bay area Life Vibrant Health Eco-Living
July + august 2011 FREE
eucalyptusmagazine.com
Summer
Artisan Ice Cream Cancer’s New Outlook Dirty Girl Produce Eating Raw Foods Biodynamic Farming Summer Eco-Fun
July + August 2011 Features 16 Summer Seduction Artisan, organic ice cream By Desiree Hedberg
18 Biodynamic Farming Going beyond organic By Erica Goss
20 Fighting Cancer on All Fronts A broader approach to cancer care
Departments 7 Grown Local Dirty Girl Produce 10 Outdoors Parks After Dark 13 Healthful Eating Raw Foods
In Every Issue 3 Publisher’s Note 28 Tidbits Green Tips 28 Advertisers’ Index
By kate johnson
Cover: Photo by Sharon Foelz/iStockPhoto. This page: Vine Hill Winery photographed by Lane Johnson.
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EUCALYPTUS Michaela Marek Publisher and Founder EDITORIAL Editor Ann Marie Brown Contributing Writers Erica Goss, Marit Hansen, Desiree Hedberg, Kate Johnson, Julie McCoy, Erin Yasuda Soto Copy Editor Erin Yasuda Soto Editorial Intern Rhea Maze DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Designer Greg Silva Photo Editor and Photographer Lane Johnson
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advertising sales Rebecca Campos, Michaela Marek contact 15559 Union Avenue, Suite 215 Los Gatos, CA 95032 phone 408.335.4778, fax 408.877.7303 email info@eucalyptusmagazine.com Web eucalyptusmagazine.com Twitter twitter.com/eucalyptusmag Facebook facebook.com/eucalyptusmagazine Subscription rate $24.00 per year Advertising rates on request Volume 2, Issue 6 Š2011 by Eucalyptus Magazine, ISSN 2160-4541 (print), ISSN 2160-4576 (online). Eucalyptus is a registered trademark in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All rights reserved. Some parts of this magazine may be reproduced with written permission only. We welcome your ideas, articles, and feedback. Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of published materials, Eucalyptus Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. We do not necessarily endorse products and services advertised. Always consult a professional provider for clarification. Eucalyptus is the winner of the 2010 Apex Awards for Publication Excellence for green publications, and the 2010 Gold MarCom Award for green publications.
2 | July + August 2011
lane johnson
publisher’s note
I was fortunate to be able to take care of my late grandmother after she was partially disabled due to multiple strokes. She lived in a nursing home, and I visited her as much as I could. We would go out for strolls, shopping, and occasional meals. What struck me was that when we showed up in a public place with my grandmother in her wheelchair, she became invisible. People around us acted like she did not exist. Store clerks did not acknowledge her, and while ordering dinner, the waitress would not look her in the face. It seemed as if people didn’t think this sick, old woman should be out in the “normal” world, reminding us that the rest of us, too, may be sick and old one day. It is my belief that cancer patients often feel the same way—isolated from society, moving alone from treatment to treatment, separated from the “real” world populated by healthy people. Maybe they are bald with dark circles under their eyes, maybe they have only one breast, maybe there’s a tumor in their brain, but inside, they are still people who want to be part of our society and enjoy life like everyone else. Our story on page 20 describes how major medical providers are taking steps to make it easier for cancer patients to heal and,
just as importantly, to help them feel like they belong. Three cheers to the medical leaders and high fives to the patients who have the courage to take the journey. As always, I am grateful for your comments about Eucalyptus Magazine, and I look forward to connecting with you in person at our dinner event on August 2.
Michaela Marek Publisher and Founder publisher@eucalyptusmagazine.com
EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM | 3
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Juicy strawberries and dry-farmed tomatoes // by julie mccoy
rachael olmstead
Outstanding in their field: Joe Schirmer of Dirty Girl Produce, with wife Miranda and son Charlie.
The color red has been lucky for Joe Schirmer. As the owner of Dirty Girl Produce in Santa Cruz, Schirmer’s most sought-after crops are his ruby-colored strawberries and dry-farmed tomatoes. Dirty Girl produces three varieties of strawberries: Seascape, Aromas, and Albion. While Seascape and Aromas berries are large and robust, the smaller, conical-shaped Albion has a distinct tropical flavor that is coveted by berry aficionados. Schirmer’s strawberries are served at restaurants throughout the Bay Area and Santa Cruz, including Manresa in Los Gatos and Chez Panisse in Berkeley. Another winning red fruit for Dirty Girl Produce is its Early Girl dry-farmed tomatoes, which are grown using only rainwater. Schirmer plants his tomatoes in the spring, so they can benefit from
the moisture remaining in the ground after the rainy season. The plants grow long roots and never need irrigation. Available from only a handful of coastal farms, dry-farmed tomatoes make up 40 percent of sales at Dirty Girl Produce. Schirmer was inspired to grow dry-farmed tomatoes after tasting them at Molino Creek Farm in Davenport. “The hallmark of a dry-farmed tomato is the flavor,” he says. “It sets it apart from other tomatoes.” In the Bay Area’s dry, Mediterranean climate, crops that don’t need irrigation save a farmer significant time and money. Schirmer says that dry-farmed tomatoes “are sustainable in a lot of ways because they use less water and deeper soil.” Dirty Girl’s strawberries are also grown sustainably. Schirmer EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM | 7
grown local
dirty girl produce
Dirty girl produce adheres to a strict practice of crop rotation; he will use a plot of land to grow strawberries only once every six or seven years. In addition to strawberries and tomatoes, Dirty Girl also produces eight different kinds of beans, romaine lettuce, carrots, cauliflower, onions, radishes, cabbage, basil, parsley, and more. The crops are sold at farmers’ markets in Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Felton, Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco. “My goal is to grow the best quality produce I can and get it to people fresh, so they can appreciate it,” Schirmer says. He adds that one of the benefits of farming is that “you get close with the people who really appreciate it.” Dirty Girl’s farm is midway between Santa Cruz’s banana belt, where the weather is relatively hot and dry during the summer, and La Selva Beach, where the coastal influence makes the weather cooler. In March 2011, Schirmer signed a lease to expand the farm’s land size from 24 to 37 acres. “This [additional] 13 acres is going to allow me to be a better steward,” he says. “It’ll help the soil because I’ll be building it. If I have more ground, I’ll be able to improve it faster.” Dirty Girl Produce gets its name from the farm’s original owners, Ali Edwards and Jane Freedman, who operated the business from 1995 to 1999. They were nicknamed “the dirty girls” because they were always out in the field, getting their fingernails and clothes dirty. For more information about Dirty Girl Produce, visit www. dirtygirlproduce.com.
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EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM | 9
outdoors Ed Levin County Park in Milpitas
parks after dark On a clear day from the top of Mt. Hamilton in San Jose’s Joseph D. Grant County Park, you can look across the valley all the way to San Francisco Bay. When the sun goes down, the grasslands and majestic oak trees take on a vastly different look, but few people ever get to see this tranquil, nighttime face of the park. Santa Clara County Parks offers many opportunities to visit local parks after closing time and experience how things change after dark. In the company of a knowledgeable guide or park ranger, you can explore local parks after hours without the daytime crowds. For example, you can learn about solstice rituals around the world and participate in one of your own as you hike through the rolling grasslands and oak woodlands of Ed Levin County Park in Milpitas. If you make it to the top of Monument Peak in the moonlight, you’ll see spectacular views of the valley floor and San Francisco Bay. Or take a slow-paced hike up the steep and rocky trails of Calero County Park to enjoy the breathtaking nighttime views of southern Santa Clara County. Once part of the Rancho San Vincente land grant, Calero Reservoir is nestled in the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, west of U.S. 101 in Morgan Hill. If you’d like to find out what roams the park after dark, and learn how animals rely on their senses to survive in the wild, join park 10 | July + August 2011
// by marit Hansen
staff on sunset and moonlit adventures to explore the adaptations of our nocturnal neighbors. Ranger-led hikes at Lexington Reservoir in Los Gatos or Anderson Lake in Morgan Hill offer spectacular reflections off the water on a moonlit night. Experienced kayakers can also take part in full-moon paddles at Anderson Lake, Stevens Creek Reservoir, and Calero Reservoir. At some county parks, you can even bring your canine companion on an evening adventure on the trails. On guided evening walks at Mount Madonna County Park near Gilroy, you can explore the nightlife of a redwood forest and discover what our domesticated dogs have in common with wild dogs. Overlooking Santa Clara Valley to the east and Monterey Bay to the west, the slopes of Mount Madonna change from redwood forest to oak woodland, dense chaparral, and grassy meadows. At Joseph D. Grant County Park, you can enjoy the sunset while you discover how to have a safe hike with your dog as you learn about the native canines that live in the park, and test your dog’s agility on a special dog course. Right here in our backyard, Santa Clara County’s 47,000-acre system of urban and mountain parks, trails, lakes, streams, and open space is one of the most diverse recreational areas in all of California. To learn more about its many after-dark activities, call 408.355.2200 or check out the online calendar at www.parkhere.org.
lane johnson
Enjoying nature at night
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healthful eating Right: Chef Joni Sare hosts a raw food potluck. Below: Guest Sandi Zeitman puts the finishing touches on a salad.
eating in the raw Raw food diets gain popularity
Top: lane johnson(5); Right: courtesy kevin gianni
// by julie mccoy
While many teenagers live on junk food, Jordan White Springer doesn’t. Out of respect for her health, the environment, and animals, the 16-year-old from Fremont decided a year and a half ago to pursue a raw food diet, and she has been eating mostly raw foods ever since. “When you first start off, it feels weird,” says White Springer, who plans to make a raw food diet a permanent part of her life. “Then after a while, you get used to it. You find your niche.” A raw food diet includes only uncooked food or food that is heated to a temperature of less than 118 degrees. The theory is that when food is cooked at higher heat, it loses important nutrients, so a raw food diet results in greater nutritional intake from food. “It is the most nutrient-dense diet you can possibly have,” says James Hall of Redwood City-based Raw Daddy Foods, a company that sells its raw, vegan dishes, like flaxseed cones stuffed with spicy Thai salad or mushrooms and polenta, at Bay Area farmers’ markets. Bay Area chef Joni Sare describes a raw food diet as primarily plant-based, using the root, stem, stock, leaves, nuts, seeds, or fruit of the plant to build a meal. Kale chips are a popular raw snack food, as is raw chocolate, which is made with raw cacao, coconut butter, and coconut oil. Sare, who holds raw food potlucks at her Cupertino home, says attendance has doubled since she started. “There is more of a willingness to try [raw food] and see what it is,” she says.
White Springer attends Sare’s raw food potlucks. “You feel alone at first,” she says. “Then you go to one of the events and your mind is blown. You meet people with similar interests.” Kevin Gianni, author of the book High Raw: A Simple Approach to Health, Eating, and Saving the Planet, says a raw food diet can be defined in various ways. “The raw food diet means a lot of things to a lot of people, but in my opinion it’s 75 percent or more of your calories from fresh fruits, vegetables, sprouts, seaweed, nuts, and seeds.” Many people choose a raw food diet as a way to detoxify, Gianni says. “The biggest benefit from a raw food diet is giving the body a break. The minimal processing of the raw food diet allows our bodies to naturally do what they were meant to do, which is to easily digest food.” Not surprisingly, many who switch to raw foods lose weight. Hall of Raw Daddy Foods went on a strictly raw food diet for 90 days and lost 60 pounds, he says. But a raw food diet does have its drawbacks. “It takes a lot of discipline,” Hall says. “There’s a social aspect you lose, because you are surrounded by people who aren’t on a raw food diet, or when you go out to eat, it can be challenging to find the raw food options you are looking for.” Gianni believes that the best way to begin a raw food diet is to start out small. “The best advice is to start with one meal a day, for example a smoothie with your favorite fruits and some greens,” he says.
• Raw foods advocate Kevin Gianni will be the featured speaker at Eucalyptus Magazine’s Dinner Event at Stillheart Institute in Woodside on August 2. While guests enjoy a raw food dinner and demonstration by Natural Chef Joni Sare, Gianni will lead a discussion on the merits of a raw food diet. For more details, see ad on page 2. EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM | 13
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www.tashealingcenter.com EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM | 15
summer
seduction
artisan, organic ice cream
by desiree hedberg
Siren call: The Penny Ice Creamery’s chocolate sundae topped with strawberries and toasted marshmallow fluff.
Kendra Baker of The Penny Ice Creamery in Santa Cruz believes that one scoop is never enough.
opposite and above: lane johnson, right: Ryan Gibbons Photography
Neal Gottlieb of Three Twins Organic Ice Cream at his Petaluma ice cream factory.
The cool, creamy sweetness
startles your tongue with sparkles of exotic flavors, then slides smoothly into the faraway corners of your mouth. Your eyelids close half-mast and your head tilts back, while your lips slur the words “ohmygodthisisgood.” People are staring, but who cares? This is no 31 Flavors; it’s frozen euphoria. When the sweet tooth calls out for satiation, ice cream is the one dessert that almost everybody can agree on, although experts say that the majority of ice cream eaters are kids under 12 and adults over 45. In the San Francisco Bay Area, a few ice cream producers are now focusing solely on discriminating buyers by making an all-organic version of the well-loved concoction. In 2010, renowned San Francisco pastry chef Kendra Baker and her friend Zachary Davis, who was finishing his Green MBA program at Dominican University,
decided they wanted to start a business in Santa Cruz. But they wanted to sell something that wasn’t currently available in the area. After doing some research, they found “there was no organic, locally based, really artisan ice cream being done in Santa Cruz. We were both kind of surprised when we realized that,” Davis says. Baker and Davis decided they would keep their product simple by making ice cream from only organic milk, cream, sugar, and eggs. They named their company The Penny Ice Creamery in honor of Carlo Gatti, who brought ice cream to the masses in 19th century London by selling it for a penny. Fresh from his Green MBA program, Davis was “steeped in the idea of business as the engine for transforming our planet and our society for good, rather than businesses taking advantage of people and resources to maximize profits,” he says. To that end, The Penny Ice Creamery’s storefront, located at 913 Cedar Street in Santa Cruz, was remodeled according to eco-friendly Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) principles. The shop uses only 100 percent organic ingredients and 100 percent recycled and bio-compostable paper products, packaging, and take-out containers. All bio-compostable waste, along with eggshells and other organic waste from ice cream production, are given to a local farm. Good business, Davis says, “can actually have a regenerative // continued on page 25 EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM | 17
Cynthia Sandberg
biodynamic farming going beyond organic
by erica Goss
Potrero N uevo Fa r m lies in the bucolic Tunitas Creek Valley of Half Moon Bay, one mile from the Pacific Ocean. The farm produces 50 different types of vegetables on a small section of its 300 acres, which includes an area reserved for wilderness. At first glance, Potrero Nuevo may not look much different from other large agricultural spreads on the San Mateo County coast, but this 4-year-old farm is run by a unique set of 90-year-old principles known as biodynamic farming. Farm manager Seth James emphasizes that biodynamic farming is a “whole-farm system” that focuses on retaining the quality of the soil. A biodynamic farm generates all or most of its fertilizer on site, utilizing compost and manure. The farm always has its own animals for fertilizer production—preferably cows because of their superior manure. Biodynamic farms use nine specific preparations to stimulate microbial activities in the soil and compost. These range from horn manure and silica preparations to ones made from herbs such as yarrow, chamomile, and stinging nettle. “Once we started using the compost preparations, our compost was incredible,” James says. As a result, the // continued on page 26 18 | July + August 2011
photographs: lane johnson (8); bottom: courtesy potrero Nuevo farm (4)
Love Apple Farms
Rachel Ormes
Vine Hill Winery
Potrero Nuevo Farm
Seth James
jeanet te f e da s z a n d d r . g o r d o n r ay
fighting cancer on all fronts A broader approach to cancer care
by k at e joh n s o n photographs by l a n e joh n s o n
In a back corner of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s Radiation Oncology offices, nurse Jeanette Fedasz has created an oasis of tranquility. Opening a heavy wooden door and stepping around an Asian paper screen, she reveals a space that looks more like a meditation studio than a treatment room. A massage table lined with cream-colored sheets dominates the scene. Soothing music mingles with the murmur of a small fountain, and soft lighting illuminates framed nature photographs on the walls. Embroidered throw pillows, nestled against the arms of two cushioned chairs, a tiny bamboo plant, and a colorful glass vase complete the picture. 20 | July + August 2011
“I tried to make it as non-clinical as possible,” says Fedasz, who set up this room in 2009, when she began offering an energy therapy known as Healing Touch as a service to the Foundation’s cancer patients. In Healing Touch therapy, practitioners use their hands for light or near-body touch to balance the energy of their patients. This extremely gentle “massage” helps patients to cope with their experiences in the other rooms of this building, which might include a frightening diagnosis, an invasive surgery, and the fatigue brought on by corrosive chemotherapy drugs. Fedasz has believed in the power of energy work since her first Healing Touch training session. “It’s been really wonderful and rewarding,” she says. “It’s a profound exchange that I have with patients.” Fedasz is one of a growing number of Bay
Area medical professionals who are responding to patient demand for a new approach to treating cancer. Emerging scientific research suggests that patients who supplement traditional treatment with alternative practices, including energy therapy, massage, exercise, and social and psychological support, may experience better treatment outcomes and lower rates of cancer recurrence. Fedasz and her colleagues say that the benefits go beyond treating the disease. Alternative therapies also enhance self-esteem and connect patients to support networks, helping them to maintain a positive outlook and a high quality of life through diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Dr. Lawrence Kushi, Associate Director of Research for Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California division, says there is growing evidence that exercise and nutrition can affect cancer survival rates. In 2004, Kushi and his colleagues launched a long-term study to evaluate the impact of diet, exercise, and alternative therapies on breast cancer patients. Although the study’s final results are still pending, the researchers have garnered enough evidence to support one important conclusion: cancer patients are enthusiastic about alternative medicine. A preliminary paper published by Kushi and his collaborators in 2009 reported that over 86 percent of the study participants had used some type of non-traditional treatment, such as herbal supplements or mind-body healing, in the months following their diagnosis. With patients showing this degree of interest, mainstream health care providers have begun to acknowledge alternative medicine as a powerful complement to traditional practice. Dr. Gordon Ray, Department Chair of Radiation Therapy at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, encouraged Fedasz to pursue Healing Touch training after he learned about the therapy from a patient. When she began her training in 2007, Fedasz recalls, the Foundation “wasn’t quite ready for it.” But since Fedasz began practicing Healing Touch in the oncology department two years ago, her colleagues have grown more enthusiastic. “Jeanette was a leader in this, but now it’s become much more a part of the program,” Ray says. “It surprised me the degree to which it’s really been embraced.” The Foundation now offers several alternative treatment options free of charge to cancer patients, ranging from Healing Touch to art classes, exercise programs, nutrition guidance, and group counseling. For Ray and others, the strongest argument for embracing alternative treatments is one of
d r . dav i d s p i e g e l
m ic h e l l e d u g uay EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM | 21
patient quality of life. Ray says that group classes, personalized therapy, and activities that facilitate mental and physical relaxation can all help counter the feelings of isolation and victimization that frequently accompany a cancer diagnosis. Holistic alternative care puts patients in control, he says. Dr. David Spiegel, Director of Stanford’s Center for Integrated Medicine, agrees. “It’s a part of health care where the patient is more in the driver’s seat,” says Spiegel, a Harvard-educated psychiatrist who leads a staff that uses meditation, hypnosis, massage, and acupuncture to help patients manage pain and anxiety. Physical exercise can also foster a sense of control and self-confidence. Physical activity is increasingly regarded as an effective tool in cancer treatment and recovery and may even have a measurable effect on cure rates. Doctors who
stanford’s living strong , living we l l p ro g r a m once advocated bed rest for cancer patients now encourage them to participate in yoga and exercise classes designed to address cancer-related problems. Spiegel says, “There’s more and more evidence that exercise during cancer treatment, as well as after it, is a very helpful component.” Joyce Hanna, Director of Stanford’s Living Strong, Living Well exercise program for cancer patients, says that she has seen a discernible shift in the medical consensus regarding exercise over the past decade. “When we started our program, we had support, but everyone wasn’t really convinced at that point,” she recalls. Now, however, doctors often encourage patients to enroll in Living Strong, Living Well classes. According to Hanna, exercise helps patients to maintain both physical and mental strength during cancer treatment and recovery. The 12-week Living Strong, Living Well program, which is offered three times each year at 10 Bay 22 | July + August 2011
Area YMCAs, focuses on rebuilding muscle mass and sustaining balance in patients undergoing chemotherapy. But Hanna, like Ray, emphasizes the program’s valuable impact on confidence and quality of life. “A lot of people talk about how it gives them a sense of control after feeling totally out of control,” Hanna says. Her favorite testimonial came from a patient who, upon entering the YMCA, said that he felt “normal again” for the first time since his diagnosis. “He just felt like he was going back into the community,” she says. “[That’s] a first step in becoming healthy.” Through Living Strong, Living Well, patients also often form an impromptu support group. Hanna says this appeals to individuals who might not attend traditional group counseling. “We don’t sit around and talk, because we’re exercising,” Hanna says, “but it obviously can be a supportive group.” That opportunity to share experiences with other patients may have very tangible benefits. According to Spiegel, some studies show that cancer patients randomized into group therapy live longer than control patients, and similar research has also demonstrated the effectiveness of group therapy in reducing cancer patients’ anxiety and controlling their pain. Michelle Duguay, a certified yoga practitioner who teaches classes for cancer patients through the Stanford Cancer Supportive Care Program, also feels that group interaction is a key benefit of her program. “There’s definitely a camaraderie, a community, a support system,” she says. “That’s what really is drawing people there.” Like Hanna, Duguay tailors her approach to help cancer patients manage the physical and emotional effects of treatment. Focusing on breathing, guided imagery, and mental relaxation, she says, gives patients a toolbox of coping techniques that they can draw on when they go in for a round of chemotherapy or an invasive surgery. Because of the skills they’ve learned, “they know how to deal with their stress,” Duguay says. “They know how to deal with their pain.” Duguay says that the supportive community and the skills she teaches inspire many of her patients to continue attending yoga classes long after their cancer enters remission. “This class is what they do to take time for themselves and relax,” she says. Fedasz, who faced a breast cancer diagnosis herself last fall, has personal experience with the ways that the disease can reshape habits and priorities. “It’s really a time for you to reevaluate how you’re living your life,” she says. “And how you should change your life.” Fedasz agrees that alternative therapy not only provides invaluable support during diagnosis and treatment, but can also help patients live better lives after cancer. She recalls a young woman who enrolled in one of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s painting classes for cancer patients. “She kept saying, ‘I haven’t painted in years, I haven’t painted since high school,’ ” Fedasz says. “[By having] these options during this time of reevaluation, people can really tap into what they need to do to lead a more positive life... I think it’s really wonderful.”
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ice cream continued from page 17 effect.” When his company buys from local, organic farmers and dairy producers, it helps those businesses thrive, he says. In turn, those organic farmers help The Penny Ice Creamery succeed by creating the ingredients necessary to make their specialty products. Davis believes the more that businesses become interdependent on one another for local and organic goods, the more organic food becomes available and affordable. Baker says that going back to basics is what makes their business successful. “It’s just the basic raw ingredients—cream, milk, eggs, and sugar—all of which are certified organic. And the flavors are not purchased in a bottle, they’re the real deal. We get fresh mint from the farm or foraged, we get fresh strawberries. There are no purees, no concentrates,” she says. Customers at The Penny Ice Creamery’s shop can indulge in unusual flavors such as Chamomile Sorbet, Bourbon Bacon Chocolate, Kumquat Pistachio, and Strawberry Pink Peppercorn, but repeat customers notice that their favorite flavors come and go. “There’s no rhyme or reason. The season dictates the flavors,” Baker says. The Penny Ice Creamery caters to those with special dietary needs with at least two vegan or dairy-free options. They also make their own cones from scratch, using “leftover” ingredients. “I developed this cone recipe to help us utilize our egg whites,” Baker says. “We use the yolks in the ice cream, and then we have quite a lot of egg whites left over… The two go hand in hand. You’re getting all of your egg needs for the day.” North of the Golden Gate, Three Twins Organic Ice Cream also lives by the motto of bettering the planet through organic ice cream. In 2005, owner Neal Gottlieb had a single ice cream scoop shop in San Rafael. Today, Three Twins has a large Petaluma production plant as well as Gottlieb’s three scoop shops in Napa, San Francisco, and the original San Rafael location. The company’s name came from the days when Gottlieb, his twin brother, and his brother’s fiancé, who was also a twin, all shared a household; thus, three twins living together. Three Twins manufactures all its ice cream at its 4,200-square-foot Petaluma facility, which Gottlieb says is the largest
dedicated organic ice cream factory in the United States. Three Twins uses only organic ingredients, which come from local dairies and farmers. The sustainable practice of recycling is a key strategy in Gottlieb’s business plan; the organic cream used in Three Twins ice cream is a byproduct of another local business, Wallaby Organic Yogurt of American Canyon. “At Wallaby Yogurt, they’re making all low-fat and non-fat yogurt, so they end up with a lot of milk fat that they have to sell. We buy it from them. It comes from a series of six or seven local, organic farms,” Gottlieb says. Like The Penny Ice Creamery, Three Twins uses only compostable serving dishes, spoons, and napkins, and composts all of its organic waste. The company also purchases renewable energy certificates to offset its emissions from using electricity. And as a member of 1% for the Planet, Three Twins donates at least 1 percent of its sales to earth-related nonprofit organizations. In addition to the timeless standards of vanilla and chocolate, Three Twins creates signature ice cream flavors like Strawberry Je Ne Sais Quoi (touched with a splash of balsamic vinegar), and Lemon Cookies (with vanilla sandwich cookies crushed into the ice cream). Customers who can’t get to one of Gottlieb’s North Bay ice cream shops can buy take-home containers at Whole Foods Markets and the Berkeley Farmers’ Market. Both Three Twins and The Penny Ice Creamery make their own ice cream bases from scratch. Neither of the companies adds stabilizers, a type of natural “gum” that most ice cream manufacturers use to keep ice crystals from forming. According to Gottlieb, stabilizers have a bad effect on texture, destroying “that old-fashioned creaminess.” He says, “If you’re making nice, dense ice cream, and if you’re careful how you fix it, you don’t need stabilizers.” Besides outstanding flavor, what all this means to the consumer is that organic ice cream is best eaten soon after it’s made. But if you’re picking up a carton of Three Twins or stopping by The Penny Ice Creamery, that isn’t likely to be a problem. Three Twins: 707.763.8946 or www. threetwinsicecream.com The Penny Ice Creamery: 831.204.2523 or www.thepennyicecream ery.com
Kendra Baker and Zachary Davis in front of their LEED-remodeled scoop shop on Cedar Street in Santa Cruz.
Customers can ogle the day’s flavors in the glass case at The Penny Ice Creamery.
Three Twins Organic Ice Cream is available in takehome cartons at Whole Foods Markets. EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM | 25
biodynamics continued from page 18 produce at Potrero Nuevo increased in quality. “Our customers tell us we have the best strawberries, by far.” The biodynamic farmer always saves seeds from crops grown on the farm in order to cultivate the varieties that grow best on that particular site. The farm operates under the guidance of a planting calendar, which includes specific details about which days are best for planting which crops. “Biodynamics focuses on what’s positive,” James says. “It works with the rhythms of nature. It helps farmers get the most with the least effort.” The principles of biodynamic farming were popularized in the 1920s by German philosopher and scientist Rudolf Steiner, best known as the founder of the Waldorf teaching philosophy. Steiner authored the book The Agriculture Course: The Birth of the Biodynamic Method in response to declining soil fertility throughout much of Europe. In the 1930s, Steiner’s assistant, Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, brought biodynamic practices to the United States. Today, a governing body, Demeter International, certifies biodynamic farms in 43 countries. Organic farming and biodynamic farming share many principles, such as using no chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. But biodynamic farming is not just concerned with the physical aspects of the farm. Landscaper and horticulturist Delmar McComb, garden curator at Saratoga’s Montalvo Art Center who is in charge of the
estate’s 175 acres, says, “Biodynamics utilizes ancient wisdom, such as planetary phases. It’s an ongoing path to learning.” Planting by the moon and using the zodiac and the correlation between the planets, stars, moon, and earth, McComb says, is basic knowledge that farmers have used for eons. Farmer’s almanacs contain similar information. “There is a hidden world, a spiritual realm, that exists in nature… Biodynamic practices affect everything: soil, water, air, and plants. They enrich the atmosphere around the plants, as well as the plants,” says McComb. “If some of this sounds bizarre or unbelievable, ask yourself how rational it is to dump poisons on our food.” McComb adds that unlike with organic farming or traditional farming, with biodynamics “it can be hard to measure the results. We are used to the ‘weigh, count, and measure’ method. In biodynamics, it’s more like ‘levity, quality, and timing.’ ” Cynthia Sandberg of Love Apple Farms in Santa Cruz says she can see and taste the results of biodynamic farming on her farm. “As far as I’m concerned, the evidence that biodynamics works is in the quality of what we grow here. Our produce tastes better and has improved nutritional value. This makes the people who eat it healthier, too.” On the site of a former vineyard once owned by the Smothers Brothers, Sandberg uses biodynamic practices to grow a variety of vegetables, including more than 100 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, with names like Amazon Chocolate and Nebraska Wedding. Her farm is the kitchen garden for
Manresa restaurant in Los Gatos. Sandberg admits that it can be hard to keep up with the demands of biodynamic farming, and that it’s “an evolving process. Sometimes the calendar says we should plant carrots, but we’ve run out of time. So we do it the next day.” The organic-certified Vine Hill Winery in Santa Cruz also utilizes biodynamic farming practices. Vineyard manager Rachel Ormes says, “Biodynamics is not meant to be taken as dogma. It is adaptable and flexible.” According to the rules of biodynamics, compost preparations are supposed to be stirred by hand for an hour. To save time, Ormes uses an elaborate water contraption that mimics the swirling, back-and-forth action of hand mixing “and gets the job done much faster.” Ormes enjoys the ritualized aspect of biodynamic farming. “I love using the calendar and making the preparations. It helps me understand the rhythms of the earth and growing things,” she says. Although Vine Hill lacks manure-producing animals, Ormes grows cover crops of barley, oats, peas, and insect-attracting flowers between the rows of grapevines. On alternate years, this lush carpet is turned under to fertilize the soil and prevent erosion, which is an ongoing concern at Vine Hill due to its steep, hillside location. “Agriculture is exploitative,” Ormes says. “A farmer always needs to give back.” For more information on biodynamic farming and the farmers featured in this article, visit www.eucalyptusmagazine.com/ biodynamic.
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˙
Summer Eco-fun
Sources: www.epa.gov, consumerenergycenter.org, www.begreeninfo.com, thedailygreen.com, organicauthority.com, greenlivingonline.com, majorenergyservices.com
tidbits
Green Tips
It’s summertime and the living is easy, according to George Gershwin’s famous song. There’s no reason it can’t be eco-friendly, too. These Green Tips will help you enjoy summer while downsizing your carbon footprint. BY Erin yasuda soto
fill ‘er up
green grilling
bug off
Steer clear of bug sprays that contain DEET, which is harmful to the environment. Try natural alternatives instead, such as sprays containing evergreen, lemongrass, or eucalyptus.
When it’s barbecue time, use a propane or electric grill instead of charcoal or wood, which pollute the air. To stay out of the kitchen altogether, consider purchasing an outdoor solar stove or oven.
sunscreen
Take special precautions while refueling your car on hot days, when harmful gasoline vapors are at their highest. High ozone days are the worst days to fill up. If you must, go to the gas station in the early morning or after dark.
summer pass
Slathering on sunscreen is key for skin care, but avoid using sunscreens that contain chemicals such as oxybenzone. A natural, mineral-based sunscreen is better for your skin and the environment.
safety
When planning a picnic at the park or beach, use reusable dinnerware, cups, and cloth napkins. If you must use disposables, then buy only compostable dinnerware and be sure to compost it.
pitch the
plastic
pool pointer
Avoid running your pool filter longer than necessary. Run it for only four to five hours at off-peak times. You’ll reduce your annual electricity consumption by 40 to 50 percent.
Boating on a lake is one of summer’s great pleasures, but to limit water pollution, fill your motor’s tank slowly so you don’t spill gasoline. Also, reduce the amount of time that you spend idling.
boat smart
Got kids? Get them a Youth Summer Blast pass from the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). Kids 17 and under get unlimited rides on VTA buses and trains until September 1 for just $75. It’s a perfect way for kids to get to summer jobs, the movies, and the mall, without burning gas or borrowing your car.
Listen to Eucalyptus Magazine’s daily green tips on the radio at MIX 106.5 and 94.5 KBAY.
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