Ag Alert is the newspaper of the California Farm Bureau Federation, reaching Farm Bureau agricultural and collegiate members. Agricultural members are owners and decision-makers on California farms and ranches. The California Farm Bureau Federation is a non-governmental, non-profit, voluntary membership organization whose purpose is to protect and promote agricultural interests throughout the state of California and to find solutions to the problems of the farm, the farm home and the rural community. Farm Bureau is California's largest farm organization, comprised of 53 county Farm Bureaus. Farm Bureau strives to protect and improve the ability of farmers and ranchers engaged in production agriculture to provide a reliable supply of food and fiber through responsible stewardship of California's resources.
THE SWEET INTENSITY of sun-dried tomatoes Page 16
Veteran finds purpose in FARMING AND FAMILY Page 6
MAKING A DIFFERENCE from the ground up Page 12
EXPLORING BOUNTIFUL CALIFORNIA
Chef’s 5 -course WINTER FEAST Recipes celebrate the season Page 34
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EXPLORING BOUNTIFUL CALIFORNIA
January/February 2021
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Features
4 From the editors 5 A la carte 20 Winemaker to the rescue 29 Now from Nationwide 40 Ask a farmer 42 Gardening 44 Take 5 46 It’s a bountiful life
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Where hope blooms Veteran finds purpose in farming and family.
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Making a difference from the ground up Farmers and ranchers earn recognition for environmental stewardship. Sweet intensity Sun-drying concentrates tomato’s natural flavors. Visions of California Photographers capture beauty and grit of state’s farms and ranches. You should live so long Monterey County’s vegetable bounty might hold a key to a triple-digit lifespan.
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ON THE COVER: Maple bourbon braised lamb shanks lead the menu for San Diego chef Daniel England. Story on Page 34.
THE SWEET INTENSITY of sun-dried tomatoes Page 16
Veteran finds purpose in FARMING AND FAMILY Page 6
MAKING A DIFFERENCE from the ground up Page 12
EXPLORING BOUNTIFUL CALIFORNIA
Chef’s 5 -course WINTER FEAST Recipes celebrate the season Page 34
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Photo: Walter Wilson
www.californiabountiful.com 3
From the editors
Welcome to a new year. Although we face many of the same challenges we faced in 2020, turning the page on the calendar tends to inspire us tomake a fresh start or simply improve something that’s already good. That’s a goal residents ofMonterey County set a few years ago, when leaders of the vegetable-growing region signed on with the Blue Zones Project. In this issue of California Bountiful , we check in to see how the community has come together to eat a healthier diet, move more and possibly live longer—maybe to 100! At the ground level, we introduce you to three California families honored for their stewardship of the land. And that land is photogenic, as you can see from the images amateur photographers captured of the Golden State’s farms and ranches for our annual photo contest. Veteran-turned-farmer Endeavour Shen, who was sent to the U.S. by his parents at age 9, shares a powerful story about overcoming adversity, and a winemaker explains why he volunteers on a search- and-rescue team. On the lighter side, we delve into the sweet and tangy flavor of sun-dried tomatoes, provide tips to give your garden a year-round splash of color and offer plenty of great-tasting ways to take the chill off of winter. Turning the page
VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 1
Karen Olson Director, Marketing/Communications Division Dave Kranz Director, Publications & Media Relations
Barbara Arciero Managing Editor Judy Farah Assistant Editor
Kevin Hecteman, Ching Lee, Christine Souza, Tracy Sellers, Pat Rubin Writers Rob Andrew, Lori Eanes, Fred Greaves, Richard Green, Paolo Vescia, Walter Wilson
Photographers Karin Bakotich Design Services Manager
Jessica Cook Paula Erath Graphic Artists Margaret Rodriguez Darla Quidachay Production Chris Tedesco Manager, Business Development Robert Foiles Advertising Sales
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California Bountiful ® (ISSN 0194-5165) is published bimonthly by the California Farm Bureau Federation, 2600 River Plaza Drive, Sacramento, CA 95833 (telephone: 916-561‑5552). Non-profit periodicals postage paid at Sacramento, California. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to California Bountiful, 2600 River Plaza Drive, Sacramento, CA 95833. The California Farm Bureau Federation does not assume responsibility for statements by advertisers or for products advertised in California Bountiful, nor does the Federation assume responsibility for statements or expressions of opinion other than in editorials or in articles showing authorship by an officer, director or employee of the California Farm Bureau Federation or its affiliates.
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a la carte
Are you one of the many Californians who began exploring the ancient art of fermented foods during the pandemic? If so, food scientists at the University of California, Davis, want you to send them samples of your kimchi, miso, sauerkraut and more. They’re looking for “fresh” ferments that are composed mainly of fruits and vegetables. The researchers’ goal: to better understand the role fermentation can play in healthy diets. For details, visit eatlac.org. Give us your kimchi!
We’re shopping
differently
It’s clear the pandemic has changed the way Americans shop for food. The New York Times has reported that instead of going to the grocery store three or more times a week, we’re averaging a single trip—and making it count. Rather than buying just what we need for dinner that night, we’re stocking up for the entire week. Among other trends: We’re opting for food that’s raised or grown locally, shopping more online, buying frozen items and generic brands, and buying more oranges.
are abundant and diverse Organic options Cow’s milk leads in sales of organic products fromCalifornia farms. A new study from the University of California names milk, strawberries, carrots and grapes as the state’s top organic products. The report said California farmers produce more than 360 organic crops
and commodities, with sales of more than $3 billion. San Diego County has the most organic farmers in the state and Kern County leads in organic farm revenue.
www.californiabountiful.com 5
Where hope blooms Veteran finds purpose in farming and family
Story by Judy Farah • Photos by Rob Andrew
Endeavour Shen had to pivot, fast, when his business world came crashing to a halt last March on, symbolically, Friday the 13th. One of his top clients, the Escondido School District in San Diego County, canceled all orders for the butter lettuce served each week in its healthy lunch program. The coronavirus had shut down schools throughout the district, which used the lettuce Shen grows at his Sundial Farm in nearby Vista. Next came canceled orders for the specialty orchids grown at Shen’s other farm, South Coast Orchids, from high-end f loral clients, including several Ritz-Carlton hotels in Southern California, Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and event planners and home stagers in Los Angeles. In a typical year, Shen would sell 3,600 heads of 23 different varieties of leafy greens and 10,000 orchids each week. “In a day, it went to zero. Everything went down to zero at one time,” he recalled. “I had over 6,000 to 7,000 orchids blooming.” That meant he had to change his business model on the f ly. He started selling his lettuce online, then added goods from other local farmers along with some Asian products, and allowed his customers to customize their food boxes. Soon, he was busy enough to bring his staff back. “It was almost like starting a brand-new business,” he said. A child on his own If there’s anyone who has had to adjust to challenging circumstances, it’s Shen. That began in earnest at age 9, when his parents sent him and his 13-year-old brother to live in the U.S. due to political unrest in their native Taiwan.
The Shen family gathers at South Coast Orchids in Vista. From left, Zechariah, Kolton, Deborah, Endeavour and Josephine.
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Endeavour Shen checks the leafy greens that thrive at Sundial Farm. The plants grow in nutrient- rich water rather than soil, in a hydroponic growing system Shen constructed from PVC pipes, right.
The boys moved in with distant relatives in Miami, who changed Shen’s name from Shen Yen Ting to the Americanized “Jef f ” and put him to work at a restaurant they owned. The brothers ended up sleeping in a closet at the restaurant until the group moved to Illinois. When Shen’s brother took the family car for a joy ride, the angry relatives sent the older boy back to Taiwan and soon returned to Taiwan themselves, leaving Shen alone in the house. He was 11, and lived alone for two years. “I had to learn to cook at a young age, do my own laundry and walk to school,” Shen said. “It was bad during Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays.” There was a part of Shen that wanted to succeed for his parents, who’d sought a better life for him in America. So, he endured. After living alone in Illinois, Shen spent time with a family in Texas and was on his own again at 17. When he was 21, the events of 9/11 prompted him to enlist in the military. The U.S. Navy sent him to Iraq, where he trained to be a Navy SEAL and sought citizenship. A back injury thwarted his SEAL dream, but not his dream of citizenship. During the naturalization ceremony, Shen was told he could pick any name he
wanted. He chose Endeavour because he was reading a book about British navigator James Cook and his explorations aboard the HMS Endeavour. He became Endeavour Shen, U.S. citizen. Learning to farm Shen is new to farming. During his four years in the Navy, he worked as a religious program specialist, assisting chaplains, followed by civilian work as an accountant while selling real estate on the side. Although he was moving billion-dollar accounts, Shen said he was tired of “looking at numbers all day” and ready to move from the corner office to hands-on farming. “I just wanted to be able to go outside,” he said. “Being in the military, you just want to be outdoors more often and be able to touch things and do things.” Shen’s military service offered him the GI Bill and the opportunity to take a four-month night class on hydroponic farming taught by an ex-Marine under the Archi’s Acres program for military veterans. Shen started small, by growing basil. He soon needed more land and ended up buying South Coast Orchids from the man who’d owned the business for 38 years. There was one problem: Shen knew nothing about orchids.
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Sundial Farm employees Veronica Rojas, left, and Jazmine Carillo prepare food boxes, an option Shen began offering customers after the pandemic upended his business.
Helping veterans become farmers Endeavour Shen is one of thousands of farmers nationwide who have benefited from the services of the Farmer Veteran Coalition, which helps military veterans transition to a career in agriculture. The FVC is a national nonprofit based in Sacramento, dedicated to helping veterans become providers of the nation’s food and fiber. Members have the opportunity through affiliated organizations to learn all aspects of farming, including growing, harvesting and maintaining a budget. FVC says veterans in all 50 states have become successful vegetable farmers, cattle ranchers, beekeepers, flower growers, hydroponic farmers and more through its services, which are available to any veteran or active-duty military member who wants to start a career in agriculture. Many of the veterans currently in the program were severely injured during their service or suffer from PTSD. Homegrown by Heroes, a branding program administered by FVC, certifies farmers and ranchers of all military eras to sell their products as veteran-owned and -operated. Use of the label allows veterans, including Shen, who grows vegetables and orchids, to differentiate their agricultural products in the marketplace.
“It was just like jumping in, gung ho-ing it and try to figure it out,” he said, laughing. Frombad luck to hope The previous owner stayed for six months to teach Shen, and Shen opened for his first day of business on Nov. 1, 2016. The first month was fine, he said, but then everything went wrong. It rained for 20 days when an El Niño weather system hit, blocking the sunlight the orchids needed to bloom. His truck’s engine blew up with 800 orchids inside. Shen, knowing adversity, pressed on. His old accounting firm sold him an SUV that he still uses, and his wife put a cross on a chain around the vehicle’s rearview mirror. That’s when Shen, who’d become a Christian as a young man, said he received a sign on his greenhouse door. “There ’s one day, a Saturday, and I ’m rea l ly frustrated. I mean, I just started a business and opened the door,” he said. “And then, literally, I’m looking at a shadow of the cross. You’re talking about a car that’s 60 feet away from the greenhouse and the shadow was able to project right in the center of the door. It broke me down.” The sign, he said, convinced him to continue.
grows Asian vegetables such as bok choy and napa cabbage—a nod to his heritage of growing up inTaiwan. “I love farming because of the plants that you grow,” he said. “It’s amazing. From that little seed, in two months’ time, it’s harvested and good for people.” Full circle Shen often ref lects on his youth and the hardships he faced. He now has a son, Zechariah, who is 12, the same age he was when he lived alone. Shen and his wife, Deborah, have two other children: Josephine, 9, and 1-year-old Kolton. Before the pandemic, Shen would of ten have schoolchildren visit to learn about his business. He said his dream is to someday run an orphanage. “I want to raise up, help people that are alone, especially kids,” he said. “I’ve been there and I want to do something for them. I have all this experience that I would love to share with them. I think that would be a really good full circle for everybody.”
Growing orchids and leafy greens Shen specia l izes in growing orchid variet ies imported fromTaiwan that produce more flowers than typical orchids, bloom longer and can have double stems. Before the pandemic, he had as many as 50,000 plants in his greenhouses at one time. The orchids, which are grown in plastic containers on tables and watered by hand, usually take five months to spike and bloom into cascading waterfalls of color. Shen shared a secret for his orchids’ success: He sings to them. With South Coast Orchids going wel l, Shen purchased the adjacent land and started Sundial Farm, where he grows lea f y greens hydroponic a l ly. Hydroponics is a process by which plants are grown in nutrient-rich water rather than soil. His plants are suspended in growing trays using PVC pipes. Water is filtered five times, then runs through the plants on a tilted table and is recycled. The technique allows more produce to be grown in a smaller space with less water. Shen’s crops at Sundial Farm include kale, arugula, red leaf lettuce and mustard greens. His specialty is butter lettuce, brimming with big, green leaves. He also
Judy Farah jfarah@californiabountiful.com
Shen grows orchids and vegetables in adjacent greenhouses. His South Coast Orchids is a wholesale business specializing in colorful Phalaenopsis orchids.
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Ward and Rose Burroughs farm with their family in the rolling hills west of Yosemite, producing products such as free- range eggs.
Burroughs Family Farms Stanislaus County
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Farmers and ranchers earn recognition for environmental stewardship Story by Tracy Sellers • Photos by Paolo Vescia
From restoring wetlands to generating renewable energy and embracing biodiversity, farmers and ranchers across the state work to make the land better not only for today, but for future generations. And each year, the Leopold Conservation Award celebrates the important role these landowners play. Given in honor of distinguished conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes agriculturists who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife habitat management on private, working land. The 2020 award was presented to Burroughs Family Farms of Stanislaus County. “We’re always open to learning,” Ward Burroughs said. “When it comes to sustainability, that’s when our real passion for learning comes out.” Stemple Creek Ranch of Marin County and Philip Verwey Farms of Kings County were also finalists. In California, the award is presented by the Sand County Foundation, American Farmland Trust, California Farm Bureau Federation and Sustainable Conservation. Additional sponsors are Farm Credit, The Harvey L. & Maud C. Sorensen Foundation, The Nature Conservancy in California, McDonald’s and California Leopold Conservation Award recipient alumni. Balancing economic viabilitywith environmental sustainability Being resilient, pursuing innovation and pushing the boundaries of conventional thinking have become the keys to success at Burroughs Family Farms. “Our passion comes out in making the tough decisions and thinking outside the box,” Ward Burroughs said. For four generations, the Burroughs family has served as a model for environmental sustainability and economic viability on their 2,600-acre farm near Denair. Partnering with their children, Ward and Rose Burroughs own and operate California Cloverleaf Farms, Vista Almonds, B and B Pastures and Full Circle Dairy, and produce products including free-range eggs, organic milk, cheese, almonds and olives. The Burroughs family has transitioned all of their operations to meet certified organic standards. In addition, rotational grazing of cattle and chickens in their orchards has reduced the need for mowing or burning—just one example of the holistic approach the family takes to farming. Family members have worked throughout the years with a biologist who has helped them catalog the many native plants growing on their property. Through this work, they have found their grazing practices to be beneficial to those species, encouraging the family to continue their sustainable practices and share information about them with others. Burroughs Family Farms has hosted hundreds of educational tours for visitors interested in their ranching and conservation efforts. The Burroughs family has also hosted a variety of research projects, including one on the benefits of reincorporating almond hulls back into orchards after processing for improved soil fertility. In addition, they irrigate crops and pasture with solar-powered well pumps, and their orchards have diverse cover crops and hedgerows to capture carbon and attract the good bugs that prey on the bad bugs. “It’s all about living systems,” Rose Burroughs said. “It’s about nurturing, protecting and preserving our most precious resources.”
Loren Poncia, left, with daughters Julianna and Avery and wife Lisa, raise cattle on their ranch near Tomales.
Stemple Creek Ranch Marin County
Once the cattle eat the nourishing grasses on one pasture and return the rich carbon to the soil, they are moved to another pasture to begin the process again. And that brings us to another hat Poncia has added in recent years: that of carbon farmer. Because of the family’s innovative agricultural practices, Stemple Creek Ranch was invited in 2013 to be one of the three demonstration farms with the Marin Carbon Project, a decade-long study of carbon-positive practices. As a way to show off their passion for the land, the Poncias regularly invite guests to stay at their ranch near Tomales. “To me, this (ranch) represents so much,” Lisa Poncia said. “It’s the love of our business and the love of our family. Being able to share it with others means I am swelled with pride.”
‘A constant dance with Mother Nature’ Loren Poncia wears many hats, including that of soil farmer and cattle rancher. “I love seeing the biodiversity on the farm and having high-quality soil. I also love seeing healthy animals,” said Poncia, who owns Stemple Creek Ranch with his wife, Lisa. “With everything we do, it’s a constant dance with Mother Nature. We’re trying to dance with her, and not step on her toes.” The family has operated for nearly 120 years on the same land where Poncia’s great-grandfather started a dairy after emigrating from Italy. Although the family’s agricultural heritage might be rooted in history, it’s their modern outlook that has gained attention. The Poncias focus on working from the ground up, and to that effect, they practice pulse or rotational grazing.
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surrounding cropland—and provides power to the local community. The Verweys have also replaced diesel-powered feed mixers with electric mixing stations, which have increased efficiency and decreased air emissions. Cow comfort and health are priorities at any dairy; here, the animals have round-the-clock access to food, water and a mattress. When it comes to employees, the Verweys treat them as team members building a career, and encourage and support career growth. “It gives us a great deal of satisfaction to know the healthy work environment we create for all and that we are providing healthy and sustainable products for people around the world,” Shelley Verwey said.
Forging sustainability, conservation and innovation
“We feel like we’re in a position of gratitude and we feel like we’d like to leave our land for the next generation better than we found it,” Philip Verwey said. Although it may seem a simple sentiment, it’s one he and his wife, Shelley, work tirelessly to accomplish. To achieve that goal, they run their 9,500-cow dairy in Hanford with three intertwined principles to guide them: take care of the land, take care of the animals and take care of the people. “We know if we invest in the infrastructure and it is sustainable financially and environmentally, then the way I see it, why not do it?” Verwey said. The farm features a 10-acre covered-lagoon manure digester, generating renewable electricity that in turn powers the dairy and irrigation wells on 2,300 acres of
Tracy Sellers tsellers@californiabountiful.com
MORE ONLINE California Bountiful TV host Tracy Sellers shares an exclusive look at how the Poncia family is trying to grow a better burger from the ground up. Watch at californiabountiful.com.
Philip Verwey Farms Kings County
Philip Verwey, left, and Frank Cardoza walk along a 10-acre covered-lagoon manure digester that generates renewable electricity.
Sacramento chef Evan Elsberry uses sun-dried tomatoes as a star ingredient in a chicken dish he’s been making for more than 25 years.
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Sweet intensity
Sun-drying concentrates tomato’s natural flavors
Story by Ching Lee • Food photos by Fred Greaves • Processing photos by Richard Green
With their intense sweet and tangy f lavor, sun-dried tomatoes tend to stand out in a cast of ingredients. The shriveled, chewy fruit—often sold packed in oil or just dry—is so potent that chef Evan Elsberry says it ends up being the “target ingredient” in almost any dish in which he uses them. It’s no wonder the dried fruit often earns top billing in recipes, including in one of Elsberry’s first concoctions as an emerging chef some 25 years ago: sun-dried tomato chicken, with mushrooms and basil serving in supporting roles to “fill out the dish.” “It’s never a lost ingredient,” he said of sun-dried tomatoes. “They’re usually the star of the dish.” The product first exploded in popularity beginning in the 1980s, when an economic spike in the U.S. fueled interest in exotic ingredients and imported foods, said Ken Albala, a food historian at the University of the Pacific in Stockton. “This was just the beginning of artisanal bread and people getting imported cheese and all sorts of luxury items that were markers of wealth and status and culinary know-how,” he said. At the height of the trend, sun-dried-tomato-flavored food products became ubiquitous—showing up in everything from chips and crackers to cream cheese, dips, breads and pasta. Despite that mass-market appeal, sun-dried tomatoes remain a secret weapon of
chefs and home cooks who relish their concentrated f lavors to elevate dishes. “They’re great, they’re versatile—and the best thing is, they last forever,” said Elsberry, owner of Evan’s Kitchen in Sacramento. Versatile and easy to store Myrna Undajon-Haskell, a member of the University of California Cooperative Extension Master Food Preservers of Sacramento, has been making sun-dried tomatoes at home since the 1980s, back when her family farmed tomatoes and other row crops in Santa Clara County. Sun-dried tomatoes were all the rage then, she remembered, so much so that she started to dry her own—and has been drying them ever since. She noted how her family often preserved the fish they caught by drying them, among other foods. But drying tomatoes was a concept she learned from her Italian friends, whom she observed making a paste by drying tomatoes. Before she acquired a dehydrator—an
expensive purchase at that time—Undajon-Haskell sa id she tried dr ying tomatoes in the sun, but worried about attracting bugs. She even tried oven- d r y i ng , a
method UCCE does not recommend, she said, because the tomatoes may not dry all the way, which can lead to food-safety concerns. Using a dehydrator, Undajon-Haskell said she now dries her garden-grown tomatoes, vacuum-seals them in storage bags and keeps them in the freezer. “It never last s that long at my house because everybody loves it,” she said. “I always use sun-dried tomatoes and I always have them on hand.” In addition to topping pizzas and sandwiches with them, Undajon-Haskell said she incorporates sun-dried tomatoes in hummus and soups. She tosses them with pasta and cheese for a quick dinner or side dish. She also uses them to make a savory biscotti. “You could pulse them in the food processor or a spice grinder, and you could add the sun-dried tomatoes to pretty much anything,” she said. For tomatoes that are packed dry, chef Elsberry said reconstituting them in boiling water or soaking them in oil is key if using them as a pizza topping, adding, “the worst thing you can do is char sun-dried tomatoes.” ‘An Italian thing’ Though humans have been sun-drying foods to preserve them for thousands of years, tomatoes cannot be counted as one of those foods, historian Albala said. The origin of sun-dried tomatoes remains elusive, but one thing is clear: “It’s totally an Italian thing,” he said. Unlike ancient dried fruits such as raisins,
tomatoes are harder to dry naturally because of their high water content and lower sugars, he said. Therefore, sun-dried tomatoes are likely a product of modern food manufacturing techniques. The tomato itself—native to the Americas—is a relative newcomer to Italian cuisine, he noted. European discovery of the Americas eventually brought tomatoes to Italy in the 1500s, but it took nearly 200 years before the fruit found its way into recipes, he said, as Italians were initially suspicious of the plant—part of the nightshade family and thought to be poisonous. More tel l ing is that sun-dried tomatoes aren’t mentioned in cookbooks before the mid-20th century, Albala said, adding he thinks Americans likely became aware of the product a f ter World War II, when exporters and food companies started selling them as a luxury item. Preserving summer’s harvest At Valley Sun Products in Stanislaus County, the company employs both modern techniques and the traditional sun-drying method to produce a variety of sun-dried tomato products used as ingredients in other foods or by other food manufacturers. Calling itself “the world’s largest producer of sun- dried tomatoes,” Valley Sun operates under the umbrella of Morning Star, one of the state’s largest tomato processors. From July to October, Valley Sun’s 53-acre dry yard in Newman is lined with rows and rows of trays
Punch up your pesto
Trays of Roma tomatoes, left, are laid out to dry at Valley Sun Products’ 53-acre dry yard in Newman. Once dried, the product is mechanically sized and sorted, above, and then placed in cold storage.
holding Roma tomatoes grown by California farmers. There, the tomatoes bask in the sun for four to 10 days, compared to dehydrated or tunnel-dried tomatoes that may require a matter of hours to dry. To keep rodents out, the drying facility is surrounded by a 2-foot-high barrier. Mesh and canvas windbreaks help keep out dust and other foreign materials. Prior to drying, the tomatoes are exposed to 12 hours of elemental sulfur, which discourages pests and ensures the tomatoes retain their color and f lavor. In the rare occasion of a downpour during the summer drying season, the tomatoes are picked up, rewashed and sulfured again, Operations Manager Cesar Corona said. No longer just an exotic ingredient from across the pond, sun-dried tomatoes continue to find new uses, Corona said, including being incorporated into popcorn and made into a jerky. “The possibilities are endless,” he added. “The sun- dried tomato is a specialty item that’s been around and will continue to be around.”
Of all the different sauces and spreads chef Evan Elsberry makes, this sun-dried tomato pesto is one of his favorites. Mixing it with 50% cream cheese turns it into a great dip, he said. Another crowd-pleasing idea: Blend cream cheese and goat cheese with sun-dried tomatoes and basil to form a cheese log.
SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO
1 1/4 cups virgin olive oil 1 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated (see note) 3/4 cup fresh basil 6 tbsp. asiago cheese 1/2 cup pine nuts 1/4 cup roasted garlic 1/8 cup lemon juice 3/4 tsp. pepper 1/2 tsp. salt, or more to taste
Ching Lee clee@californiabountiful.com
Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Makes 3 1/2 cups. Note: Rehydrate sun-dried tomatoes in boiling water, then drain.
MORE ONLINE See how traditional methods and modern techniques join to create sun-dried tomatoes. Video at californiabountiful.com.
www.californiabountiful.com 19
Winemaker A hobby becomes a passion Story by Judy Farah to the rescue
The female hiker had been missing for nearly four days. Josh Bendick and his partner from the El Dorado County Sheriff Search and Rescue teamwere determined to find her in the rugged Sierra Nevada forest. They had enough supplies in their backpacks to spend the night if necessary. Then, there she was. Just as they were swooping in for the rescue, so was a Black Hawk helicopter from the California National Guard. Bendick and his partner told the pilot to land. Instead, the pilot said, “No, we’re going to hoist you guys.” The chopper sent down a cable and the three were lifted to safety—“which is even better because that’s part of the fun,” Bendick said. Bendick’s days typically aren’t spent with chopper lifts. He’s co-winemaker at Holly’s Hill Vineyards in Placerville with his wife, Carrie. He became involved with the search and rescue group about nine years ago, after he heard about it from neighbors who were part of the horseback team. “At one point, it just hit me: I want to go,” he said. “I wanted to do the search and rescue thing. I joined and it ended up being waymore fun than I thought it would be.” An outdoorsman, Bendick said he wanted to give back to the community. He volunteered and began extensive training, which included man tracking—identifying footprints and directions of a person’s travel on the ground—and, after a year, began to go out on searches. Bendick has conducted searches wearing snowshoes in blizzards and avalanches, with hydration packs and water filters in summer heat, and with GPS radiophones in remote areas. He estimates he’s been called out more than 100 days in all, including four days in Paradise
after the deadly 2018 Camp Fire. Bendick is able to juggle his two duties because his wife is also a winemaker. Her parents, Tom and Holly Cooper, developed a love for wine after they sipped Châteauneuf-du-Pape on their honeymoon in the Rhone Valley of southern France. The bride got her wish of starting a Rhone-style vineyard at their hillside property. Their daughter, who learned winemaking from a nearby winemaker, met Bendick, who majored in international relations and minored in viticulture at the University of California, Davis, at a wine event. Holly’s Hill grows nine varietals of Rhone winegrapes on 25 acres, including syrah, viognier, mourvedre and grenache. The winery also bottles its own version of Châteauneuf-du-Pape called Patriarche, which is a blend of four fruit-forward red wines fermented together. Bendick said he enjoys winemaking because he’s always doing something different, from checking irrigation lines and blending wines to pouring his blends for visitors on the weekend. He said he looks forward to his personal time with his wife and three daughters: “I’m definitely a homebody. I like to be home before dark.” But he calls his volunteer work with El Dorado County Sheriff Search and Rescue his passion. “I really enjoy the community service aspect and excitement that comes from my hobby,” he said. “It’s one of the things in my life that I find very rewarding and exciting.”
Judy Farah jfarah@californiabountiful.com
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January/February 2021
Josh Bendick, below and below right, is co- winemaker with his wife, Carrie, at their family winery. Bendick, who photographed the action at right, joined the El Dorado County Sheriff Search and Rescue Unit to give back to the community.
Photo by Josh Bendick
Photo by Judy Farah
Photo by Katie Butts
Below, from left, Dan Schmidt, Bendick and Jason Calvert embark on a wet and rocky ground search, a stark contrast from his family’s tranquil vineyard, right. Bendick trained extensively for a year before he joined the search and rescue ground team, and now works in all kinds of conditions and terrain.
Photo by Mike Rogers
Photo by Judy Farah
22
January/February 2021
of California Photographers capture beauty and grit of state’s farms and ranches
Story by Judy Farah
A little girl watches her father rope cattle. A young woman captures a sunset view of her twin sister on horseback. A curious cat hides in a vintage rice harvester. A black cow stops by for a visit, dirt covers boots after a long day working the fields and a foreboding wildfire cloud moves in over crops. Amateur photographers captured these images and more for the annual California Farm Bureau Photo Contest, themed 2020 Visions, which encouraged participants to communicate their personal perspective of agriculture in California. The top adult winners took home cash prizes and so did the young Budding Artists, in a category sponsored by the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. All the winners shared something else: seeing their photos in print.
Grand Prize
Hannah Gill, Tulare County The Gills have been ranchers in Tulare County for five generations. Hannah Gill said her 2-year-old daughter, Hayden, likes to watch her father, Levi, rope cattle with friend Ralph Garcia on the family ranch in Exeter. Gill saw Hayden watching intently and snapped this Grand Prize-winning photo that captures family ranch life. “She was so excited to watch Dad on a horse,” Gill said. “She loves it. She loves the cows, loves the horses.”
First Place
Ramiro Ruiz, Monterey County
Ruiz, who works as a farm mechanic, was driving on Aug. 16 when he saw a foreboding cloud moving in over farm fields in Salinas. “It started getting black. It’s a wildfire,” Ruiz recalled. “I pulled over at one of our romaine lettuce fields and I grabbed the picture. It was nice and clear and sunny, and, next thing you know, that great big ol’ plume of smoke was over the Salinas Valley.” The River Fire burned for 19 days, consuming 48,000 acres and destroying 30 structures.
First Place
Laura Campagne (age 13), Fresno County Laura and her family live on a few acres with some goats. She took this winning photo of her brother’s goat, Lucy. She said she got creative with the shot. “I really just zoomed in, edited it a lot and found out I really enjoyed the nose.”
Second Place
Maureen LaGrande, San Luis Obispo County
LaGrande is an agriculture communications major at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Her family has a rice and almond farm in Colusa County, and she was at home in the early evening with her twin sister, Theresa, when this striking photo op presented itself. “We were out riding the horses, practicing roping and just getting out and enjoying the sun,” LaGrande said. “I snapped the picture as the sun was setting.”
Third Place
Marley Sollecito, Monterey County
Sollecito is also a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, majoring in agricultural business. She was doing an Instagram takeover as part of an internship at a Salinas farm. Sollecito put her camera on the ground in a lettuce field and hooked it up to her cellphone. “I actually took it of myself, so those are actually my boots,” she said. “I took a picture at the end of my workday and I thought it summed up the hard work that all the agricultural industry puts in every day.”
Natalie Webb (age 7), Sonoma County Natalie, whose family was evacuated because of the Glass Fire that erupted just before the contest deadline, barely got her entry in. It was taken when she was walking with her parents in their St. Helena neighborhood. How did she react to winning a photo contest at such a young age? “I screamed and the whole house shook!” Second Place
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Honorable Mentions
Nancy Perkins, Sutter County A stray cat showed up at Perkins’ boyfriend’s ranch on the north side of the Sutter Buttes. The cat was skittish at first, so Perkins started feeding him in the old rice harvester, where he now hangs out. “His name is Fireball because he kept running from place to place to hide,” Perkins said.
Celeste Alonzo, Riverside County
Alonzo, past president of her county’s Young Farmers and Ranchers group, shot this picture of date palms in winter with the snow-capped San Jacinto Mountains in the background. “I’ll take random routes home just so I can see different fields, especially the winter crops—all the celery, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli,” she said. “The mountains looked really pretty.”
Lynn Sanguinetti, Tuolumne County Sanguinetti’s family has taken their cattle to graze in the Stanislaus National Forest every summer for more than 100 years. Her 5-year- old grandson, Les, insisted on helping her carry saddlebags even though she told him they were too heavy. “He’s just this little guy,” she said of Les, who likes to wear a cowboy hat and has been riding horses since he was 2. “He ropes just like a cowboy. He’s a tough little guy.”
Andie Traphagan, Lassen County
Traphagan barely got her photo in. Her husband and son, both farmers and contract firefighters, had been fighting the massive North Complex Fire for 63 days and she was busy running supplies to them. They managed to get their wheat harvest done. “I have an obsession with hands,” Traphagan said. “It’s amazing to watch
them in moments of work, service and, in this instance, unity. We’re starting what should be the first on-farm flour mill. This picture is the beginning of our efforts to feed people. Their hands are full of seed that we hope to make into flour.”
Kathy Brimmer, Yuba County Brimmer said they have phenomenal sunsets on their hillside cattle ranch near Beale Air Force Base. She and her husband, John, take their quads out late afternoons to check on the cows. Tina, a Black Angus, is a “really mellow, social girl” who always comes by to visit. “We were out checking the cattle that day. The sun was setting, the grass was nice and green. It just looked pretty and she was as happy as a clam,” Brimmer said.
Henry Schulte, Santa Barbara County Schulte has been farming avocados and managing a ranch for 47 years. He passes the Solvang Farmer Pumpkin Patch nearly every day and said he’s impressed how the owner changes it each year. “He’ll take a blank field. All year long, it’s flat and there’s nothing in it. Come June, he plants the corn and then, almost in weeks, it gets waist high and he turns that into a maze,” Schulte said. “Then he grows pumpkins nearby. It’s an amazing transformation to turn this thing into a massive pumpkin farm.”
www.californiabountiful.com 27
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You’ve been saving for a house by paying down your debt, working on improving your credit score and cutting back on spending to find extra cash for savings. For many of us, buying a home will be the single biggest financial milestone we hit. Owning a home can drastically improve your quality of life, and it can seem especially appealing now that many of us are working from home and expanding our families. But now, the world as we know it has been turned upside down. Does that mean all your hard work was for nothing? And how long will you have to put your dreams on hold? The coronavirus pandemic is making a lot of dreams feel out of reach, but if you’re wondering if you should put your dream of buying a home on hold, here are some things to consider: Low interest rates encourage home buying The real estate market hasn’t taken the hit that some people expected, considering the last recession—in fact, homes are selling faster than ever. With interest rates teetering near historic lows, this could be an advantageous time to buy. Low rates mean owning a home is in reach for many, with dollars stretching further—not to mention savings in interest. Expect increased competition and higher home prices Though real estate is still in hot demand for buyers,
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www.californiabountiful.com 29
30
January/February 2021
Monterey County’s vegetable bounty might hold a key to a triple-digit lifespan
Story by Kevin Hecteman • Photos by Richard Green
What if you could get in the zone and stay there for 100 years? Some folks in Monterey Count y are endeavoring to find out. People in the world-famous vegetable-growing region hope to expand quality and quantity of life among its residents through the Blue Zones Project, which works
Longest,” which in turn spawned the Blue Zones Project, which communities around the world can adopt to help more people live longer and healthier. Blue Zones, green valley One of the Power Nine concepts is called Plant
to understand why people in some parts of the world routinely live to be 100 and beyond, and what lessons their lives might hold for those who seek to follow in their path. The term and the idea go back to 2005, when author Dan Buettner andNational Geog r aph i c ma g a z i ne ident i f ied f ive reg ions around the world—one of them the town of Loma Linda in San Bernardino
Slant—making fruits and vegetables the centerpiece of one’s diet. Th a t wou l d s e em a
natural f it in the Salinas Valley—which isn’t called t he Sa l ad Bowl of t he World for nothing—and a key reason Bruce Taylor, chief executive of Taylor Farms, decided to jump in. A Salinas native, Taylor f i g u r e d h i s f a m i l y ’ s vege t able crops “a l ign perfectly with Blue Zones’ call for more plant-based diets” and signed on as a sponsor, as well as a client. “Blue Zones’ spiritual foundation teaches us to look beyond ourselves for wisdom and inspiration,” Taylor said. “Their encouragement of strong family and personal social relationships brings a sense of purpose, support and joy.” Salinas Valley farms “support that just by the nature of what they do, by the nature of what they sell,” said Tiffany DiTullio, executive director of the Blue Zones
County—with a much-higher-than-average share of centenarians. (The other four are the Barbagia region of the Italian island of Sardinia; Ikaria, Greece; the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica; and Okinawa, Japan.) Intrigued, Buettner and the magazine worked to f igure out why, and ended up ident i f ying nine characteristics—called the Power Nine—involving community, exercise and, of course, eating properly. This led Buettner to write “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the
Salinas Valley’s reputation as the Salad Bowl of the World helped local leaders decide to bring the Blue Zones Project and its healthy-eating habits to Monterey County. The paella, above, is made using vegetables grown in the valley.
Project in Monterey County and chief administrative off icer of the Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, another project sponsor. DiTul l io’s employer wanted to bring the Blue Zone s Projec t to t he communit y, and inv ited representat ives for a three-day a ssessment that included food policy. Thus was launched Blue Zones Project Monterey County, which counts among its objectives helping workplaces become Blue Zones- approved worksites by encouraging healthy habits among their employees. Eat like a centenarian One of the project’s programs encourages people to think as if they want to live to 100 when making decisions about what to eat. “The ag community really plays into that in the Plant Slant concept,” DiTullio said. “One of the Power Nine areas is, ‘eat wisely.’ So, eat until you’re 80% full, mindful eating, but also Plant Slant”—in other words, not stuff ing yourself; thinking about what you’re putting on your plate; and emphasizing salads, roasted vegetables and the like during a meal. Plant Slant, DiTullio emphasized, does not mean you have to give up meat. “Blue Zones is not a takeaway,” she said. “We don’t want to say, ‘Don’t eat that.’ We just want to say, ‘Be mindful of what you’re doing.’” Sometimes mindfulness loves company. One of the components of a Blue Zones workplace is a Moai, defined as a small social group that meets regularly. In this case, DiTullio said, it’s a plant-based potluck lunch. Blue Zones also encourages walking Moais within organizations, encouraging people to meet new friends and get some exercise. What about the pandemic? Of cou r s e , g at her i ng s of people have been problematic since the COVID-19 pandemic reached U.S. shores last winter. Nevertheless, Amy Taylor, a wellness consultant for Taylor Farms, said the company has made progress toward Blue Zones certification. Social activities such as a Family Walk are on hold, as are health programs run in conjunction with the local YMCA. However,
Bruce Taylor, above, CEO of Taylor Farms, signed on to the Blue Zones Project because his family grows a multitude of vegetables. One of the project’s goals is to encourage people to exercise. Before the pandemic, mall walks with targeted distances to cover, left and below, became popular.
Taylor said, the farm offered diabetes screenings to its 4,000-plus employees. They’re also offered free Taylor Farms products. “Weekly at our retail facility, employees are given four or five bags of fresh salads and other vegetables to take home and share with their families,” she said. The goal, she added, is to start people thinking about ways to eat healthy meals at home. Speaking of which, Taylor has taken that idea to her own kitchen, where her three young children are more than happy to help. “They love it,” Taylor said. “They love to make the salad, which I think is wonderful. They come in the kitchen and they see me chopping vegetables, and they see a salad kit on the counter, and they ask if they can grab a stool.” To which she replies: “Sure. Just don’t put all the dressing on—don’t do it too early.” She said she’s especially encouraged when they taste the ingredients along the way. “They’re tasting fresh vegetables,” Taylor said, “which is exactly what you want for a little kid growing.” Quality, not just quantity In cooking with her chi ldren, Taylor’s putting together two of the Power Nine: Plant Slant and Loved Ones First. Among the other concepts: having a purpose, being with the right group of friends, exercising and having a glass of wine with friends (that last one is officially called Wine at Five). After all, DiTullio doesn’t just want you to count birthdays on your way to a century’s worth—she wants you to have fun along the way. “We always say, ‘Who wouldn’t want to live to be a hundred?’ but you want to live a longer, healthier life,” DiTullio said. “You don’t just want to live to be a hundred. You want to be a hundred and live.”
Before COVID-19 put an end to large gatherings, the Blue Zones Project hosted events to help people learn creative ways to live a healthier life. Above, chef Jason Giles shows how to make plant-based dishes. Below, a human-powered smoothie maker draws crowds.
Kevin Hecteman khecteman@californiabountiful.com
MORE ONLINE Want to taste a Blue Zones-official dish? We have the recipe for Salinas Valley mushroom and artichoke paella at californiabountiful.com.
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