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.
Dogs deter theft by night, induce laughter by day
Beef lovers celebrate the wonders of Wagyu
Local, seasonal produce boosts state prison menus
Spring 2024
Welcome to SPRING The season’s freshest picks
Spring 2024
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Features
4 From the editors 5 A la carte
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Fresh fruit—fast California farmer ships export-quality cherries across the U.S.
22 Book reviews 27 Good for you 38 Now from Nationwide 40 Gardening 42 Ask a farmer 44 Take 5
12 Farm dog redefined
Contest winners represent a full range of Rover resumes.
16 From farm to prison
Program benefits inmates, small farms, local economies.
23 The wonders of Wagyu
California ranch, meat company specialize in renowned Japanese beef.
32 Recipe for success
Italian-born chef builds culinary brand in California.
46 Cultivating new farmers
ON THE COVER: Ezra Jiang gets a boost from mom Michelle Ho at a mulberry U-pick farm in Brentwood. See Page 28.
Director leads nonprofit that trains future ag professionals.
Photo: Paige Green
californiabountiful.com 3
From the editors
VOLUME 47 • ISSUE 2
Peter Hecht Chief Editor of Publications
Barbara Arciero Managing Editor Linda DuBois Assistant Editor Caleb Hampton, Ching Lee, Christine Souza, Caitlin Fillmore, Cyndee Fontana-Ott, Tawnie Graham, Pat Rubin Writers Lori Eanes, Steve German, Fred Greaves, Paige Green, Tomas Ovalle, David Poller, Frank Rebelo Photographers
Happy spring! From now on, California Bountiful magazine is taking a seasonal approach. While we’ve always featured stories in each issue that are relevant to the time of year you read about them—for example, melons in the summer months or pumpkins in the fall—the issues will now literally be dated Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. As we explained in a recent letter, we’ve modified our publication schedule, going from six issues a year to four. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at 916-561-5552 or cbmagazine@californiabountiful.com. As a thank-you for your support, we’d like to offer you a 10% discount for your subscription renewal or a gift subscription:
Nicole Love, Paula Erath, Jessica Cook
Graphic Designers Brock Tessandori Business Development Manager
Contact us: California Bountiful, 2600 River Plaza Drive, Sacramento, CA 95833 916-561-5552 cbmagazine@californiabountiful.com californiabountiful.com Subscribe: To subscribe to California Bountiful for yourself or as a gift, call 916-561-5552 or go to californiabountiful.com.
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Please feel free to share the discount codes with family and friends. Did you know California Bountiful is published by the California Farm Bureau? The 105-year-old grassroots organization launched this magazine more than four decades ago to help connect you with the food you eat, the people who grow and raise it, and the lifestyles that make California bountiful. With the same goal in mind, California Farm Bureau also produces California Bountiful TV. You’ll find more information about this lively and informative show on the opposite page. Don’t miss the new season! In the meantime, we invite you to follow us on social media at @cabountiful and visit our website at californiabountiful.com. The whole team extends its best wishes for an enjoyable spring!
California Bountiful® (ISSN 0194-5165) is published quarterly 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.
identifies California Farm Bureau members
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Read all about it California students can learn how the thriving, diverse world of agriculture impacts their daily lives in the 22nd edition of “What’s Growin’ On?” This 16-page annual newspaper produced by the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom engages students in grades three through eight through activities, trivia, graphics and readings. This year’s theme is “Fields of Innovation,” highlighting how farmers are using such modern technologies as autonomous tractors, drones and precision sensors to meet the challenge of feeding a growing population, while also conserving resources. Read it or order classroom hard copies at LearnAboutAg.org/resources/wgo. a la carte
Worth the wait Have you been missing farm-fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and melons over the cool months? What about peaches, plums and cherries? Good news: Spring is here. This is the time of year when many of the most anticipated California-grown fruits and vegetables start hitting grocery stores and farmers markets. Some seasonal highlights—like asparagus, sugar snap peas and avocados—are available now. By mid-to-late spring, start looking out for new crops of summer squash, tomatoes, berries, melons, cucumbers and peppers, to name a few. So, grab your forks and dig into the Golden State’s spring bounty.
More Bountiful stories If you enjoy reading California Bountiful magazine, you’re sure to be a fan of our TV show. Check out the season of all-new episodes launching the weekend of April 6. Host Aubrey Aquino will feature California olive oil, pickle tasting, chocolate blended with pressed winegrapes, indoor vertical farming, autonomous tractors and an organization that inspires kids to eat their vegetables. She’ll also visit a popular sushi restaurant, a cheesemaker and a cut-flower grower—and much more. Find local TV listings under “TV Features” at californiabountiful.com or watch episodes on the California Bountiful TV YouTube channel: youtube.com/CaBountiful.
new season
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California farmer ships export-quality cherries across the U.S.
Story by Ching Lee • Photos by Fred Greaves
Colleen White is serious about her food. When buying produce, the Sacramento resident describes herself as the type of shopper who scrutinizes everything. For example, she won’t buy oranges if she can’t smell a citrusy scent. Though she hunts for a good buy, she says she would pay a higher price for freshness and quality. When she saw a Facebook post last year that Chinchiolo Farming Co. in San Joaquin County was taking orders for farm-fresh cherries, she jumped on it, paying for first dibs before the crop was even harvested. Store-bought cherries, she laments, “don’t taste like cherries a lot of times,” either because they weren’t picked at peak ripeness or because supply chain hiccups degraded the fruit. “With how much everything is costing now, I want to make sure my dollars are going to something that I’m going to be able to eat, that is going to last as long as it can, that I’m going to get the most nutrients out of,” White says. As a self-described cherry lover, White says the ones from the farm did not disappoint, as they were large, juicy and had the sweet-tart flavor she’d expect from cherries.
Farmer James Chinchiolo, right, runs Blooms Cherries, a part of Chinchiolo Farming Co. in San Joaquin County that delivers fresh-picked cherries to people’s doorsteps. The farm also opens to the public as Lodi Blooms, a U-pick operation that allows customers to pick their own fruit.
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“They were some of the best cherries I’d ever had,” she says. “They were gone in less than two days at my house. That’s why I would buy them again. That’s why I’m waiting for the website to open up so I can pre-buy my cherries.” Fourth-generation farmer James Chinchiolo, who runs the Lodi-based farm, is working to reach more people like White—U.S. customers who are willing to pay a premium for what produce marketers call “export- quality” fruit. Instead of shipping those cherries to foreign markets—which pay top dollar for them—he’s setting aside some of the farm’s exportable cherries and delivering them directly to people’s doorsteps. “We’re providing the premium product that I’m accustomed to, that we know is here, but oftentimes, it gets exported to other markets,” Chinchiolo says.
Pivot to direct sales Nearly 30% of the state’s cherry crop is shipped—or, more accurately, flown—all over the world, with Canada, South Korea, Mexico and Japan being leading export destinations, according to the California Cherry Board. That’s about 2.8 million 18-pound cartons of the stone fruit last year. Domestically, the Golden State remains the largest market for California cherries, gobbling up some 1.4 million cartons last year. Other top U.S. markets include New York, Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania. Chinchiolo says the idea for his direct-to-consumer business spawned during the early days of the pandemic in 2020 when logistics challenges and supply chain disruptions led to concerns about whether airlines would be able to fly the highly perishable fruit to places such as
Angel Moreno harvests cherries from Chinchiolo Farming Co., which packs and ships the fruit on the same day to customers across the country.
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Japan, Hong Kong and Korea. “I thought, gosh, you better find another market for these cherries,” Chinchiolo recalls. Pivoting to direct sales was a common move for farms with perishable goods during the pandemic. Some developed their own websites to take customer orders. Others partnered with farms that already sold subscription produce boxes, offering either on-farm pickup or home delivery. Demand for premium produce While some of those farms have since gone back to marketing their crops through more traditional channels as life returned to normal, Chinchiolo has expanded his direct-sales cherry business. The bulk of his crop still goes to a traditional commercial packer, he says. But he’s also delivering to more homes and has maintained his U-pick business for people who want to visit the farm and pick their own cherries. “The response back from the consumer was so positive, it was clear to me that a market exists to deliver people premium cherries,” he says, adding that he thinks buying directly from farms also helps his customers connect with modern agriculture. To pull off the logistics of shipping people farm-fresh cherries that remain fresh when they get them, Chinchiolo looks to Jimmy Williams, the farm’s consulting operations manager. Before lending his expertise to Chinchiolo, Williams worked for years in export sales for a major cherry grower, packer, shipper and marketer in Stockton. Williams says American consumers still get “very good cherries in terms of flavor and eating quality.” But he acknowledges export cherries tend to be larger, with the desired color, sugars and firmness to ensure they can make the trip and arrive in good condition. Packed and shipped the same day Chinchiolo Farming ships cherries to all 48 contiguous states with a minimum order of $60 for a 4-pound box. The fruit is packed and shipped the same day it’s picked, with harvest season typically running from mid-May to mid-June. To ensure freshness, the boxes are insulated and packed with ice gel and sent by next-day or two-day air, depending on customer preference, for states east of Utah or Colorado. Shipments to the west and within California go by overnight FedEx truck. The farm replaces orders that arrive in suboptimal condition due to shipping delays, which has been rare,
Jesus Carranza, above, prepares a box of Blooms Cherries for delivery. From the field, the fruit goes straight to the packinghouse to be sorted, washed, left, and packed.
There’s an inherent risk to farming all crops. But cherries remain arguably one of the riskiest. That’s why Chinchiolo Farming won’t take presale orders until April 1, about a month and a half before cherry harvest. “By then, the risk of frost has diminished significantly,” farmer James Chinchiolo says. “I want to make sure we have a viable crop before we start accepting people’s money.” Frost can completely wipe out his crop, he says, which happened two years ago. Heavy rain before harvest could crack the skin of the cherries, making them unmarketable. A mild winter could cause poor yields, as most cherry trees need at least 700 hours of chilling temperatures below 45 degrees. Excessive summer heat when flower buds are forming can lead to cherry doubles and spurs, both of which are good to eat but typically sell at a reduced price. Risky business
Williams says, adding, “it’s basically 100% satisfaction guaranteed.” He says Chinchiolo’s direct-sales business has opened his eyes to what people are willing to pay for specialty products such as cherries. Williams says if people pay a high price at the store for fruit that doesn’t taste very good, “they feel like they didn’t get their money’s worth.” Chinchiolo’s customers have shown that “people are willing to pay a premium as long as you send them fruit that merits the premium,” he says, adding that he hopes the farm sets a new trend. Customer White says she thinks there are more people like her. She points to people who learned to cook during the pandemic “and who figured out that the better and fresher the ingredients are, the better
your recipe turns out.” She says she thinks selling directly to customers is “a viable way for smaller farms to get their produce to people without having to deal with wholesalers”— and it would allow farmers to get a better price for their crop. “I want to get the best ingredients I can possibly get for my money,” White says, “and if that means buying directly from a family farmer, I don’t mind doing that, especially if the money is going into my local economy.”
Ching Lee clee@californiabountiful.com
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Waylon, at left above and at right below, and his brother Willie relax with owner Zack Stuller after a night patrolling Stuller’s property. Tricia Stever Blattler, left, fostered the dogs and recommended them to Stuller to help reduce theft at his ranch.
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FARM DOG redefined
Contest winners represent a full range of Rover resumes
Story by Caitlin Fillmore ∞ Photos by Tomas Ovalle
Herding, guarding, comforting, securing. The title of “working dog” on the farm or ranch expands to fit the needs of the operation—much like the reality of being a farmer. And the winners of California Farm Bureau’s third annual Farm Dog of the Year Contest truly embody the spectrum of work these dogs complete every day on their farms and ranches. With support from Nationwide, the contest asked Farm Bureau members to submit photos and a brief story about their beloved canine. The Grand Prize winner earned $1,000, with the first, second and third runners-up receiving $500, $250 and $100, respectively. Loyal, diligent, affectionate and joyful, the dogs inspired a terrific story for each contestant to tell. The following is the story of the Grand Prize winners: a pair of mischievous brothers whose serendipitous second chance revealed their true family and purpose. Tulare County, we have a problem Tricia Stever Blattler remembers Zack Stuller coming into her office, fuming with a persistent problem. Stever Blattler, executive director of the Tulare County Farm Bureau, listened to Stuller describe the repetitive crime happening at his Exeter ranch of nearly 3,000 acres of row crops, citrus, stone fruit and tree nuts. Stuller experienced 14 burglaries in a few years, including one truck being stolen three times and nine catalytic converters taken off trucks in broad daylight. He had tried everything to deter nighttime thefts, including security systems, fences, alarms and even a night guard. Stuller came to Stever Blattler and discussed some last-resort advice, courtesy of local law enforcement. “Get some big dogs to run around the equipment yard and scare off burglars,” Stever Blattler recalls saying. “Well, I had the perfect dogs!” Problem solvers Stever Blattler volunteers with a Labrador retriever rescue program and has fostered more than 130 dogs. In 2022, two gangly puppies came into her care: Waylon and Willie. The brothers were found in an impoverished
area of Tulare County and ended up in the county’s overpopulated shelter. The dogs had few socialization skills and were scared of everyday things like leashes, she remembers. After some DNA testing, it turned out the brothers were not actually Labs but a mix of 49% Great Pyrenees and 46% Doberman Pinscher. Five months of fostering came and went, and Stever Blattler had received zero interest in adopting these big, boisterous boys. Stuller also remembers the day he learned about Waylon and Willie. “I asked Tricia, knowing she is a dog expert, if she could keep her eyes out for preferably two dogs that could guard at night but not eat my employees during the day. Her response was, ‘When can I drop them off?’” After a few meet-and-greets and an extensive building project, in which Stuller constructed a lavish headquarters for his new “ag security personnel” complete with a heated and insulated doghouse, sandbox, artificial turf and permanent shade cover, Waylon and Willie moved in. Stever Blattler’s hunch was right: The brothers immediately adapted to their role guarding the ranch shop and surrounding land, all night, every night. Today, more than a year later, there have been no thefts. “They are perfect for the ranch shop. They do not sleep at all once the sun goes down and bark at just about everything: slow-moving cars, people jogging by, bugs, the wind,” Stuller says. “If you met them, you would probably say there is not an aggressive bone in their body. But a bad guy at midnight meeting two, 150-pound dogs standing over 6 feet tall on their back legs with a bark as loud as a freight train might be persuaded otherwise.” ‘Good’ boys At night, the boys have been caught on camera chasing away potential lurkers and carefully scanning the landscape from atop vehicles parked on the ranch. Stuller reports they have earned their biscuits, but the journey hasn’t necessarily been smooth. “Yes, they are good dogs. They are gentle giants,” Stuller begins, before explaining, “They are not normal dogs.”
First runner-up
By day, Waylon and Willie provide companionship and amusement at Zack Stuller’s agricultural business. By night, they deter crime.
While the dogs enforce law and order on the property at night, they enthusiastically participate in any mischievous behavior they can dream up during their lazy days off-duty. Their antics have earned them the nickname, “the Outlaw Brothers.” Waylon and Willie have teamed up to eat a bag of dry concrete mix, delivery packages, Halloween candy and a Fitbit watch that was supposed to be a Christmas gift. One time they got into rat poison, which almost killed Waylon. The pooch was saved through a blood transfusion from one of Stever Blattler’s dogs. A normal day involves a half-mile trip through the irrigation canal to beg for snacks at the nearby market until Stuller or another ranch employee rounds up the dozing Waylon and Willie. Abnormal days include that time last summer when the dogs crashed a wedding. “When I arrived, I saw both of my dogs in the party barn amongst all the guests, and Waylon had a bouquet of flowers in his mouth,” Stuller says. “To my surprise, the bride and groom thought it was hilarious and said for me not to worry.” A winning combination Stuller is still surprised Waylon and Willie won top honors in the 2023 Farm Dog of the Year Contest. But he says it’s undeniable that the brothers have become unexpected teammates in the day-to-day activity of High Sierra Ag. “(At first) some of my employees were a little reluctant and afraid, but the two brothers won them over pretty quick,” he says. “(Waylon and Willie) are now a large part of our operation. They are basically like employees.” Stever Blattler says the brothers help redefine expectations for what it means to be a farm dog. “Waylon and Willie are a perfect symbol of a nontraditional application of a couple of rescue mutts that really do perform a very valuable service on that ranch,” she says. “They are exceptionally good dogs for the job they have been asked to do.”
Even at 15 years old, Gus still exemplifies what it means to be a winning farm dog. Gus is a McNab dog, a unique breed from Mendocino County bred to withstand the rugged and distinct terrain of Northern California, including elements such as foxtails and excessive heat. Gus works as a serious cattle dog, gathering stray cattle and flushing out hidden cows. Joel Allen of Sutter Creek reports Gus’ favorite job is “standing guard in the back of the pickup, making sure that the cows don’t snitch hay.” This hardworking dog doesn’t just inspire out on the land. Allen reports Gus is a “loving family dog” and still takes puppy- like delight in the everyday, like a treasured toy: a rubber dog food dish. “His sheer joy in playing with that old bowl is a pleasure to watch. Gus is slowing down now, but he’s been a real example to our family of the importance of enjoying the simple things in life.” Gus, McNab dog Joel Allen, Amador County Farm Bureau
Caitlin Fillmore cbmagazine@californiabountiful.com
MORE ONLINE Want to see Waylon and Willie in action? Check out the video at californiabountiful.com.
And the runners-up are…
Second runner-up
Third runner-up
Imagine: Every morning you rise from sleep in a house erected in 1860 that once served as a hotel for pioneers traveling on the California portion of the Oregon Trail. You accompany the farmer, your loyal companion, in completing the necessary work on the ranch: pushing sheep into box stalls for vaccinating or overseeing the long, unpredictable nights of lamb season. If you’re Megan, a 12-year-old border collie from Etna, this daydream is your reality. “This dog has it all,” says owner Melanie Fowle-Nelson. Fowle-Nelson developed a deep bond with Megan during four years when she and her dog moved the cattle and sheep alone. Megan is affectionate and soaks up pets as much as she gobbles water spewing from water guns in the summer. This farm dog loves to work, gently herding chickens, cattle, ewes and lambs. But Fowle-Nelson says she is loyal, most of all. “Each of us appreciates her company on those cold, snowy, rainy nights.” Megan, border collie Melanie Fowle-Nelson, Siskiyou County Farm Bureau
Like contest winners Waylon and Willie, Jackson redefines the idea of a “farm dog.” The 10-year-old Australian shepherd works at Sunny Hills High School Farm, a staple of the agriculture and FFA program at Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton. In this role, Jackson works tirelessly to brighten the days of the 180 students enrolled in agriculture classes. Jackson interacts with students both in and out of the classroom, contributing to a therapeutic and supportive community environment. When it’s time for a break from the books, Jackson can be found chasing lambs, goats, steers and pigs or spending time with his best friend, Coco the golden retriever. As a farmer enriches his community, Jackson enriches the lives of his students, says owner Brian Kim of La Habra. “Jackson provides students every day with a moment of positive energy that highly affects their mood and anxiety. His true farm dog responsibilities are to the students in agriculture education.” Jackson, Australian shepherd Brian Kim, Orange County Farm Bureau
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“In the real world, you take it for granted, but here it matters enough to make someone’s day.” — JUSTIN ROMERO Prison inmate, on access to seasonal produce
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Patrick Range sat down to brunch in the inmate cafeteria at California State Prison, Solano and immediately reached for the farm-fresh Bartlett pear on his tray. After sampling the fruit, Range smiled broadly: “Best thing I’ve ever had!” Range and his fellow inmates usually receive fruit each day, but fresh pears are very rare. The prison must feed each of the 3,700 inmates for $4.30 a day, and pears can cost twice as much as apples, says Gina Schnabel, the prison’s assistant correctional food manager. “We’re given a budget we have to stay in, so we usually just get food from the lowest bidder,” Schnabel says. “We usually go with apples and bananas or sometimes oranges or canned fruit. In the summer, we’ll do cantaloupe and watermelon on occasion if we can get them in bulk bins.” The pears were provided thanks to Harvest of the Month, a program launched last summer that brings one local seasonal fresh fruit or vegetable to state prisons each month. It’s a collaborative effort among the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the University of California, two national nonprofits and local food hubs that pool farms’ harvests to serve large institutions. It kicked off with three CDCR facilities—the Solano prison, California Medical Facility and Folsom State Prison—and is increasing by three more quarterly until October 2025, when all 33 adult institutions that serve more than 95,000-plus inmates will be covered, officials say. Program benefits inmates, small farms, local economies Story by Linda DuBois • Prison photos by Fred Greaves Spork Food Hub photos by Evett Kilmartin, courtesy of UC Regents From farm to prison
California State Prison, Solano inmates, from left, Justin Romero, Patrick Range and Ramon Tejeda discuss how much they’re enjoying the local farm-fresh pears they received in their brunch.
Gaia Daystar of Spork Food Hub in Davis, below, moves boxes of pears from Stillwater Orchards in Courtland to a truck that will deliver them and other locally grown pears to California State Prison, Solano. At far right, the prison’s inmate kitchen employees include the pears on brunch trays.
Grateful inmates One goal is to offer fruits and vegetables that aren’t commonly served in daily meals, such as August’s pluots and October’s persimmons—two fruits Range, who’s been incarcerated for 23 years, says he’d never even heard of before trying them. “These guys love anything new. It’s really special to them,” Schnabel says. “We try to look for opportunities to buy something that they don’t get in every single rotating menu. Harvest of the Month has really helped us with that.” Justin Romero, incarcerated for 14 years, says “getting something other than a banana or an apple” means more than people could imagine. “In the real world, you take it for granted, but here it matters enough to make someone’s day.” “Fruits and vegetables make any meal so much better—so, so much better,” Range adds. “A bell pepper and onion in a Top Ramen make such a big difference.” But he has an even bigger reason to appreciate a variety of fresh produce. “I have kidney failure, so I want the nutritional value to help with my condition,” he says, adding that he always reads the nutrition information on the posters about the featured produce item that’s included with each month’s delivery. And, he says he feels better when he eats more fruits and vegetables. “You feel the difference. It’s a big, big difference. “This Harvest of the Month program is what I’ve hoped for,” Range says, adding he had just been thanking Guadalupe Alvarez, the prison’s correctional food manager, for helping to bring in the program. “I told her it’s so appreciated.” Practical benefits The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, in general, is moving toward making prison life seem as much like normal life as possible, and that includes what inmates find on their meal trays, says Lance Eshelman, who, as the CDCR’s departmental food administrator, oversees all the state prisons’ food managers. “This program gives our staff the ability to say, ‘Hey, we see you. We see that you’re an individual’ … and it makes the population feel like their voices are heard.”
It’s helping state prisons meet the mandates of Assembly Bill 778, which requires that, by the end of 2025, at least 60% of food purchased by state-run institutions must be grown or produced in California, Eshelman says. “It’s taken some time and effort to train the institutions’ food services staff with a different mindset,” Eshelman says. “For years, the training has been, ‘Get the best price.’ I will say, though, that often the best price is coming out of Mexico … but there’s obviously value in getting a fresher product and supporting local farms and businesses.” The CDCR purchases more than $163 million in food each year, and Eshelman feels good about keeping more of those dollars in California. He’s focused now on “working with the local food hubs to figure out a price point that works for everybody. I think that’s our biggest hurdle right now.” Market for farmers The first food hub he worked with was Spork Food Hub in Davis, which has participated in Harvest of the
But as much as Harvest of the Month serves the nutritional and psychological interests of inmates, it also serves several practical purposes.
Month since its kickoff on the Fourth of July with deliveries of watermelon. The hub was founded in 2021 by Hope Sippola and Shayne Zurilgen, owners of the 5-acre Fiery Ginger Farm in West Sacramento, to pool the harvests of local small farms to supply produce to institutions looking for large, bulk purchases. It has since grown to work with more than 40 year-round and seasonal farms from throughout the Sacramento region and as far away as coastal areas and Fresno. Almost two years ago, Spork was approached by Impact Justice, an Oakland-based national nonprofit that works to improve the conditions and outcomes of inmates during and after incarceration, and was key in getting Harvest of the Month off the ground. “They had been working for some time to bring California-grown fresh fruit and vegetables into the prisons, and they were looking for a distributor that was willing to work with them,” Sippola says. Seeing the potential, Sippola and Zurilgen began discussions with Impact Justice representatives, who connected them with Eshelman of CDCR.
“It was a lengthy process,” Sippola says. “We chatted about details, pricing and how the program would work for about a year before we made the first sale and delivery. This was a huge change for CDCR, and there was a lot of paperwork to get us set up as a vendor, as well as for security clearances for drivers and so on.” There’s also ongoing administrative work. “There’s a lot of stuff that’s involved in it that farmers probably aren’t going to have the time or capacity to work with,” she says. “We field all those things, we deliver for them and we market for them.” Sippola says the hub supports family farms and new and ethnically diverse farmers, adding, “We’re traveling less distance to get the food for these large institutions. We don’t purchase anything that doesn’t come from California, whereas other types of distributors tend to purchase from Mexico also. We’re only seasonal and only local.” A ‘win-win-win’ Harvest of the Month is the result of about three years of behind-the-scenes research and planning among the stakeholders, says Heile Gantan, a program associate
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Food hubs can provide small farms with large markets Selling food to a large institution, such as a school, hospital or prison, can give farmers a stable, reliable source of income. Yet small farmers can lack access to these markets. Distributors that supply food to these large facilities find it far more efficient to work with farms that can sell them large quantities. But through food hubs, farms of all sizes can pool their harvests and distribute them in bulk. “Even if a small, beginning, 1-acre farm has four cases of something, we can add it to an order with the giant farms or the mid-sized farms,” says Hope Sippola, who co-owns Spork Food Hub in Davis. “It’s a very valuable market for those smaller farms as an entry into wholesale. It creates consistency in orders for the farmers, larger orders and (depending on what they grow) year-round sales.” Sippola speaks from experience. She and Shayne Zurilgen co- own Fiery Ginger Farm, which sits on a small plot behind a retail shop in suburban West Sacramento. “For our first eight years of operation, our farm sold mainly to school districts,” she says. “But we’re one tiny little 5-acre farm, so we’re not going to be able to supply everything the schools need.” Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic when the local schools had taken on a food-distribution role in impoverished communities and food-desert areas, they faced supply chain problems. “They couldn’t get the things they needed. They were facing lots of substitutions. Things were having to travel really great distances to get to them,” Sippola says.
with Impact Justice’s Food in Prison Project, which aims to improve the quality and nutritional value of food in the nation’s prisons. Other key contributors include the Nutrition Policy Institute, a University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources organization
that studies the impact of nutrition and physical activity on public health, and ChangeLab Solutions, a nonprofit that shares research, policy and planning expertise to advance health equity. In the end, the team effort came up with a program that “is really a win-win-win situation,” Gantan says, noting the CDCR can more easily comply with recently passed legislation, the inmates have more access to tasty and nutritious produce, and California’s small farms have access to a new, stable market. “We look at our small farmers here in California, and there’s such a need to help uplift them and empower them,” she says. “This program can help do that.” She adds that even people with no connection to the state prison system should be interested in Harvest of the Month’s physical and psychological benefits to inmates. “It’s a public health concern. The more people who come home healthier, the less stress and burden on our public systems, our health care system and insurance,” Gantan says. “We also hope that once they come home from incarceration, they’re able to make healthier, more informed choices once they can purchase food on their own. “If we look out for the holistic health of individuals while they’re incarcerated, then when they’re released, they’ll come home a lot more ready to contribute positively to society.”
Then one of the schools pitched an idea to Sippola and Zurilgen. “They said, ‘You should start a food hub and just source from all your local farm friends and your own farm.’ And we said, ‘No. That seems like a lot of work,’” she says, laughing. But they reconsidered. They wrote a California Department of Food and Agriculture grant and used a portion of that money to start the food hub in 2021.
Linda DuBois ldubois@californiabountiful.com
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Spring 2024
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book reviews
The Global Pantry Cookbook by Ann Taylor Pittman and Scott Mowbray shows home chefs how to create tasty international dishes with ease by using flavors coming from a bottle, jar or can. The book incorporates more than 65 pantry items from around the world into recipes for main dishes, side dishes, snacks, salads, soups and desserts.
From lemongrass to miso, capers to chiles and chorizo to tahini, these global condiments can turn ordinary dishes into flavor-packed international cuisine. From Workman Publishing Co.
In the new picture book, Garden Walk by Virginia Brimhall Snow, kids can stroll through a garden and forest with Grammy and her grandkids, making discoveries around every turn. The fifth in this line- drawing series from Gibbs Smith Books, Garden Walk has beautiful illustrations and whimsical rhymes that will help young readers as they learn to identify different flowers, fruits, berries, trees, birds, insects and animals.
Drink Your Words by California native Carolyn Dismuke covers the 25 months she took off from her city job to travel throughout the state’s dozens of wine regions. She highlights the wide variety of wines found in the Golden State, the diverse personalities who make and
enjoy them and interesting details about vineyards. She even offers travel tips. It can serve as a helpful guide through California wine country but reads more like a memoir, written in a first-person, engaging narrative style. From Traveling Star.
Once Upon a Rind in Hollywood: 50 Movie-Themed Cheese Platters and Snack Boards for Film Fanatics features classic cheese boards and charcuterie to candy platters and cocktail pairings, all themed around movies. By the editors of Ulysses Press with food and photographs by Rachel Riederman, this punny cookbook provides thematic munchies to accompany a night of streaming classic movies. Organized by movie genre—romance, kids, action/dramas, horror and comedy—the book has boards with titles like “May the Fromage Be with You,” “Here’s Looking at You, Curd” and “Roquefort Horror Picture Show.”
The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver Handbook by Susan Mulvihill is a handy guide for beginning to expert home gardeners wanting organic solutions to diseases, pests and other common problems that plague their plants. Readers will learn how to give plants a healthy start, identify plant pathogens, troubleshoot pollination issues and weather-related disorders, and prevent ailments such as fruit cracking
California Bountiful’s Book Reviews highlight books related to rural living and California agriculture. To suggest a book, email cbmagazine@californiabountiful.com.
and leaf roll. It includes a quick-reference chart to help with identifying problems and finding solutions. From Cool Springs Press.
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Spring 2024
The wonders of
California ranch, meat company specialize in renowned Japanese beef Story by Linda DuBois • The Meatery photos by David Poller Masami Cattle Ranch photos by Frank Rebelo Sometimes Nick Fiorentino wants a steak that’s “rich and exquisite,” but oftentimes he prefers one that’s “more beefy and less heavy.” So, he just picks the type of Wagyu beef that suits his craving. As the co-owner of the retail meat company The Meatery in San Diego, he has convenient access to a few options. In their storefront and on their website, he and his nephew and business partner, Tony Morales, sell a variety of meats such as pork, Angus beef and seafood, along with spices, rubs and sauces. But their specialty is Wagyu, the flavorful, tender beef from cattle raised for thousands of years in Japan. The Meatery carries Japanese A5 Wagyu—the highest grade available— including certified Kobe beef, considered the world’s most delectable meat for its intense marbling, buttery flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture. But 100% Japanese Wagyu is also the world’s most expensive meat because of the labor- and time-intensive way the cattle are raised and their limited supply outside of Japan.
Nick Fiorentino, left, and Tony Morales co-own The Meatery in San Diego, which sells a variety of meat, including American Wagyu, top.
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That’s partly why many customers opt for The Meatery’s American Wagyu, which comes from Wagyu- Angus cattle crosses and can be a fraction of the cost. Most of The Meatery’s American Wagyu comes from the 7,000-acre Masami Cattle Ranch in Corning, owned and managed by Japanese ranchers. Masami’s meat is “just phenomenal,” Fiorentino says. “One night, I lined up a Kobe filet, an Australian Wagyu filet and a Masami filet, and I really enjoyed the American Wagyu filet the most—and it’s sitting next to a $200-something piece of Kobe tenderloin, which is widely regarded as the most prized meat in the world,” Fiorentino says. “Japanese A5 Wagyu is for when you’re looking for something very heavy and very, very rich,” suitable as an appetizer, he says. American Wagyu’s appeal is that it maintains much of the flavorful marbling from the Wagyu genes, but the Angus genes make it mild enough to eat as a main course and give it a more familiar flavor profile that American steak lovers have grown to love, he adds. “I can only eat 4 or 5 ounces of Japanese Wagyu and I tap out, but I can have a whole Masami steak and enjoy it, and not feel heavy and weighed down.”
Serendipitous business With a full-time career in internet marketing, Fiorentino started The Meatery during the pandemic lockdown in 2020 to provide restaurant-quality meat to people when going out to dinner wasn’t an option. But he stumbled upon the idea serendipitously. Influenced by his family, who owned slaughterhouses, Fiorentino and a friend had decided to launch a side business making internationally themed spice blends for steak. “We had all these country-specific spices: Italy, Japan, Mexico, Brazil. I bought a piece of Wagyu to try our Japan flavor on. It was my first Wagyu experience—and I immediately fell in love,” Fiorentino says. Friends he shared the meat with were equally enthusiastic. Seeing its business potential, he quickly put together a website, advertised online and started selling and shipping Wagyu directly to home cooks. One of Fiorentino’s first hires was Morales, who started in the warehouse and now runs operations. Joining them on the staff are a few warehouse and sales employees and a videographer for social media marketing. Even after opening the storefront, internet sales still
Masami Cattle Ranch manager Seiya Uezu, left, checks some alfalfa hay before it’s mixed into the American Wagyu cattle feed and placed in the troughs, above.
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