The Future of Gardening Rests in Little Hands

A common theme has been going around for the past couple of years, that sustainability and the environment, needs to be taken on by the younger generation. More and more people  began to brainstorm  about the common belief that environmental education needs to start at the elementary level. That children need to not only learn about the environment, but develop a passion and deep rooted care so that they can evolve into stewards for environmental sustainability. Over the past month, I have been fortunate enough to travel to different elementary schools that are doing just that; teaching kids about the environment in hopes that a sense of care will initiate and grow inside of them. I’d like to put the spotlight on two schools who, specifically, through the establishment of urban school garden programs, have begun this process of introducing the environment and sustainability into children’s lives.

At Rosa Parks Elementary School, the idea of the garden was birthed from the principle’s longing to have a space in which community and environmental education could blossom. Thus the community garden was developed. Currently there are two gardens that reside at the elementary school; the front garden which houses a chicken coop, crop beds such as cauliflower, rainbow chard, and kale, and the main garden which is home to additional crops, a large compost bin, and the awesome roomy shed.

Many helping hands go into the conditioning of the garden including parents, children, and even staff! When walking around the garden, our tour stopped in front of a number of beds that were referred to as the “staff section”. I was told that these beds were adopted by staff, in which they picked a crop of their choice and have vowed to help maintain and watch over the crop. This is something that is not seen at very many school community gardens, so it was truly unique and intriguing to run into.

Currently the gardens are maintained by Nora along with a series of volunteers. She  is a passionate gardener who in addition to maintaining the gardens, runs a weekly garden class for the kids in which they learn about sustainability, garden principles/methods, chicken care, etc. The garden project also includes the kids learning about garden harvesting, which takes place through the once a month “Salad Day”, in which children harvest greens from both gardens and make salads that they then eat. This hands on process helps the children see directly where their food comes from, and creates in them, gardening and cooking skills.

The garden outreach program is one inspirational story of a partnership between children, parents, staff, and community members in which there is a common belief and understanding that environmental sustainability is one of the most important topics of education that children need to be learning and grasping as they go throughout their educational journey.

The community garden is always looking for passionate and helpful volunteers, so if interested pop on over to Rosa Park’s  website page for more information!

Sustainability is Swimming with the Fish

Picture a warm and cozy street nestled deep in the heart of Berkeley, with community members walking down the street and shops lining the sidewalks. Its the middle of the day and the perfect temperature of just above 60 degrees. Now picture a tiny fish market resting between two corners shops. Not something you’d think you would find on Hopkins Street in Berkeley, given the quiet area. When most of us think of fish markets, we think of large commercial size markets, overflowing with an all too abundant supply of seafood. However Monterey Fish Market is one seafood market that differentiates from the others. Nesting between two other shops, lies the market and one inspirational story of how family and the belief of sustainability created something truly commendable.

Upon walking into the market, I met one of the market specialists, Trevor. Right away I could feel his enthusiasm and passion for the market and knew we would walk away with some valuable history and information about the market…

The Market’s story begins in 1979 when Trevor’s family decided to open up the market. Although the market began and stayed small, there is importance to that, seeing that the market is able to hone in on individual clients, but also successful enough to buy the best local quality of seafood. Products of the market are all seasonal and are mostly from the West Coast but there are some exceptions including seafood that is sourced from the East Coast and Alaska.

In addition to buying locally, the market displays a tremendous amount of effort when it comes to the environment, all thanks to the family’s belief in sustainability. When talking to Trevor, he stressed how important sustainable fishing methods are to him and his family, and how it is important that all fisheries try and implement that. He then motioned me to join him behind the counter where he pulled up the Market’s website and showed me the sustainability page. Here the Market has dedicated a whole section of the website to educating costumers about sustainable fishing practices. This portion of the website includes Longlining methods, Dragging methods, Seining, Gilnetting, Dragging, Hooking and Lining, and additional sustainability methods dealing with shellfish.

Monterey Fish Market separates itself from other markets in its profound belief of sustainability and care for its products. With all the negative stigma that circulates around seafood markets, it is comforting to know that this market is making efforts to break away from harmful and unsustainable methods and promote sustainability. Although small and local, the market is seen by many as powerful for its efforts to be different.

A Beginning Tells it All:McEvoy Ranch

When walking up to McEvoy Ranch’s shop in the Ferry Plaza building, one thing caught my attention. The quote on their sign,  that was largely displayed on a poster of two hands cupped holding a small olive tree. The quote read, “every great story has a beginning”. Immediately after reading that quote, I knew I wanted to know McEvoy Ranch’s story. With a quote like that, I knew behind the Ranch, there’d be a great story. To help tell that story, was shop employeeKeith, who I met the minute I walked up to the shop and started browsing. Keith was a great representative of the kind of enthusiasm and passion McEvoy Ranch has for its olive oil and other products. He  was eager to answer questions and tell McEvoy’s story. So this is what I learned from the honest and passionate Keith about the farm and everything that goes into it.

The story of McEvoy Ranch begins with the main character, Nan McEvoy, who had a passion for beautiful Tuscany and wanted to produce an olive oil that mimicked that of olive oils from Tuscany. So 550 acres in Peteluma and 1000 seedlings (imported directly from Tuscany) later, Nan set out to make her vision come alive in Petaluma where the Ranch is now located.

Today, the Ranch produces various types of virgin olive oil including their Traditional blend (comprised of six Italian specialities: Frantoio, Lecinno, Pendolino, Maurino, Leccio del Corno, and Coratino), Olio Nuovo, and Limited Edition Blend.
Part of Nan’s vision of her olive oils included making sure that her growing practices were sustainable and protective of the earth. All of the Ranch’s 1800 Olive Trees are grown and harvested on the 80 acre site in certified organic soil and compost. Adding on to the Ranch’s sustainable practices is its use of farm animals including chickens who are free to eat insects and other pests, sheep who help groom the farmland by eating, and bee hives. The Ranch is also unique for its use of wind power from a 225 kW Norwin windmill that they bought in June 2009. McEvoy Ranch states on its website that the windmill will, “reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 110 tons each year and is designed to meet 100% of our electricity energy needs” (www.mcevoyranch.com).
In addition to olive oil, the Ranch produces a variety of wines and recently introduced their line of olive body care products which includes, lip balm, body butter and lotions.

Mcevoy Ranch is a network of passionate people who strive every day to get their farming story out to the public. By making themselves extremely accessible at farmers markets and online, the Ranch is one inspiring story of environmental sustainability and growth, that one can revisit over and over again. After all, creating lasting stories is what the Ranch, is all about.

For more information on McEvoy Ranch and tours visit http://www.mcevoyranch.com.

“Creating the Best Tofu You’ve Ever Eaten”- Hodo Soy Beanery

On Wednesday morning I boarded bart to venture out to Hodo Soy Beanery,  located at 2923 Adeline Street in Oakland. I had never been to a Tofu Factory, and my knowledge of Tofu was definitely lacking. However, as soon as I arrived in front of Hodo Soy’s doors, I knew I would walk away with valuable knowledge. I was greeted by Farmer’s Market Manager, Maria Yates who gave the informational talk and tour. Through her enthusiasm and extensive knowledge about Hodo Soy, I could tell that this was a woman who was passionate not only about the Tofu produced, but the overall process, dedication and hard work that goes into shaping the beanery. Maria Yates unfolded Hodo Soy’s story and this is how it went…

Photo Credit:Hodo Soy Beanery

Hodo Soy’s story begins with founder Minh Tsai who wanted to create a type of that, in his words, “the asians would eat”. Tsai had a vision to create a reliable, healthy, and unique tofu that people could enjoy. Backed by his passion of tofu that he first experienced from his grandfather in his younger years in Vietnam, Tsai successfully created Hodo Soy Beanery,  which came into existence in 2009. Now, Hodo Soy has come a long ways from its intial start up all thanks to Tsai and the amazing team that keeps the beanery running. When walking through the Beanery you will find yourself surrounded by 12,00 square feet of open space,  including,  heigh ceilings, a steam boiler, and skylights.

Although Hodo Soy prides themselves on having a clean and spacious facility, they also take extreme care in making sure they have a environmentally efficient beanery. The steam boiler is used as a way to keep electricity to a minimum and the sky lights provide natural light, so the beanery does not have to pay for large light bills. In addition to the steam boiler, Hodo Soy also uses a chill tank to cool down the tofu instead of pumping large amounts of cold water every day.

So just what type of products will you find at this unique tofu factor that sets it apart from all of the others? Products that can be found at the beanery include Silken Tofu, Medium-firm tofu, Firm tofu, Unsweetened and Agave sweetened soy milk, and Yuba. For those who like unique tofu items you will find Hodo Soy’s Spicy Yuba Strips, Hijiki Tofu Salad, Spice and Curry Nugget, all very tantalizing! Although Hodo Soy would love to source all of its Soy Beans locally, with the high amounts of beans they use daily, they have to source from a Soy Bean Farm outside of the U.S. However, when they can, Hodo Soy sources their beans locally.

Yuba hanging to dry

One of Hodo Soy’s belief  is, ”that by using ‘good beans”, they will  ”produce good products and when our company acts as a ‘good bean’ we grow good communities and attract good people”. (www.hodosoy.com).  When thinking about food and people, at the core of these two groups is the connection they have to one another.

Establishing a good connection with the food we grow, process, and eat is crucial to sustaining the food system and our communities. Hodo Soy is a prime example of this process. The beanery is a beacon for other  beaneries and factories through demonstrating that these important facilities can be sustainable and environmentally couscous.

 

For tours and more information feel free to check out Hodo Soy’s website, where you can book a tour for yourself, friends, and family! Awareness of your food starts with a bit

 

of investigating. So get out there!

Spotlight On:Jucey Lucy’s

At 10:30a.m I approached Kaiser Permanente’s farmer’s market and was intrigued by a small yet vibrant market. I thought the market would take no time to cover, since there weren’t many vendors. But to my surprise I ended up staying at the market for a long period of time. You could say I was caught up in being treated to a delicious humus wrap and organic juice, but the experience was so much more than that.

It was funny that another intern and I almost walked out of the market without stopping at Jucey Lucy’s. At first we didn’t recognize that it was a food artisan. But at the last minute we decided to head over to the corner where they were located. I approached a stand that had vibrant colors splashed everywhere. Thats where I met CEO Lisa Bach who with such passion,  took me through the history and concept of her Juice stand. I learned that Jucey Lucy has been going strong since 1993 and not only makes appearances at Kaiser Permanente, Noe Valley, and NOPA’s farmer’s markets, but also has a nifty delivery truck that makes house calls as well!

Being an animal lover I was also attracted to the “Pulp for Pets” campaign that was started from Lisa’s love for her adopted dogs and animals in general. The campaign is designed to help sustain and save dogs at San Francisco’s dog adoption agency “Rocket Dog”. She donates a portion of her proceeds to the adoption agency and strongly believes in sustaining the lives of dogs.

In addition to learning about all of the commendable work Jucey Lucy has and continues to do, I was fortunate enough to be offered lunch by Lisa. This included a tasty wrap and juice of my choice. What a great way to close off a engaging and inspiring conversation! Something that Lisa said to me that stuck with me was, “health is in, we are a trend”, and it was so great to soak in that thought and think about how exciting it is that more people are taking the time to not only educate themselves about being healthy, but take initiatives as well to achieve this. Lisa and Jucey Lucy are great representations of what it means to be healthy!