The LAND and its People by Weeklys

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

September 2016

San Antonio Lake is open with new rules

Barn mural a tribute to local farmers

By SAMANTHA BENGTSON

By KELLIE HICKS

Of the Land

SAN ANTONIO LAKE — It was a Friday afternoon and there was a line to enter the south shore of San Antonio Lake, which had been closed for an entire year due to the drought. Monterey County Parks workers opened the gates and the door was open for people to visit the lake once again. Before coming into the park visitors were asked to sign a form letting them know that Lake San Antonio had been in Caretaker mode for a year and the water levels were at seven percent. In order to consume the water, it must be first boiled and is adequate for washing. The form also informs visitors that they cannot have campfires and cannot exceed 5 mph on the lake. On the backside of the form is an official memorandum from the Monterey County Environmental Health Bureau stating that a health advisory has been issued concerning the water. Alternative sources of water such as commercially bottled water for drinking is recommended. “Glad to be back and we know it’s open through September but hopefully there is enough people enjoying the lake that we can get it open more often,” said Monterey County resident Harvey Reterink. Monterey County resident Alice Please turn to Page 6

Various row crops flourish beside a patch of wildflowers in Watsonville. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

The drought and lawn alternatives By TARMO HANNULA Of the Land

Sierra Azul carries a wealth of drought resistant plants including this quadricolor agave. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

WATSONVILLE — With the four-year drought still dragging on, the alternative of ripping up the lawn and replacing it with drought resistant landscaping is catching on. From neighborhoods to businesses and city properties, many are tapping into a wealth of drought-friendly plants that can survive on a fraction of the water used to keep lawns thriving. Jeff Rosendale, owner of Sierra Azul in Watsonville, said there are hundreds of choices in native and non-native plants, ranging from succulents and cactuses, to evergreens, to salvias and various grasses that will make for an interesting, textured and colorful landscape. Please turn to Page 4

GONZALES — Over the last few months drivers on Highway 101 have noticed some changes to the 100-plus year-old barn to the north of Gonzales. Situated on the Breschini ranch, the barn was given a new green tin roof, but the interesting part was when a painting started to appear like a patchwork quilt. The project started when John Cerney, an artist who lives in Monterey County, took notice of the barn. As he drove by he said he believed it would make a “wonderful ‘canvas’” for one of his paintings. Locals might be familiar with one of his other works in South County. The Lady on the Hill painting that stood on the hillside between King City and San Lucas was one of his works. Cerney had an idea of what he wanted to put on the barn and was able to track down Les Breschini. Breschini and his sister had grown up on the property, and as youngsters had played and worked in that same barn. Les’s great-grandfather Bernardo Breschini originally purchased the property in 1909. It was transformed from a dairy and alfalfa to row crops. Bernardo’s son, Elvezio (Saw) Breschini and his son-in-law Eddie Pisoni, who married Bernardo’s daughter Jane, worked the land for decades. After talking to the Breschini’s and the Pisoni’s the subjects in the decoration of the barn were chosen. It was more personalized than Cerney had first designed but he dove into his work. The barn is covered with 1,100 handpainted panels. The preparations for each panel were to be primed on all sides and the edges. For the mural Cerney took pictures of Eddie Pisoni and Saw Breschini, and a picture of a 1940 Farmall 300 tractor – the same that was used on the farms for many years. These pictures were placed over a picture of fields using photo software, which allowed for melding into one photo, then the photo was applied to the shape of the barn and printed. Once the tiles were painted they had to be sealed from the weather and then attached to the barn, one by one. One of the plusses of the placement of the barn is the mural will be protected from most of the harsh sun and weather, which Please turn to Page 4

Inside ... Slough trail

Pinto Lake

Strawberry Festival

New greenhouse

2 The Land - September 2016

Slough trail system expands

A bicyclist enjoys exploring a recently completed addition to Watsonville’s slough trail system where it leads to Manabe Ow Road next the new FedEx Ground facility. (Note the relief work of a nature scene on the column of a new bridge that stretches over a pocket of Struve Slough. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

One end of the trail is at the corner of Loma Vista and Paseo drives. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

PUBLISHER John Bartlett publisher@register-pajaronian.com

EDITOR Erik Chalhoub editor@register-pajaronian.com

EDITORIAL STAFF Tarmo Hannula, Todd Guild, Samantha Bengtson

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

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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This section of the trail weaves along a portion of Struve Slough. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

By TARMO HANNULA Of the Land

WATSONVILLE — A new leg of Watsonville’s slough trail system has been completed between the new FedEx Ground facility and Highway 1 on the former Manabe Ow land.

The nearly mile-long Wetlands Connector Trail runs between the northwest shoulder of the Sea View Ranch homes (near Tar Plant Hill) with the trailhead at Loma Vista and Paseo drives. Picking up where the Ohlone Loop Trail ends, the new trail weaves around a section of Struve Slough and then takes a slight

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incline to eventually lead between FedEx and Highway 1. From there it ultimately ties into the Watsonville Slough Trail. A spur of the new trail also cuts beneath Highway 1 and connects to Lee Road. The Wetlands Connector Trail was part of a requirement for the developers of the FedEx structure to complete, said Michelle Templeton of the City of Watsonville. While the trail has not been formally opened, bicyclists and walkers could be seen enjoying the new stretch over the week. The trail was proactively built to ultimately attract people to the proposed Rail Trail that will eventually tie into Lee Road and is part of the city’s 30-mile trail and bicycle master plan, Templeton said. Plans are still underway to develop other trails on the slough trail system. Also, three new detention basins, which fall under the labeling of “best management practices,” have also been built alongside the new trail, Templeton said. They are designed to collect rain runoff from the large FedEx parking lot. The detention basins are designed to capture contaminants and litter before the water flows back into the slough. The official opening of the new trail will most likely run in tandem with the opening of the business in about five weeks, Templeton said.

The Land - September 2016 3

A baby coot stumbles through the reeds on the rogue island. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

Jackie McCloud, environmental projects manager for the City of Watsonville, talks about dealing with an island that floated across Pinto Lake in March and perched against the boat dock at Pinto Lake City Park. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

Wayward Pinto Lake island has taken root, officials say Boating access opened, city will monitor situation By TODD GUILD Of the Land

WATSONVILLE — Five months ago, a chunk of floating land broke free in Pinto Lake and began a journey that took it across the lake several times before it became lodged firmly in front of the boat launching dock at Pinto Lake City Park. The island is now rooted in, and it will stay there for the foreseeable future, said Watsonville Environmental Projects Manager Jackie McCloud.

The island blocked boat access to the lake and offered a tempting but hazardous attraction to adventure seekers, some of whom tried to walk on the marshy, unstable landmass. Attempts to move the island in late July succeeded in opening up a channel for boats to access the lake, but workers realized that moving the entire island would likely cause it to break apart, making the problem worse. McCloud said she halted the removal because it is home to several species of birds and plants. A belted kingfisher, a

black phoebe and an American coot chick were all seen among the willow and tules recently. “We’re going to let it stay for the rest of the season,” she said. “We want to be good environmental stewards.” One trouble, McCloud said, is that the City of Watsonville must comply with multiple state and federal regulations when dealing with waterways such as Pinto Lake. Cutting away the roots from the lakebed and moving it without proper environmental reviews, she said, could

compromise a $750,000 grant by the State Water Resources Control Board that is helping the city tackle the toxins that have plagued the lake for years. It is unclear how long the island will stay. City officials continue to meet with biologists and environmentalists to assess the situation. “As a city we want to provide recreation, but at the same time we want to comply with environmental regulations,” McCloud said. “We’ve created a way for people to get through, and that was the main goal.”

4 The Land - September 2016

Drought Landscaping

Continued from page 1

Jeff Rosendale inspects California deer grass at his business, Sierra Azul. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

New Zealand wind grass is one of many types of decorative grass that is drought resistant. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

“One thing I tell people, if they are replacing a lawn, is to be aware that you are replacing a plant that grew only two to three inches tall,” Rosendale said. “It’s a good idea to imagine the ultimate size of the plants you are choosing. You don’t want to end up in five years with too much — with over-crowding. You’re looking for a balance and you also want to ration your maintenance.” Rosendale said that he estimates an average-sized lawn takes roughly 40 hours a year to maintain, which includes watering, mowing, fertilizing, edging and so on. “With drought resistant landscaping you can usually cut that maintenance time in half,” Rosendale said. “But a lot of folks make the error in thinking they can put in a drought resistant yard and walk away from it. You still have to plan on putting in some time, just not as much.” One of the huge plusses with such landscaping, Rosendale said, is that people

appropriate plants combined with a waterconserving irrigation system to produce year round color, contrast and textural beauty. A Mediterranean mound is a mound of soil, typically 8-10-feet wide by 12-16-feet long, that is dressed with plants, boulders, mulch, and an irrigation system. The mounds at Sierra Azul are large, based on the size of its two-acre garden, but can give people an idea of how to create their own. “Mediterranean mounds are really catching on because there is so much you can do in creating them,” Rosendale said. “And they add depth, texture and contrast to your yard.” Nancy Lockwood, Solid Waste Division manager for the City of Watsonville, described grass as by far the thirstiest landscape plant. She said that replacing one’s lawn with an alternative or ceasing to water it is one of the highest impact activities that a person can do to save water.

report as much as a 90 percent saving in water. Popular these days, Rosendale said, are salvias (also called sage). “Salvias come in a lot of exciting colors and can offer beautiful blooms,” Rosendale said. “They’re also good pollinators and hummingbirds like them. Lavender and rosemary are also popular.” Other plants Rosendale suggests include rock roses, euphorbias, cactus and succulents. Native to California is species and hybrid Ceanothus, which have been prized for their fragrant, early spring blue or white flowers and for their tough and hardy nature. Widely used in large scale or home landscapes as ground and bank covers, or as specimen shrubs, the evergreen shrubs perform well with little care and put on their spring show regardless of weather variations. Rosendale also recommends creating a Mediterranean mound using a variety of

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was the demise of the painting south of King City. The Breschini family and the Pisoni family along with friends gathered at the barn to meet with the painter and the men that helped him accomplish the Mural. The

Breschini patriarch Saw Breschini, who is now 95 years old, along with his sister Jane Breschini Pisoni, the Pisoni matriarch were on hand for the celebration. Eddie Pisoni, Jane’s husband passed in 2008. The ranch is still farmed by family.

The Land - September 2016 5

Celebrating a local harvest Nonprofits serve up delicacies at annual festival

Cesario Ruiz of El Pajaro Community Development Corporation gives out samples of strawberry jam during the Watsonville Strawberry Festival. Photo by Erik Chalhoub/The Land

These kids are thrilled to ride a dragon carnival ride at the Watsonville Strawberry Festival. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

Mark Camilleri celebrates taking first place in a strawberry pie eating contest. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

Lauren Turn, 5, is delighted to have her face painted at the Smiley Orca face painting tent. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

By ERIK CHALHOUB Of the Land

WATSONVILLE — As throngs of people congregated to get a chance to sample strawberry jam, Carmen HerreraMansir observed that the lunchtime staple was becoming a classic of sorts at the Watsonville Strawberry Festival. The executive director of El Pajaro Community Development Corporation said this weekend marked the third year entrepreneurs from its Commercial Kitchen Incubator participated in the

festival. As an added incentive, each can of strawberry jam available for purchase was topped with a souvenir lid. “It’s important to be able to connect the community with our entrepreneurs,” Herrera-Mansir said. The 22nd annual Watsonville Strawberry Festival took over downtown Aug. 6 and 7, complete with carnival rides, live performances and arts and crafts. But the star of the festival could be found incorporated in a variety of delicacies in “Strawberry Lane,” where nonprofit organizations were serving up such items as chocolate covered strawberries,

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Nadina Moreno (left) and Isabel Chasco hand out “Krispy Kreme Spartan Delights” at Central Coast Spartans Pop Warner’s booth. Photo by Erik Chalhoub/The Land

strawberry shortcakes, strawberry kebobs and more. Israel Tirado, recreation supervisor for the City of Watsonville, said the festival, especially Strawberry Lane, was booming. “People are having a blast,” he said. “We’ve got everyone eating berries.” At the Central Coast Spartans Pop Warner booth, members were serving “Krispy Kreme Spartan Delight,” strawberries and whipped cream sandwiched between doughnuts. Based at Pajaro Valley High School, the program provides football and cheer for young people ages 5-15. President Nasser

Sabla said the Spartans hold a number of fundraisers throughout the year to help keep the program going. “We get so much support from Pajaro Valley High and the community,” he said. “We do everything we can to keep kids on the field, not off of it.” Victory Outreach Watsonville was serving frozen strawberry paletas, while also promoting its upcoming live drama, “Shotgun.” “It’s a good opportunity to serve some good food and send a positive message,” Pastor Jerry Morales said.

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Santa Lucia Highlands begins 2016 harvest SUBMITTED ARTICLE MONTEREY COUNTY — The 2016 wine grape harvest in the Santa Lucia Highlands is underway, with artisan sparkling wine producers picking Pinot Noir off various S.L.H. vineyards for their méthode Champenoise-style releases. Unofficially, the first Highlands’ grapes for the eventual 2016 vintage arrived at 9 a.m. on Aug. 9 at Ray Franscioni’s Pessagno Winery. The several bins of Pinot Noir clone 777 off the nearby Loma Linda estate are destined for a new sparkling program under Ray’s Puma Road label. Teresa Franscioni commented that “this is the third year picking for our, as yet, ‘in-house only’ sparkling wines. The base wines are sensational; I can’t wait for our first release.” Several hours later, Caraccioli Cellars’ night harvest got underway on their Escolle property in the Highlands. This will be Caraccioli’s 10th crush for their highly-rated bubblies. Scott Caraccioli explained that “We began at midnight hand-picking Pinot Noir off Escolle’s D-9 block. We started in the dead of night so we could get all the fruit off by daybreak, which keeps the clusters ideally cool. The initial press showcased powerful clean fruitcomplexity with ideal acidity throughout. As our testing indicated, there were no signs of smoke issues from the fire on the coast. We’ll be pulling the next four nights for our sparkling program; I have very high expectations for the ‘16 vintage.” Winemaker Tom Stutz has, for several

vintages now, used grapes from the McIntyre Vineyard in the S.L.H. for a top flight Blanc de Noirs under the La Rochelle brand — going forward, the wines will come under the “La Vie” label. Stutz anticipates getting Pinot Noir from McIntyre’s Block 4 soon. “Forty-four year old vines; quality looks great, although bunch counts are light. Should be another typically good year in the S.L.H.,” Stutz said. The majority of Santa Lucia Highlands vineyards and producers will begin picking Pinot Noir in early September for their still wines. S.L.H. winegrowers polled agreed that while it looks like another “light year” in terms of crop loads, they are very happy with the slowly developing ripeness and maturation of flavors and expect “a very high quality harvest” across the appellation. The Santa Lucia Highlands is one of the crown jewels of California viticulture, growing and producing some of the state’s best cool climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah. The appellation encompasses more than 6,500 acres of prime vineyards, planted on the elevated terraces and alluvial fans of the Santa Lucia mountain range. The area’s character was recognized with official A.V.A. status in 1991; 2016 marks the 25th anniversary of the S.L.H.’s designation. Formed in 2005, the Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans is an association of vineyards and wineries that grow grapes here or use this region’s fruit to craft their wines. For information, visit SantaLuciaHighlands.com.

Greenhouse under construction at Greenfield High School Quiedan Company worked to construct the frame of a greenhouse building that will be used by the Ornamental Horticulture class during the upcoming school year. The class with be mainly working “the art of growing flowers.” The addition comes as four companies came together to help fund the project. Construction is expected to be completed soon. Photo by Samantha Bengtson/The Land

Lake San Antonio Reterink said, “We love the camping, the spaciousness and the quietness of the space.” The Reterink’s had not been back to

Continued from page 1

San Antonio Lake in over a year and were excited to be back. The lake is open on the weekends until Labor Day, Sept. 12.

Boaters enjoyed the first day out on Lake San Antonio in over a year on Aug. 5. The County Supervisors agreed to reopen the lake. Photo by Samantha Bengtson/The Land

The Land - September 2016 7

The pick of the crop Self-serve farms in full bloom By TODD GUILD Of the Land

WATSONVILLE — As a gentle breeze wafted across a small strawberry patch on Peckham Road recently, several families crouched among the rows, looking for ripe fruit The families were at Gizdich Farm’s Pik Yor Self lot, where customers can pick their own strawberries and blackberries. Gizdich Farm is one of several pick yourself farms throughout the county. Jesus Galindo of Prunedale came with his sister-in-law and two daughters, 9 and 4. He said he thought the trip would be a perfect family activity, but said he had another reason for being there. “I also hear the pies are good,” he said, referring to Gizdich Farms’ famous pastries. Nearby, Vicky Muong of Santa Cruz was taking photos of her grandson Timothy Manuel, 15, gathering strawberries. She said the teen had never seen a strawberry patch until his trip to Gizdich Farm, but that her own father grew strawberries for years in Pajaro Valley. “We hope he gets an appreciation of the rigors of farming and the enjoyment of farming,” Muong said. “And it’s a beautiful thing to be out in nature.”

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USDA seeks applications for funding to develop advanced biofuels and plant-based products SUBMITTED ARTICLE Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking applications for funding to help support the development of advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals and biobased products. “The bioeconomy is a catalyst for economic development in rural America, creating new jobs and providing new markets for farmers and ranchers,” Vilsack said. “Investing in the businesses and technologies that support the production of biofuels and biobased products is not only good for farm incomes. The whole economy benefits from a more balanced, diversified and consumer-friendly energy portfolio, less dependence on foreign oil and reduced carbon emissions.” Funding is being provided through the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program, formerly known as the Biorefinery Assistance Program. Congress established the program in 2008 to encourage the development of biofuels that use renewable feedstocks. The 2014 Farm Bill expanded the program to include renewable chemicals and biobased product manufacturing. The program now provides loan guarantees of up to $250 million to develop, construct and retrofit commercial-scale biorefineries and to develop renewable chemicals and biobased product manufacturing facilities. USDA has provided $844 million in

loan commitments to 10 businesses in the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program since the start of the Obama administration. Companies receiving these commitments are projected to produce 159 million gallons of advanced biofuels. In 2011, under this program, USDA provided Sapphire Energy a $54.5 million loan guarantee to build a refined algal oil commercial facility. Sapphire’s “Green Crude Farm” in Columbus, N.M., is an example of how USDA funding and partnerships with the private sector are helping to support the development of biorefineries. The plant opened in May 2012 and is producing renewable algal oil that can be further refined to replace petroleumderived diesel and jet fuel. According to the company, more than 600 jobs were created during the first phase of construction at the facility and 30 full-time employees currently operate the plant. After Sapphire received additional equity from private investors, it repaid the remaining balance on its USDA-backed loan in 2013. For this announcement, USDA will seek applications in two cycles. Applications for the first funding cycle are due Oct. 3. Applications for the second cycle are due April 3, 2017. Application materials can be found at www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/biorefinery-renewable-chemicaland-biobased-product-manufacturingassistance.