209 Business Journal - JULY 2022

k e e p i n g

BUSINESS JOURNAL

b u s i n e s s e s

c o n n e c t e d ™

JULY 2022

VOLUME 7 ■ ISSUE 7

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DARAMAN...............................

2

BIRD RANCH...........................

3

GREENS ON TENTH...............

4

WYLDE WILLOW WOODWORKS........................

5

FOSTER FARMS......................

6

OPINION..................................

7

FOOD TRUCK PARK...............

8

WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE....

10

ACCOLADES...........................

11

LATHROP: HOME OF THE $1M+ NEW TRACT HOMES 209 BUSINESS JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

This 2,786 square-foot new home with four bedrooms and three bathrooms on Garden Farm Avenue in Lathrop is now in escrow for for $1,012,420.

Lathrop celebrating 23rd anniversary of incorporation

BY DENNIS WYATT

209 Business Journal

L

athrop — the youngest city in San Joaquin County — is now the proverbial million-dollar baby when it comes to new home sales.

As the city celebrates its 23rd year of incorporation, three new tract homes in excess of $1 million are in escrow.

The homes — in the 3000

block of Garden Farms Avenue in the 15,001-home planned River Islands community — have pending contracts.

It means Lathrop is the second city in San Joaquin County to have new tract homes — as opposed to custom homes — on traditional sized city lots commanding seven figure prices. The first was Tracy.

The three homes range in

size from 2,786 square feet with four bedrooms and three bathrooms for $1,012,420 to 3,176 square feet with five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms for $1,074,217.

It’s unlikely anyone that voted for the official incorporation that happened in 1989 with 6,841 residents envisioned what is taking place today.

Back then Lathrop was a

mixture of older homes with several modern-style subdivisions. The median resale price of existing homes was just under $110,000.

Today the median piece of existing homes sold on the resale market is closing in on $700,000.

There was nothing except for farmhouses west of Interstate 5.

SEE LATHROP, PAGE 8

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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JULY 2022

IN PROFILE

Ramen lovers rejoice as new restaurant opens in Turlock

BY CHRISTOPHER CORREA 209 Business Journal

After opening Fire Wings in April, Modesto’s Steven Ha and Thomas and Trevor Diep are preparing to expand their entrepreneurial endeavors within the local food scene with the grand opening of Daraman, a restaurant serving up traditional Japanese ramen noodles. Daraman will be located in the space directly next to Fire Wings at 1050 W. Monte Vista Ave. Co-owner Trevor Diep explained the reasoning for wanting to open a restaurant dedicated specifically to ramen in Turlock.

Daraman will offer a number of ramen bowls to customers (Photo contributed).

“There is definitely a hype for ramen,” he explained. “One of the main reasons we wanted to come over is to bring a new flavor to the Turlock area. There are a couple other Japanese restaurants but no specific ramen shops, so we think we’ll be one of the first.”

Daraman will be serving a variety of ramen, including miso, tenkasu, shio and shoyu. Rice bowls, rice plates, teriyaki chicken and udon noodles will also be available to customers.

Daraman Type of business: Restaurant Location: 1050 W. Monte Vista Ave. Suite B, Turlock Hours: Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Contact information: (209) 620-8359 or www. daramannoodles.com.

Diep explained the background for the restaurant’s unique name. Daraman is pronounced as “Da Ramen,” as it is a play on words between the popular Japanese figure, the Daruma, and the word “ramen.” Because of the name’s ode to the famous symbol, the Daruma also serves as the logo for the new restaurant.

Diep hopes that community members stop by to take in the new, local eating experience.

Daraman is currently in the middle of a soft opening period but will be officially open for business with a full menu beginning on Monday.

“We’re so excited to bring this new flavor and new cuisine to the area,” Diep said.

Photo contributed

Daraman’s name and logo pay homage to the traditional Japanese Daruma figure.

Photo contributed

Daraman will offer a number of ramen bowls to customers.

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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JULY 2022

IN PROFILE

Bird Ranch takes flight as event venue, farm stay

BY SABRA STAFFORD 209 Business Journal

When Julie Sandino and her husband Rusty Areias purchased a sprawling 32-acres alongside the San Luis Creek on the outskirts of Gustine in 1997, the both knew there was a wealth of possibilities awaiting an unveiling.

Now, 25 years later, the couple has launched the site as The Bird Ranch at San Luis Creek, a boutique event venue and farm stay, where “rustic and elegance come together.”

The Bird Ranch at San Luis Creek was settled in 1906 as a chicken farm. Many of the buildings that were on the chicken ranch back then, like the farmhouse, the coop, the

shower room and the barn have been refurbished, and in some cases, repurposed to give guests a variety of rooms at the ranch.

The Bird Ranch is the fourth farm stay in California. It’s an idea that melds ecotourism and agritourism and allows guests to slow down and experience a rural lifestyle. At the Bird ranch there are three bedrooms in the main farmhouse, alongside a loft bedroom in the original tank house. The Chicken coop was converted three private charming-unique bedrooms. The creek runs alongside the property and the couple added in a swimming pool for cool dips when the weather gets warm. The addition of an outdoor brick pizza

Photos contributed

The Bird Ranch at San Luis Creek was settled in 1906 as a chicken farm.

The Bird Ranch is the fourth farm stay in California. It’s an idea that melds ecotourism and agritourism and allows guests to slow down and experience a rural lifestyle.

oven gives the entire place a feel of a hidden villa.

The barn has been refurbished to host a variety of

events, including indoor weddings. or guests can opt for one of the many picturesque spots around the property.

The Bird Ranch is also a place for students in the area to learn about the regions’ ecosystem.

SEE RANCH, PAGE 8

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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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JULY 2022

IN PROFILE

Greens on Tenth has a new place to gather

BY VIRGINIA STILL

209 Business Journal

Greens on Tenth started out as a Market, morphed into a café, and continues to be a thriving catering business and event venue. The café closed due to the mandates from the pandemic and Owner Ann Endsley has no plans to reopen it. Her focus will remain on the things that she is most passionate about, which are catering, events, and creating jobs.

“We never intended to open a restaurant or be in the restaurant business,” stated Endsley. “We just kept responding to the customer’s needs.

Greens is a catering company. Our mission was to start out in the market and then move on to catering. It (the café) was so much effort to keep that up and do all our events and corporate catering and prepared meals.”

The pandemic caused several challenges for people which pushed them to be creative to sustain, as did Endsley. They began cooking for seniors, veterans, and struggling families.

For the past couple of years, they partnered with the United Way on a few projects where Greens provides meals and they deliver them to those in need.

She added, “One thing that we should note is that we are really proud that we were able to keep our entire team going during the pandemic because we pivoted the company to start making meals for vulnerable families and people. The Underground Kitchen really took off during the pandemic.”

Underground Kitchen is a prepared food delivery company.

Greens expanded operations to 2424 McHenry Ave., with Gather and Event Collection where they have a retail shop, event rentals, cooking classes, and other events.

Patrons can access the extensive collection of modern, antique, and vintage items for events at Event Collection.

In the same building through a doorway is Gather, which Endsley explained, “is a great big kitchen that looks like a giant home kitchen and we do cooking classes. We also do showers and birthday parties and it is

another event venue from Greens.”

They partnered with Angela Burge Medicine Woman, who is local and is knowledgeable about detox, clean eating and using herbs for remedies.

“She is really a wonderful great local gal,” expressed Endsley. “We have been doing classes with her and I think we are on our fourth detox program where people buy the food from us and then go through the program with her. The classes that Angela Burge teaches on using very clean food and herbs for health purposes are all held at Gather. So, we have been doing some interesting collaborations lately.”

Greens acquired Alexandra’s Home & Garden from Oakdale and merged that with Gather. This allowed them to open a retail shop with table top furnishings, décor, candles, and soaps. Endsley noted that people through the years have inquired about purchasing the entertaining pieces and now with the retail shop they can.

“At Gather we are creating experiences like cooking classes, classes for kids, candle-making classes so it is a place for the community to gather and celebrate and have really great memorable experiences with their family and friends,” noted Endsley.

“It is really about people that work for us and the people that we serve.”

The food from the café is still available to order like the quiches, pecan sticky buns, morning buns, salads, soups, chili, and lasagna. The food items can be picked up at Gather where there is plenty of parking making it an easy in and out.

The large event venue at Greens that was renovated more than five years ago and the rooms are available to make memories for life’s biggest celebrations or the smallest ones.

“My goal is to literally create jobs,” remarked Endsley. “When I get up in the morning, I get up to try to create really fun great jobs for people.

These sister companies all kind of work together and most of our staff is cross-trained. So, it is one big happy family of sister companies. They all kind of work together.”

Photo contributed

Greens expanded operations to 2424 McHenry Ave., with Gather and Event Collection where they have a retail shop, event rentals, cooking classes, and other events.

VIRGINIA STILL/209 Business Journal

The food from the café is still available to order like the quiches, pecan sticky buns, morning buns, salads, soups, chili, and lasagna.

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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JULY 2022

IN PROFILE

Custom woodworking business opens in Oakdale

BY TERESA HAMMOND 209 Business Journal

It’s the buzz of the current decade, as more and more one hears tales of the “side hustle.”

As a stay-at-home mother of two, Emily Bakken is dedicated to making her business, Wylde Willow Woodworks, not only successful but a lucrative business for her family.

“Right now, I’m on the grind.

I want to be successful at this,” the Oakdale High School alum said. “I want to help my family and help my husband. Being able to take some pressure off his shoulders is my biggest goal.

He works very, very hard every single day.”

Bakken and her husband Joel are parents to two young children, Willow, age four and Wylde, who’s just five months old. Hence the business name, which was suggested by her husband.

“Wylde Willow Woodworks, I started right after he was born,” Bakken said of her business, noting that she had begun preparing for the business prior to her son’s birth.

Wylde Willow Woodworks is a marriage of Bakken’s artful eye with functional custommade wood pieces. From bathroom shelving, hat racks, key hangers and even bottle openers, the 20-something isn’t afraid to give anything a shot, if it’s made from wood.

“I would describe it as a custom woodworking business. I’m not stuck to one thing,” she said.

“Pretty much anything someone throws at me, I can let them know if I can do it.”

With a workspace set up in her home garage, Bakken said her current focus is working on efficiency. A goal which her

Photo contributed

Custom crafting pieces such as this dog food and water bowl holder keeps local entrepreneur Emily Bakken busy, working in her home garage/shop.

husband is helping her achieve by setting up a permanent work space, making the juggle between mom life and craftsman a bit more achievable.

“It’s hard, because I have to be busy in order to get where I want to be and then I know it will slow down,” she said of the transition, admitting to a bit of mom guilt. “It’s hard as a mom.”

Yet she stays committed to bringing quality work to her customers, as well as earning an income to help her family.

“Now with the way the economy is, I need things that can make money a little quicker,” she shared of future endeavors.

Bakken finds most of her clients via Instagram and a bit of Facebook Marketplace, and she also has aspirations to venture on to Etsy.

Her passion, however, remains with quality workmanship for clients who appreciate her woodworking skills.

“The laser engraving is really what everyone wants. They

want something custom made for themselves,” she said of the signs, racks, charcuterie boards and other personal items she’s produced.

The majority of her woodwork is made using cedar and redwood; however, she’s open to using other woods as well at the customer’s request.

“My favorite part is probably finishing it and taking pictures or making the video out of it,” Bakken said of the highlights of her start up business.

“Honestly the money to help my family, that’s probably the biggest thing,” she continued of the pride the business brings her.

“That I can make something and I can still be a mom and be at home.”

As the young entrepreneur speaks, it’s more than apparent that her love of her young family is the driving force behind her work ethic.

“I hope that my kids will remember,” she said, noting the role model she hopes to be, especially for her daughter, Wil-

keeping businesses connected™

Photo contributed

Shown with the tools of her trade, Emily Bakken is in her garage shop a lot these days working on custom pieces for her newly opened business Wylde Willow Woodworks.

low. “I really hope she takes after me and wants to work hard.”

There’s also the pride of workmanship and doing something well.

“Honestly, I like to impress my husband. It makes me happy to hear he’s proud of me,” she

concluded. “There’s a lot of reasons I like doing what I do.”

Wylde Willow Woodworks can be found on Instagram and Facebook. Bakken may be reached via messenger for orders and specific information on custom work.

209BUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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JULY 2022

NEWS

Foster Farms sold to Connecticut-based conglomerate

BY KRISTINA HACKER 209 Business Journal

The local poultry powerhouse Foster Farms is under new ownership, as the sale of the familyowned business was announced in June to Atlas Holdings, a global conglomerate based out of Greenwich, Connecticut.

Atlas and its affiliates own and operate 25 companies across more than 300 facilities worldwide. Atlas operates in sectors such as aluminum processing, automotive, building materials, capital equipment, construction services, food manufacturing and distribution, packaging, paper, power generation, printing, pulp, supply chain management and wood products.

Atlas acquired Foster Farms’ processing facilities in California, Washington, Louisiana, Oregon and Alabama, along with the company’s 10,000 employees.

“We are thrilled to welcome Foster Farms to the Atlas Family of great global businesses,” said Atlas Partners Sam As-

tor, Ed Fletcher, and Mike Sher in a released statement. “We have a long history of partnering with proud family-owned companies to honor their past while driving additional operational, environmental, and financial success for the next generation.”

Atlas also announced that longtime poultry industry leader Donnie Smith, former Chief Executive Officer of Tyson Foods, has been named Foster Farms’ new Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Smith spent 36 years with Tyson in roles spanning all business functions. He was named CEO in 2009, a role he held until his retirement in 2016. Under his leadership, Tyson saw record growth, entered new markets and expanded its product offerings, staying true to Tyson’s heritage while charting its path forward as one of the world’s largest food companies.

“I love the poultry industry and am proud that Atlas has

209 Business Journal file photo

Atlas Holdings acquired Foster Farms’ processing facilities in California, Washington, Louisiana, Oregon and Alabama, along with the company’s 10,000 employees.

asked me to become the CEO of Foster Farms,” said Smith.

“I’ve long been an admirer of the Foster Family and the business they’ve built over the past eight decades. In this new era, we will maintain and further that legacy, rooted in animal welfare, superior product quality, customer service and community engagement.”

Founded in 1939 on a small farm, Foster Farms has grown to be a leading brand of fresh

chicken in the West with products available nationwide. The company has also been known for its generous donations to local food banks. Every year before Thanksgiving, Foster Farms has donated thousands of pounds of turkey to West Coast food banks, including the Second Harvest Food Bank of San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. In 2020, the company stepped up to donate an additional 420,000 servings of

poultry to California and Washington state food banks to assist families impacted economically

by COVID-19.

In recent years, however, the company has seen its fair share of trouble.

In May, Foster Farms and its contracted staffing agencies were ordered to pay $3.8 million in fines after the California’s Labor Commissioner cited the company for not informing 3,476 workers of the availability for COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave.

In 2020, a judge in Merced County granted a temporary restraining order sought by the United Farm Workers of America union against Foster Farms, where a virus outbreak at its Livingston facility killed nine people and sickened hundreds earlier this year. The plant was temporarily ordered to close.

Also in 2020, the Animal Legal Defense Fund sued Foster Farms for wasting water while slaughtering chickens through “electric immobilization.”

Upscale liquor store, Ride 209 Fitness & Recovery Studio planned for Ripon

BY VINCE REMBULAT 209 Business Journal

A pair of projects – an upscale liquor and a fitness club – could soon fill out the remaining parcels of the Ripon Crossing shopping center.

At the recent Ripon Planning Commission, Planning Director Ken Zuidervaart indicated that a public hearing on a request to build a 7,498 square foot building to accommodate an upscale liquor and spirits store is scheduled for the July 18 meeting.

That’s the same project that went before Commissioners at the February

meeting. Commissioners opted to postpone the site plan permit due to parking concerns.

“The applicant is planning a BevMo-type (liquor) store,” said Zuidervaart, referring to Beverages & More, featuring the latest in spirits, wine and craft beers.

The previous plan called for a multi-tenant commercial building in the same location at 798 N. Jack Tone Dr., next to Tractor Supply and adjacent to Les Schwab Tires.

“A project down the pipeline for August is the fitness club, which is the

last parcel (in Ripon Crossing),” Zuidervaart said.

Ride 209 Fitness and Recovery Studio is currently located at 1475 Moffat Blvd. in Manteca, and offers more than 60 classes a week, including indoor cycling, HIIT, strength training, Pilates reformer, barre, boxing and various types of yoga.

The fitness club is looking to move into the space at 720 N. Jack Tone Rd., near Canal Drive and across from the new Happy Daze RV Dealership.

The future of Ride 209 is a 25,554 square foot fitness facility.

Ride 209 is looking to make the move from Manteca to Ripon, with plans of constructing a 25,554 square foot fitness facility in the area of Jack Tone Road and Canal Drive in the Ripon Crossing shopping center.

209 Business Journal File Photo

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

7

JULY 2022

OPINION

Virtue is an inner strength.

It expands your nature

Vol. 7 No. 7 ■ July 2022 PUBLISHER Hank Vander Veen

EDITOR Sabra Stafford

NEWSROOM

Christopher Correa Kristina Hacker Teresa Hammond Vince Rembulat Virginia Still Dennis Wyatt

­—John Bradshaw

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Harold L. George

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sharon Hoffman

SALES & MARKETING Chris Castro Beth Flanagan Karen Olsen Corey Rogers Melody Wann Charles Webber

DIGITAL

Frankie Tovar Rich Matheson

To advertise in 209 Business Journal, call Manteca ■ 209.249.3500 Oakdale ■ 209.847.3021 Turlock ■ 209.634.9141 Newman ■ 209.862.2222 209 Business Journal is published monthly 122 S. Third Ave • Oakdale, CA 95361 Information: sstafford@209magazine.com 209businessjournal.com The Oakdale Leader USPS No 178-680 Is published weekly by 209 Multimedia, 122 S. Third Ave. Oakdale, Ca 95361 ©Copyright 2022. 209 Business Journal All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher of 209 Business Journal is strictly prohibited. The opinions expressed in 209 Business Journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of 209 Business Journal management or owner.

209 Business Journal assumes no responsibility and makes no recommendation for claims made by advertisers and shall not be liable for any damages incurred.

Setting up a worker cooperative with an LLC “I have run a successful service business for many years.

I am getting ready to retire and have been approached by several local competitors who would love to buy my business.

The problem is that I have several long-serving employees in their 40s and 50s who would probably be terminated if I sold the business, with little chance of their being reemployed in this area.

I would prefer to sell this business to my employees, but an employee stock ownership plan sounds too complicated for a small business like this one.

I’ve been reading online about worker cooperatives that can be set up using a limited liability company, but as I understand them LLCs cannot retain earnings; everything must be distributed to

CLIFF ENNICO CREATORS SYNDICATE

the owners at year-end, which would prevent this business from growing over time.

Could you please address this in one of your future columns?”

First of all, this reader gets my nomination for sainthood. Most of my retiring clients would grab at the cash being offered by the competitors and leave their former employees twisting slowly, slowly in the wind.

The concept of a worker cooperative, dating back to the 1930s in the United States, is beginning to be dusted off and looked at with fresh eyes, not only in situations like this

one but in Millennial-owned ventures that are rejecting the traditional pyramid-shaped hierarchy in favor of a more collaborative (some might say socialistic) approach to management.

In a worker cooperative, the employees run the show and own the stock. Decisions are made either by the employees directly in periodic meetings or by a committee of employees who handle the day-to-day business, leaving only big decisions to a vote of all employees.

An employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP, is a taxdriven device designed to give employees a stake in the future profits of the business, but without necessarily giving them management rights.

The IRS rules for ESOPs are very complicated and are easy to foul up (explaining

why most ESOPs are managed by professional investment firms, for sizable fees), and I agree would probably not be appropriate for this reader’s company.

A handful of states have created special cooperative corporations for workerowned companies, and most other states allow cooperatives to be formed as nonprofit corporations. However, corporate income is taxed twice, and nonprofits cannot legally distribute profits to owners (as opposed to paying workers’ salaries).

Accordingly, the LLC has emerged as the preferred vehicle for setting up a worker co-op in the U.S. Here’s how it might work for this reader: — The employees would form an LLC under state law, with each employee having SEE CLIFF, PAGE 9

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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JULY 2022

NEWS

Proposed Turlock food truck park expands hours, acreage

BY CHRISTOPHER CORREA 209 Business Journal

Almost three months after its original proposal, revisions have been made to the plan that would bring a new food truck park to Turlock.

In March, Torre Reich Construction submitted to the City plans for a new food truck park.

The construction company has plans for approximately 20 food trucks and 16 fixed locations that will provide a variety of food selections and entertainment.

The initial proposal for the

Trax Food Park only stated that the 576 S. Center Street and 590 S. Golden State Boulevard spaces would be used for the park, but Torre Reich Construction has recently introduced plans to now add a portion of 500 S. Center Street, adding up to approximately 4.35 acres, an increase from 3.25 in March.

The 500 S. Center Street space that was added to the plan is an existing warehouse that will be modified to provide covered overnight parking, dump stations, wash stations, a propane station and storage areas for food truck and operators. This

existing space will accompany the warehouse space included in the original application, which is expected to host a variety of entertainment events.

The proposed food park is also making progress on its plans for an outdoor beer garden as the applicant will be applying to the Alcohol Beverage Control Board to serve beer and wine to of-age customers.

Another major revision to the application is the hours of operation as the construction company is now proposing to operate seven days a week. If accepted, the park will be open

9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays to Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to midnight Thursdays to Saturdays.

On-site security during hours of operation remains included in the plan.

The revised application also specifies the accessibility and renovation projects that will be taking place at the lot. Access to the food park will be provided by the existing driveways on Golden State Boulevard and South Center Street, with planned frontage improvements to the curbs, gutters and sidewalks. Landscaping will also be constructed along Center and F

Street frontages.

In a previous interview with the Turlock Journal, Torre Reich Construction project coordinator Jenn Weenk said the proposed project came from a desire to provide another family-friendly entertainment facility in Turlock.

“We hope that people are able to grab some food, sit down and listen to some music or play games,” Weenk said. “We want people to spend a few hours there, instead of getting food and going back home.”

California Restaurant Association releases new training platform STAFF REPORTS

209 Business Journal

The California Restaurant Association has announced a CRA-certified training platform in collaboration with Train 321, a nationwide provider of training for restaurant employees.

The new, easy-to-use, online Learning Management System has been under development for several years and is being introduced as restaurants are working to bring back employees who left during the pandemic and hiring more employees

LATHROP

FROM PAGE 1

Simplot’s fertilizer plant was the largest private sector employer. Now Lathrop is home to a number of high-profile employers including Tesla.

There was no Lathrop High.

Secondary students were bused to East Union High in Manteca.

Stewart Tract across the river was farmland that periodically flooded. Today it is home to River Islands that in just over six years has more residents than the 6,841 that lived in Lathrop when it was first incorporated.

The state Department of Fi-

who are new to the industry.

The platform offers a wide variety of courses for front of house and back of house instruction and will complement the many services the CRA already provides to California’s restaurants.

“Restaurant owners are telling us that post-pandemic realities are bringing a large class of first-time workers and applicants with little to no restaurant experience,” said California Restaurant Association President and CEO, Jot Condie.

“These new training products are in-

nance in May indicated Lathrop is now at 31,331 residents and was the third fast growing city in California during 2021.

But if you take out two aberrations — people moving back to the burned-out community of Paradise and students returning to Santa Cruz for in-person learning at the University of California campus after the pandemic eased — Lathrop was the fastest growing city in California last year.

Numerically, Lathrop was 13th in the state for numeric population gain as it added 1,947 new residents. Manteca was right behind in 14th with 1,864 new residents.

tended to give new restaurant employees basic but critical knowledge, easing the costly and time-consuming training demands on an increasingly stretched restaurant management.”

The new LMS offers 60 courses, giving employees valuable knowledge even before their first day on the job.

Courses include: • Safety basics including workplace safety, kitchen safety, and sanitation; • Bar Basics; • Human resources basics such as

RANCH

FROM PAGE 3

“The Bird Ranch provides an opportunity to experience what the Valley was like 150 years ago with some of the largest cottonwood trees in California, some 150 feet tall and 46 feet in diameter — all canopying the San Luis Creek, a navigable stream that runs through the property,” said Sandino. “The Bird Ranch provides the only section of the San Luis Creek still covered with trees. The antiquated irrigation system is also an interesting feature of the Ranch.”

The Bird Ranch has partnered with the Grassland Environmental Education Center and through that partnership they are able to give students an opportunity to learn about the various attributes of the property - from the

workplace diversity and ethics.

“We have designed these trainings to give restaurant employees the tools they need to make their establishments safer and more efficient, and to be prepared to handle every aspect of the customer experience,” said Train 321 CEO Dean Carras.

Train 321’s LMS platform enables easy access and adoption across a dispersed restaurant audience. To learn more, restaurants can visit www.calrest.org/post/ cra-training-packages.

blue heron rookery to the history of the San Luis Creek.

“We are partnering with [them] on the ranch for students to engage with nature, and learn about how land, water, and sustainable agriculture are key to the health of our community, state, and the broader Pacific Flyway,” Sandino said. “We are also partnering with Ducks Unlimited on a restoration project to restore the last stretch of the San Luis Creek and restore ag land back to its natural habitat of wetlands on the ranch.”

The couple hopes to see lots of area residents at the open house so that they can share all the wonders found at the Bird Ranch. The ranch is located at 26901 Fahey Road in Gustine. For more information email BirdRanch209Proud@ gmail.com.

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

CLIFF

ownership interest in the LLC would be sold back to the LLC (or the other employees) for a predetermined price.

— The LLC would then buy the assets of the existing business, and give a promissory note to the retiring owner offering to pay him back over time with interest at prevailing commercial rates (currently 6% to 8% per annum).

— The LLC would make monthly payments to the retiring owner before paying salary and benefits to the employeeowners.

FROM PAGE 7 an equal share in profits and losses (so if there are 6 employees, each one would have a 16.66% ownership interest in the LLC).

— The LLC would be run either by the employees as a group (“member-managed”) or by a committee of employees having the most management experience (“manager-managed”). If a worker quits, dies, becomes disabled or retires, his or her

9

JULY 2022

— As in any LLC, the employees would pay taxes on their percentage share of the LLC’s profits and losses.

For a really small business, this structure should work.

However, there are a number of potential problems: — If the LLC tries to retain more than $250,000 in earnings without distributing it to the employee-owners, it will be subject to an “excess profits tax” of about 40%.

— The LLC members who are managing the enterprise have a fiduciary duty to the LLC

(something ordinary employees don’t) and can bind the LLC to contracts and debts without the knowledge of the other employees.

To avoid these problems, the LLC could elect to be taxed as if it were a corporation or subchapter S corporation, but doing so would eviscerate many advantages of the LLC (such as simplicity of operation and the ability to bring on board nonU.S. citizens as owners).

There are several other, more creative ways to work around these problems (discussed in an

excellent article at http://cdi. coop/coop-llc-retain-earnings), but all of these will complicate the LLC’s operations and require sophisticated tax planning advice.

The biggest obstacle to worker cooperatives of any kind is getting employees to think like managers and owners. To paraphrase George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” while all members of a worker cooperative LLC are legally equal, some may have to be more equal than others for the business to enjoy long-term success.

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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

10

JULY 2022

NEWS

Women in Agriculture: Rebekah Mast

BY ANNA GENASCI

Stanislaus County Farm Bureau

Rebekah Mast grew up on a dairy in Denair, Calori-D Holsteins, that her grandparents purchased in the 1980s. She is the oldest of four siblings and showed dairy cattle in 4-H since she was 10 years old. It was no surprise when she went onto Modesto Junior College to study Dairy Science.

“At MJC I was on the judging team and participated in the Dairy Club,” shared Mast.

Following MJC she graduated from California Polytechnic State University of San Luis Obispo, where she majored in Dairy Science and minored in Agriculture Business. During here time there, she was on the winning 2004 Cal Poly Dairy Judging Team at World Dairy Expo, where she ranked second overall individual.

And with a tenacity for looking to the next challenge, in 2016, she earned a Master’s of Advanced Studies in International Affairs from the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California in San Diego.

Just this June, Mast accepted the newly formed position of Associate Vice President of Genetic Dairy Solutions and Talent Development for World Wide Sires and Select Sires Inc. In this role, she will work closely with the Global Dairy Solutions and Select Dairy Solutions teams to develop and deliver genetic tools and training for the global network.

World Wide Sires, Ltd. provides genetic and management solutions to address the needs of global dairy producers and ensure the long-term profitability of their businesses. Based in Visalia, WWS represents the largest global A.I. cooperative, Select Sires, Inc., and its product lines, Accelerated Genetics,

Mast is no stranger to the world of cattle genetics.

She served as the director of training and genetic programs for World Wide Sires where she conducted training in dairy cattle genetics and dairy farm management in more than 30 countries.

Photo contributed

Turlock native Rebekah Mast recently accepted the position of Associate Vice President of Genetic Dairy Solutions and Talent Development for World Wide Sires and Select Sires Inc.

GenerVations and Select Sires.

Mast is no stranger to WWS, Select Sires Inc. or the world of cattle genetics. Most recently, she served as the director of training and genetic programs for World Wide Sires. In that role, she conducted training in dairy cattle genetics and dairy

farm management in more than 30 countries throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Previously, she was an area director of marketing for WWS, serving territories in Africa and Eastern Europe. Prior to joining WWS in 2012, Mast served as a sire analyst and marketing man-

ager for a genetics company.

“We are very pleased that Rebekah has accepted this opportunity to expand the support and development of our teams,” said Wayne Conrad, Vice President of International Global Dairy Solutions. “Rebekah brings tremendous experience having worked with breeders as well as our sales teams in over 40 countries around the globe.

She brings a fresh perspective and deep understanding of our business.”

Mast’s tenure with WWS has included extensive international travel.

“I have always enjoyed other cultures, learning about people across the world. It is interesting how our basic goals are the same, no matter where we are from,” she said.

Mast did consider going back to the family dairy after college, but her dad told her to work somewhere else for two years, to get a taste of what else is out there. Right after graduation she worked as a Regional Sire Analyst with ABS Global for five years, a provider of bovine genetics, reproduction services,

technologies and udder care products. It was during this time that she discovered she enjoyed working with people and sharing her knowledge about dairy cows and genetics. However, Mast still spends every Christmas morning working alongside her dad at the dairy.

When she is not traveling abroad or training, she enjoys time with her 12 nieces and nephews. It seems she may have secured the title of “favorite auntie,” each of her 12 nieces and nephews get homemade, decorated, themed, sugar cookies for their birthday.

While work keeps Mast on the move, when she is home, she loves being outside, running, hiking, and riding her motorcycle. And now, she is off to her next adventure. This summer Mast will be moving to Ohio, WWS headquarters.

This is a big change for her. Living in Turlock, near her folks, three brothers, three sisters-inlaw, and 12 nieces and nephews, Mast enjoys time with her family. She shared that she and her mom may share some tears before her move.

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

11

JULY 2022

SECTION ACCOLADES NAME

PROMOTIONS, APPOINTMENTS, HONORS, ETC. Stanislaus Community Foundation awards 2022 scholarships

Stanislaus Community Foundation is pleased to share that $305,850 has been awarded to 178 local students for the 2022-2023 school year. Since its inception in 2002, SCF has distributed more than $2 million on behalf of local individuals, families, companies, and schools. Each year, SCF gathers a committee of volunteers to review applications and assist in determining which students will receive awards.

“Stanislaus Community Foundation is proud to support the academic goals of our local students,” said Marian Kaanon, CEO of Stanislaus Community Foundation. “They are the future of this county, and an investment in them is an investment in Stanislaus.”

Multiple scholarship funds hosted at Stanislaus Community Foundation were created by local donors with the intent to support college-bound high school seniors and current college students in their pursuit of higher education. Based on donor goals, some funds require that a student be part of a specific field of study such as nursing, agriculture, mathematics, or music or that a student must demonstrate financial need.

This year, 94 percent of first-time awardees were low income – signaling a great need for scholarships for students in our community. Stanislaus Community Foundation’s scholarship program is made possible through the generous donor support of 27 charitable funds.

Anyone interested in opening a scholarship fund to support Stanislaus County students, contact Melissa Van Diepen, Chief Philanthropy Officer at mvandiepen@stanislauscf.org or by calling 209.576.1608 x104. In the coming months, we will be highlighting our scholarship recipients on our social media channels. Make sure to follow along on Facebook (@StanislausFoundation), Instagram (@stanislauscf), and LinkedIn (Stanislaus Community Foundation).

Provost & Pritchard announces full-service caves & tunnels team

Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group is pleased to introduce their Caves &

Tunnels team.

The Caves & Tunnels team is new to Provost & Pritchard and brings an expansive portfolio of more than 350 cave and tunneling projects over the past 30 years.

These include wine caves and winery buildings primarily in Napa, Sonoma, and San Luis Obispo counties, as well as water supply, hydroelectric and tunnel projects in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and foothills.

“This is an exciting new area of services for Provost & Pritchard,” said Ronald J. Samuelian, President. “Scott and the team are passionate about serving their clients well and have decades of experience delivering successful cave and tunnel projects.”

The Caves & Tunnels team includes geotechnical engineers, engineering geologists, geostructural engineers, hydrogeologists and support staff.

Scott Lewis, PG, CEG, is the Principal Tunneling Consultant. Scott is the premier wine cave designer and consultant with more than 35 years of project work specifically related to wine caves and tunnels. His work includes, geologic evaluations and investigations, tunnel and cave evaluation and design, construction support, existing tunnel rehabilitation, slope stabilization and other consultation services.

“Our team is very pleased to be a part of the P&P group, which provides a wide range of engineering, environmental and business resources that greatly enhance our ability serve our clients’ needs,” says Scott.

Andrew Kositsky, PE, GE, is our lead design engineer for tunnel, wine cave, dam, retaining wall and shoring projects.

He is responsible for preparing geostructural design submittals and geotechnical engineering studies and has more than 30 years of experience in geotechnical investigations, foundations, slope stabilizations, tunnel and shotcrete wall designs,

and related work.

Kate (Lewis) Gabriel, GIT, is our Associate Geologist that supports the team with surface and subsurface geologic investigations, coordinating field activities and subcontractors, tunnel excavation and support installation monitoring and documentation, working with clients and other team members during design and construction to resolve constructions issues.

Kim Tarantino serves the team as a senior project administrator and is responsible for assisting with client and project management, coordination of all aspects of our cave and tunnel projects from submittals to design and field services, preparing documents for construction contracts, monitoring and tracking deadlines, and all aspects of administrative support from feasibility to construction management.

Vintners throughout California, Oregon, Washington and Texas are among clients who have turned to this team to literally dig in and make their visions come to life.

For more information, as well as information on career opportunities with the firm, visit www.provostandpritchard. com or email info@ppeng.com.

Doctors Medical Center’s Asia Cortez inducted into Tenet Heroes’ Hall of Fame

Doctors Medical Center is proud to announce that Asia Cortez, registered nurse in the Neuro Critical Care Unit, has been honored by Tenet Healthcare as part of its annual recognition program. Cortez has been named a Tenet Hero, with the additional honor of being inducted into the Tenet Heroes’ Hall of Fame.

The Tenet Heroes program celebrates those individuals who make a meaningful impact within their communities that goes above and beyond their daily responsibilities. Nominated by leadership and/or fellow colleagues, Tenet Heroes exemplify the company’s core values and commitment to its mission.

Each year, a select few are inducted into the Tenet Heroes’ Hall of Fame, the Company’s most prestigious honor for employees. This year, 23 individuals or teams were named to the Hall of Fame, including Cortez.

Cortez was recognized as a Tenet Hero

and Hall of Fame winner after showing incredible empathy and genuine kindness while caring for a family that tragically lost two of their loved ones at the same time. The way she made the patient’s family feel comfortable, safe and warm on the worst day of their lives is admirable. Cortez showed grace and compassion, making sure to answer the family’s questions and address their concerns during an unimaginable situation.

“Asia is a true inspiration and her actions make a positive and meaningful impact in our community each day,” said Warren Kirk, CEO of Doctors Medical Center. “We are proud to serve alongside Asia, and deeply appreciate her dedication, selfless nature and continued commitment to providing quality, compassionate care to our patients.”

Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra awarded “Community Possible” grant from U.S. Bank Foundation

The Modesto Symphony Orchestra was recently awarded a $10,000 Community Possible “Play” grant from the U.S. Bank Foundation to support the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra and its students. U.S. Bank makes “Play” possible by investing in community programs that supports ways for children and adults to play and create.

“We are honored to receive the U.S. Bank Community Possible ‘Play’ grant,” says Caroline Nickel, President and CEO of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra.

“The Modesto Symphony Orchestra and Youth Orchestra pride ourselves on music education and enriching our community through music. With support from the U.S. Bank Foundation, we look forward to strengthening the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra and continuing to challenge and inspire our students.”

Through the U.S. Bank Community Possible “Play” grant, the MSYO will boost its recruitment efforts to reach more students and fully represent our community’s diversity. The “Play” grant will help the MSYO offer more students an equitable playing field by providing more scholarships, specialized coachings, develop students’ musicianship and their teamwork, discipline, and problemsolving skills.

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

12

JULY 2022

This land is our land, and it will be for generations to come.

WELCOME TO THE PORT OF TOMORROW. We may work on the water, but we know the value of unspoiled earth. Which is why the Port is using sand dredged from our waterways to help Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge restore its lands and save endangered butterfly and plant species. It’s also why we’re cleaning up a neighboring former naval property for use that will create jobs and economic opportunity. At the Port, we’ll do what it takes to keep the future’s land as clean as its water, even if we have to dig a little deeper.

SOIL + SEDIMENTS

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

SUSTAINABILITY Chair Anthony Barkett, Vice-Chair Michael Patrick Duffy Commissioners R. Jay Allen, David B. Atwater, Gary Christopherson, Stephen Griffen, William Trezza Port Director Kirk DeJesus

For more information: Call 855-881-8816 portofstockton.com/mission