Evolve / Issue 07 / Good Food

A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF OBTAINABLE & SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS curated by THE ECOLOGY CENTER

3.00 #07 FALL‘12

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In this issue:

GOOD FOOD Local and Sustainable

FEATURE

Our fourth annual Green Feast saw reknown chefs and record attendance. P.08

Evolve

PROFILES

Inside the Box

Scott Murray talks the future of American Ag. Paddy Glennon updates us from the Culinary Liberation Front P.14 + 15

Collaborating with some squirmy friends. P.18

issue #6 / SUMMER 2012

Masthead CONTENTS

Autumn 2012 Issue #7

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

03. Director’s Notes

Maxwell Isles Secretary, Transition Laguna Beach

04. Grocery Aesthetics Christian Beamish 05. Grow Your Own! Jessica Watkins 06. Biodynamic Farming Jeff Butler 08. Green Feast 2012 in photos 10. Local Purveyor Map 12. Green Feast 2012 Yearbook 14. The Future of American AgRICULTURE Scott Murray 15. Sustainable Seafood Patrick Glennon

17. Reviews: “15 Ways

to Protect Your Watershed,” Seed Bank

17. Design Studio Update 18. Backyard Skills: Worm Compost Bin 19. Calendar 19. Volunteer Spotlight

Jamie Welsh Chairman Red Willow Group Dale Howe Treasurer, CPA

Cristina Cherpas Changing Lanes Harry Helling Crystal Cove Alliance Kimberly Krantz The Boeing Company Shaheen Sadeghi LAB Holding, LLC Evan Marks Executive Director FOUNDING MEMBERS

Kris Linn & David Bronner Mary Cook & Jerry Elliott The Joseph Hoyt Foundation Donna & Ken Friess Marjorie Lesovsky Sylvia Marks Vicki & David Marks Jan & Warren Siegel Sambazon The Segerstrom Foundation Quiksilver Foundation Volcom TRANSFORMATIVE

Anonymous The Boeing Company Chipotle Cultivate Foundation Hurley International SDG&E

VISIONARY Hexberg Family CONTRIBUTORS

Designer

Foundation PIMCO Foundation SAPPI Ideas that Matter Carl & Dotty Hagmier Anton & Jennifer Segerstrom Jamie Welsh & Sabrina Ericastilla

Jessica Watkins

GUARDIAN

Evan Marks

Writer/Editor

David Rager

Art Director

C. Joey Mann Writer/Editor

Christian Beamish Writer / Sailor

Jeff Butler

Writer / Winemaker

Scott Murray

Writer / Farmer

Patrick Glennon Writer / Chef

powered by 2

Cox Communications Farmers & Merchants Bank James Tyler Guitars Metropolitan Water District New Belgium Brewing City of San Clemente South Orange County Energy Connection Toyota 100 Cars for Good Volcom Whole Kids Foundation Chuck & Terri Benson Erin H. Brown Cristina Cherpas Bill & Shannon Cook Celina & Steve Stratton Ferdi & Kay Taygan Jessica Watkins

SUSTAINER

Roger & Helen Abramson Michael & Micki Besancon Patti & John Markel Martin & Karen Diedrich Bryon Freeze Michael & Diane Graber Roy & Holly Heine Norm & Theola Kirschenbaum Greg & Barbara MacGillivray Bruce & Barbara Matsui Scotty & Fernanda Nemeth Stephanie Ray Jim Riley Chi-Lin Sun Linda & Marty Weiss Winkler Family STEWARD

Edie Barvin Christopher Blank Stacey Blaschke Mike & Debbie Bosse Anne Bowlus Barry Campbell Kami Campbell Phil & Alisa Chacon Sunny Coats George & Ines Cuzakis Randy & Sandy Davis Stevette Del Col Elaine Deutsch Diane deWitte & Family Mariah Doyle Marty Enniss Marc Goldstein Dick & Nancy Gray Linda Hackwith Rick & Debbie Hansen Tom & Nancy Hawkins Charlene Huddleston Max Isles Evette Jaeger Jack Jakosky Dawn Johnson Gerianne Johnson Michael & Trudy Joyce Anna Lea & Howard Kantor Kacee Spurny Jeff & Jennifer Kirschenbaum Kip Knight & Peggy Day Jessica & Westly Koenen Larry & Christine Kramer Kimberly Krantz Matt & Allison Kress Jeanne C. Leonard Erin Lloyd Barbara Lorenz Lynda Mallory The Manfredi Family Penny Mangione Lott & June Mason Ashley Matsui Manuella Melchert Scott & Laura Murray Lark & Bob Murrow Debbie Naude Christiana Nibbe & Richard Rook Maile O'Hara & Kofi & Kojo Bentsi-Enchill Sean & Sylvia O'Malley Isobel Pelham Peter Selby & Family

Scott Pringle Amy Rasmussen Ken & Judy Ravitz Robert & Vicki Redding DeAnna Reposa Debby Rightmire Patti Romo Adelia Sandoval Dani Sellers Stuart & Cheryl Shapiro Robert & Marina Sindik Elisa & Earl Slee Harrison & Ana Smith Samantha Smith Graham & Bahara Stapelberg Lisa Stevens & Kristin Brinker Tracie & Brian Sullivan Maria Szakacs Michelle Tateyama John & Marianne Taylor Connie Terranova The Rothman Family Andrew Trammell Drew Watkins Natalie Weiss Kathleen & Bradford Whitacker Dee White Matthew Wilhoit Don & Kris Wilson Tom & Jean Wilson Gary & Dolores Wright Kelley & Heidi York COMMUNITY/STUDENT

Alexandra Antonopoulos Alex Balazs Serafina Benjamin Deborah Christensen Sandi Hambric Solstice Hurst Leah Jolly Kristin Kerrigan Andrew Klimkowski Jessica Leonard Janine Mccusker Scott McGregor Megan Schley Lucian Toma IN-KIND SUPPORT

118 Degrees 370 Common Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine AoSA, LLC Armstrong Growers Beach Blossom Honey Bonterra Vineyards Bread Artisan Bakery Briar Rose Winery Brick Pizzeria Canyon Rstaurant Carlsbad Aquafarm Chomp Chomp Nation Food Truck City of San Juan Capistrano CR&R Culinary Liberation Front Doheny Plumbing Drake Family Farms Five Crowns/SideDoor Flow Foods Chocolatl Future Foods Farms Ground Effect Wine Guayaki Yerba Mate Hidden Haven Farms

I Love Bagels Kéan Coffee Klean Kanteen La Sirena Grill LinX Meridian Graphics MM Livestock Montage Resort Murray Farms Native Grow Nursery New Belgium Brewing New Leaf Paper Newport Coast Winery Oso Libre Winery Pascal Restaurant PCH Sheet Meta Kris Penick Pizzeria Ortica Primal Alchemy Sambazon Santa Monica Seafood Edward Sellers Vineyards & Wines Sierra Soil Products, Inc. Soledad Goats South Bay Salt Works South Coast Farms St. Roy Chef ’s Pub at Vine Tablas Creek Vineyard The Cellar Tierra Verde Industries Tree of Life Nursery True Food Kitchen Vita Coco VR Green Farms Weiser Family Farms What a Dish Café Catering Whole Foods Market Wildflower Floral San Clemente YogaWorks Laguna Beach Jeremy Black

Kathy, Harry, & Kimmy Helling Doug, Katie, Kirsty Hibbard Nikky Hieb Rita Howe LB Iddings Jennifer Jones Lindsay Junk Kathleen Kaiser Patty Kingston Jeff Kirschenbaum Caroline Kublin Bridget Lanigan Jackson Lanigan Shannon Latting Christine Maclean Celine Marill Vicki & David Marks Barbara Matsui Sue McIntire Teddy McKay Heather McNeil Matthew Meador Giusi Meili Irene & Steve Messerli Rama Nayeri Scotty & Fe Nemeth Rebecca Noble Alan Oswald Gillian Poe Kimberli Portillo Alena Powers-Davis Jessica & Riley Pratt Aaron Priceman Anna & David Rager Kurtis Rattay Victoria Riach Laila & Nessa Riazi Lauren Robinson Richard Rook Deanna Rowe Brook Sarson VOLUNTEERS Ashley Schenkel Stacey Anderson Tammie Searfoss Nisreen Azar Tim Senesi Stacey Blashke Jen Senften Stephen and Trisha Burgess Chris Skura Bronwyn Bradshaw Torie Smith Jennifer Bradshaw Elliott Schwartz Brandon Cain Jen & Casey Senften Laura Camp Sara Smith Kameron Campbell Neven Spralja Marek Cantor Elizabeth Stephens Annie & Devin Caringella Celina Stratton Renee Chenette Tracie Sullivan Shannon, John, & Hannah Shannon Swan Clarke Kay Taygan Jean Connelly Si Teller Colleen Cowell Jill Thomas George & Inez Cuzakis Mary Tilton Dolores Dang Sammy Tookey Catherine Dao Jenny Vidal Joshua Davis Jamie Welsh Nicole Davis Morgan Williamson Alyssa Duhe Diane Wyzga Jane Edelman Ashley Eichenauer Don Eslick Valentina Fernandez Kevin Fisher Valerie Fryer Andrea Gates Rebecca Gates Lisa Goff Lacy Gomez Jan Harris Heather Hart Melody Hauer

LET TER FROM THE DIRECTOR

Local Food

The Starting Point

At The Ecology Center, we believe that life is worth celebrating.

And we all know that there are at least two things that must align for a proper celebration: loved ones and good food. It is really that simple.

Culture often defines the frequency of such celebrations. Some are fortunate to celebrate daily, with a simple family gathering around the dinner table. Others celebrate weekly, with added tradition around sacred moments whether they be a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. No matter the frequency, these rituals of “breaking bread” or “talking story” (or however we title these celebrations) are essential to healthy human existence.

Here at The Ecology Center, we have a recurring celebration that brings good food and beloved community together. And we all know, that bringing community together takes many hands. I would like to extend my extreme gratitude to the countless volunteers who make Green Feast magic. Most importantly, the vision and dedication of my mother, Vicki Marks, Green Feast Chair, my father, David Marks, and Max Isles. Green Feast represents an annual renewal of our commitment to local food and community. As much as it is a celebration, it is an opportunity for us to refocus our inspiration to some of life’s most basic, yet most important tenets. Our relationship to food defines each of us, often more than we know. The ability and adaptability of a chef to utilize fresh and local ingredients defines his excellence. The quality and diversity of the harvest defines a farmers success. Equally, as consumers our relationship to seasonal cycles and products of integrity accentuate our art as individuals.

To us, Green Feast represents hope as to what our relationship to food and community can be each and every day of the year. With this issue of Evolve, we encourage you to celebrate the local and sustainable Green Feast mentality with each meal, each trip to the farmers market, and each moment in the garden. Because, as we know, it takes all of us working together to create the good food future we envision.

Cheers!

Evan Marks Executive Director

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GOOD FOOD

Grocery Aesthetics

Rediscovering the Good Taste of Local The supermarket functions largely because we have few viable alternatives. Goods are distributed and warehoused on an industrial scale, which allows fairly reasonable pricing and consistent product offerings. Yet the effect is to emphasize processed foods, easily packed and shipped, not to mention the nature-defying practice of selling fruits and vegetables (wrapped in plastic no less!) from all corners of the globe throughout the year. It is the supermarket — more than any electronic device, though perhaps less than the automobile — that severs our sense of connection to the land where we live. But as transportation costs rise over the next twenty years, food distribution will by necessity become more localized.

Community Supported Agriculture programs, like the one run by South Coast Farms where The Ecology Center stands, are models of how small-scale farms get high quality produce to people without relying on the hulking infrastructures of national and international transportation. CSAs provide members with fresh, local produce on a weekly, or bi-weekly basis and generally run on community members’ “subscriptions,” which provide farmers with a consistent financial base, and CSA members with seasonal vegetables.

The South Coast Farms CSA started in 2000 with 12 families participating. Now, 350 individuals get weekly or bi-weekly baskets of produce at drop off points across the county at a cost of between thirty and thirty-five dollars per basket. Says South Coast

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Produce from your local grocery store chain (whether it is organic or conventional) travels on average 1500 miles from the farm to your plate.

Farms manager, Rebecca Noble, “[the CSA] is a great part of our business as we get consistent cash flow, and our customers get quality vegetables for far below wholesale prices.”

A great resource for finding a CSA, as well as sourcing sustainably produced beef, dairy, and all kinds of interesting products, is the website localharvest.org. The roots of the contemporary CSA movement reach to Japan in the early 1970s when a group of women became concerned about pesticides, increasingly processed and imported foods and the corresponding decrease in local farm populations. Since then, CSAs have spread throughout Europe and Canada, and here in the U.S. for the past 20 years. In the introduction to “Sharing the Harvest — A Citizen’s Guide to Community Supported Agriculture” (Chelsea Green Publishing Co., 2007), writer/farmer Joan Dye Gussow notes, “Across this country, a movement is spreading that acknowledges a long-ignored reality: Most of what we pay for our food goes to companies that transport, process, and market what comes off the farm, not to the farmers themselves.”

A compelling vision for the future of Southern California and the rest of the nation is a network of small, organic farms — some no bigger than a vacant lot — supported by friends and neighbors who are in turn nourished by the efforts of the farmers and the soil of their home regions. There will be community events at these small centers of old-world practice — events like Green Feast at

The Ecology Center, that celebrate the bounty of healthy communitiesand a clean environment. How much more invested in the health of our watersheds will we be when our personal wellbeing depends upon it?

A utopian vision, too impractical for the 21st century?

Not at all.

While a food system that serves its immediate inhabitants represents a fairly radical re-structuring of existing models and practices, it does not require any dismantling to achieve. Rather than dismantling and building anew, we need only move in the direction of supporting local enterprises. Marketplaces, both social and financial, emerge where demand exists.

The delightful climate of coastal Southern California,

with its bustling population base, is a prime area for the CSA model, and it is places like South Coast Farms and The Ecology Center that showcase the possibilities for thriving, locally supported communities.

—Christian Beamish ABOVE : Farmer George Kibby from South Coast Farms & a CSA basket.

We’ve all heard that “we are what we eat,” and if you gauge America in terms of caloric consumption, we are mostly packaged, processed, preservative-filled food. Americans eat 31 percent more packaged food than fresh food, and they consume more packaged food per person than their counterparts in nearly all other countries.1 In June, Mother Jones featured an article, “The American Diet in 1 Chart. Or: Why Processed Food Is the New Meat.”2 It turns out that our top spending category went from meat in 1982 to processed food in 2012. The thing is, our total meat consumption hasn’t decreased—our consumption of processed foods has just surpassed it.

Growing up in this age, some children have no concept of a “square meal” aside from the shape of the boxes that contain their microwave meal or fast food pizza. Watermelons come from cardboard boxes outside the supermarket in the summer. The problem herein is that those children grow up without appreciation and respect for where food comes from and the people who bring food from the fields to our table. In a country that considers ketchup a vegetable, many of these kids have yet to discover what a home-grown tomato actually tastes like.

Agriculture is, and always has been, a science—not in the Monsanto/GMO sort of way, but in the seed-to-harvest and back-to-seed kind of way. Farmers, ranchers, and fishermen base their livelihoods on observation, experimentation, and data collection as much as their colleagues with lab coats and test tubes. The science of nature contains an element of wonder that also deeply resonates with children. To watch something sprout from seed is magical. It is also empowering for kids to know that their own little hands in the

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Jessica Watkins spends most of her time in environmental education at The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano. When she’s not there, you’ll find her at home making artistic things, eating beautiful food, and doing her part to improve our ecosystems.

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What does US caloric consumption tell us?

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The Value of Food Education

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soil made that happen. By participating in the cycle of one of our most basic needs, children stop taking food for granted. They start to see and taste the differences between prepared food sitting on a shelf versus what is fresh, local, and in-season.

Enter the Food Movement–real, true, from-the-earth Food. The sense of wonder and community can be resurrected by bringing people back to their food. Being aware of whole grains, GMOs, organics–all of these are important, but they still do not fully address the root problem of basic food education: knowing where your food comes from. Eating fresh, buying local, growing it yourself–this is where the magic happens and where much of the work of The Ecology Center begins.

It is compelling to see groups of students walk through our Food Lab teaching garden and get wide-eyed as they pull a carrot out of the ground or see broccoli growing for the first time. It is astounding to see kids willing to try new foods (kale!!) out of their curiosity to eat something right off the farm. Parents return to us shocked that their kids ask for vegetables. And, therein lies the most satisfying harvest of our work. So far, we have held dozens of field trips on our campus. With continued donor support and new funding from The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, we are increasing capacity at our facility and looking forward to many, many more of these discovery moments.

Many school garden programs are also working to bring this education to students in their own school gardens, and we are excited to support this work locally by piloting a year-long organic school garden curriculum.

Informed by our “Gardens For Life” program, we have been able to hone in on core hands-on experiential learning at the school level under the new name “Grow Your Own!” Malcom, Kinoshita, and San Juan Elementary schools were chosen to be our Grow Your Own! pilot schools for 20122013, and we are already underway.

Dr. Meg Hiesinger, The Ecology Center’s lead of Grow Your Own! and liaison to the schools, is working to create an empowering program that

Some children have no concept of a “square meal” aside from the shape of the boxes that contain their microwavable meal or fast food pizza. enables schools not only to start and maintain gardens, but to help address obstacles to their sustainability and support core curriculum standards in all subject areas (not only science).

“Some common issues to all schools,” she noted, “include help with design, finding funding and help with technical knowledge, and organizing a garden committee that can share tasks.

Currently, many school gardens are started and run by just one or two very eager teachers and/or parents!”

While this represents incredible work and effort by a few, it is not sustainable. It takes the involvement of the school administration, students’ families, and the surrounding communities to really underpin and champion where food education programs can take us. “I am excited about Malcom’s participation in the Grow Your Own! program this year,” expressed Faith D. Morris, Principal at John S. Malcom Elementary School. “Our school garden has been the centerpiece of hands-on science and ecology education for many years, and our partnership with the Ecology Center will help us take our efforts to the next level, helping our students be responsible stewards of the environment.”

Through meetings, interviews, and hands-on demo classes, Dr. Meg is tailoring the program to help teachers begin to feel comfortable teaching

in the garden regardless of their gardening skill level. Her goal is that teachers reticent to add another task to an over-scheduled day will be excited to see potential for elegant, powerful lessons on core curriculum concepts in the garden. The opportunity exists to make teaching easier through a multisensory learning platform.

Thinking long-term, “our intention is to have impact beyond the individual student–that students will go home and teach their parents,” remarks Dr. Meg. “Families can and will try some of our take-home activities on their patios, windowsills, in their backyards.

So, our whole design is to have the people we touch, both young and old, paying forward their knowledge and their increased connection to our land and resources.”

And thus, with food, we can all bring value back to the dinner table.

ABOVE: Students discover how romanesco cauliflower grows in the Food Lab

1 Hannah Fairfield, “Factory Food,” The New York Times, April 2010.

2. Tom Pilpott, “The American Diet in 1 Chart,” Mother Jones, June 2012. (Comparing 1982 grocery expenditure data to current 2012 data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics [as compiled by NPR’s Planet Money].)

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GOOD FOOD

What on earth is Biodynamics?

Biodynamic wine: an inquisitive primer J. Loren Butler is a freelance writer based on California’s Central Coast, where he also surfs, cooks, rides his mountain bike, and is forever searching for the perfect Chanterelle.

No cheating, now: without retreating to Google, what is biodynamics, and what, exactly, makes a wine biodynamic?

Though widely used, and responsible for a remarkable amount of controversy in the wine world, the term “biodynamics” isn’t easily defined. If you’re like many of us, your response to the question may be informed by half-recalled tales of buried cow horns, esoteric calendars, and cosmic energies. And, while each of these pieces does indeed play its role in biodynamics, a clear definition of the concept is hard to come by.

In fact, when recently asked about biodynamics, I realized that–even as a recently lapsed, organically-oriented winemaker myself–I could offer only an embarrassingly vague response.

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“To our modern way of thinking, this all sounds quite insane.”

So, in an effort to find out what biodynamics is all about, I decided to explore what may be the most perplexing issue in the world of contemporary wine, for grape growers, winemakers, and consumers alike.

First, a little necessary background.

Early in my research, I learned that although these terms are often used ambiguously and sometimes even interchangeably, “sustainable wine”, “organic wine”, “natural wine” and “biodynamic wine” are in fact all distinct from one other. These designations may be defined as follows: Sustainable wine In California, wineries may obtain a “Sustainable Winegrower” designation by meeting a number of criteria, and then applying to the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance for certification.

Organic wine In the US, “organic wine” is defined as wine which is made from organic grapes, and to which no sulfur has

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been added during the production process. (Somewhat confusingly, wines labeled, “Made with organic grapes” must be produced from organic grapes, but may contain added sulfur, an anti-microbial and anti-oxidant compound used as a preservative.)

Natural wine In some ways the most difficult of these terms to delineate precisely, “natural wine” encompasses a wide range of winemaking styles, but generally refers to wine which is fermented only with the naturallyoccurring yeast that is ubiquitous in the air around us; wine to which no sulfur has been added during the production process; and wine which is unfiltered. There currently exists no certification process for natural wines, and though natural wines may be produced with biodynamic grapes, there is no general agreement on this point among natural winemakers.

(For comparison purposes, socalled conventional wines–those made from grapes grown with nonorganic pesticides and fertilizers, and employing the addition of sulfur–comprise the vast majority of wines produced in California, and internationally.)

Which returns us to our question: What is biodynamic wine? And, for

– Rudolf Steiner, 1924 that matter, what is biodynamics?

Having been described as perhaps the first modern ecological farming method, and incorporating organic farming practices, biodynamics originated with a series of lectures

by Rudolf Steiner in Poland 1924.

In these talks, Steiner, a polymath philosopher, focused his belief in a “spiritually scientific” approach to farming, on the issues local farmers were then facing: depleted soils, poor crop yields, and diseased plants and animals. Steiner believed that each farm is a living ecosystem, governed by what he called the “formative forces” of earth, water, air, and fire.

In this view, occasions of poor health of plants and animals on a farm stem from a lack of balance in these forces.

According to Steiner, the biodynamic farmer should take a holistic approach, working with these formative forces and recognizing that everything that takes place within the ecosystem of the farm has an effect on its overall health. Thus, in order to manage and ensure the balance of these formative forces, and to ensure long-term selfsustainability, each farm should ideally be treated as a self-sufficient entity which requires no additional “inputs” (such as fertilizer) from the outside world; ideally, “whatever you need for agricultural production, you should try to possess it within the farm itself ”.

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Additionally, Steiner’s theories emphasize the following: use of organic fertilizers such as cow manure; use of a series of preparations unique to biodynamics (an example being a preparation which consists of groundup silica crystals buried in a cow horn over a winter, dug up in the spring, diluted in water and sprayed directly onto the grapevines); the planting of complementary crops and use of crop rotation; and consideration of the earth’s magnetic fields and celestial cycles in making farming decisions. In fact, a dedicated biodynamic calendar is widely available, indicating which days are best for working in each of the four biodynamic elements of fruit, root, flower, or leaf, based on the location of the sun, moon, constellations, and other factors. It is this last component which drives many critics of biodynamics to fits of apoplexy. Even Steiner recognized that some people would have difficulty accepting his theories, as he allowed in 1924 that “to our modern way of thinking, this [biodynamics] all sounds quite insane.”

Regardless of whether one feels that biodynamics represents a nuanced understanding of the vital life forces at work in the cosmos, or thinks it is merely irrational nonsense, the fact remains that many highly-regarded

wine producers–including ZindHumbrecht in Alsace, Nicolas Joly in the Loire Valley, Domaine LeFlaive in Burgundy, and Araujo in Napa Valleyare strong proponents of biodynamic principles. These producers follow the biodynamic calendar, working the soil on root days, working with the grapevine’s canopy (or leaves) on leaf days, and, perhaps most crucially, harvesting the grapes on fruit days.

What, then, are these- and otherwineries finding in biodynamic methods? What is it about biodynamics that produces better grapes? More to the point, does it result in better fruit? While one can find mountains of anecdotal evidence both pro and con regarding the effect of biodynamics on wine quality, the reality is that by its very nature, biodynamics doesn’t readily lend itself to empirical assessment. Some wine drinkers may perceive positive differences in biodynamic wines, while others scoff at the very notion. Given the nearly infinite number of variables inherent to producing wine (variation in weather from one year to the next, for example, and even variation in the ripeness of grapes within a single vineyard row) it is literally impossible to conduct a controlled experiment in which the only difference between two wines is that one has been produced biodynamically,while the other has been produced conventionally.

Reflecting that even as I was much better informed about biodynamics, I was no closer than when I started to understanding whether it produced better wines than other methods, I decided to spend some time in the Santa Ynez Valley, speaking with several experienced winemakers, each of whom proved to be thoughtful, articulate, and–quelle surpriseopinionated on the matter.

Mike Roth, winemaker at the soonto-be certified biodynamic Martian Vineyards in northern Santa Barbara County, believes that employing biodynamic practices makes a very positive difference on grapes and wine.

While touring the Martian winery facility, I asked Roth if he felt that following the biodynamic regime to the letter–what with with its burying of cowhorns and all–made a difference in quality. His immediate response?

“Absolutely. You don’t have to use a lot of something for it to make a difference. The celestial portion of biodynamics makes a lot of sense to me; I’ve found that our wines definitely taste better on a fruit day.”

On the other hand, Nick de Luca, a 20-year veteran winemaker and proprietor of Ground Effect wines in Santa Ynez, feels differently: “Biodynamics does both too much and too little”, he said, adding, “biodynamics, like conventional farming, assumes that man knows better than nature, and, with both, there is a feeling that you constantly need to be doing something. Neither of these methods gives you enough time to sit and watch your vineyard.

At this point in my career, when I’m in doubt, I don’t do anything.” de Luca then quoted with obvious admiration the late, influential Japanese farmer Masanobu Fukuoka, “There is no time in industrial agriculture for a farmer to write a poem or compose a song”.

Finally, Brandon Sparks-Gillis of Dragonette Cellars in Los Olivos, answered this way: “The true spiritual elements of biodynamics shouldn’t be judged” he stated. “My problem with biodynamics is that it has become so tied to a dogma that when you follow it, you can’t see your nose despite your face, and you lose sight of the original intent, which was probably to be in touch with the seasons and rhythms of nature.

Biodynamics has become incredibly formulaic. That said, Dragonette does work with the biodynamic calendar when possible; for example, we will harvest on fruit days if the stars and the flavors align, but fruit quality and the flavor of the grapes will always take precedence for us. ” Hmmm... Three respected winemakers, three wildly divergent responses to the same question. Even more striking for me, however, was the passion, commitment to quality, and bloody-minded attention to detail each of these winemakers puts into his wines, whether or not he employs biodynamics. While clear answers to the question of whether biodynamics is truly beneficial to wine quality may be few and far between, my foray into the world of biodynamic winemaking did convince me that biodynamics, while certainly warranting additional research, is an ecologically-conscious, organic, relatively low-carbonfootprint means by which to produce some pretty great wine. And I think we can all drink to that.

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A PICTURE OF BIODYNAMICISM 01. B randon Sparks-Gillis and vineyard manager Cesar Rojas, carefully removing any leaves or stems from just-harvested Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

02. J ohn Dragonette, co-proprietor of Dragonette Cellars, warily eying a full bin of Sauvignon Blanc as it is dumped into the press, the first step in the production of white wine.

03. H and-harvesting sustainably-farmed Sauvignon Blanc for Dragonette Cellars from Vogelzang Vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley.

04. Brandon Sparks-Gillis, winemaker with Dragonette Cellars, hand sorting through sustainably-grown Sauvignon Blanc while in the throes of harvest.

05. H and-harvesting sustainably-farmed Sauvignon Blanc for Dragonette Cellars from Vogelzang Vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley.

06. A perfect ripe cluster of sustainably-grown Sauvignon Blanc, ready to to be made into wine.

07. A barrel of fermenting 2012 Dragonette Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, designated “Native” to indicate that only naturally-occurring, ambient yeast cultures are being used.

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GOOD FOOD

Green Feast 2012 Our fourth annual farm dinner brought together farmers, chefs, fishermen, vintners, members, and friends to celebrate local, sustainable food in Southern California. The generosity of sponsors and guests raised almost $70K to support ongoing environmental education and programming at The Ecology Center.

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01. Guests raise their glasses to toast a delicious evening.

02. Glassware and local greens set the tone on the 200 ft. communal tables.

03. Chefs Elyssa and Yves Fournier garnish peach tarts for 230 guests.

04. Selections from Newport Beach Winery and Briar Rose Winery were cheerfully poured during the Eco App Off. All wine served was sourced within 200 miles.

12. Chef Greg Moro assists Chef Pascal Olhats during the Eco App Off. 13. Guests ate and learned about local food well past sunset.

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05. Moonsville Collective provided the perfect musical pairing.

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11. Chef Erika Tucker accepts her Eco App Off prize shovel as the recipient of the most guest votes.

It takes an incredible team of volunteers to make this event happen, and Green Feast Chair Vicki Marks would like to thank David Marks (volunteer coordinator), Max Isles (event captain), Lark Murrow (event assistant), Rita Howe and Tracie Sullivan (decor), David and Anna Rager (serving captains), Shannon Latting (wine), and all the wonderful servers and back-of-house volunteers that made the event such a great success!

06. & 07. Dinner was served familystyle by an entirely volunteer serving crew.

08. The tables were illuminated by twinkling lights and glowing candles with South Coast Farms offering a beautiful backdrop.

ADVOCATE

09. Chefs Justin Monson, Paddy Glennon, and Greg Harrison stop and smile in the outdoor kitchen.

10. Guests sampled creative Eco App Off entries like this savory Tutti Frutti Farms’ tomato “snow cone.”

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GOOD FOOD p ro d u c e / g e n e r a l

Ray’s Ranch (Temecula) Seasonal produce, eggs, honey

Gaytan Farms (Mira Loma) Vegetables, root vegetables, cilantro, parsley, strawberries

Don Valpredo Farms (Bakersfield) Seasonal produce

John Givens Farms (Santa Barbara) Seasonal produce

Stehly Farms Organics (Valley Center) Avocados, valencia oranges, lemons, berries, beets, garlic, blackberries

Murray Family Farms (Bakersfield) Seasonal produce, jams/jellies, herky, specialty canned goods, dried fruits and nuts, pies, etc.

Murray Farms (Vista) Seasonal produce

Tamai Farms (Oxnard) Seasonal produce

Arreola Farm (Oxnard) Seasonal produce

Tanaka Farms (Irvine) Seasonal produce

Orange County Produce (Irvine) Strawberry varieties, bean varieties

Future Foods Farms (Brea) Seasonal produce

Morning Song Farm (Fallbrook) Seasonal produce, nuts, eggs

McGrath Family Farm (Camarillo) Seasonal produce, spring flowers

Behneman Family Farms (Valley Center) Seasonal produce

Betty B’s Ranch (Ramona) Fruit, herbs

Beylik Family Farms (Fillmore) Tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, sweet peppers, eggplant, artichokes, melons, corn, basil, squash Cabral Farms (Livingston) Seasonal produce Coastal Organic Farms (Santa Paula, CA) Seasonal produce Coleman Family Farms (Carpinteria) Potatoes, asparagus, greens (kale, arugula, chard), herbs, edible flowers

Fairview Gardens (Goleta) Seasonal produce

Flying Disc Ranch (Thermal) Date varieties, figs, citrus, landscape palms/floral date blossoms

Gean Farm / Harry’s Berries (Oxnard) Tomato varieties, bean varieties J&J Farms (Santa Maria) Seasonal produce

Jaime Farms (Ontario) Seasonal produce

Moessner Orchards (Tehachapi) Apples, onions, garlic, canned goods, pastries, beets, cabbage, squash

Mud Creek Ranch (Ventura) Seasonal produce

Rancho Mi Familia Fruit & Produce (Santa Maria) Seasonal produce

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Rivas Farms (Vista) Seasonal produce

Russell Family Farms (Fallbrook) Macadamia nuts, citrus, figs, chestnuts, pomegranates

Rutiz Family Farms (Arroyo Grande) Seasonal produce

Schaner Farms (Valley Center) Produce, eggs, herbs, flowers

See Canyon Fruit Ranch (San Luis Obispo) Stone fruit, apple varieties, pears, pumpkins, zucchini, avocados, honey

Smith’s Farms (Irvine) Seasonal produce

The Grove (Riverside) Citrus, avocado varieties, squash varieties, pumpkins, honey, pomegranate varieties

Tutti Frutti Farms (Lompoc) Seasonal produce

Two Peas in a Pod (San Luis Obispo) Seasonal produce

Chino Farms (Rancho Santa Fe) Seasonal produce

Windrose Farms (Paso Robles) Seasonal produce

Cal-Organic Farms / Grimmway Farms (Bakersfield) Seasonal produce

Hidden Haven Farms (Jamul) Eggs, rabbits, chickens, piglets, mohair yarn, honey, laying hens, fresh/canned fruit, raw cow milk, etc.

David Eakin (Riverside) Citrus, pecans

Holy Guaca-Moly (Fallbrook) Guacomole-to-go, avocados, cherimoyas, seasonal produce

J.R. Organics (Escondido) Seasonal produce, flowers

Kawano Farms (Oceanside) Seasonal produce

Be Wise Ranch (Escondido) Beets, bok choy, carrots, chards, kale, parsley, zucchini, strawberries

Suzie’s Farm (San Diego County) Summer squash, beets, fennel, stinging nettles, lamb quarters

Sage Mountain Farm / Sage Mountain Organics (Hemet) Seasonal produce

Archi’s Acres (Escondido) “Living basil” plants, lettuces, herbs, avocados, tomatoes, chard, kale

Peter Shaner (Santa Monica) Emu eggs, citrus

Seabreeze Organic Farm (San Diego) Eggs, tomatoes, lettuces, brussel sprouts, apples, flowers

Cunningham Organic Farm (Fallbrook) Seasonal produce

Garden of Eden Organics (Vista) Seasonal produce

Crows Pass Farm (Temecula) Seasonal produce

Stone Farms (North Escondido) Seasonal produce

PASO ROBLES

Paradise Valley Ranch (San Diego County) Avocado varieties, citrus

Aztec Farms (Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve) Seasonal produce

Eben-Haezer Poultry Ranch PISMO (Ramona) BEACH Eggs, seasonal produce, homemade Dutch cookies

Berumen Boyz Farms (Fountain Valley) SANTA MARIA Artichokes, strawberries, corn, herbs, tomatoes

Johanne’s Produce (Carpinteria) Seedless cucumber, cluster tomatoes

Lichen-Z-Farm (Temecula) Hydroponic produce, culinary herbs, specialty gift items

LOMPOC South Coast Farms (San Juan Capistrano) Vegetables, strawberries, etc.

Hopkins Ag (Coronado) Almonds, Nut milks & butters Tenerelli Orchards (Littlerock)

Peaches, seasonal stone fruit Connelly Gardens (Ramona) Suncoast Farms

SANTA Seasonal produce and herbs (Santa Maria)

Ha’s Apple Farm (Tehachapi) BARBARA Seasonal vegetables Farmscape Gardens (Los Angeles) Apples, apple products

Seasonal produce and edible Yasutomi Farms (Pico Rivera) Bautista Organic Date Farm landscaping services Japanese greens and vegetables (Mecca)

Dates Hokto Mushrooms (San Marcos)

f ru i t Specialty mushrooms Cuyama Orchards (New Cuyama)

Regier Family Farms (Pasadena) Apple varieties Maggie’s Farm (Agoura Hills)

Stone fruit & citrus Specialty herbs and greens

Four Apostles

Kane Family Farms Ranch (Riverside) Mellow Mushrooms (La Habra Heights) Medjool dates (San Luis Obispo)

Avocados, citrus Chanterelle mushrooms

Pudwill Farms (Nipomo)

Polito Family Farms Berry varieties, apples, figs, currants Sun Grown Organic Distributors

(Valley Center) (San Diego) Scattaglia Family Farms Citrus, avocados, fresh juices Microgreens, sprouts, wheat grass,

(Littlerock) microherbs Bernard Ranches (Riverside) Stone fruit, apple varieties

Citrus

The Aerie (Fresno) m e at Fair Hills Farm (Santa Ynez) Stone fruit

13 varieties of apples, peaches, Dey Dey’s Best Beef Ever (Lompoc) Tomato Man (Ridgecrest) nectarines, cherries, plums, pluots Beef, chicken, lamb, pork, beef jerky

Tomato varieties

Gallardo (San Diego) Chino Valley Ranchers (Arcadia) Calico Ranch (Julian) Dragon fruit, persimmons, Egg varieties Julian apples, pears

pomegranates, avocado, cherimoya

Drake Family Farms (Ontario) Aviara Parkway Farms Inc. Garcia Organic Farms (Fallbrook) Goats, goat cheese, goat milk, goat (Carlsbad) Citrus, avocados, figs milk soap

Strawberry varieties

Gerwig Avocado Ranch (Fallbrook) Rainbow Ranch Farms Avocados, dragon fruit, citrus (Pinon Hills)

v e g e ta b l e s Game birds, chickens, sheep, hogs, Gless Ranch (Riverside) Kenter Canyon Farms (Sun Valley) cattle, ducks, turkeys Citrus, avocados

Specialty greens

Da-Le Ranch (Lake Elsinore) Sahu Subtropicals (Fallbrook) Pork, chicken, beef, rabbit, lamb, Citrus, avocados, cherimoyas, guava, Sweredoski Farms (Bell Gardens) Vegetables turkey berry varieties, pomegranates

Weiser Family Farms (Rancho MM Livestock (Wildomar) Valley Center Growers Cucamonga) Lamb, pigs (Valley Center)

Vegetables Citrus, blackberries, raspberries,

Homegrown Meats (La Jolla) avocados, pomegranates, figs, VR Green Farms (San Clemente) Beef

persimmons Italian vegetables

Lindner Bison (Valencia) Whitney Ranch (Carpinteria) Clearwater Farms (Santa Monica) Bison

Blueberries, Meyer lemons, avocados Mushroom varieties

Mike & Sons Egg Ranch (Ontario) Wong Farms (Mecca) Green Family Farms / Life’s A Eggs

Tomato varieties, mangoes Choke (Lompoc)

Spur Valley Ranch (El Cajon) Seasonal vegetables

Poultry, eggs

LOCAL PURVEYORS MAP

RIDGECREST

We Are Local

The food choices we have as consumers in Southern California are vast and unparalleled. To better connect you to your food, take a look at this map of just some of the purveyors that you can find at farmers markets, and choose to support local!

BAKERSFIELD

TEHACHAPI

Produce

Fruit

Vegetables

Seafood

Honey

Cheese

Meat

LANCASTER

OJAI VALENCIA BURBANK OXNARD

Oso Libre Winery (Paso Robles) Artisanal estate wines, Black Angus cattle

Golden Farms Inc. (Canoga Park) Sliced meats, sausages, turkeys

s e a f o o d

Carlsbad Aquafarm (Carlsbad) Oysters, mussels, seaweed

Santa Monica Seafood (Santa Monica) Local wild-caught seafood

Pearson’s Port (Newport Beach) Floating fish market

h o n ey / b e e s wa x

Sundance Honey (Laguna Hills) Honey Guerilla Beekeepers (Silverado Canyon) Honey, honey-based products, honeybee rescue and relocation

Beach Blossom Honey (San Clemente) Honey

Kirk’s Urban Bees (Los Angeles) Raw honey, live bee removal

Bee Canyon Ranch (Whittier) Honey varieties, beeswax products, royal jelly and pollen

SANTA MONICA HEMET

COSTA MESA

Bill’s Bees (Lake View Terrace) Honey varieties, pollen, beeswax

Energy Bee Farm (Los Angeles) Raw honey and honey bee products Honey Pacifica (Long Beach) Raw cold-packed honey varieties, coastal bee pollen, beeswax candles

Mikolich Family Honey (Temecula) Raw honey, beeswax, candles, lip balm, custom gifts, pollination

Knorr Beeswax (Del Mar) Beeswax candles, candle sheets, beekeeping supplies

Toadily Handmade (Mission Viejo) Beeswax candles, candle sheets

Bennett’s Honey Farm (Fillmore) “Gravity strained” honey

cheese

MISSION VIEJO

Winchester Cheese Co. (Winchester) Hand-crafted gouda

Soledad Goats & Goat Cheese OCEANSIDE (Mojave) Goat cheese, goat yogurt, goat rescue CARLSBAD

Spring Hill Cheese (Ventura) Fresh cheese curds, European-style butter, Quark, Raw cheddar, pasteurized cheddar and jack

Rinconada Dairy (Santa Margarita) Hand-crafted cheeses from raw sheep milk

Angelo & Franco (Hawthorne) Mozzarella, ricotta

SAN DIEGO

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GOOD FOOD

The Chefs

2012’s main course chefs included (01) Rich Mead of Sage; (02) Elyssa & Yves Fournier of Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine; (03) Ryan O’Melveny Wilson & Greg Harrison of Five Crowns/SideDoor; (04) Justin Monson of St. Roy Chef ’s Pub at Vine; and (05) Patrick Glennon of Santa Monica Seafood.

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Eco App Off names 2013 Main Course Chef Twelve teams battled to be crowned winner and return as a main course chef to next year’s Feast. Guests were given two dried fava beans to use for voting, and when all the beans were counted, Chef Erika Tucker’s corn soup reigned supreme.

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Chef Adam Navidi [Future Foods Farm] offered fresh garnished oysters. (02) Chef Jenny Ross [118 Degrees] serves up her CA 118 Avocado Roll. (03) Chef David Pratt [Brick Pizzeria] lit up our Cobb Oven for his wood-fired pizza. (04) Chef Scott Brandon [Linxopening November 2012] displays his baja lump rock crab “balazo.”

This page: (05)

Chef Cathy McKnight [What a Dish Cafe & Catering] dusts dill pollen atop her (06) goat cheese deviled egg with bacon. (07) Chef Matt Tobin [True Food Kitchen] smiles over his (08) local vegetable crudite amuse bouche. (09) Chef Paul Buchanan [Primal Alchemy] garnishes his (10) sage & thyme crostini with housemade apple cider mustard, kune kune coppa and

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pickled chow chow. (11) Local basil oil is drizzled over (12) Chef Justin Miller’s [Pizzeria Ortica] pasta all chitarra. (13) Chef Erika Tucker puts the finishing touches on her award-winning (14) corn soup with whipped goat cheese and mango honey crostini. (15) The chef representing Casey Overton [The Loft at Montage Resort] offers up a tomato snow cone. (16) Chef Pascal Olhats

[Pascal’s] beautifully displayed his Carlsbad Aquafarm mussels topped with red bell pepper puree and olive tapenade. (17) Dana Buchanan [Primal Alchemy] pours the evening’s Primal Peach Cocktail.

(18 ) Even the dishes were edible with the summer gazpacho served in cucumber cups by Chefs Robert Zuetell and Gina Galvan [Chomp Chomp Nation Food Truck].

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GOOD FOOD

The Future of American Agriculture The Strategic Challenge of the 21st Century .......

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In addition to running Murray Farms with his wife, Laura, and their three kids, Scott A. Murray currently works as the Agricultural Program Director at the San Pasqual Academy, a boarding high school for foster teens where he has built an 11-acre Organically Certified vegetable and herb farm. The Agriculture Program hires students to work on the farm and teaches agriculture classes, and the teens learn food literacy, vocational literacy and independent living skills as part of the program.

The State of The Farm As we are buffeted by extreme weather events, global climate changes and increasing general environmental degradation, America’s Food System is in crisis. We are precariously balancing the future of our multiple and various food production systems on a knife’s edge. The risks that we are currently taking with these critical systems, not only in the U.S. but around the world, are having far-reaching and potentially disastrous effects on the health of consumers and, indeed, the future of our entire ecosystem.

The extensive use of chemicals in agriculture is unsustainable and is catching up with us. The constant application of increasingly higher doses of chemicals is altering the ecosystem itself and has led to diminishing returns for farmers. We are already experiencing the effects of the use of massive amounts of chemicals in agriculture, as well as the unknown effects of eating food that has been genetically altered. The incidence of degenerative human and animal disease tracks closely with the increase and diversity of chemical use in agriculture. The ‘dead zone’ in the Gulf of Mexico near the mouth of the Mississippi River is just one example of the dangers that we are currently facing in the breakdown in human health as a result of environmental facts as well as the destruction of vulnerable agricultural soils.

The burning of soil organic matter which has contributed to global warming on a massive scale, coupled with the loss of ancient biodiversity, and lack of drought tolerance in our chemical based agricultural systems, has put our nation at extreme risk during the summer of 2012. After a number of years wherein crops failed or were severely damaged in the wheat producing areas of United States, Russia and Australia, food scientists are predicting that 2013 could be a year of expanding crisis as a result of the extreme weather events that are now becoming common place each summer. Global food stocks have been drawn down over successive years of drought, raising the potential for global food riots

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as food prices have steadily risen around the world.

The United States Government has been approving GMO products for years without having independent, non-governmental research verifing the claims made by the companies producing the GMO seeds. The FDA currently trusts the producers to reassure us that their products are safe rather than rely on research that is not marketdriven. These companies maintain that there have never been any side effects, but this seems very difficult to believe when you study the history of GMO products in America and when you consider the reported side effects on human and animal health. (Anyone recall the Star Link corn scandal when it accidentally got into the marketplace?)

If they are safe, why are the companies that are creating and promoting GMO foods in the United States reluctant to trust us with the choice of knowing what is in what we eat? Why are they afraid of accurate ingredient labeling on packages?

If we want the ability to produce food in the future, these alarming changes demand holistic and global change to strengthen and improve our food production systems.

The Farm Revolution: Agro-ecology With sustainable long-term practices, we can expand world food production, reduce the effects of droughts, improve the health of our ecosystems and expand biodiversity all with the same set of tools. Agro-ecology could conceivably double world food production on the current footprint of farms,

while offering solutions for many of our current environmental problems by building food production systems that increase in strength and resiliency each year.

Speaking from the ground, we as farmers simultaneously need to expand sustainable food production and reduce the pollution of our ecosystems. We must embark on rebuilding and replenishing of organic matter in the soil, the content of which has dropped from an average of 5% since the start of chemical use in agriculture to the current average of 1% or less. This destruction of soil health represents one of the largest contributors to the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

By increasing organic matter in the soil, we sequester more carbon from the atmosphere and simultaneously increase the water holding capacity of the soil, improving its resistance to destructive drought conditions.

Inventing Our Sustainable Future The United States and, indeed, the world are at an environmental crossroads where we face difficult choices that will determine the future security of our food supply. In a time of increasing chemical use, declining yields accompanied by widespread environmental devastation, and global resource depletion, we must not only ask, but answer the questions: do we continue down the “conventional path” that produces cheap and abundant food at an escalating environmental cost? Or, do we seek alternatives to corporate managed factory farms?

We are literally starving our future both in the food

GOOD FOOD Southern California has enough undeveloped water resources and available land to build a sustainable food system that could provide all of our food needs

we serve our vulnerable population and in the lack of investment we are making in the leaders of our future sustainable economy. If we continue down the conventional path, we will continue damaging and destroying our precious and vulnerable farming systems that have produced food for generations. Our food production system should be considered our fundamental National Security Industry. If the United States loses the capacity to feed its population and stops providing staple food products (mainly wheat and other grains) to sustain millions and around the world, we will find ourselves dependent on other nations in ways that makes our dependence on foreign oil seem like child’s play.

Your Part in the Future of American Ag: One of our first challenges is to revitalize agriculture in our education system. We need to inspire and encourage our children to study the sciences and reconnect them to food in meaningful ways. One way to support our educational systems is by forming public/private partnerships that would create projects on underutilized school district property. We could use these spaces to design and build outdoor science classrooms, put neglected school grounds to work growing food, and train future farmers to ensure long-term agricultural productivity.

“Sustainable” Seafood Fishing to feed future generations

Paddy Glennon is a lover of fish, a real American, and a family man. And, when he’s not on official Santa Monica Seafood business, Paddy hoists the flag of his advocacy group, Culinary Liberation Front, calling people to sustainable food action all across Southern California.

Up until recent history, fishing methods were mostly hand lines, drift nets, and in some remote areas, spears and bow. All that has changed since the Industrial Revolution, and the world now has larger fleets of fishing vessels than ever before in human history, and, in so doing, the relationship of people to nature has completely changed. We now use long range vessels with refrigeration and freezing capabilities as well as sonar and electronic fish tracking capabilities never seen before in history.

This has made it possible for many seafood-eating nations to treat the ocean for years as an endless supply of protein.

Nature is and can be resilient, but we have already begun to see long-term effects caused by over-fishing and excessive by-catch. The boundless Cod stocks of over a century ago that led Basque and Viking mariners to dry Cod (Bacaloa) in Newfoundland and Cape Cod (long before Christopher Columbus ever set foot on the Americas) were crippled in just a few years with the discovery of Dredge Nets in the late 1970s. This caused a complete closure of all Commercial Cod fishing in Eastern Canada in 1986. Despite these efforts, the Cod populations have not rebounded, and even now in 2012, this area is still closed, causing generations of fisherman to go broke and fishing villages to fall below poverty levels. That certainly is not “sustainable,” and this same story is seen in villages around the world.

In order to truly be sustainable, what we buy, how it is caught, and where it is sourced/caught are all really important when making decisions on what we eat. As a supplier, I know that the power of CONT ON P.16 CONT FROM P.15

Individually, we can adapt to increasing resource scarcity by growing our own food, buying and eating food produced locally. We can look at our effects on agriculture in our own backyards and begin to sequester carbon locally, harvesting rainfall where feasible, canning, drying, and preserving our own produce.

Each of us can also support the local and urban farming communities in many different ways.

Consider the impact your “conventional” buying decisions have on the local agricultural economy.

Go to a farmer’s market every week, join a CSA (community-supported agriculture program), buy your oranges or apples direct from your neighbor’s roadside fruit stand. We must join together in our cities, in our neighborhoods, and most sacredly, in our homes to compel our sustainable agricultural future.

As Scott points out, our food systems are in peril, and we can do something about it. At The Ecology Center, we are dedicated to retrofitting these complex systems in a tangible way at the individual and community level. Read more on page 5 about our Grow Your Own! garden program in local schools, and get inspired to plant your own with our seasonal veggie chart on page 18. We can all make a difference in the future of our food!

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GOOD FOOD

“Sustainable” Seafood 02 CONT FROM P.15

the wallet can be a weapon that any everyday “Environmental Warrior” can use. Here are some tools you can add to your arsenal to help turn the oceans tides in her favor of recovery and bounty: Try to source US Caught wild fish for your family.

American wild fisheries in all waterways, oceanic borders, rivers and lakes are under excellent sciencebased quota management, catch, season, and area regulations. This is an easy guarantee of conscious sourcing for your family. A “country of origin” designation on seafood sold does not mean it was caught or farmed properly with low impact.

Know the seasons fish are running local.

Swordfish for example is seen in stores and restaurants year-round. However, local Californiacaught swordfish (which is caught with proper gear such as drift nets 35’ below the surface to avoid Leather Back Green Turtle Catch, pilot whales, porpoises and dolphins) is going on NOW untill around December. Have you seen this celebrated on any restaurant menus yet? Where does the swordfish come from the rest of the year, and what is its effect on by-catch (non edible species important to the oceans eco system)?

Ask questions! “Where is this farmed Salmon sourced?” “Do you know the name of the farm?”

Many, such as Loch Duart(Scotland) and Grieg / Skuna Bay (Vancouver Island), have made amazing strides to avoid environmental impact. These farms and others that are doing an excellent job need to be rewarded with your purchases. Just like with organic farming, proper methods are not always the “cheapest”, but they are worth it. I am sorry to say, if you ask the Chef or Market to tell you where, for instance, their salmon is from, most will not know the answer. It takes people asking to compel them to have answers.

Educate yourself, and speak up. Monterey Bay Seafood Watch and our own Long Beach Aquarium’s “Seafoods of the Future “ programs are excellent starting points. Arm yourself with information, and when you find things wrong, tell the Market or Restaurant Manager why you are not buying that fish or coming to their restaurant. Get your friends to Yelp! about it and, with our collective power, I am sure we will see change happen when we hit them in their wallets.

Get involved in the global dialogue. Keep your eyes on international NGO’s such as Humane Society, Green Peace, WWF and see what international ocean problems we have. Write your congress person or senator, and get your friends to do so as well. The Oceans belong to the world, and we must send the markets and governments a strong message with our purchases and international trade so that they will take notice.

How will our generation be viewed in ocean and seafood history? We are the first generation since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution to have the scientific facts to prove the effects of the overfishing and acidification of our Ocean. Oceanographer Sylvia Earle says our actions, as a planet, over the next 10 years will determine the state of the ocean for the next 10,000 years. It is time to take action and do good with this knowledge.

01. Paddy Glennon with sustainably farmed oysters in Mexico 02. A commercial hook and line fishing boat off the coast of Oceanside, CA. 03. Local Southern California Red Snapper

PRO CHEFS, this is for you

Use your menu for frozen and properly farmed fish, and wild fish in season. FAS, frozen at sea is quality product with the least carbon footprint available, and it also offers stable pricing. Use your blackboard and specials to follow the seasons and the availability. Use your creativity! Don’t be afraid to say, “It is not available today as nothing from a proper source was on the market.”

You are responsible to know where your fish is from, method of catch, and country of origin. Don’t just shop by price and grind your fishmonger. Put the oceans’ sustainability and conservancy as part of all your menu ideas and recipes. If you are new to this approach, I assure you that you will need to change a lot of what you do. But, your diners will appreciate your efforts and be happy to pay the extra few dollars a plate will cost when properly and honestly marketed.

Call it what it is, and don’t lie to create that warm fuzzy feeling you want your guest to have. Be honest and authentic about what you sell, and train your servers to know as much about the food as they do about the back bar!

Celebrate the seasons for your sales! When local Sea bass and Albacore are around in the months of June, July, and part of August, celebrate that and take your Chilean off the menu during this time. Local California swordfish is in season now untill early December; be proud of that, and take swordfish off the menu any other time of the year as there is no guarantee as to how It was caught.

Give Tunas, Chilean Sea bass, Orange Roughy a break. There is too much pressure on these fish, and, if we continue at the rate we are going, they will be long forgotten and only in our grandchildren’s history books. Try to keep moving red-listed items off your menu, and replace with Monterey Bay green-listed items. Learn about the Marine Stewardship Council, and try to source from those international fisheries when local seafood is out of season. Treat fish species like strawberries—they are not good to eat all year long.

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TEC Design Studio UPDATE 32701 Alipaz St. San Juan Capistrano, California 92675 p. 949.443.4223

Canova Residence

Fruit Tree Orchard:

Citrus x meyeri, Meyer Lemon

Prunus armeniaca, Apricot

Punica granatum, Pomegranate

Ecological Design is a longstanding passion of mine.

While studying at UC Santa Cruz, my thesis was designing an ecological campus community, appropriately titled “Project in Community Agroecology”. Since then, I’ve traveled to numerous countries within Latin America, Africa and returned to the US in pursuit of creating intelligent, yet simple, ways for us as humans to live in harmony with our environment. These projects ranged from 1,000-acre working farms, small villages, and backyards. Recently, I’ve started a new consulting collaborative, L.1 “The Ecology Center Design Studio,” designing custom

Ficus carica, Common Fig

Edible herbaceous perennial borders

Canova Residence Conceptual Landscape Plan

Enclosed seating area

Vitis species, Grape species Nelumbo nucifera, Lotus

Herbaceous walkable groundcovers (ie: Achillea millefolium, Yarrow) Grape arbor north

Redwood worm bin

Rainwater harvesting barrel

25036 El Cortijo Lane Mission Viejo, California 92691

Meandering flagstone walkways planted with Thymus serpyllum, Creeping Thyme groundcover

Potting & tool storage area

Notes:

Notes:

This plan is for illustrative and conceptual landscape design purposes only. Refer to plant schedule, hardscape list and site amenities list for detailed project materials selection.

Sheet: Conceptual Landscape Plan Date: August 15, 2012

ecological environments—mini versions of The Ecology Center.

When Larry and Lana Canova of Mission Viejo approached us to design their backyard, we jumped at the opportunity to help them envision a healthy and productive food-scape, complete with a diversity of fruiting trees and shrubs, small veggie production, composting, rainwater catchment, and more. Beyond being highly productive, the intent is always to create a space that is beautifully inspiring.

—Evan Marks

Scale: 1/2”= 1’-0”

Potted fruit trees

Mulch pathways

Diospyros kaki, Japanese Persommon

Redwood raised beds

Funder Spotlight

Food programming for 20122013 at The Ecology Center (including The Food Shed and Grow Your Own!) is funded in part through a generous $65,000 grant by Chipotle’s Cultivate Foundation.

With each bite of a burrito bowl from Chipotle Mexican Grill, you may not realize that you are supporting the local food movement and food literacy programming, but you are. Chipotle’s commitment to “Food With Integrity” runs deeply through your dining experience through the food you eat (locally sourced, sustainably grown and harvested whenever possible) and also through the dollars you spend.

Chipotle’s Cultivate Foundation Empowering “Food With Integrity” Chipotle established their Cultivate Foundation in 2011 to extend their commitment to food with integrity.

The foundation supports organizations and individuals who support family farms and their communities, educators and programs that teach younger generations about food matters, and support for ranchers and farmers who are working to develop more sustainable practices. To date, Chipotle has given out more than $2 million to empower the creation of “a sustainable, healthful, and equitable food future.”

In announcing the grant, Steve Ells, chairman of the Cultivate Foundation, shared that “The Ecology Center’s programs are teaching children about the importance of good food in innovative ways that make it fun and engaging for kids, making those important issues understandable to them.” The Ecology Center is honored to be included in mission work of The Cultivate Foundation, and we appreciate the recognition of our commitment to quality and delivery of content that is relevant to this and future generations.

Did you know? Chipotle restaurants will serve more than 10 million pounds of locally grown produce in 2012! You can definitely feel good about those servings of fresh veggies.

New Tools for Change

“15 Ways to Protect Your Watershed” booklet Jeff Davis, Community Programs

This little blue book, designed for the Hurley Pro, is packed with simple and attainable solutions on ways to protect our watershed. A call to action with simple things like buying local – reducing the stress of pollution and consumption that industrial food puts on our watersheds, or ditching the plastic bottle for a reusable one – saving the water used to manufacture and transport it, while keeping our beach a no-plastic zone.

Seed Bank @ Tools for Change General Store Jessica Watkins

Ever wonder what to grow from seed? By bulk teaspoon or by the packet, The Ecology Center’s Seed Bank offers a variety of seeds perfect for the Southern California home garden. With our climate, we can sow many things year-round from mixes like “sprouting mix” and “garden cover crop” to single variety winners like Blue Hubbard winter squash.

The store also has organic compost and resources to start growing beautiful, non-GMO traditional and heirloom varieties right in your backyard.

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SEASONAL SKILLS

Living On Leftovers

Watch the instructional video online: http://youtu.be/7nHgAMei8Bw

How To Build A Worm Bin At The Ecology Center, we believe waste should be dealt with in a responsible manner, one that mimics nature such as composting with worms, or “vermicomposting.” Here, instead of tossing our veggie waste and other kitchen scraps to the landfill, we enlist the help of some of our subterranean friends to turn that waste into fertilizer. With easy maintenance and no odor, you can do it in your own kitchen, too! here’s how:

01. Buy or build a compost bin. To start, we recommend using a 15-20 gallon Rubbermaid container. As a rule of thumb, you’ll need 1 square foot of surface area per pound of waste you’ll add per week. The bin should be 8-12 inches deep, plastic or wooden and with drainage holes drilled into the bottom.

03. Add bedding. A mix of shredded newspaper and cardboard will do the trick. Add at least 2 inches of fresh bedding to the bottom of your bin.

04. Moisten bedding until damp, not soaked.

05. Add 1lb of worms per square foot of bin surface area. You can keep your bin either indoors under the kitchen sink or outdoors as long as the temperature stays between 40 and 80 degrees Farenheit.

06. Add food waste. Chop these goodies up for faster degradation. what can worms eat?

YES: Kitchen waste like cooked or raw veggie and fruit scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds and tea bags MODERATION: Starches and citrus

02. Drill 1/2” holes into the bottom and sides of your bin to allow for ventilation and drainage of liquid from the composting process.

Tip: Remember to put a pan or extra bin underneath your compost bin to catch any liquid. This liquid can be used immediately as a fertilizer.

Simply dilute it in a watering can, 1 part liquid to 10 parts water, and pour.

NO: Dairy, meat, bones, oil and chemicals 07. Feed your worms once a week or daily, but remember to always add a 2 to 3-inch layer of shredded newspaper bedding to the top, completely hiding any food scraps.

08. Harvest the vermicasting (aka castings, worm poop or black gold)

For a pre-made wormbin, stop by the Tools for Change general store, or visit our young friend Leah DeWitte’s website - www.ecowigglers.com

PL ANTING SEASONALY Those of us in Southern California are privileged to have a climate where we can plant and harvest year-round. To get involved with your food, take a look at the list below, follow the seed start/planting directions on your seed packets, and welcome seasonal goodness at your local farmers market (www.localharvest.org).

Plant: arugula fava beans beets broccoli cabbage carrots cauliflower chard garlic kale kohlrabi lettuces

mustard greens onions parsnips peas radishes shallots spinach turnips

In Season: apples arugula beets

broccoli cauliflower carrots chard chicories dates grapes kale kohlrabi leaf lettuce mustard greens olives parsnips

pears persimmons pomegranates pumpkins radishes spinach squash sweet potatoes tangerines turnips

A couple of things to keep in mind…When planting larger seeds, such as beans and squash, always plant directly into the ground or container. With smaller seeds, you can either plant directly or start in a greenhouse and transplant the sprouted seedlings into the ground.

For more information visit www.theecologycenter.org and www.uccemg.com

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The Calendar october:

06 Farm to Fork / Ages 6-12 / 10:30-12

Members $15, Non-members $20

Backyard Skills at Center for

Living Peace Irvine / Succulent

Design and Care/ 1-3pm/ $12,

Sign up at goodhappens.org

20 Backyard Skills / Home Brewing / 1-3pm

Members $10, Non-Members $15

27 ECOTOBERFEST / Beer talk and tasting /

3-5pm/ Members $20, Non-Members $25

November 03

Farm to Fork / Ages 6-12/ 10:30-12 Members $15, Non-Members $20 Backyard Skills at Center for Living Peace Irvine / Wreath Making/ 1-3pm/ $12, Sign up at goodhappens.org

Volunteer Spotlight:

Vicki Marks

From business execution to chairing Green Feast four years in a row, she shares why she does it: How long have you been a volunteer at TEC? I was involved with Evan from the very beginning.

Evan had always had a inclination toward education; so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I'm a systems/organizational type; my role was to secure the nonprofit 501c3 status and all the filings and applications associated with starting a nonprofit corporation. I also set up the accounting system, the corporate by-laws, human resource systems, and many other tasks to enable a business to run smoothly.

What do you typically do while volunteering?

In any new business, one wears many hats.

What a relief when the TEC could afford to hire someone to clean the house! I basically do whatever needs to be done. Yes, from cleaning the bathroom to making signs for the shop to organizing our major fundraising event, Green Feast.

AGENDA

10 Tools of the Trade: Coffee Brewing 101

with Martin Diedrich of Kean Coffee/

1-3pm/ Free

17 Backyard Skills / Rain Barrel

Construction / 1-3pm Members $20,

Non-Members $25/ Optional Rain Barrel

available for additional $55

Give Thanks Celebration / Community

Party / Members Only/ Free

15 Backyard Skills/ Bread Making/ 1-3pm

Members $20, Non-members $25

DECEMBER Craft Lab / Jewelry. Bees Wax Candles.

Glass Ornament. Pie Making/ 11-3pm/ Members $45, Non-members $50/ Lunch included

Tools of the Trade In collaboration with our new exhibition Tools for Change, Tools of the Trade is a FREE roundtable series in which local experts in a variety of fields will share useful skills and unique insights related to sustainable living.

Backyard Skills at Center for Living Peace Irvine / Succulent Design and Care/ 1-3pm/ $12, Sign up at goodhappens.org

Join us one Saturday a month to learn about topics such as beekeeping, backyard chickens, greywater systems, sustainable stimulants and more. Dates and times vary each month; please check TheEcologyCenter.org for more details.

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Ongoing Events: Tools for Change / General Store Hours: Saturdays + Sundays 11am to 3pm House and Garden Tours First Saturdays of each month, 1pm.

Weekend Happenings Activities for children and adults including tastings, storytelling, small crafts and much more!

Without this consummate volunteer, The Ecology Center wouldn’t exist—literally. In addition to raising Evan, Vicki came alongside him to support a vision of community gathering for the good of the environment.

What is your favorite part/memory of The Ecology Center?

These past 4 years have been filled with so many high points, but I think my most memorable moment was during the first Green Feast when I stood and looked down the table at 180 guests laughing and eating, set in the backdrop of this beautiful valley. The Ecology Center is like a family, and my happiest memories are bound around this sense of community. And it gives me a huge sense of pride when people comment that I must be proud of what Evan has accomplished.

I view my role as helping him accomplish his goals without hindering his progress.

Why are you part of the solution?

I'm part of the solution for the obvious reason that Evan is my son, and in our family, we support each other. But more than that, I believe in the mission of The Ecology Center that change is possible and each individual has the potential to effect change.

Remember The Ecology Center in your year-end giving!

All membership and general donations are tax-deductible and support education and practical solutions to improve our ecosystems.

Join at theecologycenter.org or email membership@theecologycenter.org for details.

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The Ecology Center

EcoCenter Inc. 32701 Alipaz St. San Juan Capistrano CA 92675

Nonprofit Org. US Postage Paid Mission Viejo, CA Permit No. 1418

Join The Ecology Center for our annual craft symposium to learn some age-old techniques, enjoy a farm-made lunch, and leave with skills to create beautiful, hand-made goods.

Sign up at theecologycenter.org or by calling 949.443.4223

T he E cology C enter . org