Edible San Diego Flow Issue 74 Summer 2024

edible SAN DIEGO

RECIPE 420 POTTING

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SOIL BOOSTER

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• Breaks up hard clay soil EARTHWORM CASTINGS

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• Optimal Soil Enricher

EARTHWORM CASTINGS

• 100% Organic Garden Amendment

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CASTINGS

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• Encourages root growth for valuable crops RAISED BED SOIL

•

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• 100% Natural and Organic Potting or Planting Mix

• 100% Natural and Organic Potting or Planting Mix

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• Can be used as a soil amendment or ready to use potting soil

OFF ANY ONE PLANT RECIPE 420 POTTING SOIL

• Can be used as a soil amendment or ready to use potting soil

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• 100% Natural and Organic Potting or Planting Mix

• Ready to use right out of the bag for any raised bed

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• Can be used as a soil amendment or ready to use potting soil

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FOSTERING CONSCIOUS GROWTH IN THE SAN DIEGO NATURAL PRODUCTS AND CPG COMMUNITY

WE VOLUNTEER TOGETHER, HOST EVENTS & EDUCATIONAL FORUMS, AND PROVIDE A SPACE FOR LOCAL COMPANIES TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES AND GROW BETTER TOGETHER. JOIN US!

The cover illustration by Tim Topalov interprets a photograph from the collection of tuna fishing historian Tom Walsh.

A collection of fishing pictures courtesy of Tommy Gomes, Jordyn Kastlunger, Tanner Saraspe, Tom Walsh, and the San Diego Historical Society. Read about San Diego’s fishing history on page 10.

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• Sweet and Sticky Pineapple Ribs

• Watermelon Limeade with a Tajín Rim

• Summer Cucumber Melon Salad

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The last two lines of Mary Oliver’s poem “The Summer Day”:

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

Her question embeds us in a world that’s equally beautiful and fierce, inviting an expansive sense of belonging and possibility.

On the occasion of the summer season, we dedicate this edition to water in our regional food system, seen through a regenerative lens. We take a look at the history and the future of fishing and eating local seafood, high-tech uses of water to grow greens, water in local wine production, warm-weather recipes, natural dyes, a City Heights market exploration, and a San Diego County agritourism guide in partnership with Edible Phoenix.

Our region is unique. The summertime ebb and flow of the marine layer reminds us to grab a wrap when heading to the coast and more broadly of the powerful influence the ocean has over our Mediterranean climate. The precipitation it drops on our foothills drains southwest through 11 watersheds to the Pacific and hopefully back next winter. This same county boasts national record numbers of biodiversity, farms, tribal reservations, 3.2 million residents, and 10 times that in annual tourist visits. You can see why water has and always will be important here.

To cover a topic as nuanced as this, I wish we had more space, but our specialty is presenting a collection of stories you won’t find anywhere else. I’m reminded of a recent Delayed Gratification article circulated among our North American community of Edible publishers about “slow journalism,” how the print medium enables readers and publishers to share news in ways that enhance our individual learning journey and our collective humanity.

We connect these printed pages with community in creative ways, like championing local vintners with a tasting event this last spring in support of San Diego Wine Week. Now, we’re midway through production of our Cook the Cover program in which readers submit family recipes for our fall issue. What unites us better than sharing simple meals made with love and local, fresh food?

So maybe this season, our “wild and precious life” can include deepening our understanding of our local waterways, estuaries and coastal waters, our glorious aquatic plant and animal neighbors that inhabit them, and the dedicated, innovative people who help us cohabitate more water-wisely than ever before.

Katie Stokes Publisher and Editor in Chief

Edible San Diego

P.S. If you can subscribe, gift a subscription, or advertise your business, you can help us do local slow food journalism like no one else. Thank you!

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Edible San Diego recognizes the Kumeyaay, Luiseño/Payómkawichum, Cahuilla, and Cupeño/Kuupangaxwichem people who have lived in relationship with the earth, flora, fauna, waters, and sky for thousands of years as the original stewards of this region. This publication commits to building greater awareness of and appreciation for the traditional ecological knowledge, wisdom, and experiences of San Diego County’s first peoples as an essential part of the health and vitality of our local food system.

EDITORIAL

Katie Stokes

Editor in Chief

Maria Hesse

Executive Editor

Dawn Mobley

Copy Editor

Liz Murphy

Digital Recipe Copy Editor

CREATIVE

Maria Hesse Designer

COVER ART BY TIM TOPALOV

PUBLISHER

Katie Stokes

ADVERTISING

Katie Stokes

For information about advertising options, rates, and deadlines please contact katie@ediblesandiego.com.

No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. © 2024 All rights reserved.

Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions. If an error comes to your attention, please let us know and accept our sincere apologies.

This magazine is made possible thanks to Edible San Diego advertisers, members, and subscribers. Thank you for supporting San Diego’s local, independent, and woman-owned food media company.

CONTACT

Edible San Diego 3451 Via Montebello #192-313 Carlsbad, CA 92009

601-526-1919

info@ediblesandiego.com ediblesandiego.com

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edible Communities

2011 Publication of the Year

RAUL RUIZ

edible SAN DIEGO ISSUE 74 CONTRIBUTORS

Barefoot Books is an award-winning, independent, women-owned and run children’s book publisher based in Concord, MA. Founded by two mothers in England in 1992, they are committed to creating visually captivating books that celebrate global awareness and diversity, spark curiosity, and capture imaginations.

Madeline Crozier is an Indianapolis native and studied writing, rhetoric, and discourse at DePaul University. Madeline has a passion for working with writers and cherishes the opportunity to write and share local, impactful stories with the Central Indianapolis community.

Leorah Gavidor learned how to write an essay at age seven, and two years after she won her first essay contest. She is a contributor for various San Diego publications, including the Reader, Edible, and San Diego Magazine Leorah grew up on Long Island (in a town famous for pickles!) and moved to San Diego at 18 where she now lives with her husband.

Olivia Hayo is a chef, recipe developer, and photographer. She has a master’s in food culture, communications, and high-quality products from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and lived throughout the Mediterranean for six years. When she’s not creating recipes you can still find her in the kitchen or at the farmers’ market. Follow her on Instagram @OliviaHayo or visit oliviahayo.com to read more.

Maria Hesse is the executive editor and designer of Edible San Diego. Her interest in functional arts led to a degree in interior design, which inspires her passion to be an advocate for sustainable living through food. She enjoys balcony gardening and designing crochet patterns in her downtime. Find her @mariafromediblesd and @waysidestudiowest on Instagram.

Martin S. Lindsay is the board chair for the Culinary Historians of San Diego, a nonprofit providing free public lectures on food and culture. Find events and info on chsandiego.org. He also curates the historical blog Classic San Diego at classicsandiego.com.

Liz Murphy is a local plant-based chef and sustainability warrior. Find her cookbook, Kitchen Contentment, at santoshanutrition.com or look for it in local San Diego shops.

SAN DIEGO’S PREMIERE FISH MARKET

Colin H. Richard is an educator and storyteller active in environmental, sustainability, and community development issues in Southern California and internationally. He is a graduate student in social innovation at the University of San Diego’s Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies. Colin brings 20+ years of experience in regenerative agriculture, conservation, and tourism with a regional focus on East Africa. Learn more at colinhrichard.net.

Ryan Rizzuto is a chef, entrepreneur, and event curator in San Diego. You can taste his work at his soul food popup, Southside Biscuits. Chef Ryan was nationally recognized as a 2020 Food Hero by Edible Communities and Niman Ranch for his Covid-19-related hunger relief operations at Kitchens for Good. Follow him on Instagram at @chefryanrizzuto and his soul food and public events at @southsidebiscuits.

Luke Schmuecker is a creative director, photographer, and the founder of Farnam West Creative, a brand strategy and creative collective based in San Diego. He has worked on projects for everyone from Food & Wine to the Tennis Channel. In his free time you can find him wandering the aisles of grocery stores, analyzing branding, seeing what’s new, and trying to predict the future.

Heather Schrock has been chasing light, capturing moments, and telling stories through the eye of her lens since 2007. Food photography has become her passion as she seeks to blend the natural beauty of food with the stories it tells and the history it encompasses. In her downtime, she loves reading, baking, watching British television, and taking solitary hikes in the beautiful parks of Indiana, always accompanied by her trusty camera and an adventurous spirit.

Tim Topalov is a Bulgaria-born, San Diego-based artist, muralist, and graphic designer. His commercial focus is on branding and packaging design, while his greatest career goal is creating monumental mural art. He’s an active participant in San Diego’s gallery scene, as well as an avid art theorist. On his days off you can find him skipping stones, tidepooling, and writing poetry.

10am-5pm • Sat-Sun 10am-3pm

MELONS

BY LIZ MURPHY

Finding ways to indulge in the most iconic fruits of summer is work we are happy to do. These refreshing fruits are high in dietary fiber and full of essential nutrients. Here are some ways to help you eat as much as you can while they’re in season.

Watermelon

A crisp, sweet slice of watermelon has become synonymous with summer in the United States, but these delicious fruits likely originated from domesticated varieties in northeastern Africa around 2000 BCE. One of the first crops to be brought to North America, watermelons can be found in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. We can expect to find these summer fruits at local markets in July through late autumn.

Selecting a ripe watermelon may seem challenging, but once you know the basics you’ll be sure to grab the best fruit every time. Look for a yellowish spot in one area, which indicates that the fruit has been ripening by sitting in the dirt. Next, if you are seeking a ready-to-eat melon, you want to bring it to your nose and ensure that it smells fresh and slightly sweet. Lastly, you can always give the watermelon a firm tap or knock—a juicy ripe melon should have a deep thud.

There are many ways to enjoy watermelon throughout its peak season: the classic fresh slice, a delightful watermelon and feta salad, and even grilled for a smoky, caramelized side dish. One of my favorite ways to prepare watermelon is to turn it into a veganized version of poke.

Cantaloupe & Honeydew

Heat from the sun helps ripen summer melons to the perfect sweetness. One cup of melon contains a full daily value of vitamins A and C, as well as a good amount of fiber and potassium. These highly seasonal treats can be enjoyed in both sweet and savory preparations, and even pickled if you’re

looking for a way to preserve your cantaloupes. You can whip up a tantalizing cantaloupe salsa by dicing the melon into small pieces and mixing it with diced red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.

San Diego Grown

In the garden

San Diego Seed Company has adapted over a dozen varieties of organic and heirloom melons for local growers to plant. Petite Kajari originate from India and taste similar to honeydew but take up far less room to grow.

» sandiegoseedcompany.com

At the farmers’ market

Melons grown by Jacy Farm based in Anza are always a good bet, and the coveted yellow watermelon grown by Tom King Farms in Ramona is a must-have.

» jacyfarm.com

» tomkingfarms.com

On the farm

Reach for the moon and stars at The Vegetable Shop at Chino Farm—the luscious red watermelon variety has dark green skin and bright yellow speckles that resemble a constellation.

» 6123 Calzada Del Bosque, Rancho Santa Fe

5 melon recipes perfect for summer

• Honeydew Mint Sorbet

• Sweet and Savory Melon Noodle Salad

• Pickled Watermelon Rind

• Watermelon Nachos

• Watermelon Poke

Scan the QR code for online recipes. 

ROXILLER

NEUSTOCKIMAGES

SUMMER COOKBOOK CLUB

TWO BOOKLOVERS REVEAL THEIR FAVORITE COOBOOKS RIGHT NOW

Nancy Warwick Warwick’s

Books

As the owner of Warwick’s and an avid cook, I love browsing through our latest cookbooks. A recent favorite is Marcela Valladolid’s latest cookbook, Familia: 125 Foolproof Recipes to Feed Your People (Voracious, 2023). Full of delicious recipes, beautiful photographs, and personal anecdotes, everything I’ve made so far has been a hit. Try this if you love Mexican food!

» warwicks.com

PRETTY PICKLED

9 WAYS TO PICKLE SUMMER

Did you know the oldest pickled cucumber relic dates back to 2030 BCE? Today, pickled foods transcend global cuisines and cultural practices and can be made with nearly any variety of edible fruits and vegetables. Pickling is more than a simple, sour, and addictive way to prolong the shelf life of fresh produce. Pickled foods add layers of flavor to any dish. They are also probiotic, and often prebiotic, making them a tasty dietary staple to support good gut health.

So what do you say we get to pickling? We’ve wrangled up the top pickle recipes from the Edible San Diego archives to help inspire pickling adventures throughout the summer months.

Scan the QR code or find these recipes on ediblesandiego.com and tag us online in your pickling posts with #ediblesdiscooking. 

Early Summer

• Crunchy Pickled Rhubarb Slaw

• Feta Panzanella with Pickled Cherries (pictured below)

• Quick-Pickled Kohlrabi

Mid Summer

• How to Pickle Japanese Cucumbers

• Pickled Carrot Noodle Bowl

• Pickled Watermelon Rind

Late Summer

• Farro Salad with Pickled Apples

• Sweet and Spicy Pickled Peppers with Celery Seeds

• Piloncillo Pickled Pears

Carynn Pinckney Home Ec

My favorite cookbook changes with seasons and mood but one that I love to come back to, especially in summer, is Please Wait to Be Tasted: The Lil’ Deb’s Oasis Cookbook (Princeton Architectural Press, 2022).

This book from Lil’ Deb’s Oasis in Hudson, NY, is full of “tropical comfort food,” using things like coconut, lime juice, and fish sauce to create bright, exciting flavors. On top of delicious food, the book also explores the joy and pleasure that can come from cooking, eating, and sharing food with your community. It’s vibrant and alive, the way food should feel.

» home-ec.co

OLIVIA HAYO

$32,500

TOTAL IN CASH PRIZES AWARDED TO MARKETS

2,435

MARKETS PARTICIPATED IN 2023

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE MARKET

SEAFOOD CITY

THE RISE AND FALL AND RISE OF SAN DIEGO’S TUNA INDUSTRY

BY MARTIN S. LINDSAY, AIGA

Today’s tourists visiting San Diego Harbor would not know it was once home to America’s largest tuna fishing fleet. Not so long ago, it was common to see dozens of purse seiners and tuna clippers docked along the Embarcadero, with fishermen mending their nets. Each vessel could offload 150 tons of fish or more to the local canneries. It was all part of the local economy—feeding American consumers’ demands for over 1 billion pounds of tuna annually.

The Port of San Diego reports that in the 1960s, tuna was the city’s third-largest industry behind aerospace and the Navy, with almost 40,000 employees who caught, sold, or processed fish from the significant fleet of tuna clippers moored at its docks.

So, how did San Diego become known as Seafood City?

Our region, tended by a dense population of Indigenous people over millennia, was rich in biodiversity on land and sea and included a natural harbor that would later provide a base for whaling and fishing vessels.

Commercial fishing and tuna-packing industries gradually bolstered the entire Southland region’s economies. Driven by the hard work of immigrant Portuguese and Italian fishing families and thousands of women working in the canneries, San Pedro in Los Angeles became known as Fish Harbor and San Diego as Tunaville.

Baseball and tuna? Decades before Snapdragon and Qualcomm stadiums ever existed, Westgate Field was built in Mission Valley for the Padres. In 1952, the outdoor baseball field was built with money from financier and Shelter Island booster C. Arnholt Smith’s Westgate Tuna Packing Company, known for its famous Breast O’ Chicken brand of canned tuna. (He also built the Westgate Hotel.)

As the fishing industry grew, local families played a pivotal role in opening some of San Diego’s most iconic seafood eateries. These establishments, including Sunset Sea Foods, Bregante’s, Red Sails Inn, Anthony’s, Fisherman’s Wharf, Harbor House, Top O’ the Cove, and John Tarantino’s, are a testament to our city’s rich fishing heritage. And local fishermen opened bars like Pacific

Shores and Nunu’s. Corporate seafood-themed restaurants like the faux paddle wheel boat Reuben E. Lee and SeaWorld’s Atlantis joined the scene.

Over the years, however, increased federal and state sustainability regulations have raised the bar for the industry. Competition from large, unregulated fleets outside of US jurisdiction has created significant hurdles for local fishermen to overcome. Global demand for cheap seafood dwindles the supply and drives down the prices local fishers can get for their hauls.

“It’s a problem,” says Tommy “The Fishmonger” Gomes of TunaVille Market & Groceries. He asks me, “You know how many boats are left in the San Diego fleet? Four.”

Are you shocked? You should be.

Ethically caught fish fresh off the boat is more expensive than commodity gassed fish. Gassed? Yes, that bright pink fish you get at the big-box store has probably been gassed with carbon monoxide to boost its color and retain a fresh appearance for weeks.

There is currently a push toward improved global seafood practices. “Regenerative” fishing policies, rather than merely “responsible” or “sustainable,” aim to improve regional wild marine ecologies. Reflecting years of determination, Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, the new Fishermen’s Market of North County, and Driscoll’s Wharf (where the Point Loma Commercial Fishing Alliance formed in 2022) build new demand for local seafood on tables at home and in regional restaurants.

And it’s only getting better—the updated Port of San Diego Master Plan includes expanded facilities and new docks for commercial fishing vessels.

With the return of San Diego’s rich fishing legacy, we can look forward to an abundance of locally sourced seafood making a return to our markets, restaurants, and homes. Seafood City is back.

» thdocksidemarket.com

» fishermensmarket.co

» ptlomacfa.org

CITY FARMERS NURSERY

A PLANT PARADISE WITH KINDRED NEIGHBORS

BY LIZ MURPHY PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLIVIA HAYO

Perhaps it’s the unique charm of a small-scale, family-owned and-operated businesss or the intrigue of a sprawling nursery hidden in the urban canyons of City Heights, but one thing is for sure: This gem is not to be missed.

Visiting City Farmers Nursery on a sunny afternoon is a pleasant experience. As an avid plant mom, I love exploring nurseries to see what botanicals or supplies I might find. Founded in 1972 by Bill Tall, City Farmers Nursery has been cultivating a space for San Diego horticulturists to gather, share, and discover for over half a decade. Although Bill passed away in 2021, his legacy continues to grow through his family and community.

Upon entering the gates, you’ll see Nate’s Garden Grill to the right, Inecui Flowers to the left, and the nursery entrance in the center.

The nursery is now run by Farmer Bill’s son, Sam Tall, who offers solid advice: “Try not to see it all in one visit. It takes three to four times before you really feel like you have taken it all in.” And he’s not kidding. After browsing the local compost and rows of fruit and veggie starters near the entrance, many of which are grown in greenhouses on-site, you’ll find yourself winding through earthen pathways lined with pots, plants, and animals. At every turn there is a new sight, from varieties of fruit trees to native plants, bonsai, and the resident miniature donkeys, Miss Darla and Sir Alfie.

The indoor shop area seems almost as expansive as the outdoors. There’s a wall of seed packets, gardening supplies, and a multitude of other essential items you didn’t know you needed or wanted like jars and canning supplies, beekeeping equipment, mushroom grow kits, potato planting varieties, and children’s gardening tools and books. A schedule features classes on composting, growing native plants, and much more. Stay up-to-date with upcoming events by visiting the website and signing up for their newsletter.

Farmer Sam is right: There is too much to take in during one visit to City Farmers Nursery, which is why people find themselves returning season after season, year after year, to see what new discoveries are in store.

» cityfarmersnursery.com

» natesgardengrill.com

» inecui.com

Sam Tall (right) keeps busy at the nursery offering friendly advice to shoppers. From bonsai to fruit trees, ornamental flowers, herbs, vegetables, native plants, and more, there’s something at City Farmers Nursery for almost anyone who wants to grow.

NATE’S GARDEN GRILL

No trip to City Farmers Nursery is complete without a stop to eat at Nate’s Garden Grill. Stepping through the doors feels like stepping back in time. You can enjoy your meal amongst nostalgic decor in one of the oversized wooden booths in the back or on an outdoor patio with live music almost every evening of the week.

With a dedication to supporting local farms and serving scratchmade items, the menu has something for everyone. The regular Nate’s brunch crowd can’t get enough of their biscuits, seasonal vegetable hash, and

the crab cake Benedict. There are rave reviews for the vegan tempeh sandwich with sauerkraut and Russian dressing, and the smoked chicken chili featuring California-raised Jidori chicken is rumored to be addictive. Don’t forget to check the specials menu; I went for a tasty vegan turkey salad sandwich with a side of kale slaw and a house-brewed root beer.

The rustic atmosphere and satisfying fare at Nate’s Garden Grill make it a perfect casual dining destination. And be sure to visit Inecui Flowers, a local, seasonal florist whose ethics are as beautiful as their blooms. D

DINING EXPLORER

edible SAN DIEGO LOCAL MARKETS GUIDE

Regional farmers’ and fishermen’s market listings for San Diego

County

MONDAY

Escondido—Welk Resort √† 8860 Lawrence Welk Dr. 3–7pm

TUESDAY

Coronado √

Ferry Landing Near 1st St. & B Ave.

2:30–6pm

Escondido √*

Btwn Juniper & Kalmia 2:30pm–sunset

Mira Mesa √*

Mira Mesa High School 10510 Reagan Rd.

2:30–7pm (Feb–Oct)

Otay Ranch—Chula Vista √ Otay Ranch Town Center Main St. 4–8pm

Pacific Beach Tuesday √† 901 Hornblend St. 2–7pm

San Marcos √*

251 North City Dr. 3–7pm

WEDNESDAY

Carlsbad√

State St. & Carlsbad Village Dr. 2:30–7pm (Mar–Oct)

Little Italy Mercato √*†

Date St. from Kettner Blvd. to Front St. 9:30am–1:30pm

Ocean Beach √

4900 block of Newport Ave. 4–8pm

People’s Produce Mobile Farmers’ Market Morse High School † 6905 Skyline Dr. 3–5pm

People’s Produce Mobile Farmers’ Market Mt. Hope Community Garden † 4269 Market St. 11am–1pm

Santee *†

Pathway Center

Carlton Hills Blvd. & Mast Blvd. 3–7pm

South Bay √

Across from Chula Vista Golf Course

4475 Bonita Rd. 3–7pm

THURSDAY

Linda Vista √*† 6939 Linda Vista Rd. 2–7pm

North Park √*†

3000 North Park Way at 30th 3–7:30pm

Oceanside Morning √* 401 Pier View Way & Hwy. 101 9am–1pm

People’s Produce Mobile Farmers’ Market ECC Campus † 4343 Ocean View Blvd. 9–11am

People’s Produce Mobile Farmers’ Market Lemon Grove † 3200 Main St. 4–6pm

Scripps Ranch √ Newtopia Cider 10045 Carroll Canyon Rd. 3:30–7:30pm

FRIDAY

Borrego Springs √ Christmas Circle Community Park

701 Palm Canyon Dr. 8am–noon (Nov–Apr)

La Mesa Village √*

La Mesa Blvd. Btwn Palm & 4th St. 3–7:30pm

People’s Produce Mobile Farmers’ Market Four Corners of Life †

Imperial Ave. & Euclid Ave. 11am–1pm

Rancho Bernardo √ 13330 Paseo del Verano Norte 9am–1pm

SATURDAY

Cardiff à

Miracosta College San Elijo Campus 3333 Manchester Ave. 10am–2pm

Del Mar √

Del Mar Civic Center

1050 Camino Del Mar Noon–4pm

Fallbrook Main Street √* Main Ave.

Btwn Hawthorne & Fig 9am–1:30pm

Imperial Beach √*†

SunCoast Market

Veteran’s Park 1075 8th St.

Third Saturday, 8am–2pm

Little Italy Mercato √*†

Date St. from Kettner Blvd. to Front St. 8am–2pm

Mission Valley à Civita Park

7960 Civita Blvd. 9am–1pm

People’s Produce Mobile Farmers’ Market Homie’s Lot † 2602 Logan Ave. 11am–1pm

Poway √*

Old Poway Park 14134 Midland Rd. 8am–1pm

Santa Ysabel √

21887 Washington St. Hwy. 78 & Hwy. 79 Saturday & Sunday 11am–4pm

Tuna Harbor Dockside Market 598 Harbor Ln. 8am–2pm

Vista √*†

325 S. Melrose Dr. 8am–noon

SUNDAY

Chula Vista √*

300 Park Way & Third Ave. 10am–2pm

Fisherman’s Market of North County

Oceanside Harbor 320 Harbor Dr. 8am–2pm (or until sold out)

Hidden Certified Farmers’ Market √

By Grape Day Park and James Stone Pool, Escondido 123 Woodward Ave. 9am–1pm

Hillcrest √* 4002 Normal St. 9am–2pm

La Jolla Open Aire √ 7335 Girard Ave. & Genter St. 9am–1pm

Leucadia √*

Paul Ecke Elementary 185 Union St. 10am–2pm

People’s Produce Mobile Farmers’ Market The Mental Bar † 6325 Imperial Ave. 11am–3pm

Point Loma √

Point Loma HS Parking Lot 2324 Clove St. 9am–2pm

Ramona √ Correcaminos Winery

1941 Lilac Rd.

First & Third Sunday, 8am–1pm

Rancho Santa Fe Del Rayo Village √

The Village at Grand Traverse Commons 16079 San Dieguito Rd. 9:30am–2pm (Nov–Apr)

Santa Ysabel √ 21887 Washington St. Hwy. 78 & Hwy. 79 Saturday & Sunday 11am–4pm

Solana Beach √† 444 S. Cedros Ave., #295 Noon–4pm

LEGEND

* Market vendors accept WIC (Women, Infants, Children) Farmers’ Market checks.

† Market vendors accept EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer).

! Market vendors accept WIC Fruit and Vegetable checks.

√ Markets certified by the San Diego County Agricultural Commissioner, ensuring that the produce is grown by the seller or another certified farmer in California, and meets all state quality standards.

All listings are subject to change. Please contact markets directly or check social media to confirm hours of operation, locations, and what benefits are accepted.

Scan the QR code to visit ediblesandiego.com for more complete information and links to market websites.

E V E R Y F R U I T

H A S A S T O R Y . . .

The Specialty Produce App is a hand-held reference for thousands of produce items and recipes.

3 0 D A Y F R E E T R I A L F O R N E W U S E R S

HURRY UP AND WAIT

HARVEST 2023 WITH LOS PILARES

Predawn on a foggy morning, I found myself driving on a quiet country road. Sprawling pastures dotted with cows stretched out on either side. The destination was Highland Hills Vineyard on the edge of the Ramona Grasslands County Preserve. I was heading out to meet up with the Los Pilares team to start their 2023 grape harvest.

Upon arriving at the modest 15-acre Highland Hills Vineyard, I was greeted by Coleman Cooney and Richard McClellan. Richard, a spry older man in a bucket hat and faded flannel with pruning shears hanging from his belt, is the grower who oversees the vineyard. Coleman, a partner at San Diego winery Los Pilares, also dressed the part—full denim, white beard, glasses, and a wellworn cowboy hat. He wore the look of someone more comfortable among the vines than in a tasting room well. “Hold on, let me hide the pesticides,” Coleman says, a subtle quip that offered a taste of his bone-dry sense of humor.

Even at first glance, it’s clear that Highland Hills is not a pesticide-laden operation. Instead of trying to put nature in a stranglehold, the vineyard looks like a lush garden with wild vines

spilling over their designated aisles. Highland Hills takes a softer approach to vineyard management, shepherding the vines through their growth, allowing nature to balance itself out and only intervening when necessary.

The harvest crew for the day was a group of local wine advocates. Leading the charge was Chelsea Coleman, cofounder of The Rose and Mabel’s Gone Fishing and a longtime friend of Los Pilares who’d been helping harvest for years. A local hospitality industry pro and some enthusiastic friends joined her. The only absent party member was Coleman Cooney’s partner, Michael Christian, who was back at the home vineyard, Vedat de Caza, fulfilling the crucial (if slightly less glamorous) role of bird abatement duty.

Like many wine producers, Los Pilares works with a network of trusted growers. Their grapes come from a diverse set of vineyards: Highland Hills in Ramona, Hunter & Mazzetti Vineyards on the Rincon Indian Reservation, and their home vineyard 3,000 feet above sea level on the Julian-Santa Ysabel postal border, a cool 25 miles away.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUKE SCHMUECKER

FREY RANCH DISTILLERY

CELEBRATES FARM-TO-GLASS MONTH

This Spring, coinciding with the kick-off to our annual farming season at Frey Ranch, we challenged bartenders in San Diego to create their best Farm-to-Glass Cocktail, using Frey Ranch Whiskey and only the freshest, in-season, local ingredients.

The inspiration behind Eddie’s cocktail was inspired by all the local farms in San Diego. Bridging a gap between Northern California and Southern California by using Veso Strawberry Solstice Aperitif, hence the name “Highway 1”.

Unlike the vast, uniform vineyards of Napa Valley, which can sprawl across 600 acres, San Diego’s wine country is geographically diverse. Here, hobby vineyards reign supreme, with the largest topping out at around 40 acres. Los Pilares’ sourcing strategy takes advantage of the diverse microclimates that make San Diego wine a complex and fascinating region to explore.

Vedat de Caza, the Los Pilares home vineyard, sits in a zone where you’re more likely to find apple orchards and vineyards. “This is a mountain of quartz; it’s one of our best crops,” Coleman told me. “We’re up at 3,600 feet, within 30 miles of the coast, and only a couple miles away from one of the world’s greatest deserts”

With a diverse set of microclimates to work with in San Diego, winemakers have been experimenting with a wide range of grapes. During a tour of Vedat de Caza, Michael Christian noted how far San Diego wine has come: “If you asked me what San Diego wine was 60 years ago, it’s pretty simple—it was sticky muscat.” Knowing they could source grapes like muscat and grenache from lower-elevation vineyards in the county, they headed uphill to experiment.

Coleman pointed to the far side of the vineyard, which was almost indistinguishable from the surrounding environment. “Over there, where the pais [also known as mission grape] is planted, is bobcat land.” Here, in the home vineyard, Coleman is working to figure out which grapes will thrive in this unique microclimate. “Some people obsess over one thing, like it has limestone, but it is always in drought. The whole idea is kind of dumb.” He adds, “If you have to truck in water, your vineyard is probably in the wrong place.”

Water was not a problem for San Diego in 2023. While the rest of the nation was dealing with a very hot year due to El Niño, Southern California experienced a wetter-than-average winter with several strong Pacific storms bringing significant rain to the low country and heavy snowfall to the mountains. This was followed by a cool summer that lacked the major heat spikes we have experienced in previous years. The grape harvest in 2023 ended with a long-awaited soft landing for the grapes.

But the year wasn’t without close calls. San Diego has been experiencing more unpredictable weather, and 2023 was no exception. The threat of Hurricane Hilary could have caused major damage to grape crops. Eastern Pacific tropical cyclones typically weaken as they move north due to cold ocean currents; however, warmer sea temperatures last August brought Hilary close to making landfall in the San Diego area with hurricane

From top down: Coleman Clooney and Richard McClellan discuss harvest strategy at sunrise; natural wine advocate and restaurateur Chelsea Coleman helps harvest grenache at Highland Hills Vineyard; a full bucket of grenache grapes.

DRINK

strength before being downgraded to a tropical storm.

Cooler and wetter summer weather led to a delay in harvest—a logistical nightmare for winemakers. The silver lining is that it allowed grapes to spend more time on the vine ripening. Referred to as “hang time,” this translates to more leisurely sugar development, preserving the acidity that can vanish too quickly under relentless sunshine.

After harvest, I met up with Jody Brix, one of the founders of J. Brix Wines, another San Diego-based winery. When asked what the weather meant for the vintage, Jody quickly responds, “2023 is one of the two top vintages I have seen in the past 15 years. When you taste it, you will understand.” The additional time leads to “increased complexity and more character,” he explains. To put it

100% Estate Grown, Produced and Bottled

100% Estate Grown, Produced and Bottled

“2023 IS ONE OF THE TWO TOP VINTAGES I HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST 15 YEARS. WHEN YOU TASTE IT, YOU WILL UNDERSTAND.”

— JODY BRIX, J. BRIX WINES

simply, good things take time.

Winemaking is full of variables beyond control, weather being a primary example. San Diego was able to thread the needle in 2023, and the result was ideal grapes that put winemakers on track for an amazing vintage of wine. Next step is bottling. When will that happen? It’s different for everyone, but when I pressed Michael on when Los Pilares was going to be bottling, he responds with the same wry sense of humor as Coleman: “We typically bottle after a lot of arguing about if it’s time to bottle.” <

» lospilareswine.com

» jbrix.com

» sandiegowineries.org

» ramonavalleyvineyards.com

RAMONA VALLEY WINES

Zinfandel | Sangiovese | Malbec

SAN DIEGO COUNTY WINES

Cabernet Franc | Dry Rosé

Zinfandel | Sangiovese | Malbec

Cabernet Franc | Albarino

Open for Tasting and Sales

Saturdays & Sundays 11-5

Open for tasting and sales Saturdays & Sundays 11–5

910 Gem Lane, Ramona, CA chuparosavineyards.com

910 Gem Lane, Ramona, CA chuparosavineyards.com

FAMILIES OF FISH

FOR THESE THREE WOMEN, LOCAL SEAFOOD IS IN THEIR DNA

BY LEORAH GAVIDOR

“It’s like a matchmaker for fishermen and chefs,” says Tanner Saraspe of her new networking platform Local Fish, part of Saraspe Seafoods’ latest venture in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

With her lifetime of experience in San Diego waters, third-generation fisher Tanner works to get seafood from boat to chef—a simple-sounding feat that is actually hard to navigate, with a tangled net of regulations and a supply chain that favors wholesalers and exporters.

“Chefs need consistency, and fishing doesn’t provide that,” she says. “Fish move, seasons come and go, weather changes.”

Through Local Fish, fishermen create customized business profiles highlighting what they catch, seasonality, and delivery area. Chefs apply to find matches: species to feature, suppliers of certain fish, even fishermen who rush catch to kitchens for a hyper-local, hyper-fresh dish.

story behind every product in the market.

“It’s a targeted clientele,” Tanner says, “chefs who are able and willing to alter menus for seasonal changes.” Callie’s Travis Swikard is on that list: He hooked up with Janelle Louis and Doug Dirkse, who use deep-set buoy gear to catch swordfish.

Tanner is most passionate about opportunities for younger fishermen to embrace technology to perpetuate their livelihood.

“I’ve spent my life building up relationships with restaurants, bringing live shrimp in buckets with air stones through the back of the kitchen. I want to share my fabulous Rolodex of chefs with these young [fishermen] to help them sell direct while telling their own stories.” With both a new baby boy and a commercial fishing boat, Tanner and her growing family continue the tradition her grandfather began in San Diego in the 1950s.

“Our family alone can’t meet the demand,” Tanner says. “I’m excited to be a resource for this new generation.”

The next generation of San Diego Seafood’s Strangman family is also taking the helm. Since she spearheaded the merge of SD Seafood with Catalina Offshore Products in November 2023, second-generation fishmonger Brittany Strangman has learned the

“This is Stanley Tucci’s favorite pasta, which pairs really well with our fish,” Strangman says. “These trays of uni are from here in San Diego. Sushi is prepared in-house. And this is my favorite,” she points to a three-inch thick glistening red fillet of toro. “It’s Bluefina bluefin tuna.” It’s “ranched” bluefin—meaning collected from the wild, penned in the open ocean, and fed a healthy diet until harvest time.

Brittany worked alongside mom Kathy Strangman, owner of San Diego Seafood, from an early age to gain this lifelong knowledge. “We had to work our way up, no special treatment,” Brittany says. She and her older brother Tanner Strangman took the lead in the family business in 2021. Brittany does the books, logistics, and PR, and she’s a steadfast presence at COP. Tanner Strangman is in sales, works with local fishermen, and “knows everything about every fish.” Their younger brother Dillan works for SD Seafood while attending UCSD.

Brittany loves that chefs and home cooks post on social media showcasing unusual fish and how to prepare various cuts. “It educates our customers on what’s out there, and we start getting questions about different fish,” she says. Plus, it’s the perfect way to communicate what’s fresh off the boats: “We have always done tuna offloads, but now we’re also able to promote bycatch—like opah, monchong, ono—that we can find a market for.”

COURTESY OF TANNER SARASPE

Nothing gets thrown away at COP; fishermen use flotsam for bait, compostable shells go to Stehly Farms for fertilizer, and chefs use fish heads and tails for broth. “We get college kids all the way up to people in their 90s [at the shop] wanting to eat healthier. We make sure everyone has access to affordable and sustainable seafood,” Brittany shares.

Jordyn Kastlunger has dedicated her life to local, sustainable seafood. As the third generation of a San Diego commercial fishing family, Jordyn was on the dock with her dad Martin when Tuna Harbor Dockside Market debuted in 2015. She set to work promoting the new market and stuck with it through Covid-19, saving it from crashing by pioneering online orders and curbside pickup. She still runs that program, along with communications for the market, and she’s happy to report that Tuna Harbor ranks in the top three fresh seafood markets in the state.

Jordyn joined the executive committee of Local Catch Network in 2019, launched Fishin Chicks in her early 20s, and two years ago took a job as fisheries marketing specialist for Rhode Island’s seafood program. Through storytelling, she connects consumers to fishermen in their communities.

“People forget that fishermen are regular people too,” Jordyn says. “When you hear their stories, it gives people an understanding of where their food comes from.”

Jordyn and her team maintain an interactive map of where to buy regionally sourced seafood, and she’s exploring her new Atlantic coast home by going out on boats with fisherfolk who supply local markets and restaurants.

“Try something new that a fisherman recommends,” Jordyn encourages. “A fisherman would not lead you down the wrong path—and you might find something new you like while knowing who you’re supporting.” D

» getlocalfish.com

» catalinaop.com

» thdocksidemarket.com

From top left: Tanner Saraspe and dad Andy showing off California golden spider crabs; Brittany and Kathy Strangman in the retail shop at Catalina Offshore Products; Jordyn Kastlunger and dad Martin after catching a white sea bass.

COURTESY OF JORDYN KASTLUNGER

OLIVIA HAYO

RESTORING WATER WAYS

REINTEGRATING INDIGENOUS FOODWAYS THROUGH CONNECTION TO THE SEA

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLIN H. RICHARD

With origins tracing back to a San Diego-based Young Native Scholars program as early as 2000, the grassroots nonprofit Native Like Water endures as a uniquely positioned organization “curating cultural experiences through an Indigenous lens with a focus on cultural conservation and natural habitats,” says founder Marc Chavez. Supported by a culturally rich staff and advisory board of accomplished and interdisciplinary Indigenous scholars, Chavez continues years of local and global program directorship serving Indigenous youth—and now the general public as well. With different origins and destinations than typical adventure tourism, Native Like Water’s mission-driven journey challenges prevailing paradigms in personal development and team building, ocean recreation, conservation, and holistic wellness.

An emphasis on reconnection to culture shapes and informs Native Like Water’s work. Along with supporting Native American and related populations with scholarships and life advancement resources, the organization maintains a central focus on a sacred relationship to water in alignment with its name. Deeply ingrained throughout Native Like Water’s

programs are “surf and food as medicine” concepts and experiences. By way of ocean-focused recreation and travel, beneficiaries reintegrate lifestyle practices that Western sciences and values have separated them from. Destinations include Panama, Hawai’i, Mexico, and Jamaica, as well as on Mat Kumeyaay (Kumeyaay Land, the hyper-developed coast in particular) in what is now known as San Diego and northern Baja California. Recent and exciting developments have included dialogue and activities with the World Surf League (WSL) and local Kumeyaay leader Dr. Stanley Rodriguez.

REINTEGRATION: TEK AND HOLISTIC WELLBEING

Native Like Water’s approach, emphasizing “biological sciences, native foods, ethnobotany, and coastal traditions,” is interdimensional. Their programming represents forms of experiential education and recreational therapy while also being a form of critical studies challenging typical academic silos that often confine biology, anthropology (which can sometimes misrepresent or exclude the very culture it’s meant to support), oceanography, and other disciplines to Western viewpoints. Instead, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK)

Participants from Kumeyaay Community College and Native Like Water crew a large ha kwaiyo (tule boat) in San Diego Bay.

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is conveyed through hands-on activities and cosmologyoriented storytelling. Engagement is made personal and real in a program setting supported by an array of guest speakers that range from community-based leaders to distinguished academics.

The essential aspects of TEK acknowledge thematic elements and ways of:

• Knowing - How might a creation story explain the biodiversity or geography of an area?

• Doing - How might knowledge of animal life cycles lead to an abundant hunting season?

• Being - Which plants are medicinal and in what ways, empowering healers to support the vitality of their communities?

An important element of TEK is the recognition of each culture’s uniqueness while also a framing of widely applicable traits of Indigenous societies. A key link between people, place, and heritage in the context of TEK in Indigenous and

indeed all studies of traditions is culturally significant foods.

TRADITIONAL FOODS NOURISHING MIND, BODY, SPIRIT, AND COMMUNITY

“Eating with the seasons—how would that affect you?” Chavez asks. Native Like Water goes to great efforts to include the foods of the First Nations and artisanal producers of the immediate locations where their retreats, exchanges, and other offerings are held. Ironically, accounting for the relatively abundant San Diego-area grassroots food system, such sourcing can still present challenges compared to Panama, mainland Mexico, and elsewhere. Native Like Water maintains programming and relationships with community members in

Tule boat making led by Dr. Stanley Rodriguez and NLW partners

these regions who still make their livings and feed their families from farming, fishing, and gathering.

In the case of Native Like Water’s food-as-medicine programs in their partner countries and cultures—samples being Jamaica’s Rastafari Ital and Hawai‘ian Kānaka Maoli mana—food and the landscapes from which they come are host to spiritual power. Preparing and consuming unprocessed, seasonal, heritage foods is an edifying and nutritionally informative experience for the eater and understanding the context in which it is consumed. In the setting of Kumeyaay land and culture, Chavez says shawii, a staple dish made of acorn mush, is critical to seeking basic understanding of the Kumeyaay people, place, and their ancestral land in San Diego County and northern Baja

A STORY OF RESTORATION

Amidst these distressing times are compelling stories of individuals, communities, and social movements. Examples include landback, a restoration

Editor’s Note

Dive deeper into this topic with these resources.

Read Native Like Water (article) VOL. 37/ISSUE 3 • Spring 2024 News from Native CA »newsfromnativecalifornia.com

of Indigenous land tenure through cocreation of ownership and management strategies congruent with principles central to Native Like Water and the lifeways they advocate for. Rosie Clayburn, Native Like Water alum (‘03) and Yurok Tribe cultural resources department director and tribal heritage preservation officer, was elected in 2022 to the Board of Directors of Parks California. Clayburn oversaw the development of the first tribally operated visitor center in California State Parks, Chah-pekw O’ Ket’-toh (Stone Lagoon) Visitor Center. Her tenure has seen additional momentous initiatives, including steps to remove Klamath River dam for the sake of its culturally critical and long-impacted salmon fishery. “[The dam removal] brings about a change to restore our river, to bring balance back into our world, and to bring health to our people,” says Clayburn.

DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE

Looking at past and present, Native Like Water’s programs persist today as they have for years, carrying tradition and community forward while stewarding big dreams for the future with a spirit of intercultural exchange founded on long-term and long-distance vision. Time and space are seen differently through Native Like Water’s ancient-future perspective, framing seasonal and cultural change as their outlook with allegories like whale migration and the spread of Polynesian cultures through tens of millions of square miles of Pacific Ocean. With this in mind, what is one of the biggest dreams of Native Like Water?

Beyond the new horizon of opening a portion of their programs to all adult participants, Native Like Water is eager to expand their relationship with the ocean as their classroom, and its devoted stewards as their teachers. With longstanding relationships with the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) and masterful program crew members, Native Like Water

From top: Native Like Water ha kwaiyo (Kumeyaay tule boat) event at Mat Kulaaxuuy with Kumeyaay Community College; Hōkūle‘a passes by Mat hasil ewik kakap (the Coronado Islands) on a 2023 visit to Mat Kumeyaay

continues to impart ocean and leadership skills to youth participants. Their work goes toward building and using a Polynesian sailing canoe in the spirit of the Hōkūle‘a for journeys both local and afar. The Hōkūle‘a, completed in 1976 as a means of cultural revitalization for Kānaka Maoli (native persons), has since gone far beyond its original mission of relinking Hawai‘i and Tahiti using traditional navigation only. The canoe and sister vessels have continued their journeys around the globe, sailing over 150,000 miles and around the world multiple times while hosting esteemed crew members and guests from Indigenous nations and the United Nations, including secretary general Ban Ki-moon, who visited in 2016. Having served as icons for the restoration of Indigenous sovereignty, Hokule’a and its PVS fleet are approaching a 50th anniversary milestone. Their use of TEK celestial navigation to guide passages has proven valid in the realm of modern science. Hōkūle‘a most recently visited San Diego in November 2023 and was met with a warm reception from both the local Polynesian and Kumeyaay communities.

The weaving together of deep immersion in place, communal travel, authentic leadership, and teaching is ubiquitous among Indigenous cultures and markers of Native Like Water’s philosophy and programs. So too is the value of the Earth and its landscapes and biodiversity not solely as resources, but as relatives and kin. “Always have solid mentors…solid beacons of light. The Hōkūle‘a, in its name, has that,” says Chavez.

To care for those relatives, and their archetypal expressions at a planetary scale, is thusly relatable to this story:

In Kānaka Maoli culture’s Mālama Honua: to care for our Island Earth

In Kumeyaay culture’s Emuht Mohay: to care for the Earth

These ancient traditions and their practices, as relevant today as ever, precede and transcend the modern environmental movement that’s barely a century old. Native Like Water, their community of organizations and leaders, and network of place-based programs present opportunities to relearn how we gather, how we recreate, and how we eat. In our disintegrated present, few such valuable opportunities for this kind of restoration are at hand. D » nativelikewater.org/san-diego-so-california

Making traditional and regional foods like grilled fish is a restorative practice of both native foodways and food as medicine. Image courtesy of Native Like Water.

Deiftcftou§ Su

Edible San Diego's picks for local and healthy fun in the sun

By Liz Murphy

On the JFairrn

Wild Willow Farm - San Diego wi ldwil lowfarm.org

Summer classes on the farm (see website for dates)

Farm tours, jamming and canning, summer farm school, eco printing & plant dye

Sand N' Straw Community Farm - Vista sandnstraw.com

Farm tours, feed animals, gardening workshops, and farm stand Wednesday and Saturday

Coastal Roots Farm - Encinitas coasta I rootsfarm.org

Events and farm tours (see website for dates) Farm stand Sunday and Thursday

Oasis Camel Dairy - Ramona cameldairy.com

Farm tours select Saturdays

Camel "meet-and-treat"+ camel milk products

Twin Creek Farm - Fallbrook twincreeksfarmca.com

Goat pilates, farm tour, and animal walk (see website for dates)

Olivenhain Farms - Encinitas olivenhainfarms.com

Playtime at the Ranch - Mondays and Wednesdays 9:30am - 11 am

Farm Kid Fridays -1 :30pm - 4:30pm

Morning Song Farm - Fallbrook morningsongfarm.com

Stay on the farm, classes+ workshops, and farm store

Mellano Farm Stand - Oceanside mellanofarmstand.com

Farm stand Th ursday - Sunday

Fort Cross Farm Adventures - Santa Ysabel fortcross.com/farmto uradve nture

Golden Door Country Store - San Marcos countrystore.goldendoor.com

Community events (see website for details) Farm store Tuesday-Sunday

Carlsbad Flower Fields - Carlsbad theflowerfields.com

Tours and activities

San Diego Botanic Gardens - Encinitas sdbg.org

Tours, classes and activities

The Water Conservation Garden - El Cajon thegarden.org Garden tours

Wine Tasting

Winery Train Tour

sandiegobeerwinespiritstours.com/tours/winery-train "Experience the beauty of San Diego by train while enjoying the best wine that the area has to offer"

Bernardo Winery - Rancho Bernardo bernardowinery.com

Southern California's oldest winery

Summer concert series - July and August

Hungry Hawk Vineyards and Winery - Escondido hungryhawkvineyards.com Vineyard tours

Beach House Winery - Oceanside beachhousewinery.com

Tastings by appointment complete with ocean views

U-Pick JFiruit JFairrns

Carlsbad Strawberry Company carlsbadstrawberrycompany.com/strawberry Open daily February - July

Julian Farm and Orchard julianfarmandorchard.com/ Open Friday-Sunday

Berries: June, July, and August Apples and flowers: September

Cooking

Scratch House SD - San Diego scratchhousevegan.com

Vegan cheese-making classes (see website for details)

Venissimo Cheese - Mission Hills ven1ss1mo.com

Tastings and classes (see website for details)

Fermenters Club www.fermentersclub.com

Sourdough and fermentation classes (see website for details)

Blackmarket Bakery - East Village blackmarketbakery.com/store/events

Pastry and baking classes (see website for details)

Solare Lounge - Liberty Station solarelounge.com/cooking-classes Cooking classes

Beekeeping Classes

Girl Next Door Honey girlnextdoorhoney.com/events

Hive tours and beekeeping classes (see website for dates)

Just 35 minutes to the east of San Diego, quality, award-winning wines are being produced by over 45 boutique wineries, ranging from tiny “labors of love” to larger operations. All of which offer a unique selection of red wines, white wines, and even the occasional sparkling wine.

When it comes to grapes, all the elements matter; soil, rain, heat, frost, hot days and cool nights. The French call it “Terroir of wine,” or “a sense of place.”

When great winemakers have the right grapes growing in the right terroir, the resulting wines can rightfully be called liquid art.

In Ramona, white & red wines love our valley. Albarino, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, Rosé and others thrive here.

Today would be a good day to come and taste our “terroir of wine”.

Ramona Valley Vineyard Association

Find out where honey comes from as Grandpa the Beeman teaches the basics of beekeeping to his young grandson. barefootbooks.com/beeman

Beekeeping

Diseases and pests have killed most of the wild bees, so today, beekeepers take care of the colonies. They act as insect doctors and supply medicine to keep the colony healthy. They check on the queen to see that she is strong and that new bees are developing.

A beekeeper’s hives are the boxes where the colony lives, raises its young, and stores its honey and pollen.

Frames are man-made wooden rectangles that support the honeycomb. The honeycomb is the cluster of wax cells built onto the frames by the bees to hold eggs, larvae, pupae, honey, or pollen.

Beekeepers use a metal container called a smoker, in which they build a smoky fire. When beekeepers inspect the hive, they puff the smoke to calm the bees.

When it’s time to harvest the honey, beekeepers remove the frames from the hives and place the frames inside a large bin called an extractor. It spins the frames, and honey splashes against the walls, collecting at the bottom of the bin. Beekeepers open the extractor’s spigot and fill their jars with the tasty liquid.

extractor frame

Illustrations and text adapted from The Beeman (Barefoot Books), written by Laurie Krebs and illustrated by Valeria Cis

smoker

hive

LET’S EAT!

Grandma’s Apple and Honey Muffins

• 2 cups sifted flour

• 3 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• 1 cup whole wheat or bran cereal flakes

• ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

• ½ cup raisins

• 1 cup grated apple

• 2 eggs

• 2∕3 cup honey

• ½ cup milk

• ¼ cup vegetable oil

Find out where honey comes from as Grandpa the Beeman teaches the basics of beekeeping to his young grandson. barefootbooks.com/beeman

Makes 18 muffins.

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. In a large bowl, sift flour with baking powder, salt, and spices.

3. Add cereal, walnuts, raisins, and apple.

4. In a separate bowl, beat eggs well; add honey, milk, and oil.

5. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture, stirring until combined.

6. Add mixture to a greased muffin pan, filling each cup about 2∕3 full.

7. Bake for 18–20 minutes.

Are you passionate about children’s books that prioritize diversity, encourage critical thinking, and teach kids to protect the planet? Learn more about becoming a Barefoot Books Community Bookseller! Visit barefootbooks.com/cb.

Recipe and illustrations adapted from The Beeman (Barefoot Books), written by Laurie Krebs and illustrated by Valeria Cis

ROOTED IN WATER

How a hydroponic greenhouse on two acres uses 80% less water and produces up to 90,000 heads of lettuce per week

BY RYAN RIZZUTO PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARIA HESSE

Close your eyes and imagine stepping onto a farm where soft soil sinks beneath your feet, distant aromas of manure and fragrant flowers mix in your nose, and a breeze brushes the hairs on your arm. To your surprise, when you open your eyes, you are not on the farm of your imagination, but instead in one with robots and miles of tubing where refracted sunlight from panels of glass above dance shadows on endless rows of bright green lettuces. Welcome to the high-tech world of water-based farming at Go Green Agriculture, an organic hydroponic farm in San Marcos.

This sprawling two-acre greenhouse can grow 25 times more heads of lettuce compared to in-ground plantings on a plot of land the same size. Hydroponic farming is controlledenvironment agriculture, which takes the core elements of plant growth—energy, nutrients, water, and CO2—and removes unnecessary inputs like pesticides and unpredictable environmental variables such as flooding or drought. Employees that work at Go Green Agriculture are part farmer and part scientist, formulating organic water-solvent nutrients to feed plants without the use of soil.

Ramiro Contreras spent the first decade of his career as a process improvement specialist trained in Lean Six Sigma, a method of managing and implementing total quality management systems. Now the plant manager at Go Green Agriculture, he oversees the facility’s production of millions of heads of lettuce each year. “I came from having a manufacturing point of view where most things can be planned, scheduled, or manufactured to a specific demand. Whereas when dealing with a living organism, there are so many other variables within the environment that can shift and affect the outcome of our plants. I had to learn and shift my perspective to better understand the greenhouse rules and environment,” Contreras shares.

Contreras helps manage the system that Pierre Sleiman, Go Green Agriculture’s founder, originally built as a college project with NASA at the University of California, Riverside, to develop ways to grow food in space. Sleiman decided to bring the model to life on Earth in 2009. “I love San Diego. It’s where I was born, and I wanted to do something positive for my community,” Sleiman says.

“Pierre has a passion for providing wholesome food for his community. He wants to provide something that is going to

make someone’s life better,” Contreras says. Inspired by Sleiman’s mission, Contreras uses data to make the Go Green growing system as efficient as possible by maximizing the use of key ingredients for plant growth, most notably water.

About 70% of global water usage goes to agricultural production, largely due to unsustainable and inefficient irrigation practices. Much of the water used to irrigate plants on a farm field is absorbed into the soil rather than directly by the plant. With closed-loop irrigation technology, Go Green and similar hydroponic farms use 80% less water than traditional farming methods by feeding plants an organic, nutrient-rich formula. This formula is then dissolved into a stream of water that constantly circulates to feed the plants all the nutrients necessary for growth.

Go Green’s hydroponic farming system uses Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) channels, tubing that carries reverse osmosis water to each plant in a closed loop, which allows the water to be infinitely filtered and recycled. The water is only changed in the rare instance that a deviation from the nutrient-rich solution is recognized.

This is where data collection and metric-based systems experience comes into play for Contreras. He regularly runs lab tests to identify potential issues: “If we observe an issue with a plant, such as rot or the lettuce heads falling off, we must look at every input to ensure we can make the best possible changes and prevent it in the future. I have to look at when it was seeded, what the

temperature was when it was seeded, what the humidity was when it was seeded, and how much water it got,” he explains. He then documents all those inputs to hypothesize the cause and apply changes that will yield a positive result.

During peak production seasons in late spring and summer, weekly harvests yield up to 90,000 heads of lettuce per week. Comparatively, in late autumn and winter Go Green expects a weekly harvest of between 30,000 and 50,000 heads of lettuce. Sunlight changes the time needed for a plant to reach full maturity, which can range from 37 to 60 days. Some hydroponic farms have adopted LED lights to avoid this fluctuation, a method that Go Green has not chosen to implement.

Although it offers many benefits like reduced land, water, and pesticide use, hydroponic farming is not suitable for all varieties of plants. Go Green has found that its system works best for lettuces with a strong root base and leafy greens like upland cress, butter lettuces, red oak leaf lettuce, green oak leaf romaine, and baby arugula.

Hydroponic-grown greens can be harvested on the day of distribution, which allows Go Green to offer the freshest possible ingredients with the longest shelf life, contributing to lower food waste in restaurants. This allows for ease when piloting new products from the greenhouse as well.

Go Green has forged relationships with big box-stores such as

Costco, Whole Foods, and Safeway in Northern California, plus local chains like Jimbo’s, Frazier Farms, Seaside Market in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, and Cream of the Crop in Oceanside. Local restaurateurs Davin and Jessica Waite have added their greens to The Plot’s menus at all three Southern California locations.

Contreras is especially proud of the company’s efforts to bring local ingredients to schools in the community. Go Green recently partnered with San Marcos, Fallbrook, and San Juan Capistrano school districts to teach students about hydroponic farming by hosting field trips to the facility. “It really gives them a different perspective on healthy food,” Contreras says.

With environmental and economic pressures challenging traditional agriculture, farmers and consumers grapple with making responsible choices to ensure the longevity and health of our local food system. Hydroponic farming offers an adaptation to our evolving planet. Contreras envisions a hybrid model where in-field farms with ample land incorporate hydroponic facilities to allow for year-round harvests and controlled environments while planting root vegetables and hardy plants in the soil.

Go Green Agriculture hopes to become a household name for its hydroponic-grown greens while inspiring and educating local farms to experiment with the methods that have made them successful. D

» gogreenagriculture.com

Creating natural dyes from food waste

words: Madeline Crozier |

photography: Heather Schrock | layout: Caryn Scheving

In food as in nature, color abounds. Natural dyes, made from food scraps that would otherwise go composted or unused, suddenly inspire creative opportunities that reduce food waste. ey can replace synthetic chemical colorings in foods like frostings, icings and ba ers. ey can also dye ber such as yarn or fabric for clothing and pillowcases. And they can add color to DIY projects from paper cra s to homemade paints to Easter eggs.

Creating natural food dyes requires a willingness to experiment with ingredients to see what colors emerge. Here are some common food scraps and the colors they evoke. Visit EdibleIndy.com for a “How To” guide when dyeing at home including safety tips and our favorite books on natural dyes.

LEMONS

Chopped lemon peels produce a so lemonade-yellow color. When using natural dyes to color frostings or icings, add the dye li le by li le to achieve the desired shade. A small amount of avor o en remains from the original food, so taste as you go.

BEETS

Save beet trimmings, peelings and tops to produce a rich, reddish-pink dye. e color produced from beets o en fades over time in fabrics but serves well in short-term uses such as coloring Easter eggs, frostings or ba ers.

ONIONS

Onion skins contain their own tannins, no xative is required to dye fabric (see web story for details). ere’s no need to treat the fabric ahead of time. Yellow onion skins produce a yellow-orange color, while red onion skins produce a pale orange with pink undertones.

AVOCADOS

Instead of tossing out avocado skins and seeds, store them in the freezer. Five or six avocados will create enough dye for smaller projects, but more scraps will encourage deeper color tones. Boiling the avocado skins and seeds draws out colors from warm peach to light pink.

SPINACH

Wilted spinach can span a range of shades from deep green to so celery. Increasing the amount of spinach deepens the color. Natural ingredients from artichokes to herb leaves to grass can create green tones. To develop your own natural green dye, experiment with di erent combinations.

RED CABBAGE

When boiled into dye, red cabbage leaves create a deep purple shade. Dye made from red cabbage leaves is generally di cult to x to fabric, but the xative will help for short-term projects (see web story for details). is dye is ideal for coloring frostings or ba ers.

BLUEBERRIES

If you’ve picked more blueberries than you can eat, they can make a light blue or purplish dye, depending on the concentration of fruit. Experimentation is key.

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