THE LAND and its people by Weeklys

JUNE 2015

Serving Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito and San Luis Obispo Counties

Paso Robles responds to water conservation mandate

Elkhorn Slough gets financial boost

$2.9 million grant will help with greenhouse gas reduction studies

By BETH BOLYARD Of the Land

PASO ROBLES — The Paso Robles City Council outlined the city’s response to Gov. Jerry Brown’s water restriction mandate at their regular meeting Tuesday, May 5. Brown issued the water restriction mandate to cities across the state in early April because the state entered into a fourth year of severe drought. Cities are required to decrease water use by a certain percentage depending on each city’s per person per day water use and have until June 1 to comply with the mandate. The City of Paso Robles is required to reduce water usage rates by a 28 percent total and the compliance period to meet the Governor’s mandate is between June 1 and Feb. 1. Since 2013, Paso Robles has reduced water use by 11 percent, a savings of 194 million gallons of water, but still needs to reduce water use by 19 percent to achieve the mandated 28 percent reduction. The City Council adopted an urgency ordinance effectively immediately that would add additional mandatory watering restrictions to the municipal code including moving from three-day watering allowance to a two-day allowance, ceasing irrigation of turf within 48 hours of rainfall and eliminating city-managed irrigation of ornamental turf. The Council also adopted a resolution to establish residential use water allowances for customers with landscape water meters and directed the city to take additional measures for city-managed irrigation systems including ceasing irrigation of street medians and watering ornamental Please turn to Page 4

By TODD GUILD Of the Land

Grand Champion Market Beef was awarded to Madison Andrade from Ausaymus 4-H with the buyer. Photo by Samantha Bengtson/The Land

Junior Livestock Auction brings in $1.86 million at Fair

By SAMANTHA BENGTSON Of the Land

KING CITY — Another Salinas Valley Fair is a wrap for the history books with more than 970 exhibitors auctioning off their hogs, sheep, steer, goats and chickens during the May 16 Junior Livestock Auction. After two days of showing off their animals to be judged for their quality and overall look, 4-H and FFA members cleaned their animals and prepared them to be auctioned off. The 4-H and FFA animals and projects at the Fair represented many months of hard work for 4-H and FFA members and gave them memories to never forget. At 8 a.m. the first livestock hog, showed by Lesly Rodriguez, of King City High School FFA entered the ring

and within minutes the Jr. Livestock Auction was under way. Marking the halfway point was Rachel Hart, also from King City High School FFA, who is this year’s Heritage Scholarship winner. Hart raised a lamb named Laine, who weighed in at 112 pounds. The auctioneer started the bidding and the final bid came in at $690 per pound for Laine. Laine marks the fifth lamb that Hart has shown in the past three years. “I would like to thank the fair and the Heritage Foundation for not only giving me the opportunity to show the Heritage animal but also for everything that they’ve done for FFA members and the 4-Hers,” Hart said. Hart came to King City in eighth Please turn to Page 3

Annual Day on the Farm attracts hundreds By ERIK CHALHOUB Of the Land

Bill Horgos demonstrates wood carving during Day on the Farm at the Agricultural History Project. Photo by Erik Chalhoub/The Land

WATSONVILLE — From ice cream making, to hay rides and tractor driving, the Agricultural History Project’s annual Day on the Farm May 9 gave families a glimpse of the daily life their predecessors experienced. Attendees had the opportunity to see how vintage equipment, such as a 1920 hay mower, were used to cut hay for animals on the farm. Fred Silva’s Draft Horses gave hay rides, and children even had the chance to drive a tractor. And of course, it wouldn’t be a farm without animals: Sheep

shearing demonstrations took part throughout the day and 4-H members held their annual 4-H Fair. Teresa Decker of Santa Cruz visited Day on the Farm for the first time with family, noting that it was valuable for youth to experience first-hand where their food comes from, as well as being exposed to old-world craftsmanship. “This is wonderful,” she said. “A lot of this stuff you don’t see as often as you should.” Woodworker Bill Horgos of Aptos was demonstrating the art of carving wood. A regular at the Please turn to Page 2

ELKHORN — A comprehensive study of a local wetlands system got a giant boost in late April after the Elkhorn Slough Foundation received a sizable state grant. The $2.9 million grant from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will help researchers from the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve study how restoring salt marsh ecosystems — which capture carbon dioxide — could help temper global warming by removing more of the greenhouse gas from the air, said Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Kerstin Wasson.

Snowy egrets work the waters of Elkhorn Road for a meal. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

The 11-year-old Tidal Marsh Restoration Project is one of 12 projects statewide that will receive funding to restore wetlands that sequester greenhouse gases and provide a wealth of other environmental benefits. Under the project, researchers will restore approximately 66 acres, with aims to eventually restore 135 acres. “This funding is really testing a hypothesis that wetland restoration can mitigate the effects of greenhouse gasses and reduce global warming,” Wasson said. While the trees and plants in forests also remove carbon dioxide from the air, studies of how salt marshes do it is a relatively new field, she said. Considered a keystone ecosystem, the slough and its salt marshes have Please turn to Page 3

Inside ... FFA degrees

Strawberry Scholarships

Pinnacles

Horse park

Beautification Week

2 The Land - June 2015

FFA members receive Golden State FFA Degrees By ROXY OZUNA For the Land

KING CITY — More than 12,000 FFA members, advisors, school administrators, and parents from San Jose to Los Angeles converged in the Clark Center at the Arroyo Grande High School campus for their Golden State FFA Degree and Proficiency Award Ceremonies. The FFA is a national organization for young men and women enrolled in high school agricultural education courses throughout the United States with a California FFA membership of over 75,000 strong. The purpose of Agricultural Education in secondary schools is to prepare and support individuals for careers, build awareness, and develop leadership for the food, and natural resource systems. Regional President, Joelle Lewis of the San Luis Obispo FFA, called the auditorium to order and recognized students and advisors for their excellence. The Golden State FFA Degree was bestowed on

King City High School FFA members received their Golden State FFA Degrees. Photo by Roxy Ozuna/The Land

Day on the Farm PUBLISHER John Bartlett publisher@register-pajaronian.com

EDITOR Erik Chalhoub editor@register-pajaronian.com

EDITORIAL STAFF Tarmo Hannula, Todd Guild, Luke Phillips, Allyson Oken, Samantha Bengtson and Hayley Thomas

ADVERTISING Tina Chavez tinac@register-pajaronian.com Adriana Novack anovack@register-pajaronian.com Allison Stenberg astenberg@register-pajaronian.com Sheryl Bailey sheryl@southcountynewspapers.com Jon Allred jon@southcountynewspapers.com

event for a number of years, Horgos said he enjoys watching children light up at watching his work, who are also especially fond of the wood chips left behind. “I enjoy it because it’s fun,” he said. “It’s nice to see little kids get turned on.” While the event focused on the past, it also looked into the future and how evolving technology is contributing to the farm industry today. Stephen Rider created parts on a 3D printer that will be used by his family’s fruit juice and tea business, H.A. Rider and Sons. In addition, Farmbotix displayed its robotic planting equipment in the field. The Agricultural History Project is currently seeking input from the public on if it should add a living history farm to its lineup. The next workshop will be June 6 from 10-11:30 a.m. at Calvary Episcopal Church, 532 Center St. in Santa Cruz.  To attend, register at www.aghistoryproject.org or call 724-5898.

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The petting zoo was a popular attraction with children. Photo by Erik Chalhoub/The Land

ART AND DESIGN Mike Lyon

The Land is published monthly. All rights reserved, material may not be reprinted without written consent from the publisher. The Land made every effort to maintain the accuracy of information presented in this publication, but assumes no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions. The Land is a division of the Register-Pajaronian and South County Newspapers.

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310 FFA members by the California State FFA officers in attendance. The State FFA Degree is the highest degree a member can receive by the State Association. In order to qualify, a member must have earned and productively invested at least $1,000 and worked 500 hours in excess of scheduled class time and have a record of outstanding leadership abilities and community involvement. Proficiency Awards were also presented to those students with excellent work experience or ownership projects based on an application and their student record books. “We often think of agriculture as cows and plows, or seeds and weeds, but agriculture is diversified and it is an honor to recognize students in areas other than the traditional agriculture ones,” said Josh Mendez, Regional treasurer from Santa Maria FFA. A few of these other areas include Agriculture Communications, Food Science and Technology, and Viticulture Production.

Clydesdale horses haul a load of visitors around the fairgrounds. Photo by Erik Chalhoub/The Land

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Gov. Brown appoints three from North County to state fair board Submitted article SACRAMENTO — Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointments. Greer Fuller Woodruff, 30, of Templeton, has been appointed to the 16th District Agricultural Association, California MidState Fair Board of Directors. Woodruff has been owner and operator of Scout Rental Co. since 2014. She was a tasting room and special events manager at Silver Horse Winery from 2010 to 2014 and at Pomar Junction Vineyard and Winery from 2008 to 2010. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is

Auction

no compensation. Woodruff is registered without party preference. Robert Lilley, 64, of Atascadero, has been reappointed to the 16th District Agricultural Association, Mid-State Fair Board of Directors, where he has served since 2012. Lilley was a consultant for the California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association from 2013 to 2014 and served in several positions at the San Luis Obispo County Department of Agriculture from 1977 to 2010, including agricultural commissioner and sealer of weights and measures. Lilley was coowner at Lilac Rain Landscaping from 1975 to 1977. He is a member of the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County,

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences’ Center for Sustainability Advisory Board, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Alumni Association and the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation Alumni Association. Lilley earned a Master of Science degree in agricultural science from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Lilley is a Democrat. Robert Boneso, 53, of Paso Robles, has been reappointed to the 16th District Agricultural Association, Mid-State Fair

Board of Directors, where he has served since 2012. Boneso has been vice president at Boneso Brothers Construction since 1999. He held several positions at R.P. Richards Inc. from 1985 to 1999, including superintendent and project manager. Boneso is a member of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 403 and the Mid-State Fair Heritage Foundation. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Boneso is a Democrat.

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grade after growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles. It was an adjustment for Hart, but she was able to find her place by joining FFA and other clubs at KCHS. Hart is a senior this year which means that next year she is off to college. Hart plans to attend a junior college and then Washington State University, which is close to her family’s farm land. The Heritage Foundation will give Hart a $1,500 scholarship, a $500 cash prize and will reimburse her for all expenses associated with raising her market lamb for the Salinas Valley Fair. The Junior Livestock Auction was also dedicated to Margaret Duflock, who grew up in San Ardo and was a regular 4-H exhibitor at the Salinas Valley Fair. Duflock’s four children also participated in the fair and this year her grandson continued the tradition as a 4-H livestock exhibitor. According to the Fair’s Junior Livestock program, Duflock’s contributions extend beyond the auction as she is a charter member of the Salinas Valley Fair Heritage Foundation and former secretary. Duflock has worked for years to tirelessly handle paperwork, minutes and correspondence The Auction buyers support the Heritage animal raised by Rachel Hart and all the 4-H and FFA livestock exhibitors during the Junior Livestock required to keep the organization on the Auction. Photo by Jessica Harris path to success.

Elkhorn Slough

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been severely altered over the years by humans who dammed the water and drained the wetlands for agricultural use. As a result the ground dropped from one to six feet in places, making restoration difficult. Workers brought the levels back up with soil taken from the recent Pajaro River Levee Bench Excavation Project. Now, thanks to the grant, researchers will be able to get a first-ever before-andafter picture of carbon sequestration by salt marsh plants. Such a study could have future implications for policymaking and wetland protection, and prompt other coastal communities to conduct similar restoration projects, Wasson said.

“This is a really new idea,” she said. “We get to be a guinea pig.” According to Elkhorn Slough Reserve Tidal Wetland Project Director Monique Fountain, such restoration work is vital in Elkhorn Slough, which has lost 50 percent of its size to human use since 1870. Fountain said the work allows researchers to use the slough as a lab to study a problem with global implications, even as they work to ameliorate the effects of years of human impact. “We’re excited about the climate change benefits, and also about providing habitat for sea otters, improving water quality, and reducing currents that cause erosion in the estuary,” Fountain said.

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4 The Land - June 2015

Strawberry Commission awards scholarships

Pinnacles visitors spend $11 million in 2014 Staff Report SOLEDAD —Soledad city leaders celebrated recent news from the National Park Service estimating $11 million was spent in 2014 by visitors to Pinnacles National Park. “While we had noticed an obvious, albeit anecdotal, uptick in local business following the Pinnacles being named the country’s newest National Park, to see the numbers in black and white is truly breathtaking,” Soledad Mayor Fred Ledesma said. “For more than two years, our local businesses have seen increases in customers and spending, resulting in more jobs and greater tax revenue all flowing into our local economy. We could not be happier with the results.” The City of Soledad, the self-proclaimed

Water Mandate

Gateway to the Pinnacles, has received a huge boost due to the increased prestige of the Pinnacles, as visitors have flocked from around the region, and around the world, to visit the awe-inspiring spires and rock formations that give the park its name. With the park’s western entrance just 12 miles east of Soledad, thousands of park visitors have stopped for food and supplies before and after their visit to the park, putting more money in the registers of local businesses and generating additional employment opportunities in the Salinas Valley community. “Soledad has taken numerous steps to capitalize on this historic opportunity to grow our local economy,” Ledesma said. “It is wonderful to know that those efforts have paid huge dividends for our local businesses and our residents, alike.”

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turf at city facilities such as City Hall and Pubic Safety Center. City-managed ornamental turf includes any turf that is used for beautification purposes and not recreational purposes such as soccer fields and other public use facilities. The resolution would also allocate $102,000 to a variety of areas that would encourage water conservation including hiring two part-time workers to help with outreach needs and conservation enforcement and expanding the rebate plans for turf conversion to encourage long-term real changes to landscape users. The Council would also consider an additional penalties ordinance in July 2015 that could be imposed on customers who exceeded water allowances if conservation efforts do not achieve Statemandated levels by August 2015. Public Works Director D. McKinley assured the council that the penalties would only be enforced as a last resort if the water conservation efforts were not producing the desired results. “Our goal is to help (customers) figure out better use, not to punish,” McKinley

said. “We want to try to give them extra incentive to tone down water use.” McKinley also affirmed that the drought was a statewide issue and that each community needed to do their part in accordance with the new law issued by the Governor. The state of California has undeniably had the driest winter on record and ground water levels are in decline. The main target of the Governor’s order is for discretionary items such as ornamental turf, which uses considerably more water than alternative landscaping, but excludes trees, a high priority in maintaining. The City of Paso Robles uses an average of 146 gallons per capita per day because of the drier climate and less dense population, whereas San Luis Obispo uses 69 gallons per capita per day due to higher population density, closer vicinity to the coast, and presence of a large college campus. Paso Robles’ 146 gallons per capita per day use is not a bad number according to McKinley, but, he said, “We can always get better.”

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Angel Moran is one student who received a California Strawberry Commission Scholarship award. Photo by Silvia Torres/The Land

By SILVIA TORRES Of the Land

WATSONVILLE — On May 7, the California Strawberry Commission Scholarship Awards dinner was held at the Kennedy Youth Center. Students from Watsonville and Salinas were awarded their scholarships. A total of 340 attended the dinner, including Watsonville Mayor Nancy Bilicich and city councilmembers. According to the Commission’s Communications Director Carolyn O’Donnell, “… 20 years ago, members of the commission wanted to come up with a way to honor and thank the field workers … as they are the backbone of strawberry farming.” The Commission’s members founded the California Strawberry Scholarship Awards. The program enables qualifying children of farm workers to further their higher education. A student may qualify as follows: one or both parents must be presently employed and has been employed for the past two years in a legitimate California strawberry harvest. High school students must carry a minimum 2.0 GPA, provide school transcripts and an applicant must provide a candidacy essay. In addition, each applicant must provide two recommendations. Scholarships may be applied towards community college, Trade School, fouryear university or a professional school. According to the California Strawberry Scholarship Program newsletter, since 1994, the program has awarded $1.7 million to hundreds of children of strawberry farmworkers. Students who are children of strawberry farmworkers are encouraged to apply for scholarships. The Scholarship awarded $56,050 to 79 graduating high school seniors for the 2015-2016 academic year. The Scholarship Fund awarded $111,324 to 139 continuing college students in this same school year. Overall, 691 students have received $1,426,395. Watsonville High School senior Patricia Aparicio’s parents, Clara Torres and Guillermo Garcia, both work in strawberry farming. Aparicio is a firsttime scholarship recipient. Delfino and Elba Mendez have two daughters presently receiving scholarships and have one daughter ineligible for scholarship. Their daughter, Catarina will be graduating in science from UC Santa Cruz. She has received scholarships for four consecutive years and will continue to apply through graduate school. Catarina’s younger sister, Teresita has received scholarships in two years at UCSC. The youngest sister is not eligible for the scholarship

because her parents have moved over to harvesting black berries. Estefania is in high school and has been accepted to UC Merced. She wants to study anthropology. Jasmin Fernandez Castillo is the daughter of Rogelio and Elia Fernandez. She is finishing four years at Sac State but did not know about the scholarship program, and this is her first time applied for this scholarship. She has been awarded a scholarship and is working towards a doctorate in psychology. The Fernandez’ son Christian looks forward to applying for scholarship when he becomes a senior in high school. Silvino and Maria Elena Moran’s son Angel is in his fourth year of medical school and in his first year awarded scholarship; he didn’t know about the program until recently. Angel said that because he is following his dream of becoming a doctor he can, “tell my daughter to follow her dreams.” Alejandra Huerta will be graduating from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a PhD in plant pathology in 2015. The California Strawberry Commission is a state agency of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. All commercial purposed strawberry farm growers must be members of the California Strawberry Commission and pay an annual assessment. This assessment pays for the commission’s activities and projects such as food safety, trade relations, marketing communications, production, nutrition research and public policy. There are three major strawberry regions in California, Oxnard, Santa Maria and Watsonville. California strawberries are handplanted, hand-picked year-round. This constitutes some 40,000 acres of state farmland. Applications are available after Jan. 1 and are due by March 1. A first-year community college recipient may receive $400 to $600 per year. A CSU student may receive $800 to $1,000 per year. Each recipient must maintain full time and good standing student status and must reapply for a scholarship each year. A student may continue to be awarded the scholarship as long as they continue to attend college full time and in good standing. Growers encourage employees and the public to help these families through monetary contributions and fundraisers. This year the Strawberry Grower’s Scholarship Golf Tournament will be held at Aptos Seascape Golf Club. More than 150 golfers and sponsors participate, lastly raising over $20,000. For information, visit www. californiastrawberries.com/scholarships.

The Land - June 2015 5

WHS agriculture students head to the fair New teacher leading small but growing classes

Erin Larrus is working her first year as the agriculture teacher at Watsonville High School. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

By TODD GUILD Of the Land

WATSONVILLE — In a small, penned-in section of Watsonville High School’s agriculture class on a recent Tuesday afternoon, four Yorkshire cross pigs were variously lounging in patches of sun and relaxing in the shade. Two lambs, meanwhile, were craning their necks over the bars of their pen, hoping for a snack from passersby. The animals, which includes two steer, have been raised from calf, piglet and lambkin by 10 WHS students, whose participation in agriculture classes there give them membership in Future Farmers of America. Now fattened and ready for market, they headed to the Salinas Valley Fair May 13 for exhibition and auction. Student Maria Galvan, 18, said raising her pig “Boo” has filled her desire for a pet, since her current living arrangements don’t allow it. She said she has learned the enormous amount of responsibility that comes with

Isaac Rodriguez tends to his Suffolk lamb. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

raising an animal. “You have to do everything for it,” she said. Galvan has taught Boo how to come to her when she claps, and said overall that she has enjoyed raising him. Still, after Boo has been auctioned off to the highest bidder on Saturday, she said her next animal — destined for a similar fate at the Santa Cruz County Fair — will be a lamb. Raising the animals was part of the FFA Supervised Agriculture Experience. Projects also include working with machines and growing plants. “Anything related to agriculture,” said Erin Larrus, who started teaching agriculture classes this year. Raised in San Jose, Larrus said she never had a pet and certainly did not consider studying agriculture until a friend suggested that she take a class. “My mom wouldn’t even let me have a dog,” she said. But the class — and in particular the teacher — immediately inspired her, and she went from having failing grades to graduating early. “The teacher ended up being like a

Promoting the valley through better health By KELLIE HICKS Of the Land

SOLEDAD — On May 3, the Soledad Visitors & Gateway Center in conjunction with the California Welcome Center Salinas and the Salinas Valley Tourism and Visitors Bureau, celebrated National Salad Month. National Salad Month is a month-long event held every May to celebrate creative salad recipe ideas and to encourage consumers to eat more leafy greens. National Salad Month was created in May 1992 in response to a Gallup Poll that revealed three out of four people, at the time, ate a tossed salad at least every other day. While the concept was actually begun by the salad dressing and sauce industry, the leafy greens are the star of the show. Researchers have found that salad eaters tend to have higher intakes of key nutrients, including vitamins C, E and foliate. Soledad Visitors & Gateway Center (SV&GC) and the California Welcome Center teamed up with 12 local companies, and together they gathered a wide

selection of locally grown produce that highlights what the valley grows and ships worldwide. The bag included broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, artichokes, and salad mix. Also in the bag were locally packaged vegetable snack packs with a variety of vegetables and dip. While at the SV&GC guests were offered a tour of the facility while outside the Fresh Express company mascot — a dancing bag of lettuce with a mustache waved to cars passing by and greeted people to the event. Captain Pedro Gomez and the members of the Soledad High School ROTC were on hand to unload the truck and to don the mascot costume. The Salinas Valley is known as the Salad Bowl and with good reason. With the wide variety of crops grown in the Salinas Valley, the agricultural industry is one of its largest employers. The Soledad Visitors & Gateway Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5p.m. Thursday through Sunday and holidays. It is located at 502 Front St. in Soledad.

Maria Galvan has raised a Yorkshire-cross pig that was entered in the Salinas Valley Fair. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

father for me,” she said. “If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” After attending a junior college, she graduated from Fresno State University with a degree in agricultural education She came to WHS from Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, where she taught for 13 years. Larrus currently teaches three agriculture classes, and plans to add another next year. She is also planning to encourage her students to work with agriculture

companies. She hopes that all of this boosts her classes from the current enrollment of seven students to well over 50. “My goal as a teacher is to have every student out in the community working and understanding how it ties in to all of us,” she said. “You’re going to learn something in my class. You’re not going to sit around.”

6 The Land - June 2015 The Paso Robles Horse Park. Photo by John Patrick Images

Paso Robles Horse Park holds kickoff show By BETH BOLYARD Of the Land

PASO ROBLES — Situated in the oak groves of northern Paso Robles, the Paso Robles Horse Park’s 67 acres of equestrian showground melts into the landscape of the surrounding rolling hills. The park, which broke ground February 2014, now has permanent office facilities, a 500-space parking area, a 28 space RV area complete with hook-ups, a bathroom and shower facility for contestants and guests, a hay barn, and 224 permanent horse stalls. Amanda Diefenderfer, Park Director, has been watching the final developments of the park since she was brought onto the team in January and has been excited to see the well-laid plans finally come to life. “We are in the final countdown in the most exciting ways,” Diefenderfer said of the park’s quickly changing landscape. “Everyday we turn the corner and there’s something new; it’s really fun to see.” Diefenderfer, a horse rider from a young age, merged her marketing skills with her love for horse riding in her new position as director and is glad to be a part of a facility the community can embrace. The first event, a community-minded kickoff show, was held May 9 and 10. The owner of the Paso Robles Horse Park, Linda Starkman, felt it was important the community feel welcome to the park facilities and created the Kickoff Show to

be an official welcome to the community inviting local participants and observers to attend. Starkman, involved in horse competitions since childhood, was originally inspired to bring a quality horse park to the California Central Coast after years of riding and breeding training award-winning hunters and jumpers in the National and International Circuit. Starkman believes the kickoff show will be the “perfect first show for beginners,” and a “great intermediate step” between local shows and bigger shows for local riders looking to compete. The park also plans to expand the Kickoff Show into a series of events throughout the year that local participants can attend. The Central California Memorial Day Classic, the second major event on the Park’s agenda, was slated for Memorial Day weekend, bringing in around 500 horses for the show. Fairway Field, the main grass field named after one of Starkman’s top level show jumping horses, will be split into two competitive, turf rings with an aisle and seating down the center. Visitors can also watch competitions at any of the sand arenas or from lawn seating on the berm adjacent to Fairway Field. “Footing” for each of the sand arenas was specially created for the park and is made from sand that was been tested for water retention and drainage rates and is mixed with specialty German Geo Textile

fibers for a fluffier, springier consistency. The mixture is the very top-end of show jumping arena footing currently available. The turf on the field has also been rigorously tested, as park manager Chet Voss and son Ben Voss conducted numerous turf tests with several outside horses to test for durability, good grip, and resiliency. The Voss team has also ensured the water consciousness of all the grass on the property, and has used a water friendly hybrid-Bermuda grass that goes dormant in the winter. Starkman’s vision for the park was to create a facility that included the best of the numerous show facilities she had visited in her years as a competitor and owner, and included a few ideas of her own to create the best, multi-use facility available. Diefenderfer explained the park was Starkman’s “dream come to life” and exclaims the park’s close vicinity and ease of use as one of its many benefits. “Everything is close and cozy in a good way,” Deifenderfer said. “It’s not a long walk from one ring to the next or back to the barns.” One special aspect of the park is the 224 horse stalls, each measuring 12-by12 feet for ease of movement with dutchstyle stall doors to benefit the social nature of the horses; a traditional horse stall at shows measures 10-by-10 feet. Though the park is geared toward horse use and is set up for horse shows and competitions, Diefenderfer said another

goal of the park was to be available as a multi-use facility, stating that the park could host such events as dog shows, wine and food festivals, weddings and other private events as long as the event fits with the idea of the park. “This is a very versatile facility,” Deifenderfer said. “It can be mixed and cut and shaped however it needs to be.” The property also has no asphalt or curbs for safety of horses and riders and the parking area is made up of decomposed granite that will be marked with chalk to distinguish parking lines. The curb-less appeal makes it a facility that allows water to drain the way it was intended and owners will not have to worry about water runoff or possible horses accidents on any asphalt. The beige tones and intricate landscaping of the parking area along with natural wood fencing of the competition rings fits perfectly with the look and feel of Paso Robles, with rolling hills and oak tree as the background for each arena. “Each detail of the park has been intentional,” Starkman said of the intricate execution of the park’s plans. “From the grass to the sand arenas and the barns to the lack of asphalt and cement, every decision was made with the horses and competitors as the top priority.” For information about the Paso Robles Horse Park upcoming events or how to book an event, visit www. pasorobleshorsepark.com.

King City Chamber announces Beautification Week Staff Report KING CITY — The King City Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture announced that the dates for the annual celebration of Beautification Week will be June 20-28. The event is a volunteer effort by the Chamber to improve the appearance of the town. During the week and throughout the weekends, each business and resident is being asked to do one thing to improve the appearance of their property. This could include everything from washing windows to painting fences, pulling weeds and removing gum from sidewalks. The Chamber will kick off the month with an All-American Hamburger BBQ at San Lorenzo Park on Wednesday, June 3. Members of the Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce will hold a joint meeting promoting the benefits of keeping the town looking nice as well as promoting the Fourth of July in the Park Celebration at San Lorenzo Park sponsored by MCARLM (Monterey County Ag and Rural Life Museum).

Other events that tie in with Beautification Week include: • Extra garbage, recycle, and yard waste pick-up for free on regular collection days from June 22-26 courtesy of Waste Management. • An electronic waste recycling event on Saturday, June 27, sponsored by Grace Lutheran Church in support of its Community Food Pantry in the parking lot of King City High School on Broadway. • Landfill Day on Saturday, June 27 where Waste Management will accept for free up to three large and bulky items without charge to regular customers (bring invoice as proof of service). • The City-wide Yard Sale Saturday and Sunday, June 20-21 where fees for yard sales in King City are waived. Chamber Director Shelly Serritelli is coordinating this in cooperation with sponsor South County Newspapers. The idea for Beautification Week was started 22 years ago as an effort to spruce up the town in time for the Fourth of July Celebration.

Grand Champion Goat raised by Beth Funke of Sobrato FFA was purchased by Roger and Brandi Borzini during the Junior Livestock Auction. Pictured, from left to right: Brandi Borzini, Beth Funke, Breeder Julie Carrero, and Roger Borzini. Photo by Samantha Bengtson/The Land

The Land - June 2015 7

Creston 4-H: Boasting full complement of activities and 85 members

Pajaro Community Garden grows

The Barrientos family work on their plot recently at the Pajaro Community Garden. Photo by Silvia Torres/The Land

By SILVIA TORRES

Of the Land

This year the Creston 4-H Club delivered warm coats to people in need. All 85 members took part in the community service project. Photos contributed by Tom Bordonaro

By Allyson Oken Of the Land

CRESTON — In four years, the Creston 4-H Club has gone from zero to 85 members and is offering the full gamut of activities for youth. Under the direction and joviality of leader Tom Bordonaro, this club has come a long way and are now beginning to host events again. Bordonaro said, “This is the largest membership we have seen since the 1990s and we have some really wonderful kids and parents participating to make this club what it once was, great. We have 85 members, it is really nice.” This year the kids are working on a number of projects. 4-H is not just about animals, said Bordonaro, it is also about leadership and building life skills. They offer kids ages 5 to 18 the opportunity to learn and get hands-on experience in shooting sports and safety, public speaking, livestock judging, horticulture, horse groups that ride and compete,

cooking, beef group, swine group, sheep, goat you name it they raise it. “We have kids from the four different school districts in our area that have joined our club and they are doing it all,” he said. “My twin sons have been in since age 5. It is a family tradition; even I was in 4-H when I was a kid. It is a very rewarding program.” These kids are also known for their efforts in community service. They donate time during the holidays to the Food Bank, collect canned goods and seek clothing donations. In the spring, they help by donating their time to the Creston Bike Race. They are also the only group in the county that donates their time to keep the Creston Cemetery clean and looking good. Bordonaro said it is about developing the whole person. 4-H is a national nonprofit organization for children that offer the opportunity for them to develop powerful skills to launch them into their futures successfully. To join the Creston 4-H, visit creston4-h.org.

PAJARO — One year ago, Ramiro Medrano rooted an idea: Grow a community garden in Pajaro. It’s been five years since Pajaro Middle School included a pre-school, where there once stood a classroom and playground. Up until a month ago, this corner lot seemed abandoned. Left behind, a fenced-in and sand-filled quarter acre. The nonprofit Mesa Verde Gardens of Santa Cruz County has grant money for such garden projects predominantly located on church grounds. On its website, Mesa Verde Gardens says they are a targeted response to rising food insecurity, working with low-income people — the majority of whom are farm workers. Mesa Verde contacted Pajaro Valley Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Murry Schekman who immediately got on board with the garden idea. Actual groundbreaking occurred one month ago. Mesa Verde provided money for heavy equipment, removing sand and

turning the ground. There are a total of 18 sections referred to as plots. Word of mouth spread throughout the Pajaro community and all but three plots have been claimed by individual families. The families involved refer to Medrano as the garden leader. Recently, Medrano and the Barrientos family were working on their respective plots – each plot measuring 12-by-12 feet. Medrano encourages families to include their children in the gardening process while simultaneously developing community awareness. The Barrientos are busy planting chili pepper and pinto beans. This family also carried in a five gallon water-filled container. Medrano said the school had the water shut off to this part of the school property after the Head Start closed; gardeners are waiting on the school to have the water turned back on. Each family has agreed to pay $8 per month for water costs. And, a family will have the ability to water only their plot as needed. There are three plots currently unclaimed. For information, call Ramiro Medrano at 773-2461.

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Creston 4-H members learn to raise animals to show at county fairs.

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Creston 4-H Club donates time to cleaning up the Creston Cemetery.

8 The Land - June 2015

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