2014 Garden Survey Results, FUN!

More on our involvement with Mendocino County's kids and school gardens

For everyone who expressed an interest in the school gardens, here is some more information for you.

GENE, the garden-based nutrition education program, serves 32 schools from preschool to 12th grade in Mendocino County. The Gardens Project of North Coast Opportunities' Community Action Agency is proud to work with these school gardens, and together we reach more than 8,000 students and 1,000 families through gardening and nutrition events each year. This year federal funding for the program ended, putting these gardens at risk of closing.

The U.S. has an obesity epidemic, and we believe educating children about where their food comes from is more important now than ever. We hope to raise enough money to hire a garden coordinator for each school in order to keep the gardens alive and the students growing their own food.

Help fight childhood obesity and keep the gardens alive.

Creating Access to Local, Organic Food 

The Gardens Project is the coordinating agency for The Gardens Network, and facilitates the development of community-supported gardens throughout Mendocino County. 

Additionally, we support various projects including After School Nutrition Programs, Farm-to-Cafeteria, Food Stamp Outreach, and our Food Policy Council. The Gardens Project relieves hunger and inadequate nutrition in low-income neighborhoods, senior communities, schools, and youth enterprise projects by providing: 

• Education: We teach methods for growing organic food, as well as its nutritional, social, and economic benefits. We also offer leadership training for garden members and organizers.
• Nutrition/Physical Health. We do our best to bring a nutritious food supply to individuals, children, and families in a physically engaging, community-supported environment.
• Economic Development. We work to provide people with life-long, transferable, and self-sustaining skills in food production, cooking, surplus food sales, and reducing household food costs

Bountiful Baskets! What a Deal!

I’m always hearing how expensive it is to buy local, farm fresh produce. Is that really true? Here’s “Part 2” of my fact finding mission!  (click here to read "Part 1")

Here’s what I did…

On September 10, 2013, I picked up my weekly delivery of local, farm fresh produce from Live Power Farm’s CSA and catalogued what was in my basket. The basket was overflowing this week with summertime treats!… There were Lambkin and Tasty Bite melons, 3 ears of corn, 2 cucumbers, 1.5# potatoes, 1 eggplant, 2 sweet peppers, 3 summer squash, 1 large head of lettuce, 6 stems of chard, 3 radishes, a small bunch of arugula, a small bunch of Asian greens (tatsoi), 2# of slicing tomatoes, 2 spicy peppers, 1 basket of cherry tomatoes, and a head of garlic. 

With this list in hand, I then headed out to our local grocery store, Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op. This store has beautiful, organic produce… though only some is LOCAL produce. Here are a few notes about my procedure: 1) I didn’t find exactly the same items at the Co-op as were in my CSA basket. For example, they did not have Lambkin or Tasty Bite melons, only Honeydew. 2) The Co-op did not have any corn on the cob or Asian greens, though they were in my Live Power CSA basket… I just estimated that 3 ears of corn would be about $1.00 on sale at a big grocery… I simply left out the Asian greens. And 3) I did my best to check for size and weight that matched up with what was in my CSA basket.

And now… check out the results of my point-in-time price comparison survey.

Fresh Produce	Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op
Lambkin melon	4.87
Tasty Bite melon	4.87
Corn	1.00*
Cucumbers	2.00
Potatoes	.65
Eggplant	2.30
Sweet peppers	1.40
Summer squash	2.00
Green Leaf lettuce	1.85
Chard	2.29
Radishes	.50
Arugula	.15
Tatsoi (Asian greens)	*
Tomatoes	8.38
Spicy peppers	.75
Cherry tomatoes	5.00
Garlic	.78
TOTAL for Live Power CSA  $22.66	TOTAL for Co-op  $38.79

I have to say that I am pleased to be eating local, farm fresh, AFFORDABLE produce from Live Power Farm’s CSA. I even saved $16.13 buying from a CSA! Plus, I enjoy knowing exactly where my food is coming from and to be in a relationship with local farmers.

Are you interested in joining a CSA? Check out the complete listing of Mendocino County CSA’s in the Local Food Guide.

The Judges Rated 'em... Now It's Time to Taste 'em!

Infused Water... tasty, beautiful, easy, and creative! Five local judges spent their Saturday morning sipping infused water blends from over 17 entrants. A special thank you to our judges, Anne Molgaard of FIRST5 Mendocino, Chris Dewey of the Ukiah Police Department, Jill Santos -- Miss Mendocino County, Katrina Frey -- Winery and Caterer, Doug Crane -- Ukiah's Mayor (not pictured). And, a key part of the event was a "people's choice" award determined by farmers' market folks who took the time to sip and choose their favorites.

 Anne Molgaard as "Potter the Otter"... she LOVES to drink water!

 Chris Dewey rates the flavor of infused water provided by vendor Petit Teton

 Jill Santos tastes Inland Ranch Organics raspberry-mint infused water

Katrina Frey sips a citrus blend from Uncorked Wine Bistro

Crowds gather around the tasting table to get a drink and experience the flavor blends

 

Did you miss the taste-off? Want to offer a tasty infused water at your next family gathering? How about volunteering to bring one of the winning recipe blends to your child's classroom? These recipes can be in your fridge every day, or pulled out for special occasions.

 

1)

Savings Bank of Mendocino County's winning recipe for "Tropical Infusion"

• Fresh Pineapple, sliced
• Coconut, chunked
• Orange, sliced
• Lime, sliced
• Basil, a few leaves

2)

Uncorked Wine Bistro's winning recipe for "Jamaican Me Refreshed"

• 1 Fresh Coconut (peeled with the water reserved and meat cut into slices and lightly pounded)
• 1 Whole Pineapple (peeled and cut)
• Fresh Ginger (4" piece)
• 2 Jalapeno Peppers (seeds and ribs removed)

Add coconut, coconut water, pineapple, ginger, and jalapeno peppers to a gallon pitcher filled with water and ice. Refrigerate overnight. Replenish ice if necessary when serving.

 

3)

Taste Buds Restaurant's winning recipe for "Early Summer Days"

• Chamomile Flowers
• Strawberries
• Mint

4)

Ukiah Boys and Girls Club's winning recipe for "Pi-Wa-Mi"

• One Gallon Water
• 1/2 Fresh Pineapple
• 1/2 Small Watermelon
• 10 Mint Leaves

5)

NCO's Hands On Volunteer Network's winning recipe for "Peachy Keen"

• 2 Sliced Fresh Peaches
• 1 Whole Vanilla  Bean

 

CHEERS! Drink water for the health of it.

 





Medicinal Herb Gardening in Mendocino County

Now is the time to start growing your medicinal herb garden!
Check out our new resource under the "Herb Gardens" section on our "How to: Grow Food" page, all about herbs that grow well in this area of California, including their care instructions and companion plants!

A recipe for health!

The Cancer Resource Center is pleased to present this article to promote colorectal cancer awareness and prevention. This article will concentrate on prevention strategies focused on something we all enjoy - food! To discuss screening recommendations and options for colorectal cancer, please contact your health care provider. If you are seeking a health care provider, contact the Ukiah Valley Rural Health Center at 707-463-8000 or the Mendocino Community Health Clinic. For more information regarding colorectal cancer or any other cancer, please contact the Cancer Resource Center of Mendocino County by clicking on this link, or at 937-3833.


A nutritious diet is recommended beginning in childhood. It is not too late at any age, however, to make dietary changes as a way of reducing risk factors associated with colorectal cancer. The nutritional guidelines outlined in this article are reccommended prevention strategies in lowering your risk factors.

Using the following guidelines as your prevention strategy will not only reduce your risk for cancer, but also improve your general health

1. Eat a healthy diet emphasizing plant foods
- 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day
- Limit meat, avoid processed meats, cured meats
- 3 servings of whole grains
-25- 40 grams fiber daily

2. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

3. Engage in at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 times per week

4. Get regular colon cancer screenings Studies show a reduced colon cancer risk from eating whole fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and nuts. Health promoting components in these whol foods and good food sources include:
- Phytonutrients- organic plants which can help protect the cells of the colon from damage.
- Fiber- indigestible part of fruits, vegetables, whole grain, legumes, nuts and seeds. Fiber helps move waste through the colon, and some types may help detoxify potential cancer causing substances.
- Cruciferous vegetables- contain anti- cancer properties thought to reduce colon cancer risk. Highest content is in broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts, and radishes.
- Colon Protective Foods: Citrus fruits, berries, cantaloupe, papaya, pineapple, tomato, raw pepper, carrots, winter squash, yams, spinach, chard, whole grains, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, turmeric, ginger, curry.

Studies using supplements have not shown the same preventative benefits as eating whole foods for reducing colon cancer risk. There are probably other unknown benefits in whole foods still to be discovered.

Enjoy the following recipe!
Quinoa Salad with Corn and Black Beans

Ingredients
1 1/2 dry quinoa
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
1 can low sodium black beans
1 cup fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels, thawed
1 cup grape tomatoes

Vinaigrette

2 TBS olive oil
3 TBS lime juice
2 TBS water
1 fresh garlic clove
1 TBS cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sea salt
fresh pepper to taste

Directions
1. Cook quinoa according to package
2. While quinoa is cooking, prepare vinaigrette by combining ingredients and whisking in small bowl
3. In a large bowl combine cooked quinoa and remaining ingredients
4. Pour vinaigrette over qunioa mixture and combine

Serve and enjoy!