clocking it. But that would be a mistake, especially if you are a fan of Thai food.
The bustling commercial center of Anchor Bay is essentially two long, single story buildings facing off across Highway One. On one side is a low, boxy stucco building with a handful of businesses, including a salon, massage spot, and an insurance office. On the other side of the highway is a more traditional building, wood painted light gray, with a jaunty cupola and shallow awning over the front sidewalk. The structure gives genuine Western vibes—saddled horses tied up out front would not look out of place. It faces the ocean and houses its own collection of businesses: a coffee shop, real estate offices, yoga studio, general store, and, at its southernmost end, Anchor Bay Thai kitchen.
Anchor Bay Thai Kitchen is run by Kwan Wong and Jay Arndt, partners who opened their doors in 2012. Almost a decade earlier, Kwan completed her culinary arts training in Singapore, after which she worked in a Michelin-rated fine dining restaurant. Her next career move took her to the kitchens of international hotels in both Singapore and Thailand, where she cooked for the Thai royal family, the American Red Cross, and The Royal Project Foundation. By 2009, Kwan felt ready to run her own show, opening her first restaurant in Bangkok serving authentic Thai cuisine elevated for fine dining.
Kwan comes from a cooking family—both her brother and mother own restaurants around the Northern California wine region. Kwan came to the U.S. in 2011 to help out and live closer to her family. While working at her mom’s restaurant, Ting’s Thai Kitchen near Harbin Hot Springs (unfortunately no longer open), Kwan met Jay. Jay also has deep roots in hospitality. His family owns a number of restaurants in the Bay Area, and he worked for many years in restaurants around Lake Tahoe. With his convivial nature and high energy, he is a natural at front-of-house management.
Before long, Kwan and Jay were looking for the right location where they could open their own restaurant. They didn’t plan on moving to a hamlet of under 500 souls on the edge of Mendocino County, but when the realtor showed them the property, they decided that’s what they’d do.
According to General Manager Tina Kanakanui, the community response was enthusiastic when they opened, and has continued to sustain them. “We survive in the winter with our community,” Tina shared. “They are great, very supportive. A lot of people with properties in Sea Ranch always come back when they are in the area.”
Thailand is famous for its warm and gracious hospitality, and that kindness can be felt in both the service and the food. The menu has a satisfying variety of dishes, with the intent that everyone can find something they like. Dishes include fresh spring rolls, crispy prawns, stir-frys, and curries, many offered with protein options as well as vegetarian and gluten-free versions. Spice levels can be adjusted for the customer’s preference, and stir-fry dishes are cooked using cholesterol-free rice bran oil. There’s even an outdoor patio for diners who want to bring their pup.
Over the years, Jay has created strong relationships with local food purveyors, be they farmers, fish catchers, or foragers. The restaurant’s website proudly states, “Our philosophy: As eco-conscious owners, we believe in sourcing when available local ingredients which results in good Karma, good for our community, and good for the world by creating a smaller carbon footprint.” They purchase organic produce whenever possible from farms like Roseman Creek Ranch in Gualala and Oz Farm and Anchor Bay Farm in Point Arena. Seasonal specialties might feature locally caught seafood and crab or locally foraged wild mushrooms. In fact, Jay is a devoted forager himself, and will join other foragers on their forest forays once the year turns wet and cold, returning to the restaurant with his own haul of golden chanterelles and porcinis.
Kwan and Jay’s “local first” priority is also reflected in both the beverage menu and even the interior art. Except for the Thai beer Singha, all the beer and wine on offer are made in the area, with options like Navarro Vineyards Pinot Noir and Anderson Valley Brewing Company’s Boont Amber ale. The vibrant wall mural was created by Nicole Ponsler, a well known artist from Point Arena. Creations by other local artists adorn the walls as well.
My dinner at Anchor Bay Thai Kitchen started with the tofu spring rolls made with lettuce, carrots, cucumber, mint, basil, and cilantro wrapped with rice paper. They were light and refreshing, the mint and basil flavors pronounced without being overwhelming, and complemented by a pungent sweet and sour sauce that had just the right balance of sweet and heat.
The tofu pumpkin curry followed, a red curry simmered with a rich coconut milk containing green beans, pumpkin, zucchini, carrots, bell pepper, peas, bamboo shoots, and basil. The gently fried tofu had great texture, and the veggies were bright and tender. Served over rice, the dish was deliciously satisfying and packed with flavor. With food like this, it’s no wonder Anchor Bay Thai Kitchen has become a favorite among locals and not-so-locals alike, with some devoted customers making the hour and 15 minute drive from Fort Bragg regularly.
The owners close the restaurant from time to time in order to travel to various cooking gigs. In 2013, Millennium International Hotels asked Kwan to cook for a VIP party for Oliver Stone at the Millennium Biltmore in Los Angeles. Then in 2015 and 2016, she went to NYC to work as the private chef for Thailand’s prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, when he was in town for the U.N. General Assembly. Fortunately, Kwan and Jay always make it home and open back up to resume serving their superb Thai food to hungry customers.
A perusal of online reviews reveals not just enthusiastic praise for the scrumptious cuisine available at Anchor Bay Thai Kitchen, but a consistent whiff of incredulity that such excellent fare can be found in a place that seems, to the untrained eye, to be located on the distant edge of nowhere. Perhaps it is a long drive for most, but the scenery is stunning, the welcome is warm, and the food is, without a doubt, fit for royalty.
Anchor Bay Thai Kitchen
33517 S Highway 1, Anchor Bay
(707) 884-4141 | anchorbaythai.com
Open Tues - Sun, 4pm - 7pm
Photos of Kwan courtesy of Anchor Bay Thai Kitchen. All other photos by Torrey Douglass.
Redwood Coast Senior Center
Providing Fun, Food, & Friendship to Fort Bragg Seniors
by Anna Levy
Jill Rexrode, Executive Director of the Redwood Coast Senior Center, is clearly passionate about her work. Sitting down to talk about their food program, and the services that organization offers to seniors in general, is nothing short of inspiring. With a daily average of 90-110 people coming for lunch—to say nothing of the many activities and resources they offer—it’s obvious that the Senior Center has built quite a community.
Founded in 1973 and currently “about halfway through” a 99-year lease from the Fort Bragg Unified School District, the Senior Center has evolved over the years to meet the varied interests and needs of the community’s population of older adults. At this point, one of the flagship offerings is an extensive food program that has been serving the community since 1974. Jill shares, “It definitely has evolved into a very big program.”
As part of that program, diners can opt to join others for lunch five days a week, Monday through Friday, from 11:30am to 1:15pm. “We have really healthy food that is approved by a registered dietitian,” Jill explains. “We contract with the Area Agency on Aging. [They] review our menus every month and approve them to make sure that we’re serving balanced meals.” They also make sure to flag foods that could be an issue for people with certain health considerations, such as a food high in salt. The result is a monthly menu of meals such as chicken parmesan, beef ravioli, vegetarian soups, and salads.
Another key aspect of the dining program is to make sure it’s financially accessible. “It’s by donation,” Jill says, noting that for people over 60, “the suggested donation is $5. If somebody is under 60, then it’s $10, which is a heck of a bargain for a three course meal.”
In addition to the lunch program at the Senior Center, they also deliver meals to homebound seniors through Meals on Wheels. “On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday,” Jill says, “we send out about 150 meals that are hot that day, in addition to frozen, to supplement for the days that we don’t deliver.” As with so much, the pandemic affected both food programs— the in-house lunch program became a pickup-only option, and the Meals on Wheels offerings were trimmed from five days a week to three. That, however, turned out to be an opportunity in disguise. “When the pandemic happened, a lot of the seniors that do the Meals on Wheels deliveries decided to shelter in place,” she says. “And then we found out that the seniors prefer [deliveries] three days a week, so it’s worked out just fine.”
Of course, the food program is just one part of what the Senior Center offers the community. There are frequent activities to choose from, among them regular meetings for people who like to quilt, knit, play ping pong, and more. “We have ‘Wake Up and Walk’ on Wednesdays at 8:30. You can meet in the atrium, and we have coffee and a little goodie. Then Jennie Stevens, our new activities coordinator, takes everybody for a walk.” There are also chair-based exercise classes three days a week that focus on building balance and strength. The effort to build a strong sense of community is clear and intentional. Jennie has put together a Fourth Friday Food Trucks event, an all-ages community-wide party including local food vendors, live music, and games.
Jill—who “was born and raised here”—knows her audience. To that end, the Senior Center offers some vital services, such as affordable transportation through a contract with the Mendocino Transit Authority. “It’s a dollar to go wherever between the bridges, and then as you go beyond the bridges, the fees go up, but the highest fee is only four dollars.” That same thoughtfulness shines through such details as the “wheelchair-accessible planter” near the entrance to the rehabilitated garden.
The Senior Center plays an important role in the larger community as well. For instance, Jill says, “We are an emergency shelter in the community,” meaning that people can come for power and internet if needed. “I feel really good about that,” she continues, “that we’re here for an emergency, and I want to expand.” The planning for that, of course, presents challenges. “Even though we’re an emergency shelter,” she says, “we are so low on space in this building. I would really like to get a storage pod container so that we have emergency blankets, cots, and dehydrated food.”
Jill has other hopes for the future as well, from expanding the live music in the dining room from three days a week to five, to other, longer-term goals. “My dream, “she says, “is to build a coffee shop in the front atrium offering home baked pastries.” Though that would be a significant project, involving first an accessible entrance and door, Jill can imagine it easily. “I want to call it Friendship Coffee,” she explains, talking about how people could come, get a coffee, visit the Senior Center thrift store, and play a part in providing “a little revenue stream for here.”
With such plans, of course, there’s work to be done, and Jill stresses that volunteers are always welcome and needed, whether that’s to serve in the dining room, work in the thrift store, or offer another skill. Beyond that, donations or even “people thinking about us in their estate planning” are ways to make a lasting impact on seniors in the community, both now and in the future.
Jill is happy with how the Senior Center continues to grow. “The word’s out that it’s a beautiful facility,” she says. “It’s clean, it smells good, it’s pretty, and the food is great. So people are flocking in and it’s wonderful. It was my dream, and it’s happening.”
Redwood Coast Senior Center
490 N Harold St, Fort Bragg
(707) 964-0443 | rcscenter.org
Don't miss Fourth Friday Food Trucks June 28th, July 26th, August 23, 2024 from 5 - 8pm.
Photos courtesy of Redwood Coast Senior Center
Anna Levy lives on the Mendocino Coast with her family.
Ocean to Plate
Buying Fish Right Off the Boat in Noyo Harbor
by Terry Ryder
California fisheries are considered a “Legacy Industry” that sustains local families while helping to attract tourists. Shockingly, the California commercial fleet that included 5,000 boats in 1980 diminished to only 464 vessels by 2022, and Fort Bragg is home to 103 of these registered commercial fishing boats. The fish catchers who are still fishing are finding it increasingly necessary to “adapt or die.” Fortunately, Noyo Harbor seems to have some very resourceful people who have taken this challenge to heart and devised some innovative ways to help get the freshest fish onto your dinner table.
Dan Platt, aka Captain Dan, is a commercial fisherman, diver, and owner of Noyo Harbor Tours in Fort Bragg. He owns two boats: the Zhivago, a converted 1931 former Coast Guard craft for fishing, and The Noyo Star, his eco-friendly electric tour boat. The recent tough times in California fisheries encouraged Dan to think outside the box. To improve his bottom line, he is sometimes able to sell his fish direct from his boat to customers on the dock, cutting out the middleman. He has a fisherman’s retail permit that allows him to sell whole fish using a state certified scale. The customer pays for the whole fish, which Dan then happily cleans and/or fillets, as requested. You can’t get any fresher than this, and it shows in the flavor and texture of the fish.
As a member of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, Dan has been instrumental in exploring sustainable fishing practices. He will fish and sell salmon if there is a legal season for it. At other times, he sells rock fish (there are 32 different kinds) or sablefish. His fish are caught on hooks mid-way between the surface and the bottom. He often fishes alone as far as seven miles out. Only the fearless need apply. “Conditions can change quickly,” he says calmly and with a steady smile. “I love the water so much that I need to be around it.” His harbor tour business helps to “keep him afloat” when fish seasons are lean or closed entirely. His hour-long tours of Noyo Harbor are fun and educational—perfect for families, and his sunset tours (bring your own wine) particularly appeal to adults.
With 40-plus years in and around Noyo Harbor, Dan knows what is going on and is generous in sharing his knowledge. He often mentions other fish catchers who are working hard to bring fresh fish direct to customers. He has great praise for Harbormaster Anna Neumann, who is trying to build up the “Blue Economy,” which, according to the World Bank, is the “sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem.”
A conversation with Anna reveals her dedication to all things sustainable, ecological, and environmentally sound. She is working to bring traditional farmers market vendors down to the docks to sell their products alongside the fishermen. The Noyo Harbor would like to see a Fisherman’s Market once a month, meeting near the Fisherman’s Memorial and the Harbor office at 19101 South Harbor Drive.
Using a grant from the State Economic Development Department and working with the West Center Business Development Office, Anna is hoping to have an online notification system built into the Noyoharbordistrict.org website by mid June. If customers want to buy fish off the boats on the dock, they will be able to find out when and where. Traditional physical signs are also posted around the harbor when the fishermen are “in” and selling.
Taking things a step further, Laura Miller and Rich Holmes, owners of a 32' x 11' salmon trawler called The Animal Fair, have developed an online selling system that allows customers to buy their fish before it even hits the dock. Customers can provide them with an e-mail address (at salmonlumi.com), and they will provide 1-2 days notification of when they will be selling. After the fish have been caught, patrons can submit their request online, and the fish will be bagged, tagged, and ready for pick-up as soon as the boat docks. Dan believes that the dock sales are best suited to smaller boats like his, as the larger boats can probably use their time more profitably selling their whole catch wholesale. Laura notes, “In the life of a modern fisherman, you have to be open to change and to try new things … Word of mouth does wonders in a small town.”
On days when the fisher-catchers are not selling from the dock, fresh local seafood can be found at Princess Seafood Market or the Princess Restaurant. This all-female crew, headed by owners Heather Sears and Wendy Holloway, catch fish aboard their boat, The Princess. The catch is given a blast freeze at sea to seal in freshness. The flavor of their fish is noticeably more delicious than what can be purchased at a supermarket. For smoked local fish, head to Roundman’s Smokehouse in downtown Fort Bragg. Harvest Market in Fort Bragg’s Boatyard Shopping Center also sells locally caught fresh fish.
So next time you get a yearning that only seafood will satisfy, head to Fort Bragg. You are guaranteed to find something super fresh and tasty no matter when you go.
Go to noyoharbordistrict.org to learn about events and news for Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg.
Terry Ryder Sites lives in Yorkville with 4 cats and 1 husband. A graduate of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Clown College, she writes a weekly column for the Anderson Valley Advertiser. Photos by Terry Ryder
Cocina Picante
A Pandemic Pivot to Making Ultra-Fresh Salsa
by Holly Madrigal
Necessity is the mother of invention, they say, and we can experience that in tasty bites of fresh salsa provided by Cocina Picante. Owners/chefs Felix (who, like Che, prefers to be first name only) and Yiping Hsieh found themselves without work and a lot of time on their hands four years ago when the world shut down. They began thinking about what could be sold at the farmers market to make an income. Yiping has a passion for succulents that she has nurtured over the years. She began propagating the many-hued plants to sell at market, but they grow quite slowly, and the couple considered what else they could do to enhance their market offerings.
Felix has been cooking since he was eleven. His parents both worked, and so it became his job to cook for his younger siblings. His mother and abuela are from the Guerrero area of Mexico. They are very talented and taught Felix many recipes. He and Yiping thought that they could bring some of their authentic Mexican salsas to a wider audience. The first year the couple started Cocina Picante, they made forty types of salsa, quickly narrowing it down, according to popularity, to a handful of signature salsas and a couple of rotating specials. Their seasonal offerings may include: Mild Green, Nice Kick, Picante Verde, and Picante Signature. The couple makes an effort to use local produce when possible, taking fresh ingredients to create salsas with multiple spiciness levels.
Felix has a flair for making a wide variety of different salsas for different palates. He explains, “In Mexico, we have a plum called ciruela. These Mexican plums are smaller, and they make a really good fruit salsa. I also love to make mango and pineapple salsa when the fruits are in season. We even have a cucumber one called Cucumbers Salsa de Pepino. We always have samples on hand at the market for customers to taste,” continued Felix. “I tell them they are not going to like it, they are going to LOVE it! And they do!”
They have branched out to dips and pre-made dishes as well. The Poblano con Crema is a rich mix of roasted peppers in a savory cream dip, delicious on tortilla chips or poured over rice and vegetables. Depending on the day, you may also find fresh steamed tamales, Chili Verde, or Arroz con Leche.
Yiping says they are always listening to their customers and responding to their needs. She learned that several customers with arthritis could not eat salsa as they were advised to avoid “anything in the nightshade family”— tomatoes and peppers, primarily. Yiping shares, “My friends would come and say, ‘Oh, I miss salsa so much, but I am not supposed to eat it.’ We heard this from a number of people at different markets, so Felix and I have developed a salsa without those ingredients.” The couple laughs, “Felix calls it Impossible Salsa and Salsa Fresca which is similar to pico de gallo.” The two are pleased to meet the needs of the customers that support them.
Felix and Yiping live in Calpella and use the Grange Commercial Kitchen in Willits to prepare their salsa. “The Grange Kitchen is such a wonderful place to support the community. We just recently became grange members,” says Yiping. “We use no preservatives, so most of our salsas are sold at farmers market to make sure the customers get the freshest product,” she adds. They travel quite a bit to attend multiple markets throughout Mendocino County and beyond. On Saturdays they are in Ukiah, and on Sundays they are in Windsor. On Wednesdays they travel to Fort Bragg. (If you miss that market, Roundman’s Smokehouse in Fort Bragg has their salsas available.) Thursdays are at the home base in Willits, and then the cycle begins again. “I want to give a shout-out to our helper, Indigo, who assists us in the kitchen making salsa. She is such a great help!” adds Felix.
Yiping and Felix have been together for 27 years now. When asked how it is to work so closely together, they laugh. Yiping says, “We’ve been together so long that we had all the arguments before.” The two dance around each other helping customers and preparing samples, joking and laughing. They seem to have captured the spice of life, and they obviously enjoy sharing it.
Cocina Picante is available at various farmers markets throughout Mendocino and Sonoma counties. On Instagram @cocinapicante707
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.
Photos by Nik Zvolensky
Grant’s Goodies
A Young Entrepreneur’s Ready-to-Bake Cookie Dough
by Holly Madrigal
When Grant Fisher, age 15, decided he wanted to start his own business a year ago, he thought about what he enjoyed doing. Baking and cooking for family and friends came immediately to mind, but he took that a step further, considering what he might be able to offer at the farmers market that wasn’t already there. He hit upon an idea: cookies. But not just cookies. He realized that frozen, readyto- bake, prepared cookie dough balls could work. “I thought it would make it easier for people to have them all ready to go, all balled up,” says Grant. “This is not Tollhouse from Safeway,” he adds. “My cookies are mostly organic, made with quality ingredients, and they change with the seasons.” It means that customers can pick up a bag and get to enjoy the heavenly aroma of baking cookies at home, no mixing or dirty dishes required.
Grant and his two older brothers were homeschooled just outside Willits by their mom, Evelyn Fisher. His idea germinated from an online entrepreneurial program that he was enrolled in. The final project of this business course was to think up a marketable idea and to implement the plan to create a functioning business. It was a semester-long course that included the steps of outlining a business plan, obtaining a business license, securing liability insurance, and considering all the things that are needed to operate. Safe to say that Grant passed his course with flying colors.
It is not just a matter of making cookie dough, of course. Because the product is frozen and includes eggs, Grant needed to utilize a commercial kitchen. The Grange Kitchen in Willits was a location he could rent by the hour to mix, prepare, and freeze the dough. Then he would come back the next day to package the cookie dough balls into 15-count bags. He was required to get a food handlers permit and to complete the paperwork to be a vendor at the farmers market, and he quickly learned that the farmers market requires payment of a stall fee in addition to 10% of sales.
Once business logistics were figured out, Grant turned his attention to the cookie recipes. After trying many variations, he narrowed down what he wanted to offer: a rotating menu of four seasonally-inspired flavors. “I was inspired by a chocolate chip cookie recipe from Alton Brown, but then I altered it to make it my own,” says Grant. “Honestly this is the best chocolate chip cookie I have tasted,” says his mother, Evelyn. “And I know he’s my kid, but it is really true. It’s the best gooey chocolate chip ever.”
Oatmeal Raisin and Peanut Butter soon joined the lineup. Around Valentine’s Day, he adds a Chocolate Crinkle, and for the winter holidays you may find a Peppermint Chocolate. In the early summer, he makes a Matcha Mint Chocolate Chip, and customers have been clamoring for that one. The green-hued cookies are not too minty—a refreshing sweet treat. Grant tries to make sure customers know what they’re buying, noting that, “I bake up some cookies for samples, for customers to try before they buy the ones to take home.”
Grant’s Goodies have been a hit at the market, both for eating at home and for giving as gifts. Local teacher Paula Abajian gave cookie bundles to her co-workers last year. “All the teachers loved the frozen cookies I got them, and it’s supporting a great kid,” Paula shared.
Grant wasn’t sure if people would be interested in baking cookies in the height of summer when the market was at its busiest, but people started buying the frozen cookie dough balls and eating them before they made it home! Owner of Schanachie Pub and Flying Dog Pizza, Pete Swanton, is a big fan, admitting, “I ate most of the bag before I made it to my driveway!”
The business continues to be a learning experience for Grant. He notes that the past year required lots of investment, as he needed to buy equipment and supplies.
He didn’t lose money, but he is looking forward to earning more of a profit now that he has learned the ropes. Still a year away from getting his driver’s license, the use of the Grange kitchen requires both scheduling around the other vendors and working with his mom’s availability to chauffeur him.
To that end, Grant’s family has a plan to build a commercial kitchen at their house so that Evelyn won’t be required to drive him to town. His father, Adrian, is a builder, so they have the skills and resources to make this happen. “If we can set up a certified kitchen at home, I would be interested in reaching out to Mariposa Market or Harvest Market to see if they would like to sell my cookie dough,” says Grant. He also has other ideas for the future. “I would like to attend other markets too, but until I can drive myself, I will be selling at the Willits farmers market. It would be fun to sell cookies at festivals and other venues.“
Currently, Grant has the permit for selling at one market. If he expands to multiple farmers markets, the cost goes up significantly, so he is weighing his options for future business opportunities. He markets his cookies on Facebook and Instagram, sharing what flavors are on deck for that week’s market. “I make them. You bake them” is his motto.
For now, if you are in Willits on Thursdays, be sure to stop by and grab some cookie dough for snacking on the road, or to bake in your oven at home. Let us know if it is really the best gooey chocolate chip cookie ever. I have it on good authority that it is.
Grants Goodies – Grant Fisher, Cookie Master
Willits Farmers Market: Thursdays 3 - 6pm
90 S Main St, Willits (former Rexall parking lot)
Grants Goodies on Facebook IG grants.goodies
Photos by Holly Madrigal and courtesy of Grant’s Goodies.
Bright & Zesty
Add Color and Zing to Your Dish with Nasturtium Blossoms, Leaves, & Seeds
by Lisa Ludwigsen
Nasturtiums—they tumble from baskets, climb up trellises, and flow across garden beds, often looking like they are on their way somewhere else, just having dropped by for a casual visit. Monet painted them lolling nonchalantly in a porcelain vase and featured them prominently in his gardens at Giverny. Those cheerful flowers in oranges, reds, and yellows give every indication that they are reflecting the summer sunshine.
More than just a pretty face, though, these South American natives are edible from top to bottom—meaning all above ground parts—and they even boast medicinal properties. It could be time for you to bring those flowers, leaves, and seeds into the kitchen to add a peppery punch to seasonal dishes.
Nasturtiums are easy to grow. In fact, writer and California native plant expert Judith Larner Lowry writes in her book, California Foraging, that “On the coast of California, [nasturtiums] have naturalized, and though still planted as a garden flower, are classified as an invasive weed.” Not surprisingly, these flowers are natural reseeders, and just a handful of seeds can populate your garden or container with ongoing plants for years to come.
Nasturtiums are also good pollinators. In my garden, gophers and deer share my love of their delightful zestiness, so my nasturtiums are pot- bound on the porch or planted in a wire basket adjacent to the house. They like coolish weather, petering out when the temps rise above 85°F, but along the coast or in a shaded spot, they can flourish through fall.
Kids love eating them, too. When working with little ones in the garden, we talk about eating all the colors of the rainbow. Nasturtiums’ bright flower colors not only can brighten food but also mood. If you’ve got nasturtiums growing in your garden or can plant them for fall, here are a few ideas for adding them to your kitchen creations:
Flowers are fun to nibble and so much more. They look lovely when delicately wrapped around a bite-sized round of goat cheese or sprinkled into salads, either sliced or whole. Elevate that cobbled-together supper or appetizer platter with a sprinkle of julienned flowers. The spiciness can add a distinctive and savory undercurrent to many dishes. I’ve even seen a suggestion for freezing the flowers into ice cubes for cocktails or iced tea.
Leaves: While the flowers can grab all the glory, nasturtium leaves are not to be forgotten. They add dimension and zest to salads or even a quickly sauteed stir-fry. Use nasturtium leaves as an alternative to arugula or spinach, or try them with scrambled eggs, omelets, or frittatas.
Seeds: Young, unripe nasturtium seeds can be pickled and used in place of capers. They are quite spicy and can also be eaten plain when they are fresh and malleable. Once they harden, they should be planted, not eaten.
While you’re incorporating nasturtiums into your meals, you’ll also be adding vitamin C and antioxidants to your diet. They’re also known to hold antimicrobial and antifungal Properties.
From salads to zesty pickled treats, nasturtiums offer a unique way to add a touch of seasonal warmth and spice to your plate. The next time you see them basking in the sun, step beyond admiring their beauty and bring them inside for a peppy addition to just about any meal.
Lisa Ludwigsen has been working in environmental education and small scale agriculture for 25 years. She chronicles her experiences and travels at Food, Farms & Families at https://lisaludwigsen.substack.com
Fight Back with Fungi
How Mushrooms Can Help Solve the Global Housing Crisis
by Burgess Brown of Healthy Materials Lab
Namibia’s diverse ecosystem is in trouble. The main culprit: Acacia Mellifera, better known as Black Thorn or simply ‘encroacher bush.’ This dense, thorny shrub is incredibly invasive and, over the last few decades, has smothered many parts of Namibia’s increasingly homogeneous ecology. Grassy savannas are being choked by the ever-expanding plant and turned into deserts. Namibia’s government has a plan to fight back. They’ve enacted a program to thin 330 million tons of black thorn over the next 15 years. The bush waste is chipped and turned into wood dust that can be used for fuel pellets and energy sources. As it turns out, it is also the perfect food for fungi.
MycoHab, a collaboration between MIT, Standard Bank, and redhouse studio, is leveraging this surplus waste and harnessing the power of fungi to address both food and housing scarcity in Namibia. Here’s the basic MycoHAB run-down: The wood dust from the Acacia Mellifera waste is used as a substrate to grow oyster mushrooms. The oyster mushrooms are harvested and sold to local markets, grocery stores, and restaurants. Then, the waste left behind from the mushroom harvesting, teeming with the rootlike structure of fungi called mycelium, is pressed and fired into blocks that the team plans to use to construct affordable housing. This may sound far out, but allow us to explain. To understand how we get from mushrooms to housing, it’s helpful to know a bit about the life cycle of fungi.
Fungi 101
First, it’s important to understand that while all mushrooms are fungi, not all fungi are mushrooms. Mushrooms are the fruiting body of fungi. A mushroom is like an apple growing on an apple tree––it’s the fruit, not the tree. In the fungi world the “tree” is called mycelium. Mycelium is the living body of fungi. It’s a rootlike structure that is constantly eating, expanding, and connecting in large filamentous networks underground or in rotting trees. Mycelium is the star of the MycoHAB project and the key to a future of fungi-based materials.
Nature’s Glue
On a typical mushroom farm, once the fruiting bodies have been harvested, the mycelium would be left behind or composted. At MycoHab, the fungi’s substrate, chock full of mycelium, becomes the foundation for a new building product. While the mycelial network is growing and eating, waiting to sprout mushrooms, it’s filling up any available space in the woody substrate and binding everything together. We spoke to Christopher Maurer, Principal Architect at redhouse studio and a Founder of MycoHAB, about how this works in practice. “The mycelium, which looks like roots basically, bonds with the Acacia Mellifera bush at a cellular level,” Chris says. “They create this cellular matrix of material that can be compacted and turned into a building material. It acts like cement or glue in different building products.”
Seeing other creatives working with mycelium materials, notably the mycelium materials company Ecovative in a packaging context, inspired Chris’ own fungi experimentation. “We always wondered, could this be something that could be structural as well? We thought about processes like the creation of plywood or MDF where small bits of wood are combined together either in veneers, like plywood is, or in pulp, like medium density fiberboard.” Chris and his team set about experimenting with heat and pressure techniques inspired by these composite materials and applied them to the mycelium blocks. The results are relatively strong. Chris says, “We relate our block to a concrete block. It has about the same mass. It has a similar compressive strength. But it also has insulation characteristics and has thermal mass to it.”
Constructing Carbon Stores
The potential of the MycoHAB blocks are impressive: they could be be stronger than concrete blocks, they are insulating, and they are made from waste two times over. If that’s not enough, they also sequester carbon. Carbon emissions are a massive concern for the future habitability of our planet, and the built environment is one of our worst offenders. The construction and operation of buildings is responsible for nearly half of global carbon emissions. And the materials we use in our buildings have a huge impact on those emissions. Just three materials: concrete, steel, and aluminum account for 23% of emissions worldwide. The situation is dire, and according to Chris, the materials we build with are the place to start. “We imagine a future where the building industry could be a net carbon store. Because of population growth, we need to double our building area size by 2060. If we’re using carbon emitting materials, that is going to be a huge problem. If we use materials that store carbon then we can actually start to reverse the impact that the building industry and architecture has on the environment.”
Inflate, Deflate, Repeat
In addition to being made from waste, Chris and his team are developing new, waste-saving building methods to assemble the future myco-block affordable homes. Here’s how it will work: inflatable arch formwork is erected on site and the myco-blocks are stacked on top. Once everything is in place, the arch is deflated and is able to be used over and over again. This saves a ton of construction waste because, traditionally, the forms needed to build arch or dome structures can end up creating about as much building waste as the final product.
Next, a mud-lime render is added to the blocks to protect them from the elements, and a roof completed. The homes are designed for disassembly and with end of life in mind. Chris says, “The block itself would be fully biodegradable. We designed the building with protective barriers on top of it, but if you were to strip those away and recycle those materials, then the myco-blocks could be broken down and used as compost to augment the soil. That’s the way we look at the life cycle of our project—from the earth and back to the earth.”
Fungi Futures
As things stand, MycoHAB Namibia functions as a vertically integrated operation, with profits from oyster mushroom sales funding block production. Chris says that patience in these early stages of the process is key. “As we’re getting started, we want to maintain control over the process and the building so that we can thoroughly test everything and make sure that the materials we’re making are used properly.”
But, according to Chris, scaling operations are not far off. “I don’t think it can be kept a vertically integrated system for very long. It will need to kind of branch out into these different endeavors, and then they could end up on the shelves of hardware stores around the world so that anybody can build with them.”
Widespread access and affordability of myco-materials will be key to realizing their potential environmental impact in the coming decades both in Namibia and around the globe. Chris and his team have crunched the numbers and calculated that if they use just 1% of the biomass that Namibia plans to thin from the encroacher bush, they could house 25% of the population currently living in shacks and informal settlements over the next 15 years. In that time, they would also be able to harvest 2 million tons of mushrooms and sequester 3-5 million tons of carbon dioxide in the process. That is the promise of fungi.
We hope that fungi-based materials like the MycoHAB blocks will become a standard rather than an exciting outlier. This innovative approach, looking at the entire life cycle and systems of making a material, while taking responsibility for its origins through to its disposal, is an excellent example for a healthier future of materials and the built environment. It took decades of research, innovation, marketing, and systems-building for petrochemical-based materials to take over our planet. That same energy, and patience, is needed now. Thankfully, the tide is turning and a healthier future is possible.
This article was originally published on Architizer website at:
https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/stories/mycelium-fungiarchitecture-mycohab
Healthy Materials Lab is a design research lab at Parsons School of Design with a mission to place health at the center of every design decision. HML is changing the future of the built environment by creating resources for designers, architects, teachers, and students to make healthier places for all people to live.
Photos courtesy of MycoHAB
The Water Under Our Feet
The Essential Undertaking of Aquifer Recharge
by Torrey Douglass
One of my favorite things about living in Mendocino County is watching the turn of the seasons. I love the four distinct segments of the year, each with its own flavor profile of scents and sights. As I write this, the hills are covered in fresh green grass—the kind that inspires my cows to break out of their corral and go on walkabout to fill their bellies. By the time you are reading this, though, that green will mostly or entirely have dried into a crispy gold, thanks to the summer sun.
The green grass is evidence of the abundant 2023-2024 rainy season. Storms blew through at nicely paced intervals, and the rain was rarely torrential, allowing the moisture to seep into the ground while also minimizing flood risk. There were stretches of good weather between those downfalls, sparing us from the bane of El Niño— weeks of uninterrupted dreariness that can weigh heavy on the souls of sun-lovers. But anyone who has lived in this area for a decade or more can testify that such advantageous rainy seasons are not a given. California suffered extreme droughts from 2012 - 2016 as well as 2020 - 2022, some of the worst on record. Local ponds and reservoirs dried up, trees weakened and frequently succumbed to disease, and the fire risk climbed to ever-higher levels, inspiring an unrelenting, anxious vigilance in area residents from August through October.
According to Laura Elisa Garza Díaz, Ph.D., droughts like 2012 - 2016 will happen again, increasing in length, frequency, and intensity as climate change reshapes our natural environment. Dr. Garza Díaz is the Area Water Quality, Quantity, and Climate Change Advisor at the U.C. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, part of the U.C. Cooperative Extension, and her focus is Mendocino and Lake counties. “When we have a wet winter, we forget about drought,” Dr. Garza Díaz observes. “But due to climate change, drought resiliency is a high priority.”
Dry years force Californians to rely almost exclusively on the groundwater in aquifers accessed via wells, but groundwater is not an infinite resource. Like our forests, aquifers must be utilized judiciously in order to avoid over-extraction to the point of depletion. With this in mind, California passed the State Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014. Regulating groundwater is not unusual—both Washington state and even regulation-averse Texas have been doing it since the 1940s, and Florida and Kansas passed their own laws in the 1970s.
The SGMA has rated groundwater basins throughout the state. The Central Valley, where farms rely heavily on water pulled from aquifers to irrigate crops, was deemed a high priority basin, while the Ukiah Valley Basin was rated a medium-priority region. The assessment resulted in the formation of the Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (UVBGSA), an organization that encompasses the County of Mendocino, the City of Ukiah, the Upper Russian River Water Agency, and the Russian River Flood Control and Water Conservation and Improvement District. This group is responsible for creating a Groundwater Sustainability Plan which will serve as “a strategic roadmap to secure the sustainable management of groundwater within the basin within a two-decade timeframe,” according to Dr. Garza Díaz.
The plan submitted by UVBGSA was approved by the state, which is fortunate as it keeps our groundwater management strategy under local control. Meetings are open and public input is welcome—find details on the UVBGSA website, ukiahvalleygroundwater.org. The agency has proposed a number of strategies but must select just a few to pursue as funds are limited. Ideas include expanding the City of Ukiah Recycled Water Project, rehabilitating existing reservoirs, constructing off-stream tanks for storage, and digging injection wells—wells designed to send water to the aquifer rather than pulling from it.
Restoring water to aquifers, known as Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), is essential to the future sustainability of California. Some farmers in the Central Valley have started flooding their fields after a heavy downpour, allowing the water to percolate down to the water table. This practice has the added benefit of activating microbes in the soil that accelerate the decomposition of the nitrates that have built up over time from repeated applications of fertilizer. Grape growers in Alexander Valley are also considering intentional flooding of the vineyards to restore water to the aquifers.
There are a number of things you can do on your own property to help recharge groundwater. While you can’t capture rain runoff in a human-made pond without a permit, you can slow it down to allow it time to sink into the soil. Building up mounds of earth, called swales, in strategic locations can help, though it’s recommended to utilize professionals like Village Ecosystems in Ukiah, since swales must be engineered appropriately to avoid landslides, foundation damage, and erosion.
If you want a truly DIY approach to implementing MAR on your property, consider planting a rain garden. When paired with rainwater harvesting, you can create a low maintenance system for sending precipitation back to the aquifer on which your home relies. In Mendocino County, you do not need a permit for water tanks under 5000 gallons, so choose one below that limit to keep things simple. Locate the tank on a level surface next to your house and install gutters that deliver water to it. Be sure the water passes through a screen before going into the tank in order to filter out solids.
Typically, a tank under 5000 gallons will not store an entire season’s worth of rain, so plant your rain garden nearby and direct the tank’s overflow to it. Be sure the garden is situated at least 10 feet away from your home’s foundation. Ideally, the garden’s location will be near an impermeable surface, like a driveway, that delivers runoff to the site. You can dig out a basin to collect the rain and runoff if there is not already a natural depression that collects rainwater at that spot. The rain garden requires percolating soil, so if you have a lot of clay, amend the soil appropriately.
The basin should include three zones: the bottom, a higher terrace level around that, and the top. The basin does not need to be deep—5" is sufficient—but an overall size of at least 150 square feet is recommended. If you are digging the basin yourself rather than using a pre-existing depression, you can use the removed soil to create a berm around the basin. At the bottom of the basin, use plants that have a high tolerance for moisture, as they will be submerged for the longest time. Take inspiration from your surroundings and use the type of plants you see growing in the beds of seasonal streams. The terrace zone should contain plants that thrive in both wet and dry conditions. These plants can reach the water in the basin bottom with their roots, and will be submerged themselves after heavier storms. The plants at the top should tolerate primarily dry conditions, so select drought-tolerant options for that zone.
All these plants should be native, be they shrubs, flowers, grasses, or trees. Native plants are adapted to the local soil and typically have much deeper roots than their imported alternatives. The deeper the roots, the more moisture can be pulled from the surface down into the ground, where it can be stored in soil, plants, and ultimately, the aquifer. You can also select plants that are pollinator- friendly in order to provide food and habitat for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Once the rainwater collection system is in place and the plants are in the ground, it takes relatively little effort to maintain, as native plants do not need much irrigation or inputs. Linda MacElwee, the Watershed Coordinator at the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District, recommends planting fruit trees around the basin if there’s room. They can help build the water-holding capacity of the soil while also providing shade, beauty, and food.
It feels like we are living in a time when a number of bills for past behaviors are coming due. When it comes to groundwater, there’s been a lot of taking and not a lot of giving, and that must change. Rain gardens can help bring balance to our relationship with the aquifers we rely on, a balance that is necessary for our survival as we move into a future defined by new and intense climate conditions. Thankfully, while this underground resource may remain out of sight, it’s no longer out of mind, and we can take measures to ensure its sustainability for generations to come.
Follow the UVBGSA at ukiahvalleygroundwater.org.
Water photo by Jenn Wood courtesy of Unsplash. Rain garden photo by Linda MacElwee.
Torrey Douglass is a web and graphic designer living in Boonville.
Fleeces and Pieces: A Map in Time
by Gowan Batist
The steel blue of Iris the sheep’s hip is revealed as shears pass across her, peeling the matted, dull, iron-tinged gray of her fleece away, a process uncannily like taking a grinder to rusted metal and leaving ridged circles of brightness behind with each swipe. I’m shearing her while we are out on a grazing contract. Mobile flocks, contained by solar-energized electric mesh fences, roam all around this county, reducing fire danger, clearing dense brush, increasing biodiversity, and adding fertility. For a few seasons our flock, primarily headquartered at Fortunate Farm, has participated in this trend.
It’s 85°, and I’m sweating beneath my tool belt, bits of wool clinging to my bare legs. The afternoon air is heavy and slow before the nightly down-canyon wind, and long after the morning chill. We are out in a field called Eagle Flat, because it contains two golden eagle nest trees. The flock is currently penned in the shade of a live oak, beside a pond and surrounded by the purple eyes of lupin. We are in an earthen baking dish that will soon be unendurable, but today is just warm. This ranch primarily serves as a bird sanctuary, and our mission is to reduce the invasive annual grasses, both to give the native perennial grasses a stronger start to the year, and also to improve habitat for burrowing owls, who prefer short grass.
The shears my cousin Wu gave me are wedged against the heel of my hand, and Iris is idly lipping at my side as I lean across her. She has enthusiastically played her part in the grazing project.
I remember the day she was born, stuck in a bad presentation with her head out of the ewe’s body but her legs trapped back behind her. Normally lambs found in this position are dead of asphyxiation, but when I found them in the icy rain, Chego the Great Pyrenees was curled protectively around the laboring ewe, anxiously licking the lamb’s half born face. He had cleared her nose and mouth enough to keep her alive. On that day, my friends rushed to help. We lay in the mud and the rain, mute with effort trying to reach her front knees so we could untangle her and also hold the poor ewe. Chego vibrated with worry over us like our own personal white rain cloud. Finally Iris slid into the world on a tide of blood.
In many traumatic births, the ewe will reject her lamb. No matter how strong the primal love, trauma can block the chemicals we need in order to feel it. The black Icelandic ewe who carried Iris tried to kill her repeatedly, resulting in Iris coming into the house as a bottle baby. We fed her in turns as she hopped confidently around us, slept in our laps, and ate our books right off the shelves. She was voted onto the Board of Directors of FlockWorks, a local nonprofit, after attending a meeting clad in a diaper with our good friend Clara, who had taken a day shift feeding her while I worked. That spring, when I seeded flats in the greenhouse, it was with a lamb and a border collie laying by my feet on the warm straw.
I sheared her first fleece with my cousin and felted it into a hat for my friend Erin’s soon-to-be-born baby, by combing the fibers out and forming them around the most convenient mold I had—a small round pumpkin we grew that year. The hat was soft and warm and lavender gray, and when my friend’s son was born, it fit his little head perfectly. For a moment, anyway.
With the next fleece the following season, I made something for myself, a woven cowl that kept my neck warm and fit under my canvas coat. I packed it away with winter clothes right before COVID, and before my stepdad’s illness intensified. A pandemic and wave of deaths followed, and I have no idea what happened, but I have never found that box again.
By the third fleece, we were hoping that the COVID situation would change and we would be able to host kids again for shearing lessons on the farm. As a bottle baby, Iris will stand for shearing without restraint of any kind, perfect for teaching. I put off shearing her, hoping we would be able to have a class, and her fleece felted on her back a bit. It was still usable, but that season I mostly felted small objects with it, like a small beaded bag for Ruthie, and regretted losing most of it. That winter my stepdad died, and then our friend died weeks later. Ruthie of Headwaters Grazing came and took the flock to a vineyard grazing contract to give me a grace period without sheep responsibilities to take care of my family. Vineyard grazing is a fantastic way to cycle carbon and make fat lambs on rich cover crops, and the flock did well there.
The sheep came back, having gotten into some poison oak, so for the first time someone else sheared Iris, a shearer friend who swore she was immune to poison oak. I used that fleece to mulch a small tree, and for ages when I would pass and see bits of it beneath the carpet of new grass I would think about that lost season, in which I was carried by my community and felt both grateful and desperately adrift without the anchor of my flock.
The following fall, I sheared her in a field at dusk on a different grazing contract, this one on the coast on land that formerly housed a railroad, used to haul redwoods to shipping docks. The grass was tall and blonde and hid occasional large rusty pieces of metal from the industrial past of the area. (The railroad is not the only former industrial site we’ve grazed; a few years prior we grazed on a land trust in Gualala on the site of the mill where my great-great-grandfather worked, died, and was buried. Not much was left of the mill itself but chunks of concrete and thick metal cables rusting into the soil. I visited his grave between sheep chore rounds.) In a photo my friend Amalia took, the fall of Iris’s fleece mirrors the fall of my hair as we lean towards each other like a double helix, always turning towards a shared center point. It was a cool plum colored evening with high streaky clouds and dry late season grass.
As I sheared Iris in the prickly heat, I thought longingly of that cool coastal grazing contract. Sometimes the rewards of shearing are abundant and the day is gloomy and intimate and perfect, and sometimes it’s hot and sticky and full of thorns. Iris will make two fleeces per year as long as she lives, maybe as long as fifteen years. This won’t be our hardest one, and our best thus far will be surpassed by some that are ahead.
Last summer I sheared Iris with interns from Oz farm who joined us to learn. Iris stood and wagged her tail, wiggling the blanket of fleece that I had rolled down as Hunter and I sheared. I was pregnant, and my belly rested across Iris’s back when I bent over her to follow the fleece down her thigh. That fleece was washed and combed by my friends Sarah and Kat at Mendocino Wool and Fiber. I spun it into yarn while I waited to go into labor. Amalia made that labor yarn into a warm hat to bring our newborn home in, and a fuzzy vest and booties that our baby is just growing into now. With the remaining combed roving, I sat and worked with felting needles while our baby slept, using the gray to create clouds behind a dark crooked oak tree made from Carlotta’s dark brown fiber. I spun endless yarn on my large Ashford wheel while our baby nursed in my lap. I also spun her fleece on the beach with a tiny drop spindle, watching my partners surf with the baby in a wrap on my chest, the little spindle whizzing near my knees as the thread grew longer, before being hauled back up to start again.
As a shepherd, hand shearer, and fiber artist, the fleeces and the pieces made from them become a map in time: of the fields we were in, the weather of the season, the people we worked with. They are an atlas of a disappearing world, charting the paths of relationships that take our species back in time at least ten thousand years, to times sheep were shaved with knapped stone razors, and even further back to a time when fleece was plucked from the communal scratching posts the wild flocks rubbed their winter coats off onto.
This is all great in the abstract, but today I still have to finish this hot and difficult job. I cut the fleece from her tail, across her back and down to the sides of her belly, and up to her neck. As I worked and she calmly stood, occasionally nibbling me with her velvet lips, the fleece fell down her sides and expanded under its own weight, growing far larger in area than the surface of the skin it was previously anchored to. The fleece is clean and soft and luminous where it touches her body, dull and full of dust on the outside. When I finished her neck and mighty mane—the longest and softest part of the fleece—I gently pulled the fleece away from where it was still connected by the invisible barbs of wool fibers to the fleece still attached to the skin. Having freed it, I bundled it, inside out, into a shiny package, unctuous with lanolin, and tossed it onto the wool sorting area on the other side of the fence.
There are far more thorns in it than I hoped. Maybe I can save something from it, maybe it will all mulch a baby oak tree. In spring of 2020, before things really got bad, when we still thought this would blow over in a few weeks, we did spring shearing on a different section of the same ranch, on a similar spring grazing contract, in an area where riparian restoration was taking place. We took the belly and leg cuts unfit to process for yarn and mulched the baby trees with them, wetting the soil and then the wool. The loose bits at the edges were quickly snatched by nesting birds, and we saw some of the birds flying into the nest boxes we had recently installed, trailing streamers of fiber.
Later that season, 80% of the ranch burned. The trees mulched with wool, which does not burn, survived the fire. The wool mulch held in moisture, it kept back grasses that could overshadow the trees, and it gave each of them a personal fire blanket. When the black paint of ash ran across the tan canvas of the fall, some of the only green left was those few little oak leaves.
Today I am here with my shears greasy, sliding across the blisters on my hand. I am alone with this animal whose first breaths I witnessed, the same pointer finger that’s rubbed raw today was once just barely hooked under her tiny knee and popped her loose into life.
Lifting Iris’s hard, compact little feet, I trim them mostly out of a sense of completion, not because she really needs it. In the absence of the rocks they evolved to leap and climb over, the hoof will keep growing past the point of utility and become dysfunctional, sometimes leading to lameness.
I have to insist that she’s done being sheared, because she would like me to keep going even after she has been relieved of her entire fleece. Iris presses her oily shorn body against my leg, lips at my shoes, and wags her tail when I scratch her. I find myself idly snipping areas that don’t really need to be touched up, just to stay in this space a bit longer. I have 14 more sheep to shear; I have work waiting at home.
Iris is self-congratulatory in her plumpness and her shine, her tail flicking when I scratch between her shoulder blades, her head arching up reproachfully when I stop. Chego comes over to us, sniffing over the haircut I gave to his baby, who is now his size. One of her first days in the pasture with the flock, I came to check on her and didn’t see her anywhere. My blood went cold. A million animals can snatch and run with a motherless lamb. Searching, I noticed that Chego hadn’t gotten up to greet me. I walked over to where he lay and found Iris, Chego’s bushy tail covering her where she lay against his side, her head thrown back, sound asleep.
She was a slim scrap of fluff and knobby legs then; she is a broad and sleek tank of a sheep now. Chego is still Chego, he was born one hundred years old and yet somehow hasn’t aged a day. I wonder if they notice the changes in me the way I mark the ones in them like the high tide lines of my life, defining each year by fleeces, commemorating it by their quality and weight—the years we made fine art, the years we made utilitarian warmth, and the years we could make nothing but a shelter against the fire.
Gowan Batist of Fortunate Farm 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.
Husch Vineyards
48 Years of No-Till Grape Growing
by Zac Robinson
You can always learn something from your neighbors. At Husch, we learned that we could grow Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer by learning from our next door neighbor, Edmeades, who had planted those varietals in 1964. Sometimes, however, the lesson is to avoid a neighbor’s mistakes. In 1976, Vineyard Manager Al White witnessed another neighbor’s devastating hillside erosion which essentially shut down that vineyard. The loss of topsoil exposed irrigation lines, and those lines were then destroyed by the tractors. Hoping to avoid a similar experience, White decided to make a big change at Husch.
For grapes and most other crops, the standard farming practice involves plowing or discing the soil several times each year. Every pass with the disc destroys the top layer of the soil and leaves it vulnerable to erosion. For White, the alternative seemed easy—simply stop discing at Husch. With that simple decision in 1976, the discing tractor was parked for good, and Husch began a nearly 50-year journey to rebuild soils and explore a no-till vision of agriculture before the concept was widely known, let alone adopted. There were no neighbors to guide us, nor was there a regenerative farming community to turn to for support—the term “regenerative” wasn’t even invented until the 1980s. We believe Husch was the first vineyard to take this step in California.
Even though the neighbors advised otherwise, claiming “you have to disc the soil,” we soon saw benefits from our experiment. Most importantly, we stabilized hillside soils. When the big El Niño storms of the early 1980s pummeled Anderson Valley, the hillsides at Husch held firm. Other benefits emerged as well. We realized we could farm with fewer insecticides. In 2008, we parked our “spray rig” and haven’t used it since. Our theory is that our no-till grasses harbor a wide variety of insect species, maintaining a better balance of insect populations in the vineyard. (We do use the 2000-year-old technique of applying sulfur dust to control mildew in the vineyard.)
In the past decade, regenerative agriculture has started to build a formal methodology. The core tenet is the promotion of practices that rebuild the soil to its historic fertility. No-till methods are strongly endorsed. Animal grazing is encouraged. Chemical inputs are discouraged. The techniques apply to all kinds of crops, and the movement has an international following. This year even Hollywood is involved, with the release of the documentary Common Ground, which advocates for a radical transformation of agriculture.
Locally, winegrape farmers have always understood some of the basics of regenerative farming. Nearly 100% of vineyards will rest their fields for a year—a process known as fallowing—to allow soils to rest before replanting with winegrapes. Similarly, many local vineyards are experimenting with reduced tillage, a half-way solution that opens the door to a full no-till transition.
In 2012, the U.S. Department of Agriculture visited Husch to help calibrate a “healthy soils” checklist they were developing. We measured soil compaction (low), organic content (high), and the number of earthworms in a shovel scoop of soil. The draft survey has options for 0, 2, 4, or 6 earthworms. We laughed as we counted into the teens and added our own checkbox to the form: 20+. Worms love the dirt at Husch.
We have found other unexpected dividends from our farming practices. The vines at Husch have an unusual longevity, perhaps due to the improved mycorrhizal diversity that comes with our regenerative approach. Whatever the reason, Husch continues to make sought-after wine from our Knoll block of Pinot Noir. At 53 years old, this block is an anomaly in modern viticulture.
The question of fertilizer is most interesting to us right now. We never adopted the imported compost approach that is so common with organic or younger regenerative farms. The vineyard doesn’t seem to need it, and some science might explain why. As the grasses in our vineyard grow and die, they build the carbon content of the soil. This carbon has its own biological cycles including mineralization— when the organic compounds release nitrogen compounds into the soil. The grapevines use this natural fertilizer during their growth cycle in the spring. Every year that we don’t till results in more carbon added into the soils, leading to more nitrogen. We still supplement our vines with soluble nitrogen pushed through our drip system (a process known as fertigation), but our needs are decreasing over time. Of course, the sheep in the vineyard help boost soil nitrogen with their own “contributions.”
Another benefit, and perhaps the most important, is starting to come into view. Climate scientists are speculating that regenerative agriculture can sequester meaningful amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The science on this point is tentative and complicated, but we are excited to know that this amazing benefit is being studied.
Part of the fun of our regenerative experiment is that we’ve redefined our thinking. At first we thought no-till was simply letting the weeds grow. Then we dropped the word “weeds” and called our vineyard floor a “permanent cover crop.” The next evolution came when friends knowledgeable about California native grasses visited and pointed out some exciting finds: native coastal grasses are growing in the rows at Husch. So we no longer have “weeds” at Husch—we have “native grasses.”
Farming is a voyage in life-long learning, and we realize that the regenerative techniques at Husch have room for improvement. Can we use less water? Can we nudge the fertilizer equation to zero inputs? Can we grow better fruit for winemaking with less intensive agriculture? Regenerative techniques help us push the envelope of these fundamental farming questions. It’s gratifying to know we can continue to produce outstanding wines while improving soil health, reducing erosion, and increasing the property’s carbon storage capacity. With benefits like those, the discing tractor will continue to remain in retirement for a very long time.
Husch Vineyards
4400 Hwy 128, Philo
(800) 554-8724 | huschvineyards.com
Tasting room open daily 10am - 5pm
Zac Robinson, along with his sister Amanda and family, is the third generation to grow grapes and craft wine at Anderson Valley’s Husch Vineyards.
Photos courtesy of Husch Vineyards
Bringing Back Beavers
A Potential Partner for Improving Water Quality and Preventing Wildfire
by Lisa Ludwigsen
A custom cowboy hat constructed of fine beaver fur will run you around $1,500 in downtown Santa Fe. To start the design process, the customer sits in a barber shop-like chair where a metal contraption is placed onto the head to calibrate each unique detail. (Despite appearances, I hear it only looks painful.) Though the beaver’s coarse outer fur is also used for hats, it is the soft underlayer of beaver fur that felts into a durable, waterproof, insulating material that also holds its shape. Most hats these days use rabbit, hare, or wool, so a beaver felt hat is a premium luxury.
It is precisely those superior qualities that led to the near extinction of beavers from North America and fundamentally changed the landscape across the continent, beginning over 500 years ago.
When Europeans arrived in North America in the 1500s, it is estimated that beavers could be found every two miles of a flowing waterway. According to the book Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America, by Leila Philip, before the fur trade began, beavers were as common as squirrels.
It was easy pickings for fur traders. Great fortunes were made as pelts were sold and shipped throughout the growing American colonies and across Europe, especially since beavers had been hunted out in Europe as early as the 1300s. Beaver hats were ubiquitous. Take a look at an old black and white photo of men wearing tall top hats or bowlers and be assured that most of those hats were made from beaver.
While Native Americans managed beaver populations to ensure longevity, Europeans settlers shared no such concern. By the late 1800s, the American beaver population was decimated, ending the lucrative market and significantly altering the topography across the continent. The good news is that beavers are resilient, and successful reintroduction and conservation efforts, starting way back in the early 1900s, are restoring ecosystems and addressing impacts of droughts, fires, and even flooding, especially in the arid West.
Beavers’ ability to transform a running stream into a biologically diverse ecosystem is unmatched in nature. They alter the terrain by slowing the flow of water, spreading it out, and sinking it into the ground. While building strong, protective shelters, beavers transform streams into ponds, creating meadows, wetlands, and marshes that hold water on the surface and serve as important wildlife habitat. As the water slows and spreads, erosion is decreased, water tables rise, and aquifers are recharged. As a keystone species, their presence increases biodiversity, and they are necessary to keep an ecosystem healthy.
I recall hiking around a glacial lake in the Eastern Sierra wondering “who’s chopping down trees way back here?” I thought for a minute that I might find a cabin. Lifting my gaze a few degrees, I spotted the beaver lodge, which I had walked past and mistaken for a pile of debris washed from upstream. Yet another lesson for me in paying attention to my surroundings and looking a bit deeper!
Beavers are the largest North American rodent. They can hold their breath underwater for 15 minutes, are dexterous, and live in family units of parents and offspring up to a couple of years old. In times of scarcity, the offspring return to help with the work of the group. Beavers’ unique flat tails are used for balance and stability in and out of the water, to store fat, and to warn off unwelcome visitors with a loud thwap. They are called landscape architects for good reason. With long orange incisors, hefty rear feet measuring up to 7” long, and five-toed front feet, beavers can cut and drag trees up to 2’ in width and scoop volumes of mud to create impenetrable dams and lodges. They can cut down a 5” willow in three minutes. As vegetarians, they very efficiently eat the inner cambium layer of the tree and use the rest to build dams and lodges.
Though relatively plentiful again in parts of North America, the West still lacks healthy beaver populations. “We’ve worked hard to keep water from just passing through our rangeland,” said Loren Poncia, owner of Stemple Creek Ranch in west Marin County. As a producer of grass-fed, grass-finished beef, Poncia and his crew have planted over 10,000 trees along five miles of Stemple Creek. “We planted the trees, mostly willows, to build habitat and decrease erosion. It’s been a big success. The creek now runs year-round in some places.”
Taking restoration efforts a step further, Poncia is working with California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) WATER Institute to study the potential impacts of introducing beavers to the watershed. “As ranchers, we want to grow forage on our creek-adjacent land, so spreading out the water and slowing the water cycle is very desirable.” The team is installing beaver dam analogues, which are human-made beaver dams, along the creek as a step to determine long term effects. Poncia’s enthusiasm about restoring habitat and reintroducing beavers into the watershed is palpable. Though many people have considered beavers a nuisance and kill them without a second thought, he is part of a growing group of ranchers able to see beavers as integral to a sustainable food system.
It was once thought that beavers were native to only California’s Central Valley and northern mountain watersheds, but research by the OAEC WATER Institute shifted that assumption, which now includes watersheds with traditional coho salmon populations, including the upper reaches of the Eel River in Mendocino County. OAEC is an enthusiastic advocate of restoring beavers to California’s wild and rural spaces. Their efforts include their “Bring Back the Beaver” campaign, created “to improve water supply for humans and the environment and increase resilience to drought and climate change” by including the management of beavers into the state’s policies and regulation.
The Mendocino Conservation District has been monitoring a family of beavers outside of Willits since 2018 as it has grown and flourished. Year-round pools now exist in areas that were seasonal vernal ponds. Those local beavers may be descendants of a relocation program in 58 California counties— including Mendocino, Napa, and Marin—during the 1940s, which increased statewide populations from a miniscule 1,300 to more than 20,000 by 1950. In some cases, beavers were parachuted in from low-flying airplanes.
“Slow it, sink it, spread it, store it, share it,” was coined by Brock Dolman, cofounder of the WATER Institute, to explain how we should consider our relationship with water in the West. Wet and moist places don’t readily burn, and beavercreated wetlands actually hold excess water underneath the surface during flooding events.
Beavers are captivating creatures, perhaps because of their unique appearance or their tenacious work ethic and impressive results. Understanding their beneficial impacts on our water quantity and quality, as well as our resilience to wildfire, can transform public opinion of them from a destructive nuisance to a productive partner in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
Learn more:
• Beaver Land, How One Weird Rodent Made America by Leila Philip
• Beavers: A Rodent Success Story, CBS Sunday Morning
• Bring Back the Beaver Campaign, Occidental Arts & Ecology Center
www.oaec.org/projects/bring-back-the-beaver-campaign/
Cover photo by Scott Younkin courtesy of Pexels
Photo top left by Lisa Ludwigsen. Photo top right from game camera operated by Mendocino County Resource Conservation District: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR5K0y15f8w
Mendocino Barkery
Awesome Toys, Togs, and Treats for Your Furry Friends
by Kamala Williams
Mendocino Barkery has changed ownership! Billy Harris and his partner, Nicholas Casagrande, have recently taken on the delightful little pet store across from Alex Thomas Plaza in downtown Ukiah. This pet shop is the perfect place to find high-quality pet supplies and support not only the Barkery but two other local businesses that have products sold in the store.
About a year ago, the previous owners of the building, which also houses Nicholas’ wealth management firm, decided they wanted to sell the building. That meant that a local woman who had run the store for many years would lose her business. Nicholas and Billy decided to buy the building so the woman could keep her job and the business could continue as it had before.
The pair’s ultimate goal for this store is to sell good quality pet food while supporting local businesses. The Barkery offers local pet food from a small business called Rover’s Choice in Humboldt County. They also highlight the Redwood Cheese Board Co., which specializes in charcuterie boards and makes the cutest barkuterie boards, containing delicious treats your furry friends are sure to enjoy.
Billy says, “We really want to create a good sense of community. We love seeing both new customers and returning customers wander into our store. Many people love going to the farmers market on Saturdays to get fresh bread and farm fresh produce, and then come across the street and get fresh food, local treats, and lifestyle gear for their pets.”
Nicholas and Billy also do a few events to further support the community, including discount Wednesdays that allow people who may not be able to afford more expensive pet food to give their products a try. They also work with a local nail trimmer so people can get their pets’ nails done. And they partner with county rescue groups, the Ukiah shelter, and the Humane Society of Inland Mendocino County by hosting adoption days. Billy explains, “We really try to focus on a holistic approach to helping and taking care of Animals.”
The couple loves the philanthropic feel of Mendocino County and how much everyone comes together to support local businesses. After moving here roughly ten years ago, the two fell in love with the landscape and trees of Mendocino County. They relish that feeling of small-town closeness you cannot get in most other places. Billy talks about how blessed he feels to be a part of such a community, not only to support the beautiful people here, but also to sell high-quality food to everyone’s favorite four-legged friends.
Mendocino Barkery is a place of joy with its kind and helpful employees, who are happy to answer questions. Billy and Nicholas are also happy to ‘talk pets,’ as they are proud owners of four adorable pugs: Ella, Choca, Chola, and the eldest, Polly. The Mendocino Barkery family, both human and furry friends alike, welcomes you in. So if you are ever in the area, wish to shop local, or indulge your pet with a tasty treat, be sure to stop by.
Mendocino Barkery
207 W Stephenson St, Ukiah
(707) 463-3644 | mendocinobarkery.com
Open Mon - Fri 11am - 7pm, Sat & Sun 9am - 6pm
Kamala Williams grew up in Mendocino County. A recent graduate from Ukiah High School, she enjoyed writing for the school newspaper and has begun her journey at U.C. Davis studying communications and human rights.
Photos by Kamala Williams
The Flavors of Flowers
Heidrun Meadery’s Sparkling Honey Wine
by Torrey Douglass
The idea of mead often conjures the image of a Renaissance fair libation—sweet, thick, and cloudy. At least that was what Gordon Hull pictured 26 years ago when approached by a local beekeeper who was trying to offload a surplus of honey. He was living in Arcata, California, at the time, a graduate student taking a break from his geology studies and working for a local microbrewery. He was also home-brewing beer in his garage, which is why the beekeeper thought to ask if Gordon would transform his excess honey into mead in the first place. At first Gordon politely declined, picturing the treacle-adjacent beverage most people associate with mead. But the beekeeper kept asking, and after researching some recipes, Gordon found one that would produce a specifically dry mead and took on the challenge.
The resulting honey wine went down well with Gordon and his friends and disappeared fast. Eager to try again, Gordon contacted the original beekeeper for more honey, only to learn that there was none available. He found a different beekeeper in another part of town and made a second batch, following the original recipe with precision. Despite his faithful replication, the new mead tasted entirely different from the first. Since the only differential was the source of the honey, it was clear to Gordon that the plants providing the nectar to the bees ultimately determined the flavors expressed by the mead.
Gordon’s imagination was captured, and he opened his own meadery in 1997, the fifth one to register in the United States at the time (today there are 500+). He eventually developed a simple recipe using the champagne method of wine making, known as méthode champenoise by fancy folk. He used only honey, water, and champagne yeast, and the resulting wine was crisp, clear, and refined—a far cry from the syrupy Ren Faire refreshment. Gordon named his meadery Heidrun after the goat in Norse mythology that provided not milk, but mead to the god Odin—who imbibed nothing but. Heidrun operated in Arcata for 15 years before relocating to a former dairy property outside of Point Reyes Station in Marin County in 2012.
Heidrun partners with commercial beekeepers in Marin and Napa counties, throughout California, into Oregon, and even Hawaii. They also have an international program called the World Honey Initiative that sources honey from countries like Tanzania, Chile, and Colombia. The beekeepers use their hives to provide pollinator services to large farms. Due to the size of those farms, the resulting honey comes from only one type of flower, making flavor variations from differing crops particularly distinct.
Mead predates wine by about 1000 years, and honey itself is highly resistant to spoiling—intact honey has even been found in ancient Egyptian burial grounds. So while honey is typically harvested from April through October in the northern hemisphere, it can be stored in 55 gallon drums almost indefinitely, allowing the meadery to produce throughout the year, with an output of 3000 to 3500 cases spread across 13 varietals.
To make the mead, honey is gently boiled with water for 15 minutes to clarify and homogenize it. Any honeycomb and vegetation rises to the top and is sifted off. The recipe requires four parts honey to one part water and uses a champagne strain of yeast, since wild yeast does not yield consistent results. The mixture ferments for two to three weeks before resting in a tank for one month. It’s then bottled, and those bottles are stored for two to three months as the elixir goes through a secondary fermentation to add carbonation. This step also allows the yeast to settle and clarify the wine. Next, the bottles are turned (riddled) to gently move the yeast from the side of the bottle down to the neck so that it can be removed (disgorged). To do this, the bottles are inserted top-down in the neck freezer, which utilizes -40°F glycol to freeze the liquid and yeast. This yeasty mead popsicle is then removed, and the bottle is fitted with the customary cork, foil, and cage.
Heidrun is situated on a gentle hillside that faces west toward Tomales Bay, and, beyond the hills on the horizon, the ocean. They offer both tours and tastings, and the fee is waived if you make a purchase (3 bottles for tastings, 4 for tours). Tastings are held in a rustic greenhouse space with cafe tables and chairs, as well as a sweet selection of bee-related products, including some of the honeys from international origins. There are various gardens around the property to feed the bees, and a basket of picnic blankets in the tasting room encourages visitors to take a glass out and enjoy the scenery for a spell, possibly with some nibbles brought along or purchased on site for just that purpose. It’s a beautiful bit of west Marin, and a delightful way to explore the delicious possibilities of this truly unique wine.
Heidrun Meadery
11925 State Route 1, Point Reyes Station
(415) 663-9122 | heidrunmeadery.com
Open daily 11am - 5pm
Photos by Torrey Douglass