Small Farms Left Out of Farm Bill By Charlene Oldham When the first “farm bill” was created in the late 1930s to help family farms, horses and hand plows were as common on farms as Model …
Some States Require Sexual Harassment Prevention Training
Back in 2004, California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1825 into law. This new law mandated companies in the state with 50 or more workers to train their supervisors on sexual …
Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit—an exotic oblate orb with its lovely dragon scales—grows in tropical regions, such as Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam—even Florida. It is known by a variety of names—dragon scale, green dragon, …
Easy Collard Greens with Rice
Adapted from vegetarian.about.com INGREDIENTS 2 cups collard greens, rinsed and chopped 1 cup white rice 2 cups vegetable broth 1 tablespoon butter (or vegan margarine) ½ teaspoon …
Is This Your Employees’ Idea of Service?
When an employee flipped off a key customer, this CEO realized his company had a culture problem. Here's how he fixed it. Many years ago, I received a call from an irate customer. "Your …
Getting (Big) Things Done
Reprinted from Chris Mittelstaedt’s column Eureka on Inc.com For too long you've served as Chief Fire Extinguisher. It's time to step back and start working on building your business. Are you …
Valencia Orange
Citrus waves are rolling in like an endless summer, brah. The primo Valencia is old-school orange. A tangy treat to take down the hall to the dawn patrol. The Valencia "re-greens" as it ripens on the …
Potato-Radish Gratin
Adapted from beetsandpotatoes.blogspot.com INGREDIENTS 4 cups potatoes and radishes, thinly sliced (about ⅛-inch thick) 1 medium onion, very thinly sliced 2 tablespoon melted butter 1 …
The Tipping Point
Can you smell it? Can you feel it? Is it the way the light shifts or how the little events in your day change—traffic patterns, morning routines, a heavier jacket? Thoreau wrote in his first book, A …
Sweetie Apple
When Edina or Patsy, the characters from the BBC show AbFab, called anyone "sweetie," it just meant trouble. In contrast, the Sweetie apple, a Gala/Braeburn cross, is nothing but sweet, wholesome …
Papaya
Succulent exotic papaya. It has many healthful properties, being high in vitamins, fiber, and lycopene - but can cause issues for people with latex allergies. September is National Papaya month - so …
Autumn Crisp Apple
Developed at the famous Upstate New York Cornell Research Station, the Autumn Crisp lives up to its name—snap crackle pop—an extra crisp red apple. Also, slow to brown—so will hold up in salads. …
Toasted Nut & Parsley Pesto
Recipe courtesy of Annie Main at Good Humus Produce, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop INGREDIENTS 3 medium unpeeled garlic cloves 1 cup nuts: walnuts, almonds or any other nut 1/4 cup …
Will I Get Plastic in My Box?
Here at The FruitGuys, we work hard to make sustainable choices. We started packing our farm-fresh fruit in reusable boxes printed with water-based inks and constructed of approximately …
Tomatopalooza
A Canning Primer By Pia Hinckle Harvest time always brings an embarrassment of riches to your table. What to do with 25 pounds of zucchini? Tomatoes finally came in last week? Can’t eat another …
Are You Eating GMO Foods?
Food labels can be a consumer conundrum for health-conscious shoppers trying to steer clear of sugar, saturated fat, and foods packed with preservatives. If you buy your groceries in California, you …
Is Your Business Going Through Puberty?
Reprinted from Chris Mittelstaedt’s column Eureka on Inc.com You know those awkward growing pains? They happen to companies, too. Prepare for the inevitable changes with these tips. Change for a …
Why the Capital Gains Tax Hurts Entrepreneurs
Reprinted from Chris Mittelstaedt’s column Eureka on Inc.com The capital gains tax has been touted as the brass ring for business owners. But if you self-fund your growth, it's anything but. For …
Marty’s Angels!
No, it’s not a new TV series—Marty’s “angels” are Angelcots, a special variety of apricots grown exclusively by Marty Maggiore and his family in Brentwood (Contra Costa County), CA. Every year, at …
August Field Notes from Riverdog Farm
Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop 8/6/12 The mystery white peach orchard was so prolific – both high yielding by the sheer number of fruit but also by size – this year that we are sun-drying …
