Café Gratitude, a well-known San Francisco restaurant, opened a location in Santa Cruz this past spring with the mission of making vegan, organic food accessible to everyone. One of their signature dishes, the Grateful Bowl, is available per donation. Photo by Prescott Watson.

The biggest concept that stumped and shocked many business people about Café Gratitude is the free food. Created in the midst of the recession in the mid-2000s, the café’s “Grateful Bowl” is a donation-based program that offers a bowl of brown rice, black beans and kale with tahini garlic dressing to everyone, from the homeless to lower-middle class to students and anyone else who might be under financial strain.

The café offers an option to pay anywhere from a penny to the $7 cost of production, or even above. The money goes to fund the Grateful Bowl program and feed another person.

While the average price for customers is $3, there have been donations that exceed the production cost. Café Gratitude has received donations as high as a $1,000.

“It’s being able to provide the community a chance to let them provide for their own community, too. We wanted to create this so that people can actually see the difference,” Manzo said. “We’re not in the business of making anyone wrong or right. We’re willing to make less money to provide this for the community and in turn, what we’re providing for our customers, we’re providing for the local farmers and the vendors that we’re buying from.”

While the program may seem susceptible to being taken advantage of, Manzo explains Café Gratitude is a “school of transformation,” where customers can change and transcend as individuals. Manzo recalls a regular customer that embodies his idea of transformation.

“We have one homeless guy who comes in almost every day and he might spend a penny on a Grateful Bowl one day, but then he’ll come in the next day and spend $30 on it,” Manzo said. “That’s the transformation we’re looking for.”

When Manzo first proposed starting a restaurant that was 100 percent organic and vegan, focused on making healthy options accessible to customers, people had doubts about its potential to succeed. However, since its original San Francisco opening in 2004, a handful of locations have opened, including a recent addition in downtown Santa Cruz on Aug. 15.

“The more we think about what we’re grateful for, the easier it is to feel the abundance out there. The earth provides everything that we need,” Manzo said. “This kind of food actually fuels this way of being. For asking people to be more healthy and positive, we can feed them food that helps fuel them. If we told you to come in and be happier, be healthier and go out into the world with a positive energy, but we’re feeding you 99-cent cheeseburgers, Coca-Cola and Cheetos, your body would be holding you back.”

Manzo created the café with “old-school” restaurant business in mind, where the focus is not on profits. The restaurant’s sole interest is the community: the café uses only produce from local farms and vendors and prioritizes providing for the community over profits.

Melissa Mango, a waitress at Café Gratitude, said this unusual focus has made working at the restaurant a unique experience.

“It supplies a sense of supporting one’s spirit,” she said. “It’s not just a job where you clock in and clock out. I’ve never worked at a place that is so high in integrity and trust.”

For Manzo, the Grateful Bowl reflects one of the restaurant’s very basic philosophies, rooted in the café’s origins.

“We weren’t interested in just opening up another restaurant,” Manzo said. “In the ‘80s when money started to become a conversation, we watched restaurants get away from what they’re providing for the community to how they can make the most money possible. So for my family, the old-school version for a restaurant is providing.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Feeding the Community Without a Price Tag

Illustration by Louise Leong.

At the end of each academic year at UC Santa Cruz, students line up at cafés and restaurants that accept campus Flexi Dollars.

“A case of Skittles, a large Naked Juice, and a hamburger and fries,” a student might request.

Flexi Dollars are campus currency accepted at various businesses at UCSC. Students living on campus are required to purchase a meal plan, granting them access to campus dining halls. Though there are several options for the number of meals students can purchase, each plan includes a mandatory minimum of $50 in Flexi Dollars.

While they do roll over from quarter to quarter, Flexi Dollar balances under $10 cannot be retrieved and many students would rather spend than fill out refund forms for larger balances.

Some students feel pressured to purchase things they may not have otherwise. David Terrazas, a Santa Cruz City Council member, has met with UCSC dining services to encourage them to adopt a policy that would enhance variety.

“The program would expand locations where the Flexi Dollars are accepted,” Terrazas said. “Businesses already on campus, like Joe’s and Hoffman’s, which have locations downtown, would be a great starting point.”

In light of budget cuts and tuition hikes, students are looking to make the most of their money every way they can. The introduction of Flexi Dollar purchases to local businesses gives students more options to spend before the quarter ends.

2011 UCSC graduate Benjamin Glatt said he supports expansion of Flexi Dollar program to local businesses.

“On-campus dining options are limited,” Glatt said. “Expanding Flexi Dollars to local businesses downtown would have given my friends and me an added incentive to go off-campus and shop at places we had never been to.”

Citing the successes of established programs at UC Berkeley, New York University and Tufts University, among others, Terrazas hopes to see the university implement changes to the Flexi Dollar program.

“It seems to me students should be able to use their resources as they see fit,” he said. “I’ve been speaking with dining services and some of the other policy makers to see what we can do to make this happen for the next academic year.”

According to a presentation made by retail consultant Bob Gibbs, the potential market value for UCSC students is $61.1 million. Council member Terrazas said at the Sept. 29 council meeting that Gibbs said  only about 5 percent of that spending, approximately $3.06 million, takes place at local businesses.

Vice-Mayor Don Lane said he supports the project.

“For me, the key point is UCSC and UCSC students are such an important force in this community in many different ways, including as an economic force,” Lane said. “The program would continue to strengthen ties between local businesses and UCSC students.”

UCSC dining services manager Scott Berlin declined to be interviewed for this article. He said in an email that it is too early for him to speak about the collaboration.

Terrazas said expanding Flexi Dollars downtown would provide a safe method of payment and benefit students with campus meal plans.

“Students are already downtown, and expanding the program would create opportunities for them to use all of their dollars,” he said.

Getting students to spend locally is one of Terrazas’s goals. UCSC graduate Glatt said more than just benefiting students, the potential Flexi Dollar expansion would be good for businesses.

“A program like this would be a great way to help bolster the local economy,” Glatt said. “We have money. We just need more places to spend it.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Downtown Businesses May Accept Flexi Dollars

Illustration by Christine Hipp.

When corruption and greed are as widespread as they are today, it is perhaps overly ambitious to hope to actually change the economic system in the United States. But there are alternatives that at least make it possible not to support that system. One of those alternatives, which is growing increasingly popular, is using credit unions instead of big banks.

ABC News recently reported that credit unions are seeing a big surge in membership. Navy Federal, the world’s largest credit union, has seen a threefold increase of new members compared to this time last year.

And it’s easy to see why. Wells Fargo and Bank of America both recently announced that they will be adding new charges for debit and credit accounts, as well as for online services. Some of these charges are even targeted toward people with low account balances, making it clear whose business these banks really value.

Banks exist to make money, hence the extra charges in times of economic crisis, not to mention the incredibly irresponsible lending habits that led to said crisis. Credit unions, on the other hand, are cooperative, meaning that their members own and operate them, and profit is put into enhancing membership experience or improving the surrounding community. Every union is a little different, but most keep charges incredibly low — it’s not uncommon for members to only have to pay a small one-time-only membership fee.

Another reason to consider making the switch to a credit union is that many of them give loans to small, local businesses. Spending locally is on everyone’s minds these days, and if the national economy is borderline unfixable, then why not focus on making Santa Cruz, or wherever you may live, stronger?

Yes, major banks have their advantages. Interest rates can be higher, and being part of a bank that has a branch in every city makes it easier to travel or move around, which is particularly important to college students. But credit unions offer personal attention one cannot find at a large bank, and websites like LoveMyCreditUnion.org offer help in finding a credit union that suits your location and lifestyle. Most credit unions also provide “switch packages” with tips on how to leave one’s big bank.

Perhaps the most concrete change Occupy Wall Street has brought is the realization that we are not paralyzed consumers. We have a choice of who can handle our money, and each individual does have power. So what is your choice — handing over your power to a system with a history of greed, or retaining control of your own resources? Switching to a credit union may not seem like much, but if nothing else, it sends a message.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Kill Your Big Bank Account

Photo by Kyan Mahzouf.

On Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at L’Atelier Salon, stylists will volunteer their time offering haircuts and selling raffle tickets to benefit cancer and HIV/AIDS research and treatment programs at City of Hope, a clinical research center located in Southern California.

This annual nationwide campaign is in its fourth year at L’Atelier Salon. Salon manager Erica Penney said one employee, Nick Saporito, was integral in bringing the fundraiser to Santa Cruz.

“One of our stylists, Nick, brought this idea to us because it was very close to home for him,” Penney said.

Saporito spent a significant amount of time visiting Duarte, Calif. from 2005 to 2007 when his father was being treated for cancer.

“My dad was at City of Hope getting treated for his lymphoma,” Saporito said. “I learned about this nationwide campaign while I was there.”

The American Cancer Society estimates 11,714,000 people in the United States had cancer in 2007, according to their website. It is estimated that over 1 million people are living with HIV in the United States. When these serious diseases strike, resources run thin: patients often lose the ability to work, and medications are exorbitantly expensive.

Fundraisers and private donations are pivotal for City of Hope’s livelihood.

There will be a $40 minimum donation to receive a haircut during the fundraiser. Usually the salon staff performs about 70 haircuts throughout the day and raises roughly $4,000.

“It’s a cut-a-thon,” Saporito said. “We do haircuts for anybody at a flat rate. We also hold a raffle with great prizes. Most of the prizes are gift certificates or baskets from downtown businesses. We’ve got a little bit of everything.”

On the East Coast, hundreds of businesses participate in the City of Hope fundraiser. Salon manager Penney said L’Atelier is one of few on the West Coast to participate.

“Until this year, we were the only West Coast salon to participate,” Penney said. “Now there is one other in California doing it. I love participating in this fundraiser because City of Hope is such a great organization.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Local Salon Raises Funds for City of Hope Patients

“Captain Cosmic” was a television show that ran from 1977 to 1980 on a superstation mainly targeted at the Bay Area. Robot sidekick to Captain Cosmic 2T2 has been in storage in a warehouse in the Bay Area for 31 years since the show ended in 1980. Atlantis Fantasyworld will become the first place to publicly display 2T2 in the television robot’s history.

“For anyone over 40, they’ll remember, and have a great nostalgia moment,” said Joe Ferrara, owner of Atlantis Fantasyworld. “And for the kids, it’s all about creating their own nostalgia moment even though they are too young to have watched the show.”

Ferrara said the event will be a celebration of all things science fiction for Santa Cruz residents. All proceeds made from Back to Space Con, the movie being screened at the Jewel Theatre, will go to Second Japan Harvest, a charity organization helping victims of the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

In the Bay Area and elsewhere, “Captain Cosmic” has many fans who used to watch the show regularly on Saturday mornings on Channel 2.

“It’s not only people in the Bay Area who know ‘Captain Cosmic,’” Ferrara said. “I’ve recently met a person from Chicago, and it surprised me that they even knew ‘Captain Cosmic.’”

Ferrara said receiving 2T2 is a hallmark of Santa Cruz becoming more of a science fiction town worth noticing. He also said Santa Cruz’s science fiction community is very receptive to bringing back 2T2.

“It’s what makes Santa Cruz a special place for sci-fi,” Ferrara said.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Atlantis Fantasyworld Gets 2T2

Members of the Santa Cruz community gather to discuss the future of food with a panel of local foodies, including New Leaf owner Scott Roseman and Maureen Wilmot, executive director of the Organic Farming Research Foundation. Photos by Molly Solomon.

Organic farming took the stage at Kuumbwa Jazz Center last week when locals came together to discuss “The Future of Food” on May 11. Sponsored by UC Santa Cruz’s College Eight, Santa Cruz County Bank and the city of Santa Cruz, the lecture was one of a monthly series that examines community and civic issues.

“In this lecture series, we’re trying to bring community leaders together to address local as well as global issues,” Santa Cruz mayor Ryan Coonerty said in a welcome address to the audience.

Four local agriculture specialists explained some trends in American food consumption and production. They spoke about recent horticulture technology and food movements that could change the way the world grows food.

Scott Roseman, UCSC alumnus and founder of New Leaf Community Markets, said the United States has a monopolized system of factory farming that provides food for most of the country. He said there is a small but growing organic farming movement.

“The current state of the food situation is pretty messed up,” he said. “We spend so much money on things we don’t need, but we won’t spend a little more money to eat organic.”

Films have been made about the horrors of conventional food production, like “Food, Inc.” and internet sensation “The Meatrix.” Books have been written about the moral implications of eating food produced in this environment, like Michael Pollan’s “Omnivore’s Dilemma” and Eric Schlosser’s “Fast Food Nation.”

Maureen Wilmot, UCSC alumna and executive director of the Organic Farming Research Foundation, said her biology background and work in ocean conservation made her skeptical of farming because of its negative environmental impacts.

“We in the ocean community always saw farming as part of the problem,” she said. “However, organic farming is part of the solution to save the ocean.”

Organic farms conserve water and soil while reducing pollution. They depend on natural fertilizers rather than chemical ones and pulling weeds rather than spraying them.

Runoff from factory farms can be harmful to the ocean and water sources for local communities. Some innovators of agriculture, like Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard, are trying new methods and substances to improve their products and the land they grow on.

One of the substances Grahm is testing, called biochar, could address global warming concerns and regenerate unusable soil.

“Biochar is a kind of charcoal that activates when mixed with soil,” he said. “It makes favorable minerals available to the plant while it increases the product’s shelf life and nutritional value. It’s like reverse coal mining.”

Another project Randall is working on is the creation of a “polyculture” breeding method. Rather than providing a farming environment with one type of grape, Randall hopes to increase diversity in his vineyard and create hybrids.

“We want to create a genetic range in our vineyards,” he said. “We’re going to see what wine tastes like from a diversity of hybrid types.”

Olivia Chiu, a third-year Oakes student, said she enjoyed the insights panelists brought to the discussion.

“I liked the message [the panelists] sent,” she said. “Farming affects not only local communities but globally too. It’s important to consider this right now because a lot of cities are working toward reducing their carbon footprint.”

The UCSC Farm has been threatened with cuts recently. Wilmot said it is crucial that steps be taken to preserve programs at the farm.

“One of [the Organic Farming Research Foundation’s] goals is to see organic farming at every land grant university in this country,” she said. “We see farming education as so important because places like the UCSC Farm teach students to feed the next generation.”

Dennis Donohue, a local radicchio grower and mayor of Salinas, was also on the panel. He described the Salinas Valley as a “patchwork of family farms.”

Wilmot said unregulated use of supermarket food lingo, like “natural,” “fresh” and “local,” makes it difficult for certified organic farms to compete.

“The term ‘organic’ is the only federally certified label,” Wilmot said. “Organic farming is one of the few industries asking for more regulation. They want the other labels to mean something.”

Roseman said “natural” as a descriptor for meat is abused and therefore meaningless to consumers. Of his own company, he said New Leaf is committed to selling meats that are not treated with hormones, antibiotics, nitrates or other chemical additives.

“It’s frustrating because we’re doing it right,” Roseman said. “But other companies are doing it halfway or not at all and putting the natural label on their meat.”

Wilmot said a combination of economic and political pressure is the best way for individuals to help further environmentally friendly farming practices.

“We need market forces and political forces,” Wilmot said. “You need to write your elected officials and agencies. Be politically active and be a smart consumer.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Local Agriculture Leaders Convene

Illustration by Bela Messex.

At a time when superheroes are more visible online, on television and in movie theaters, what has happened to the comic book? For some, the comic book never died and is still a thriving source of entertainment. Held this past Saturday, the 10th Annual International Free Comic Book Day was a celebration of the comic book for those readers.

Comic book retailers also used this day to give a few summer previews. This year’s list of titles included the beginning of a new “Spider-Man” epic, a “Green Lantern” special edition, and a book featuring “Captain America” and “Thor.” Many shops in Santa Cruz had sales for their customers. Participating stores included Atlantis Fantasyworld on Cedar Street, Comicopolis on Front Street and hundreds of retailers across the nation and internationally.

In 10 years, Free Comic Book Day has grown from a local event — starting in 2001 at a comic book store in Concord, Calif. called Flying Colors — to an international one.

“It’s one of the busiest days of the year,” said Neil Farris, owner of Hijinx Comics in San José.

Joe Ferrara, owner of Atlantis Fantasyworld, said he hoped people would recognize the entertainment value of comics. Atlantis Fantasyworld reaches out to kids at local elementary schools through a summer readership program, and has booked comic creators like Elisabetta Dami, author of the newly popular young adult comic “Geronimo Stilton,” to speak at events.

“People’s perception of comic books is that they are collectibles,” Ferrara said. “Free Comic Book Day is a great way to celebrate the fun you can have in a comic book.”

On the UC Santa Cruz campus, comic books have a well-represented readership. UCSC’s art department features a comic book drawing class and there is a comic book club at Kresge College.

“I’ve been reading comic books since I was a kid,” said Ben Cody, UCSC second-year and member of the Kresge Comic Book Club. “I wasn’t so into them in high school, but when I got to college, I found this really dedicated group of readers, and I returned to comic books.”

Cody, who was carrying a stack of comics from Atlantis Fantasyworld on his way to Comicopolis, said he supports Free Comic Book Day. Many people form very personal connections to their favorite books, he said, and the comic readership at UCSC is large.

Despite the poor economic climate of the last few years, comic sales have been booming at shops in the Bay Area. For Ryan Higgs, owner of Comics Conspiracy in Salinas, the comic business is lucrative.

“Sales at the store have been pretty steady these past few years, despite the difficult economic climate,” Higgs said. “While I have seen a decrease in sales of monthly comics, the collected versions [trade paperbacks and graphic novels] have really boomed in the past half-decade, as well as sales of toys, statues and other items.”

For Ferrara, Free Comic Book Day is good advertising. It is targeted outreach that doesn’t get lost in the noise of a regular advertisement, he said, and it creates goodwill between the community and the store.

“Who’s got a grand to spend on advertisements this year?” Ferrara said. “This is a better way to get out to the audience.”

With thousands of people coming out to support Free Comic Book Day in Santa Cruz area shops, the event was pronounced a success by many of the owners, whose shops stayed busy until close.

“We gave away 4,000 comic books, and had over 500 people in the shop,” Ferrara said. “It was the most successful Free Comic Book Day yet.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Free Comic Book Day Returns

As unemployment took a small downturn locally and nationally this fiscal quarter, office space vacancy rose in Santa Cruz County, to the dismay of landlords.

Last quarter, 15.2 percent of Santa Cruz County residents were unemployed, while 9.7 percent of the country was unemployed nationally. County unemployment has dropped slightly this quarter to 14.6 percent, mirroring the reduction to 8.8 percent federally.

However, despite reduced unemployment, office space availability in Santa Cruz County has risen since last quarter. Of the office space in the county, 12.5 percent is vacant, up from 12.3 percent last quarter, according to a first quarter report on the office market in Santa Cruz County by commercial real estate firm Cassidy Turley.

Most instances of vacancy are concentrated in the Scotts Valley area, where vacancy rose from 19.2 percent to 19.8 percent since last quarter, according to the report.

“The problem is that demand remains extremely weak,” the report said, “and leasing activity continues to be dominated by renewals and relocations that are accounting for virtually no occupancy growth.”

This means currently there aren’t new businesses clamoring to occupy office space in Santa Cruz County. This could be a result of the high cost of rent ($1.85 per square foot monthly on average), or that businesspeople are discouraged by the competitive, depressed market.

The report presented a fairly optimistic view of the future. While progress is expected to be slow, according to the report, it will come.

“Look for leasing activity to slowly build momentum,” according to the report, “but it will be next year before we see anything approaching significant positive net absorption or rental rate growth.”

New Parenting Program Launched in Santa Cruz

The Positive Parenting Program, a nationwide program that has been functioning for nearly three decades, is now launching its official program in Santa Cruz County.

According to a press release, the goals for the program — known as Triple P — are to offer, among other things, information and support to struggling parents in the area.

Susan True, director of First Five Santa Cruz County — a group whose mission it is to assure that every child reaches the age of five “ready to achieve to their greatest potential” — said she was glad the Triple P program was spreading to Santa Cruz.

“What we’re looking to do is improve the quality of the parent-to-child relationship,” True said.

First Five was instated due to Proposition 10, passed in 1998, which aimed to create a First Five Commission in every county across the state of California. Money generated for First Five Commissions comes from a 50-cent tax on cigarette packs, and funds programs like Triple P.

The pilot for Triple P began less than a year ago, but participation has remained high. True planned to expand slowly, but now is happy to have the full launch of the program.

True said that Triple P was open to every parent, from the parents with common, everyday problems to those with serious issues that can endanger child development. The program focuses on things like bedtime routines, sibling fights or even just getting through a shopping trip without a meltdown from the child.

“You don’t have to be a parent who is really struggling,” True said. “You could just have an everyday problem. So we wanted that kind of acceptable parenting information to be available [to Santa Cruz County].”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at This Week in News

Illustration by Patrick Yeung.

Darryl Wong is co-owner of Freewheelin’ Farm. Founded in 2002, the farm has expanded to its current eight acres. It produces a variety of foods for local communities. Photo by Elizabeth Arakelian.

The kitchen of Café Delmarette offers a wide variety of organic and non-organic options bought from local farmers. Photo by Nick Paris.

“It’s not news to the farming community that the organic label has been watered down,” Darryl Wong said matter-of-factly. In a puffy orange vest, Wong strolls the edge of the farm he co-owns. He points to where fava bean plants are poking out of the soil, and indicates further down the farm to where rows of strawberries line the ground.

Wong said organic certification is not the ultimate goal for a farmer these days. Wong and his partners, Amy Courtney and Kirstin Yogg, own Freewheelin’ Farm — an uncertified organic farm in Santa Cruz. Their eight acres are situated just off of the Cabrillo Highway and across the train tracks. Laid out among cow pastures and brussels sprout fields with views of the ocean, Freewheelin’ is the epitome of a local, small-scale farm.

The owners are all UC Santa Cruz Farm and Garden Apprenticeship Program graduates and they’ve managed to wedge Freewheelin’ Farm into the Santa Cruz market. Wong said Freewheelin’ Farm’s lack of organic certification has not been a problem for their farm in terms of entering the local market.

“Even though we don’t certify,” Wong said, “we follow all the major tenets of organic farming.”

According to Organic.org, organic produce by definition is grown “without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms or ionizing radiation.”

Wong said the way Freewheelin’ Farm cultivates and harvests its crop is precise and calculated due to the variety of crops the farmers plant, which each have different growing and harvesting requirements.

“Our system is really complicated, because we have 30 to 40 crops,” Wong said. “It requires a lot of intellectual know-how in terms of how to grow these crops, but it also requires that you manage a whole host of different systems within a system.”

However, organic farming is not without its flaws, Wong said.

“Organic farming can be potentially harmful,” Wong said. “One of my farming mentors always said, ‘You can have a poorly managed organic farm that is more deleterious to the environment than a well managed conventional farm.’”

Wong said that if an organic farm were to pump a fertilizer such as fish emulsion into the ground to the point where the system could not handle it, this would result in nitrogen leach off. This could potentially affect drinking water from a well. In that situation, a chemical fertilizer applied in the correct amount would be better. The line between conventional and organic farming is blurry due to obscurities being revealed within organic farming and labeling.

An article published two years ago in the New York Times demonstrates the dubiousness of the organic label. Published in March of 2009, the article “It’s Organic, But Does That Mean It’s Safer?” was a response to outbreaks of salmonella from organic peanut plants in Georgia and Texas.

Laurie Demeritt, president of the market research firm The Hartman Group challenged the idea that organic certifiers are only responsible for certification, not food safety.

“Some shoppers want food that was grown locally, harvested from animals that were treated humanely or produced by workers who were paid a fair wage,” she said. “The organic label doesn’t mean any of that.”

The New York Times article raised awareness about the label and consumers began to wonder exactly what the organic label ensures.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates product composition in regards to varying levels of organic. The “100 percent organic” label denotes that the product is made from all organic ingredients, “USDA organic” means the product is 95 percent or more organic, and “made with organic ingredients” means the product is at least 70 percent organic.

Zachary Davis, co-owner and manager of the Penny Ice Creamery, said that as an establishment that supplies food to the public, their focus is not on organic standards but on creating a quality product.

“Organic certification is great, but it is not the be-all-end-all when it comes to products,” he said.

Davis said they do not call their ice cream “organic” at the Penny Ice Creamery. This is due in part to the drama that surrounds the organic label. Their focus instead is on fostering relationships with the farmers from whom they buy their ingredients.

“We know [the farmers], we’ve met them, and we don’t feel we need the certification,” he said.

Although consumers can depend on government labels to know just how organic the product is, the controversy associated with the label contributed to what Wong referred to as its “watering down.”

Unlike the organic label, buying locally provides consumers with the ability to meet the people who are growing their food. This concept, called “localization,” is based on individuals’ desire to support their community and an interest in knowing exactly where their food is coming from.

Organic certification is based on legal terms stated by the government. The surge in localization has provided communities across the nation the ability to become more self-sustaining and create a flow of money in their community, but what does organic certification provide? According to Wong at Freewheelin’ Farm, not much.

“We don’t get that much benefit from being able to say that we are certified organic … and I don’t think that with our existing customers and the way we want to grow our business [the certification] is going to make that much of a difference at all,” Wong said.

He said the fact that being certified organic is cost-prohibitive has kept Freewheelin’ from going through the certification process.

Wong attributes Freewheelin’ Farm’s success in part to the recent surge in buying locally.

“The local … food movement has been a huge push behind not only our success but the success of so many other small farms,” he said.

Localization is popular because consumers can know who is producing their food, and even see the farm.

“There is accountability [with buying locally] because we know where everything is coming from and we know the people who are making our goods,” said Karsten Mueller, lecturer on green building and sustainable development at UC Santa Cruz. “Socially, this creates a fabric in the community and people become engaged in their community.”

Another move towards localization is evident in the 2009 initiative launched by the USDA known as KYF2, “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food.”

The program aims to “promote sustainable local and regional food systems that will support farmers and ranchers, strengthen rural communities, promote healthy eating, and protect our natural resources,” according to the USDA website.

Santa Cruz is a thriving example of this initiative at work because of the immense support the community funnels into localized purchasing.

Zachary Davis and Kendra Baker, who own the Penny Ice Creamery together, set out to make their establishment as accessible as possible, Davis said. As a result, they have seen “a darn good cross section of the public.” He attributes this to the fact that they try to keep their prices as low as possible, “because for us sustainable is being able to keep the doors open!”

An additional example would be that of the community-supported agriculture (CSA). This program allows members of the community to subscribe to a farm, or purchase “shares” of a farmer’s crop. In turn, throughout the growing season, subscribers receive boxes of produce from the local farmer from whom they’ve subscribed. This has benefits for the farmer and for the shareholder. This allows farmers to receive money at the front end of the season, but also assures the consumer that produce is coming from a reliable source.

Freewheelin’ Farm takes part in this program and provides boxes of produce to customers in Santa Cruz and the Bay Area.

“The real success [with CSA] comes from word of mouth,” Wong said.

He said that the program has helped Freewheelin’ Farm in establish themselves in the Santa Cruz as a farm and foster relationships with the community.

Many restaurants purchase produce each week at the downtown Santa Cruz farmer’s market, which is held on Wednesdays. Cassandra Brown is the lead savory cook and farmer’s market buyer for Café Delmarette, located downtown, and she also co-founded Freewheelin’ Farm. Delmarette sells food comprising organic ingredients, but — according to Brown — local produce is also a top priority.

“A lot of the farms we buy our stuff from are within a 10- or 15-mile radius. Some of it is a little bit further, but it is all within the California Bay Area,” she said.

Freewheelin’ Farm does not sell produce at the local farmer’s market. However, it has still managed to leave its mark on the Santa Cruz local market.

Freewheelin’ currently supplies fresh produce to local establishments such as Cellar Door Café, Ristorante Avanti, Gabriella Café, Café Delmarette, La Posta Restaurant and the Penny Ice Creamery.

Wong said establishing relationships with these restaurants has been tricky since it is so competitive locally.

“Especially in Santa Cruz, the market is in the many ways flooded because there are so many established farms that have been around for 10 to 20 years,” Wong said. “So, [restaurants] have a wide selection of people to buy from.”

Penny Ice Creamery co-owner Baker said the Penny’s ice cream flavors are inspired by the farmers, whom they have built relationships with. This is in part because their creative flavors are based on what is in season.

It becomes evident that the relationships being built between farmers and buyers are authentic in Santa Cruz. In fact, the localization movement has attracted all types of people to local establishments.

Jenn Toner, co-owner and manager at Café Delmarette, said that the café attracts many different types of people. They are ultimately drawn to Café Delmarette because “we make everything here. We are not just buying it and reselling it. They are interested in the homemade aspect.”

The fact that people are interested in quality and natural ingredients is one of the reasons that Freewheelin’ Farm has been able to prosper, despite the economic downfall in recent years.

“While the economy has been tanking, our business has been growing … in many ways that is the function of us being a small and growing business,” Wong said.

Wong attributes the farm’s success to the interests of the community.

“In the area we’re in … I think that if you were to have the people prioritize their values, clean and healthy food would be pretty high on that list,” he said.

As Freewheelin’ Farm prepares to harvest crops in months to come, local cafés and restaurants will prepare to buy the farm’s produce. In a community where local and quality food is valued, a variety of customers will continue to frequent local food establishments and menus will reflect what is in season.

At the end of the day, both the farmer and the restaurant owner’s needs will be met and it will have nothing to do with an organic label.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Farm to Table without a Label

Illustration by Bela Messex.

The city of Santa Cruz has become synonymous with environmental activism and being at the forefront of the green movement. And as of this past week, the city is taking one more step toward balancing environmental responsibility with economic vitality.

City council members voted on Tuesday to pass a Green Business Measurement and Tracking Tool, which will help Santa Cruz manage the number of green businesses throughout California, as well as the effectiveness of certain green practices. The city will collaborate with Ecology Action Inc., described on the organization’s website as “a nonprofit environmental consultancy.” Funding is provided by a small grant awarded by the California Department of Toxic Substance Control (CDTSC).

The program, which aims to create an online network of green businesses, will document the progress of these environmentally conscious business tactics. The state is encouraging such environmentally friendly practices by garnering attention for certified green businesses through the creation of an accessible database. With access to a listing of green businesses, individuals are given the opportunity to be more responsible consumers.

“The [CDTSC] has given [a grant] to continue the program and promote the measurement tool to track savings achieved through participation in the green business program,” said Cathlin Atchison, who works with the City Public Works Department and serves as the green business manager.

Atchison explained that the database will also allow consumers to ask themselves, “Where would be the best place to go if I want to support a green business?”

Erica Penney, manager at L’Atelier Salon, a certified green business in Santa Cruz, said that although green efforts can be difficult to maintain for businesses like a salon, consumers in the area have an “awareness” of green practices and make a conscious decision to seek out environmentally friendly businesses.

“We have clientele that specifically come [here] because we are a green business,” Penney said. “As someone who works with a green business, it’s important to create a network.”

In addition, through the tracking of green businesses, the program hopes to calculate not only ecological profit but fiscal benefits as well.

“[With the database] we’ll be able to determine how much savings are achieved,” Atchison said. “It’s really helpful in measuring the steps the community and businesses are taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

The Green Business Measurement and Tracking Tool program will help businesses become certified as green to ensure that they comply with environmental standards in the areas of energy and water savings, solid waste, climate action and pollution prevention.

Atchison said that the ways businesses can cut monetary costs as well as eliminate some pollution can be as simple as organizing a carpool for employees. The overall goal, she said, is to “reduce businesses’ carbon footprint.”

Santa Cruz certified its first green business in 2006, and since then the county has certified a total of 15 businesses, including the UC Santa Cruz dining halls, Atchison said. She added that the increase in the number of local green businesses shows “businesses [are] now seeing the value” in adopting green practices.

Like Atchison, Mayor Ryan Coonerty hopes that the program will benefit the Santa Cruz community.

“We need the city and individuals to adopt good practices,” he said.

Coonerty also expressed excitement over the “collaboration between the city, Ecology Action as a non-profit, and the business community.”

Jo Fleming, who manages the green business program for Scotts Valley and Watsonville and has had approximately 18 years of experience in environmental work, believes that the program’s documentation of green business benefits will be highly useful in promoting environmentally sound practices.

“If you can collect that [information] in one tracking system, it just is a powerful force,” Fleming said. “Green business has definitely instituted the most change [environmentally].”

Fleming said that Santa Cruz holds a “commitment to environmental leadership” and that it is this atmosphere of environmental consciousness that has allowed the city to step up to the plate as managers of this project.

“I think it’s great that Santa Cruz has taken on a leadership [role] in this statewide collaborative effort,” Fleming said.

Coonerty also said that there resides a certain commitment to environmentally responsible behavior in the city of Santa Cruz, and explains that the city is “pushed by community to enact more cutting edge environmental policy.”

The benefits garnered through green business practices can be invaluable, Atchison said.

“Most businesses think it’s really worth the effort. There is really an opportunity to save while doing the right thing,” she said. “[It’s] good for the planet and good for the business.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at New City Program Tests Efficacy of Green Businesses

Slate signs display a variety of dessert menu items made in-house and from local products at local ice cream shop Penny Ice Creamery. Photo by Morgan Grana.

Chocolate caramel and sea salt, brown butter sage, Earl Grey, celery and raisin, fresh mint, winter squash, caramel apple sorbet, chocolate sorbet and vanilla. For ice cream lovers there is only one way to decide which scoop to pick: Sample them all.

The Penny Ice Creamery is the only ice cream shop in Northern California that makes ice cream in-store completely from scratch. The new ice cream shop, which opened on the hottest day of the year, features a menu of rotating ice cream flavors and other desserts that are all made exclusively from organic and locally grown products.

“We never use a premade ice cream mix,” said co-owner of the Penny Ice Creamery Zachary Davis. “For all of our ingredients, we know exactly who it came from, where it came from, and what has been done to it prior to us.”

The ice cream is pasteurized in-store in the “clean room” at the entrance to the shop, where customers can observe the pasteurizing process. Davis and Penny Ice Creamery co-owner Kendra Baker are both licensed pasteurizers, giving them full control of what goes into the ice cream production.

And most agree that the bona fide quality of their ingredients makes a difference in the taste. Santa Cruz resident and ice cream aficionado Mike Rava said that the Penny Ice Creamery sets itself apart from other brands.

“Penny Ice Cream has a really pleasurable texture and delicate flavor that appeals to real ice cream connoisseurs,” Rava said. “You can really taste the difference in their ice cream versus other brands. Plus, because the ingredients they use are all natural, I know exactly what’s going into my body, and that makes me feel less guilty about eating ice cream.”

Under the direction of architect Christian Nielson, the space was remodeled from an old Spanish Colonial building previously used as a hair salon. After complete renovation, the space was converted to a fully equipped restaurant furnished with stone counters and wooden benches along with wooden tables.

Utilizing a minimalist design, the interior white walls are clean-cut, decorated with contemporary light fixtures and all items on the menu are simplistically handwritten in chalk on slate, a display that Baker said is ideal for showcasing what is on the menu.

“We just want it to be about the ice cream, the flavor, the taste,” Baker said. “We want people to enjoy it without a lot of other distractions.”

Customers can be involved in the invention of new flavors by submitting their ideas for new ice cream flavors in the “Penny for your thoughts” jar. If a person’s flavor idea is chosen, he or she wins a free pint of that flavor of ice cream. The Penny Ice Creamery also has an ice cream bicycle that serves ice cream at the downtown farmer’s market every Wednesday.

“We’re always just coming up with new ideas to try to make it fun,” Baker said. “Ice cream has always just been a passion of mine. I’m a pastry chef, and this is my art.”

The owners, who are both new parents, always keep in mind what they want families to experience and enjoy.

“As a parent myself, I want to provide a product that I would feel comfortable with my own kids eating,” Baker said. “I feel very blessed to have received such a warm response from the community.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at The Penny Turns Heads

With a screen moved to the inside of the restaurant playing “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” this week’s Monday night moviegoers found a cozy haven from the rainy weather at the Crepe Place. Photo by Rosario Serna.

Live music, fresh crepes, and a full bar is the Crepe Place’s recipe for a fun night.

Located on Soquel Avenue, the restaurant-turned-music venue has perfected its concoction of good eats and good performances. Musicians such as the anticipated John Vanderslice and Frog Eyes are another reason that people aren’t just coming for the food.

The Crepe Place has always been happening. The front room holds 100 people and, according to co-owner Adam Bergeron, it’s a rare night that the place isn’t packed.

“Some shows sell out weeks in advance,” Bergeron said. “Sometimes it seems that, since the musician is so popular, you wonder why they didn’t just play a bigger room, but some just like The Crepe Place.”

Upon entering the restaurant, visitors are greeted by the bar, a which serves as a live music hot spot. Further back is the antique dining room, and further yet, patrons find themselves on a garden patio.

“What I like most about The Crepe Place is its old-time, intimate feel,” said Robancho, Crepe Place regular and third-year Cowell student. “It’s not a huge, glamorous, modern bar, and I like that.”

Robancho’s favorite performance was over the summer, when folk band Infantree opened for Portugal. The Man.

Booking shows that people want to see is not a problem at The Crepe Place.

“I spend a lot of time listening to music, and I trust my own judgment,” Bergeron said. He works with around 20 booking agencies that assist in the process and help to find exactly what artists would be appropriate for his audience.

In addition, The Crepe Place gets about 30 calls a day from musicians nationally and worldwide that want to play a set at the restaurant.

“We are huge fans of music,” Bergeron said. “And I’ve been doing this for a lot of years.” Bergeron, who handles all of the booking and logistics surrounding the music aspect of The Crepe Place, previously owned a nightclub in San Francisco.

Though it does see its fair share of students, the venue is also frequented by a mix of out-of-towners and local Santa Cruz community members. Though the venue has a limited capacity of 100, it doesn’t pose an issue for attendees.

“I don’t feel lost in the crowd like I do at other larger venues, like The Catalyst,” Robancho said.

Along with the jams, every Monday night finds a movie playing in the garden. Films are projected onto an eight by six foot screen, and as the outdoor heat lamps are cranked up, the reel rolls at 9 p.m. This past Monday’s movie was indie favorite “Fantastic Mr. Fox.”

“We’re just really happy that people enjoy coming here,” said co-owner Eric Gifford. “And it’s important to give local musicians an outlet.”

And though it is a popular music destination, Gifford stressed the aspect that gave the venue its name.

“Providing sweet and savory crepes is something that we take very seriously,” Gifford said with a smile.

The owners are proud of what they created, and were pleased to offer the opportunity for musicians to create something of their own.

“We just really love music,” Bergeron said. “We honestly do this for love, not money.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at A Santa Cruz Restaurant Turned Nightclub

Illustration by Louise Leong.

Those excited about the amount of rainfall Santa Cruz experienced this season may have set their expectations too low.

The amount of water received this year, although significantly better than recent years, is actually what should be expected from an average winter.

“Everybody’s calling this year wet. But it isn’t wet ­— it’s normal,” Bill Kocher, director of the Santa Cruz City Water Commission said.

According to Kocher, Santa Cruz’s watershed, which includes bodies of water like Loch Lomond Resevoir in the Santa Cruz Mountains, currently holds about 54.95 inches of water. That is a significant improvement over last year’s 36.8 inches, and 2008’s 35.5.

“In a normal year, [54.95 inches] is about what we get. In the previous three years, it’s been about half that,” Kocher said. “Overall this year it’s been above average. But not by a lot.”

This year’s amount of rain, although a positive thing, will not completely solve the drought situation in Santa Cruz.

“It doesn’t offset the long-term decline that we’ve been experiencing,” Mike Cloud, a hydrologist for Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Services said.

Cloud went on to explain that “about 80 percent of the county’s water supply is groundwater … if you look at the last 25 years, groundwater levels have dropped some places [in the county] by almost 200 feet.”

But the Water Commission’s Web site states that “for the first time since 2006, water conditions in Santa Cruz are healthy again,” and as a result, there are definite changes that come along with that statement.

The main advantage from this year’s amount of rain is that there will not be extreme water use restrictions this summer, like in 2009, when restrictions prohibited people from filling their pools or watering their lawns on certain days of the week. Those restrictions also forced restaurants to be frugal when bringing their customers water, asked hotels to encourage their patrons to reuse towels, and fined those whose water usage surpassed a specified amount.

“There will not be restrictions this summer,” Kocher said. “That’s the benefit of the rain we’ve gotten. … That’s really the most important thing.”

Although businesses will now have more water at their disposal, some restaurants in Santa Cruz prefer to conserve regardless of what the Water Commission requires them to do.

“At the Saturn Café, we’re really dedicated to the environment, so our plan is to just stick with [the restrictions],” Saturn Café manager Dan Devorkin said.

The Water Commission also implores that individual Santa Cruz residents continue to make wise decisions regarding water usage. A statement on their Web site states: “as always, we ask all customers to continue to use water wisely and remind the public to carefully check their irrigation systems for proper operation at the beginning of the irrigation season to avoid water waste.”

Despite his concerns about the drought, Environmental Health Services’ Cloud is optimistic about the short-term situation.

“Santa Cruz should be in pretty good shape right now,” he said.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Rainfall Washes Restrictions Away

Photo by Matt Borden.

Photo by Matt Borden.

Photo by Jacob Pierce.

Photo by Matt Borden.

When Santa Cruz resident Craig Hass* left his house last Saturday night, he didn’t know he was going to a riot.

He had heard over a police scanner at around 10:30 p.m. that people had torches outside of Caffé Pergolesi, but decided that he wanted to see for himself.

“I was out of the house in five minutes,” Hass said in a phone interview.

Hass, who later helped police identify one of the two men arrested for vandalism, explained his thought process prior to the incident.

“I was thinking … who are these guys who think they can set something on fire in downtown Santa Cruz?” he said.

When Hass arrived on the scene, he said, things had heated up and although nothing had caught fire, torches and flares were present.

“I was shocked at first, and then I was mad to see that they had open flames,” he said.

The May 1 riot — the first in Santa Cruz since 1994 — began when participants threw jugs of paint at police cars and tagged anarchist symbols and anti-capitalist phrases onto buildings at around 10:30 p.m.

Things escalated when a group of approximately 10 people began smashing storefront windows at approximately 11:05 p.m.

By the time riot officers from the Santa Cruz Police Department (SCPD) and neighboring agencies arrived, 18 businesses had been damaged at a total estimated cost of $100,000.

Emily Bernard, a manager at Dell Williams Jewelers, was shocked by the event.

“It was so dramatic, because it was two huge windows that were shattered, and boulders that flew 30 feet into the store,” she said.

Dell Williams Jewelers sustained $10,000 to $20,000 worth of damage Saturday night. Bernard laments the night’s events.

“It’s a sick feeling to think that people can destroy with such a senseless manner,” she said.

Prior to the riot breaking out, a May Day dance party was held below the clock tower on the corner of Pacific and Water. May Day is an annual event, celebrated across the nation to raise awareness about immigration and labor issues.

According to Zach Friend, public information officer for the SCPD, the police department is working with the FBI to identify the individuals involved with the riot.

“We’re not painting a broad brush and saying that everyone who was involved in the unsanctioned event was also involved in the vandalism,” Friend said.

He added “The anarchists used [the dance party] as physical and political cover for them to go commit unspeakable and unnecessary acts of stupidity and violence downtown. So we are doing as much as we can to identify as many of these people as possible.”

Friend said that organizers of the dance party had an opportunity to have police presence at a permitted event but elected not to.

At 11:23 p.m., over 45 minutes after riot behavior began, law enforcement from around the county arrived on the scene and formed a cohesive group in order to disperse the crowd. Friend attributes the delayed response time to phony 911 calls, which diverted the eight officers who were on duty that evening away from the riot.

He also added that there was an officer present when the crowd began to get out of hand, but that the officer pulled back due to safety concerns when protestors began pelting the police car with rocks, bottles and cans of paint.

“I recognize that some people may feel that they would like to have seen a instantaneous response from police,” Friend said. “But given the fact that there were seven officers to 250 protestors, it wouldn’t have been a safe response for everyone involved.”

Dell Williams Jewelers’ manager Emily Bernard said that she does not place any blame on the police for arriving after her business had sustained damages.

“Whatever the response time was, it’s not like it was Halloween or New Year’s Eve. They had no reason to be prepared for something like this,” Bernard said.

UC Santa Cruz third-year Roy Valdez was eating at Acapulco restaurant on Saturday night when he witnessed a large crowd marching down Pacific Avenue with torches and flares.

“It was a sea of people, and they had flares,” Valdez said. “They kept walking, and there was probably eight or nine people with flares. And, out of nowhere, we saw about 10 or so people with torches. It’s one thing to be marching, but when they have torches … it reminded me of Frankenstein — that’s the image I had. That’s what they did to Frankenstein.”

Jessica Meyer, a UCSC first-year from College Nine, was shopping at CVS at around 11 p.m. on Saturday when the store was evacuated by police.

Meyer is concerned that many Santa Cruz citizens may automatically assume that UCSC students were involved in the riot.

“[Rioters] ruined downtown and for no reason, and it gives UCSC students a bad name and a bad reputation,” Meyer said. “I don’t know exactly who was involved, but the city is associating UCSC students.”

“I feel really bad for the store owners who have had their stores damaged,” Meyer added.

While the police department has not publicly verified individuals or groups that are involved except the two transients arrested (see Police Blotter for more information), it is investigating the group of vandals as a possible anarchist organization.

Business owners and Santa Cruz community members alike are focusing their blame on SubRosa, an anarchist café, partly because one of the men arrested admitted picking up fliers for the event there.

“We can’t let [an] anarchist café exist now that we know the potential of what they can do and publicize,” Bernard said.

SubRosa denied involvement via an online statement which read: “SubRosa had nothing to do with the event, except that there were fliers for it here, as there were all over town and all over the Internet.”

SCPD spokesperson Friend said that the investigation will continue to progress with the help of the FBI.

“Moving forward, we’re expanding the umbrella with federal authorities to determine who specifically was involved in this,” he said. “We have a number of videos from downtown businesses that we are going to work with the FBI to see if we can identify any of the individuals.”

The morning after the riot, Analicia Cube, a co-founder of Take Back Santa Cruz, spoke about the conversations she had with Santa Cruz residents. Take Back Santa Cruz is an organization that works to protect the well-being of Santa Cruzans.

“People have been calling me crying … calling me screaming and frustrated,” Cube said, her voice choking up over the phone. “[There were] all the human emotions you would expect from human beings. People just want to live a safe, happy life in the town that they love.”

~~~~~~

*name has been changed

Additional reporting by Jacob Pierce and Matt Borden

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Vandals Strike Downtown Santa Cruz

Illustration by Megan Laird.

After several months of intense debate and name-calling in the House and the Senate, President Barack Obama signed his heavily touted health care reform package into law last Wednesday, marking the biggest overhaul of the United States health care system since Theodore Roosevelt was in office.

The news set off celebrations and sighs of relief amongst many residents in Santa Cruz who have had trouble gaining access to health insurance in the past. Under Obama’s plan, an estimated two-thirds of the 40,000 uninsured people in Santa Cruz County will now be covered.

“Everyone involved in this important debate recognizes that this effort has been a long, tough and often contentious road,” said president and CEO of Catholic Healthcare West Lloyd H. Dean in a statement. The company owns and operates Dominican Hospital, located in mid-county Santa Cruz.

“This legislation addresses the real problems in our healthcare system: too many people without coverage and the high cost of care for all,” he added.

One of the most significant reforms in the health care package is a mandate that requires all Americans to carry health insurance by 2014 or risk being fined. It also includes extended dependent coverage for young adults under their parents’ insurance plans until the age of 26, and a provision that ends health insurance policies that exclude persons with preexisting conditions.

Valerie Diaz works as an instructional aide in special education classrooms in Santa Cruz County and has an autistic daughter. Diaz says she will gain the most benefit from the fact that health insurers will no longer be able to deny coverage to adults or children with disabilities or illnesses.

Diaz’s daughter Erica was covered by a state-run program “Healthy Families” until she turned 19, at which point Diaz was forced to look elsewhere for a provider to cover Erica’s health care needs. Necessary medications for her cost $1,000 a month.

However, Diaz’s daughter was denied by health insurance companies who consider autism a preexisting condition and was unable to benefit from MediCal because of the money she makes through Social Security. As a result, Diaz had to sign up for her employer’s health insurance — despite the fact that she was already insured elsewhere — so she could put her daughter under that plan as a dependent. This was the only provider who would accept her.

“Definitely the preexisting condition [is the most important provision] whenever that takes effect, which will hopefully be soon,” Diaz said. “It’ll be huge for me and my daughter because it will save me money in the long run … if I can get her on her own policy that will save me at least $400 a month.”

Bill Tysseling, executive director of the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, says that the health care package as a whole proves beneficial for local small business owners and their employees.

“Their workers now have access to healthcare that is affordable and guaranteed, and it means they can compete with big businesses and the government for the same employees and not have to worry about whether they can pay for health insurance,” Tysseling said. “The overall picture is that for small businesses this is probably a better deal on average.”

Not all small business owners would agree that the bill makes for a better deal. Ted Burke, who is the co-owner of Shadowbrook Restaurant in Capitola and former president of the California Restaurant Association, calls the recently passed health care legislation “a bureaucratic nightmare.”

He believes it will cause a lot more harm than good for small businesses. Burkepoints to a new regulation which requires businesses with 50 or more workers to provide health insurance or risk a $2,000 penalty for each uninsured person.

“Overall, I find the legislation extremely harmful to our industry and country,” Burke said. “The number of employees has no relationship to profitability … Shadowbrook has a hundred employees, and we’re only open for dinner, but are we considered a massive business? Hell no. But according to the law we are, and we’re supposed to have the same financial resources as an attorney’s office with a hundred employees, and that’s just plain wrong.”

Burke went on to explain that, unless this new provision is changed or repealed, his business would either be forced to change their current policy or drop health insurance altogether and risk facing the fine, which Burke says would result in “far less bookkeeping and money.”

Larry deGhetaldi, president of the Santa Cruz division of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, also believes that while aspects of the healthcare reform are positive, it left out several key components.

For example, physicians who take Medicare patients will see a 21 percent cut in compensation. It also omits a provision proposed by Congressman Sam Farr that would reclassify counties like San Diego and Santa Cruz as urban counties to modify medicare payments. He called them “two painful omissions.”

Overall, however, deGhetaldi says that much of the criticism that this bill has received lacks merit.

“I think it’s just a manifestation of the political polarization in the country … people assume that this is socialized medicine but this is the furthest thing in the world from that. The criticism is nonsense.”

Meanwhile, Valerie Diaz is hopeful that the health care reform will be beneficial to many Santa Cruz residents like herself and her daughter.

“All these people don’t have any insurance and aren’t being able to get their medication, so if they could get on any kind of a plan it has to be better than what they have now,” she said. “But I hope the politics can get out of it because this is a right, not a privilege.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Health Care Reform Met with Mixed Reviews in Santa Cruz

Matt Blanchard, a double major in math and economics, collaborated with Think Local First to launch a discount program he hopes will encourage students to buy closer to home. Photo by Nita-Rose Evans.

Matt Blanchard is the man behind the bus stop ads proclaiming “Save Money at Locally Owned Businesses” in bold black font. Last quarter, Blanchard launched a student discount program in collaboration with Think Local First (TLF). TLF, a group of independent and locally owned businesses, aims to “promote and sustain economic vitality while preserving the unique character of Santa Cruz County,” as stated on their website. And although chain stores, franchises and online shopping have proliferated and infiltrated the small business community of Santa Cruz, the fourth-year math and economics double major from Cowell has found an answer. Blanchard seeks to increase local economic awareness among students through his student discount program, the first in UC Santa Cruz history.

The program is now entering its second academic quarter, and Blanchard continues his efforts to show how students can participate in the local economy and strengthen community between the university and the town. Twenty-four independent and locally owned businesses have joined him and are giving out discounts. Whether you want a buy-one-get-the-second-for-$1 coffee at Caffe Pergolesi or a 10 percent discount at Yogizmo Yogurt, all you need is your student ID card.

~~~~~~

City on a Hill Press: You started this program when you interned with Think Local First last fall. What made you decide to continue it this quarter?

Matt Blanchard: I really like the TLF organization and it was fun working for them. Also, when I started the program I didn’t think most businesses would be interested in offering a one-month discount, and I was planning to continue it this quarter to help get more businesses involved.

CHP: Were you aware of the “think local” movement prior to interning for Think Local First and launching the program?

MB: I was aware of it in the farming industry and the farmers’ market — you know, buy-local buy-fresh stickers — and that made sense to me. But I didn’t realize how it applies to every sector of the economy and how it can make a difference in a lot of ways.

CHP: Why should students — or anyone in the community — buy locally?

MB: There are a few studies out there showing that up to two-thirds more money stays in the local economy when you buy local. Santa Cruz is a small community. We have about 3,000 new students coming in every year, and that’s a lot of money being put into the community. If they are buying from local businesses, they are going to help the entire community grow instead of just utilizing big chain stores.

CHP: Will this student discount program will help bridge the gap between the town and the university?

MB: I think it will help. Hopefully if students start participating at the stores that are offering discounts, other businesses in Santa Cruz will catch on and organize to attract more student business, and realize that there’s this large market that they can tap into.

CHP: How exactly does this student discount program break down barriers between the town and the university?

MB: A lot of locals claim that students mess up the economy by throwing a lot of money into certain areas, like bars or big chain stores, and [are] not really helping the little guys. I think having a broader list of local businesses available to students, and just getting the idea across that they can make a difference in the community and change people’s attitudes toward students, is important.

CHP: What did you hope to achieve when you created this program?

MB: I just wanted to get more awareness out about thinking local. Also, it would be cool to see people using the information that I put together to find deals to save money. There are a lot of unique businesses out there that can’t compare to chain stores, so it would be cool to save money there.

CHP: What does it mean for the community when you buy locally instead of buying from big corporations?

MB: I don’t want to make it a big fight, like I’m fighting corporations, but I think it’s just more about supporting the community. When you buy a product you should think, ‘Where’s my money going? Is my money going to go to this guy’s family that owns the store, or is it going to go to some headquarters and get redistributed through the shareholders?’

CHP: What message do you hope to get out to the students with this discount program?

MB: I want people to take a look when they see these posters. And if they’re ever shopping in these areas and want to go rock climbing, or get their bike fixed, or go to an acupuncturist — there’s a lot of different options — or get a haircut, all these different options for different discounts. Take a moment to think about where your money is going before you purchase something. It’s not like an all-or-nothing choice, either. You don’t have to only buy from the local restaurant. Just when you’re buying products, think: ‘Where’s my money going right now?’

~~~~~~

Check out the discounts at www.students.thinklocalsantacruz.org

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Q&A: Matt Blanchard on Thinking Locally First

Mike Kershnar's art is displayed on the walls of The Krate, an apparel, vinyl and art supply store located on Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz. Photo by Rosario Serna.

Mike Snyder (left) and Brandon Spector (right) opened The Krate with the hope of bringing their passions and lifestyles to their daily work. All art displayed is by Mike Kershnar. Photo by Rosario Serna.

Friday Night, South Pacific Avenue

The crowd amassed in a store on South Pacific Avenue. They were an eclectic bunch: urban art buffs, streetwear enthusiasts and midnight marauders out to revel in the Friday night. Many of them held plastic cups in their hands filled with the kind of beverage known to keep the good times going — drinks were on the house. Artwork of various mediums and sizes decorated the walls and the people orbited around them, studying the color, composition and message of each.

Mike Kershnar stood out in this crowd of 80-some people. And it wasn’t difficult to tell he was the man of the hour. He wore a blue wharfsman beanie, roamed the store with his husky, Lavender, by his side and had a certain live-life attitude about him.

The event on that November Friday night was titled “Signs and Symbols,” a pop-up art gallery being held at The Krate. And Kershnar was the artist responsible. The Krate is a South Pacific Avenue-based boutique founded by high school friends Mike Snyder and Brandon Spector in 2007.

In the past, Kershnar has worked with Obey — the street-art campaign turned print, fine art, and clothing icon — Element Skateboards, and the Beastie Boys.

The scene that night in downtown Santa Cruz is indicative of a new generation. Kershnar, the founding duo of The Krate and aspiring UC Santa Cruz students represent a new breed of entrepreneur. Exactly what kind of entrepreneur they are is difficult to categorize.

They are the start-ups, the underground, the anti-corporate, the rebels, the non-mainstream, the independents, the 20-somethings, the young and the ambitious. Though they may have different names, they all share one thing in common: they are setting a new standard for business models and strategies and are causing old-timers to rethink their traditional ways. They represent the great strides that start-up businesses and brands are making in this day and age, by turning to collaborative trends and taking advantage of new technology and the Internet to turn their lifestyle, passions and interests into a business.

Photo by Rosario Serna.

For the Love of the Game

The Krate founders Snyder and Spector refused to settle for a 9-5 job. Before founding the shop, they conceded they worked “random meaningless jobs” — from landscaping to pizza delivery to construction work.

Then, after preparation, planning, attending business seminars, working side jobs, and meeting with banks and real estate agents who were skeptical of their cause, they finally proved the doubters wrong and opened up a shop in 2007 that brought together apparel, music and art.

However, both Snyder and Spector will tell you that the kind of apparel, music and art they carry is not something that can be classified into one genre or industry. They avoid labels, though some may think the style of their store simply fits into one mold or another.

“It’s not a hip-hop shop,” Spector said. “But we do have elements of hip-hop.”

The moment you step foot in The Krate, you’ll immediately see, hear and feel how the shop is directly influenced by the lifestyles of Snyder and Spector. You’ll see, hear and feel the hip-hop, but you will also see, hear and feel the skateboard, music and art culture that Snyder and Spector grew up in. Their lifestyle inspires the mission statement.

“We’re just bringing the elements together that belong together already,” Snyder said.

One section of the shop is devoted entirely to vinyl records. Another looks like an armory of art supplies catered to the urban guerrilla artist. Walk a couple of steps in the other direction and you’ll find shelves of street-inspired apparel, featuring everything from the basic graphic tee to the raw denim, from the cut-and-sew garments to the fitted caps.

Today’s start-ups turn their passions and interests into profits. As seen in the case of Snyder and Spector, The Krate was a way for the two to turn their lifestyles into a business.

“If you’re not in it strictly for the dough, then you’re given a certain amount of freedom that you wouldn’t otherwise have,” Spector said.

Snyder and Spector put themselves in a unique position. Profits became secondary, a surplus reward to the start-up business. What came first was passion.

And as Spector said, it is this passion that gave them the freedom that a suit-and-tie type of career wouldn’t be able to offer. They loved what they were doing, and they were able to make profits out of it at the same time.

Ray Licardo, a second-year information systems management major at UCSC, sings the same tune as Snyder and Spector. In 2005, he founded his own clothing brand, Western Vibe. The brand was born from a passion for graphic design that he developed his freshman year in high school, when he visited a screen-printing company.

“After seeing the whole process of designing and printing the graphics onto the shirts, I knew I wanted to start designing and printing my own,” he said. “Since then, I got into Photoshop and Illustrator and designed graphics for my high-school music program, many of my high-school organizations, dance teams, my high school’s sports teams, then soon my own line, Western Vibe.”

Licardo hopes to follow in the footsteps of many start-ups like The Krate and turn a personal passion and interest into a profitable business.

“Because I love designing and fashion, I have no problem turning what I love to do and — am very passionate about — into money,” he said. “It’s much more enjoyable doing what you like and it’s way easier to motivate yourself.”

UCSC student Ray Licardo (front right) turned his passion for graphic design into a profitable clothing line, Western Vibe. Daniel Aclan (back left), Garrett Jay (back center), and Katrina Cabuatan (front left). Photo by Rosario Serna.

No Room for Lone Wolves

The success of today’s start-ups can also be attributed to their collaborative trends. They understand teamwork and know that in order to survive, they must lean on each other’s shoulders.

Ever since they opened shop, The Krate has hosted monthly art galleries with artists of local talent to artists of renown. They’ve worked with graffiti artists, graphic artists, and muralists like Saber One, David Choe, Alex Pardee, and recently, Mike Kershnar.

“When we do an art show once a month, it’s good for everybody,” Snyder said. “The artists are inviting friends that may never come to our store. We gain exposure. And we’re exposing their art to the community all month. It’s a trade, you know.”

The “Signs and Symbols” gallery put together by The Krate and Kershnar demonstrates how two parties in the creative industry can work together to compensate for each other’s weaknesses and capitalize on each other’s strengths.

“The Krate did a lot of great publicity for the event such as flyering and printing,” Kershnar said. “They also got the word out to the local media and made YouTube videos of me painting the wall. I created all the art for the event, designed the poster and got it covered by Element and Juxtapoz. Now they are taking care of sales and shipping.”

Gone are the days when exclusive behind-closed-doors and lone-wolf mentality businesses thrived.

As Snyder explained, it is these dynamic and creative partnerships that keep start-ups like The Krate afloat in a very competitive, complex and colossal business atmosphere.

Even the corporate giants are starting to see the opportunities in collaboration. Nike and Apple are one such example.

In 2006 they debuted Nike + iPod, a personal training system that allows you to “hear how you run” and “hear the burn” through four steps: Ready. Set. Go. Sync.

In addition to the business incentive, entrepreneurs and artists also seek to incubate each other’s think tanks and innovation kitchens through their collaborations.

“One of the most rewarding things for me as an artist is to collaborate with the people that have inspired me deeply,” Kershnar said.

He has collaborated with Shepard Fairey, the mastermind behind Obey, and created artwork for Element Skateboards and rock posters for the Beastie Boys.

Licardo, founder of Western Vibe, shares similar thoughts with his clothing brand.

“One can gain a lot of inspiration and networking through collaboration,” he said. “You also get other ideas that can make your design or business more effective and more sellable.”

Get The Word Out!

The Internet allows start-ups to project themselves on a global level. It gives them the visibility that they would not otherwise have.

“No matter how small a business may be, it has the ability to immediately share information with the entire connected world,” said Jon Adams, lead developer at Iluminada Design, a Santa Cruz web design studio. “Young businesses have no more, and, more importantly, no less of an advantage than the most successful and established businesses out there, as far as accessibility is concerned.”

Just last month, The Krate launched TheKrate.com, a revamped website complete with an online store. Already Snyder and Spector are noticing the bigger, wider customer base of e-commerce.

“Some dude in London found we were the only store left on the Internet with a certain hoodie that was huge — 10 Deep made a nice cut-and-sew jacket,” Spector said, talking about their latest sale: a limitedly produced sweater that found its way to a happy customer overseas.

Links to The Krate’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages can also be found on their new website. Let’s not forget about a link to their blog, which features posts on product updates, pictures from last night’s pop-up art gallery, and anything that might happen in “a day in the life” of The Krate.

The social media of the Internet allows start-ups to connect to their customer base on a personal, more intimate level.

Likewise, Licardo uses these tools as avenues to reach out to Western Vibe’s community.

“These social networks help me spread news about updates on Western Vibe,” Licardo said. “I’m always keeping my supporters posted on new designs and apparel that I’m coming out with through my Facebook group, Twitter, Tumblr, BlogSpot and AIM profile.”

Licardo says that starting up a business would have definitely been much more costly, if not impossible, without the Internet.

“Without the Internet, I would only have to rely on posters, fliers, and word of mouth,” he said. “It would be more expensive trying to expose my brand through these means of advertising.”

Later That Friday Night, South Pacific Avenue

As the night wore on, the crowd continued to soak in the revelry of good company, good people and good song.

But somewhere among the orgy of people, and somehow among the noise of constant chatter, Dylan Christopher managed a quick jeer at his childhood friend, Mike Kershnar.

“He was a dirty skate rat like all of us — he had dreads,” Christopher joked.

Kershnar may be the same skate rat he was back in the day, but this time he transformed his personality, lifestyle and passions into profits.

~~~~~

Make sure to check out The Krate’s next art show, “Friends and Family,” Friday Jan. 8 at 5 p.m. Stay connected at thekrate.com, westernvibe.bigcartel.com and mikekershnar.com.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at From Passion to Profit

“The Road to God Knows” tracks the life of teenage protagonist Marie as she deals with her mother’s schizophrenia. It is just one of many comic books and graphic novels lining the shelves of Atlantis Fantasyworld, located on Cedar Street. Photo by Kathryn Power.

Von Allen grew up with a schizophrenic mother. Rather than try to escape the difficulties of his childhood, he decided to tackle the issue of growing up surrounded by mental illness artistically in a recently released comic book.

Allen’s “The Road to God Knows…” is a graphic novel about a teenage girl coming of age and coping with her life amidst mental illness. Although it is not an autobiographical comic, the story is inspired in part by Allen’s own experiences.

“It has a lot to do with how I grew up. My mom wasn’t well. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was a kid,” Allen said. “When I was trying to figure out what story to do first, I thought ‘Well this would be very interesting.’ It’s something a lot of people have to deal with.”

Joe Ferarra, owner of the Atlantis Fantasyworld comic book store in downtown Santa Cruz, was one of the first store owners to express interest in picking up Allen’s comic. Ferarra heard about the comic via an old business friend and independent comic book distributor, Tony Shenton.

Ferarra is among several comic retailers who came together to plan a special release day for independent comic books and graphic novels on Dec. 30.

The event will feature self-produced comics and graphic novels and has been dubbed “Independents Day.”

When Ferarra asked Shenton for books to sell for Independents Day, “The Road to God Knows…” was high on Shenton’s list of suggestions.

“People originally came to comic stores for a counterculture, and with the help of independent distributors like Shenton, that counterculture can come back,” Ferarra said. “We’re known in the industry for being independent-friendly, and that has to do in part with our location in Santa Cruz.”

Allen now lives in Ottawa, Canada, and has dispersed his self-produced graphic novel across the United States.

“This is not a walk in the park, this book. There are a lot of people going through what the little girl in this book is going through,” Ferarra said. “[Allen's] book is a little out of the ordinary, but we traditionally sell more non-superhero books than superhero ones. Books with provocative story lines and mature themes are popular with our clientele.”

Allen said the world was a scary place for his mother, who suffered from anxiety disorders on top of her mental illness. She died at the age of 48 years old. Allen was only 20 years old at the time.

Allen said he hopes his graphic novel will help remove the sense of isolation that surrounds the victims of mental illness and their families.

“I never felt she had a fair chance,” Allen said. “People with mental illness have a stigma. There is a lot of isolation. Even if society isn’t shunning them particularly, they feel very alone. I’m not trying to get up on a soapbox and shout at people or something like that. I hope that people who don’t care about mental illness at all may have their eyes opened, and people may realize it’s not as scary as it seems — it’s weird, it’s unusual, but it doesn’t have to be scary.”

Allen said he was never the kid who was great at art or drew all the time, but he knew that he liked comics and the way they were able to deal with heavy issues. After working in a bookshop for years and reading graphic novels like “Persepolis,” he decided to plunge into a project of his own. He took art classes, found a self-publishing tool and ultimately printed his graphic novel.

Allen said he was amazed by the number of stores that have picked up “The Road to God Knows…” and commended Ferrara’s willingness to take a chance on a new writer.

“A lot of times people don’t want to pick up unknown authors and books. That’s one reason why [Ferarra] is really mind-blowing. He really embraces the art form of comics. I think that is really new — he’s willing to experiment and that’s really important,” Allen said. “If stores aren’t willing to take shots at new voices it’s very hard for new writers and artists to develop.”

Allen said in addition to bookstores, he has sent the book to a number of mental health professionals in hopes that they will find the themes particularly interesting.

Ferarra said a combination of the location of his store, his clientele, and the store’s ability to respond to the demands of that clientele all help create the chance to diversify the books Atlantis Fantasyworld has on its shelves.

“It gives us the opportunity to get to know some great independent books,” Ferarra said with a smile.

Allen said the support of people like Ferrara who are willing to pick up independent books is invaluable to new writers.

“I hope people take a chance on it. It’s hard, with … graphic novels, but [with] any books. People don’t understand how hard it is for authors to make a go of it,” Allen said. “Most books don’t sell very well. Supporting new voices is important. Even if they don’t want to support my book, it’s important to support local voices and authors.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Coping Through Comics

After a busy summer, the Boardwalk’s roller coasters and rides are now empty. Local business owners prepare for Santa Cruz’s off-season. Photo by Isaac Miller.

Every year after Labor Day, the neighborhood surrounding the Boardwalk transforms from a bustling pool of congestion to a near ghost town.

But even this year’s summer season — which traditionally brings with it lots of Boardwalk area bustle — was significantly more quiet than in previous years according to Praff and Sunni Patel, who own and manage the Super 8 Motel at 334 River Street, located just a few blocks from the Boardwalk.

“It was definitely slow,” Praff said. “It was harder to fill the rooms compared to previous years. Obviously, when the economy’s strong, people have the money to travel. This year, for sure, it was much harder. But you know, we’ll have to survive.”

According to the Santa Cruz Conference and Visitors’ Council (CVC), hotel occupancy in Santa Cruz County declined 7 percent this year from the previous summer, and the average daily rate was down 10 percent.

The CVC also reported that between 75 and 80 percent of summer visitors to Santa Cruz County came from Northern California and the Central Valley.

Tom Cole, manager of the Babbling Brook Inn, a 13-room bed and breakfast located about a mile from the Boardwalk and near UC Santa Cruz and Mission Street, said that the city tends to be a destination for people who live within a few hours a way.

“We always used the expression that, ‘If you can get there and back on a half-tank of gas, then let’s go.’ We’ve got quite a few communities within a half-tank of gas of us that are very [interested in Santa Cruz].”

While many of the visitors to Santa Cruz this summer live within a half-tank radius, local business owners, hoteliers and restauraunt employees noticed that fewer of them stayed overnight, creating a loss in total summer revenue.

“We do have a very strong market in terms of day-trippers,” said Christina Glynn, communications director for the CVC. “The challenge is encouraging them to stay overnight. Those reductions have a trickle-down effect and they will also [lead to] reductions in spending in the community.”

This year’s summertime decrease in business was detrimental enough to cause shops like Central Coast Running and Super Silver, formerly housed further from tourist thoroughfares, to reevaluate their locations.

“I needed to move somewhere downtown or I was going to cease to exist,” said Adam Boothe, owner of Central Coast Running. “With the drop-off in the economy, I needed to be somewhere more visible.”

Many businesses experimented this summer with different hours, lower prices and special offers to get visitors in their doors.

Surfrider Café, which opened in February, was one of many businesses that offered its patrons coupons for the Boardwalk this summer. Kris Reyes, community relations director for the Santa Cruz Seaside Company, which owns the Boardwalk, said that such coupons have proven to be a great success for the both parties involved.

“One of the things we saw this year was a growth in our discount offers because people were so value-conscious, probably more so than in years past,” Reyes said.

Unfortunately, although business at the Boardwalk was steady this past season, value-conscious visitors failed to produce a sizable amount of revenue at nearby hotels like the Patel’s Super 8.

“The challenge is going to be the slow season,” Patel said of the upcoming fall and winter months. “[The question] will be: ‘How slow does it get?’ If it gets really slow then it’s a cause for worry. But if we’re down like summer — 20 or 30 percent — I think we’ll survive. We’re just hoping that it’s going to pick up next year.”

According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Santa Cruz County saw its GDP decline for the second year in a row in 2008, making a pick-up in business a major question for 2010. But the Patels — and many other business owners — remain optimistic.

“You can’t take the ocean away, so more people [will always] like to come here,” Sunni said. “We are very lucky. It’s a great paradise we live in.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Slow Summer for Santa Cruz

A sign inside the Farm Stand reminds visitors that workers here are just as cared for as the produce that’s planted and picked. Photo by Michelle Fitzsimmons.

You set the price for what you buy at Swanton Berry Farm. Photo by Michelle Fitzsimmons.

Photo by Michelle Fitzsimmons.

Just past the seven-store town of Davenport, 12.5 miles north of UC Santa Cruz on Highway 1, stretches a little slice of paradise.

Swanton Berry Farm, this lush, utopian place, includes forty acres of rich, fertile soil from which ruby-red strawberries, sunflowers and a dozen other foodstuffs burst. Old Army barracks sit nearby and now serve as low-cost housing, and the former mess hall today turns out mouth-watering masterpieces.

“We’re the first organic strawberry farm in the state, the first organic farm in the country to have a unionized work force. Our employees get a health plan, a retirement plan. We have a profit-sharing plan,” gushes Forrest Cook, a manager at the Farm.

Swanton, which took root in 1983 as a four-acre plot dreamed up by two plucky buddies, now sends its produce to more than ten different markets in the greater Bay Area, including downtown’s Wednesday afternoon farmers market.

Though the company has grown since its beginnings, a concerted effort by all, from the owners to the pickers, has kept Swanton true to its original farming principles. It uses no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides and continues to treat all employees with dignity and respect — a rare phenomenon in the modern farming world.

“I absolutely love working here,” said Amber Duncan, a fifth-year UCSC sociology major who spent her summer working at the farm. “I’ve learned how to make jam, make cobbler. I’ve learned about organic farming and sustainability. In the summer, people come from all over the world and everyone is so excited to be here.”

As she speaks, Duncan is scooping filling for olallieberry cobbler, a Swanton staple, while Laura Rodriquez (known as “Mama Laura” around here) prepares crust for strawberry cheesecake. When she’s done, Duncan will start chopping leeks for soup to be served at a community dinner the farm is hosting in honor of the firefighters who doused the summer blazes in nearby Ben Lomond.

“The farm is like a big strawberry-obsessed family,” Duncan says while she scoops. “It’s different from everything that is becoming so commercialized and impersonal.”

During peak harvest time in early summer, Swanton hires temporary workers to supplement their regular crew. The farm offers affordable housing to all employees and, instead of paying pickers by the pound, as is the practice at most produce farms, an hourly wage keeps workers from pushing themselves past their physical limits.

All of Swanton’s employees are well-versed in the principles of the place, ticking off the positives as they merrily go about their tasks. While they are clearly satisfied in their work, visitors are drawn to the farm’s homey vibes, where they can pick their own berries and indulge in succulent eats.

“We love to pick berries,” Soquel resident Jessica Adam said while putting together a puzzle with her three-year old daughter. They come up to the farm at least once a week. “We love to play the games when it’s windy. It seems like an awesome place to work, and of course the strawberries are organic and delicious. We use them for everything. They are consistently good.”

The kitchen and Farm Stand, where the goods are sold, house plush couches, picnic tables and old-fashioned games, including an antique, wooden fuzz-ball set. Strewn about the walls are black-and-white photos of Cesar Chavez and migrant workers, and dangling over the window that peaks into the kitchen is a sign that reads “Si Se Puede” — the Spanish motto of the United Farm Workers, meaning “Yes, it can be done.”

Customers don’t suffer from what Cook calls the “low blood sugar means,” as experienced in some restaurants, because all the food is ready to serve, or pick. People can choose from an assortment of organic, kitchen-fresh confections like chocolate strawberry truffles, natural jams and cauliflower soup. Best of all, Cook said, is watching first-timers figuring out how to pay.

“They usually stand around, not noticing the honor till,” he said, referring to the prominently displayed cash drawer that invites customers to put in as much or as little cash as they feel necessary to purchase what they want to take home.

“The trust of the honor till always cheers people up,” he added. “I feel very privileged to be at a place where the honor till can work.”

Both Cook and Duncan can’t seem to figure out why more people don’t find their way to Swanton, especially students, but they are hoping to get the word out. For now, they’re happy to be part of a dream that’s personally enriching and beneficial to the world and its future.

“It’s great being part of the big change of eating local,” Cook said. “There’s nothing more local than taking your kids out to pick their own strawberries.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at A Farm of a Different Breed

Photo by Phil Carter.

Photo by Phil Carter.

Among the many life lessons gained during the college years, few are as rude an awakening as leaving the warmth of mom’s kitchen and the convenience of the dining halls behind. As demonstrated by our uncanny ability to gain the freshmen fifteen or the ease with which we cast ourselves in the role of starving college student, learning to adequately and properly nourish ourselves is clearly no easy food feat.

As another year of our esteemed higher education begins, perhaps it’s time to treat our bodies to a new way of eating. The collegiate culinary cycle of ramen, frozen pizza, forget to rinse the dishes, repeat, can in fact be broken and forgotten – and probably much more easily than you’d assume.

If you’re thinking that this is just going to be another Santa Cruzan rant that heralds the magic wonders of farmers markets and natural food stores while conveniently overlooking the fact that college students have neither the time nor the funds to pursue the epicurean high-life, think again.

While Santa Cruz may be occasionally lacking in a few areas – hygiene and Republicans come to mind – sources for healthy and affordable food are not on the list. As college students, and semi-permanent residents of the health-food Mecca that is Santa Cruz, it would be a great personal disservice not to utilize the abundant resources available to us (see attached guide on the right). If you keep a few simple tips in mind, you too can be on your way to healthful culinary success sans blown budget.

Buying food in the most whole and unprocessed state is beneficial both for your diet and wallet for a couple of reasons. As food is processed, packaged, frozen, canned and freeze-dried, it begins to cost the consumer more while packing a generally lower nutritional punch. Although packaged and ready-made meals may seem cheap at the checkout, the actual nutritional value often ends up being significantly less per dollar than it is in foods you could prepare yourself.

As an alternative to these over-packaged and processed foods, students can stock up from bulk food bins (which can be found at every health food store, including the on-campus Kresge co-op). The bins offer everything from hearty grains, lentils, beans, and oats, to healthy snack foods like trail mix, dried fruit, and popcorn kernels. Without packaging and processing, these foods are inexpensive compared to their canned and frozen counterparts and can be prepared in large quantities at once, saving you time.

Consider this comparison: 1 pound (16 ounces) of dried black beans bought in bulk costs just over $1 and yields over 6 cups of cooked beans while 1 can of black beans (14-15 ounces) costs the same amount of money but contains no more than about 2 cups of beans.

In addition to buying dried foods, bulk food aisles offer you the opportunity to buy unusual and tasty spices and herbs by the ounce. This means that if you’re not so sure about adding spicy curry powder to your tofu, you can buy just a pinch to experiment with. Using new spices and herbs in your cooking can make things more interesting and tasty without driving up the price.

When it comes to fruits and vegetables, try diverting just ten dollars of your food budget every couple of weeks towards fresh and seasonal produce from a local farmers market; you’ll be surprised how far that relatively small investment will take you. Try to invest in ingredients that can be used for multiple dishes (i.e. spinach, which can be used in a salad, sautéed with pasta, or simmered in a sauce). Cooking staples such as onions, garlic, and potatoes also provide limitless meal options and can be stored for long periods of time without spoiling.

If you would prefer to buy organic produce but are worried about the cost, don’t be afraid to talk directly to vendors or growers and ask them about their growing practices – that’s the beauty of the farmers market. You may notice that an apple or tomato from a ‘certified organic’ grower costs more than the same food from an uncertified grower. Because of the high cost of the organic certification process, many farms can’t bear the certified organic label but still offer produce that’s grown free from chemical pesticides and herbicides (and often at a lower price).

Once you’ve got your fresh produce and bulk food, a few store-bought ingredients can stretch your food purchases even further. Things like canned tomatoes and vegetable broths create great bases for many dishes and are affordable enough to always have on hand. Try cooking rice in vegetable broth or stewing potatoes and veggies in canned tomatoes for a quick and easy vegetable medley.

It’s important to note that no matter what creative and seemingly time-saving methods you use, cooking your own food is always going to take a little bit longer than opening and closing the microwave. But once you get your culinary juices flowing, it’s likely that you (and your taste buds) will find the value in abandoning nutritionally bankrupt microwaveable meals and instead investing in some tasty, real ingredients.

~~~~~

The following guide to Santa Cruz’s best natural food stores and farmers markets should serve as a helpful tool as you trade in the microwave for the market this school year.

Local Natural Food Markets

New Leaf (Three Santa Cruz locations: Swift St, Pacific Ave, 41st Ave) A local chain with six stores total, including a newly expanded branch close to campus, New Leaf community markets offer a great selection of produce, as well as sustainable meat and seafood options. Look out for frequent coupons in local publications to save a little cash.

Whole Foods (Two locations: Soquel Ave, 41st Ave) The health food mega-chain has two new branches in Santa Cruz and boasts an expansive prepared food section.

Staff of Life (Soquel Ave) A smaller local operation, Staff of Life has an impressive bulk section and a separate store devoted to vitamins and natural cosmetics.

Food Bin (corner of Mission and Laurel) A small store close to campus, the food bin is open late, so you can satisfy your after hours cravings without going to Taco Bell.

Kresge Natural Foods Co-op (Located in Kresge College) A not-for-profit student-run operation, the Kresge co-op offers bulk foods, produce, coffee and tea among many other selections. You can cut down costs by ordering in bulk in advance and they accept flexi dollars for those living on campus.

Local Farmers Markets

Downtown Wednesdays (2:30-6:30pm) The parking lot at Lincoln and Cedar St. is weekly transformed into a ritual Santa Cruz happening. It’s largest local market with the most variety and vendors and is open year-round, rain or shine.

Westside Saturdays (9am-1pm) Located on Mission street, the Westside market can be easily reached from campus by a quick ride down Western Street. A mellow and friendly atmosphere make this market a perfect Saturday morning excursion.

Live Oak Sundays (9am-1pm) For those that live on the East side of Santa Cruz, the Live Oak market is located in the Eastcliff shopping center and operates May through November.

Base of Campus Tuesday and Friday (12pm-6pm) If you’re counting food miles, this one hands down has the fewest. Fruits, veggies and herbs grown at the UCSC Farm travel less than a few hundred yards to a canopy tent at the base of campus. Operates Fall and Spring quarter only.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Trading the Microwave for the Market

This Goodwill Industries International mannequin models the “layered” look to create a draped silhouette. Photo by Rosario Serna.

A mannequin in the Santa Cruz Goodwill location, dressed by local artists participating in the Smart Moms art show, demonstrates the concept for “reduce, reuse, recycle” with this dress made of recycled CDs. Photo by Rosario Serna.

The clothing culture in Santa Cruz has become infamous for reuse and thrift. Community members and students alike are often innovative and creative with pieces they already have. The hard economic times and rising student fees have inspired some new fashion-savvy trends and ways to do it yourself (DIY). The resources for an environmentally conscious wardrobe makeover are bountiful downtown and right here on campus. 

While “shopping your closet” may be a novel concept for shopaholics, it has been the quintessential article written about the fashion industry for 2009. It’s also the anti-consumerist approach to fashion, combining and reusing thrift and vintage pieces from local destinations to recreate individualized versions of today’s popular trends.

Goodwill: Goodway to Wear

For students whose closets are less-than-overflowing with treasures, Santa Cruz is a great source for vintage apparel, thrift shops and craft supplies. Pacific Avenue is a hub for alternative shop-portunities, where UC Santa Cruz students and the community can find essentials for less.

The Goodwill Industries International store on Union Street and the Salvation Army store on Pacific Avenue are two examples of international thrift stores that have become popular on local levels. Both locations sell a variety of goods, from home furnishings to active wear, offering inexpensive necessities for people on a budget.

Evelyn Matthew, the store manager of Santa Cruz Goodwill, said she sees UCSC students at the store all the time.

“We’re always aware of students because they’re a real market for understanding our message,” Matthew said. “It’s a real treasure hunt.”

Matthew said the chain’s mission statement expresses its commitment to ameliorating the lives of the most needy people in the community.

New shipments arrive every day at the local Goodwill location, and the store offers a 10 percent discount on purchases made by students with a university ID every Saturday.

The Salvation Army also sees many UCSC students in its downtown store, according to Scott Peterson, assistant manager of the branch. The store offers a treasure trove of discounted items and on the last Friday of every month, all merchandise is 50 percent off.

“Mommy and Daddy can’t pay for everything,” Peterson said with a laugh.

Peterson said that the quality of the merchandise available is better now than before these recent hard times. The number one item students look for? “Clothes,” Peterson said.

“This is Santa Cruz, people come from all over to have fun,” Peterson continued. “Santa Cruz is an expensive town and we sell inexpensive stuff. We’re all about helping people.”

Selling the Goods

Many drop off their donations at the Salvation Army’s downtown location after trying their luck at Crossroads Trading Co. across the street. Crossroads is a popular destination for UCSC students to sell their no-longer-wanted clothes and pick up inexpensive new finds — or cash — in return. Crossroads helps shoppers free some much-needed space in student-sized closets while making exchanged clothes available for others who want to wear them.

Michele Costa, store manager at the Pacific Avenue store, said that the store collects all brands ranging from Target attire to designer duds. Every day Crossroads sees a bevy of shoppers browsing the color-coded racks and a steady stream of sellers who can sit and thumb through magazines while they wait to find out the worth of their turned-in goods.

Like many UCSC students, Mia Renauld, a first-year anthropology major, has sold some of her clothes to retailers like Crossroads. 

“It is nice to bring old clothes in, get [a] percent of what they would sell it for in credit, or get even less money [back] in cash,” Renauld said.

Vintage for Less

Crossroads and Goodwill have more modern finds, but Santa Cruz offers many locations for those looking for clothes from a specific decade. While the stores do not buy clothes back from students, Moon Zoom and Retro Paradise on Pacific Avenue retail unique pieces from the ’70s and ’80s that some students are eager to add to their closets.

Leopoleo Santos, owner and buyer for Retro Paradise, said he finds most of the store’s content at flea markets and antique shows.

“We ended up buying more [clothes] last year, and sold less,” Santos said. “We bought more inventory and variety, but we didn’t have a huge sale. They were the same as previous years.”

As is the case at many vintage shops, 95 percent of the pieces lining the Retro Paradise rack are processed and cleaned before they are brought in, “and that costs money,” Santos said.

Minding students’ budgets, Santos tries to keep inexpensive costumes in stock for students and people in the community.

“Students go for party stuff, and theme stuff,” Santos said. “They’re not necessarily looking for vintage pieces. Only tourists go for those ’50s or ’60s garments.”

Terry Rayburn, the owner of Moon Zoom, also offers discounts on the store’s ’70s-era clothing. A room toward the back of the store holds items for 50 percent off, and a rack with items for $5 welcomes people to the store. 

“We have a fair number of people coming in for party clothing and people who like to wear it as everyday wear,” Rayburn said.

In light of the economy, Moon Zoom does not discourage shoppers from its unique and reasonably priced findings.

“We had a lot of people over the spring [season], but we definitely aren’t doing as bad as some other stores,” Rayburn said.

Kurios on Pacific Avenue proves to remain a popular destination for modern trendy clothing, having a wide selection of both frivolous buys and classic wardrobe staples for students.

Amy Price, the store manager, has noticed a shift in what customers are buying recently.

“Usually people [are] going full-force into spring, buying summer dresses and trendier stuff,” Price said. “But we can’t keep our basics in stock. Our prices are pretty reasonable, so most people come to us for basics.”

DIY Crash Course

UCSC students know that the school offers many unique classes to expand their minds. To expand their closets, the theater arts department offers the course “Costume Construction.” The course allows students to turn their sketches into actual wearable items.

Renauld took the course in winter 2009, which was taught by Christine Duncan, a UCSC lecturer focusing on fabric and costume construction development for theater. 

“Christine Duncan makes costumes for most of the school productions,” Renauld said. “It was a great experience to work with people who had never sewn before as well as experienced people.” 

Renauld said she learned to sew from her mother, who in turn learned from her mother. She remembers spending her summers doing projects with her mother, mostly putting together dresses.

“I would wear dresses every day if the climate was up to it,” Renauld said.

The theater arts department initially intended to offer the class more frequently throughout the year, but budget cuts have limited the offering to every other year and forced the class size to huddle at a modest 10 to 15 students because of space constraints and the number of sewing machines available. 

“We’re trying to offer [the course] as a part of the comprehensive theater major curriculum,” Duncan said. “Those interested in costume design can learn to create what they draw.”

Duncan said that the majority of students she sees in her class are theater majors, art majors or students who are just interested in learning how to sew.

Whether students want to spruce up what they already have or buy something new, Duncan finds that she gets the most enjoyment from things she makes herself.

“I like making clothes and I like teaching people how to make clothes,” Duncan said. “It’s becoming a lost art. I like making something and making it fit well.” 

Duncan said that people during the ’30s and ’40s had to make their own clothes, while most modern consumers prefer to just pick up new items at the store.

“There’s a difference in the quality between something you make yourself and the quality of something you buy off the rack,” Duncan said. “The difference is in the fit and the style. It’s a big part of sewing: making it your own.”

Campus Consumers

Old clothes get new beginnings at clothes-swapping events held on campus. Last Tuesday, Students Together Opposing Poverty (STOP) hosted the Conscious Consumers clothes-swap for the second year in a row. STOP is an on-campus club that meets every Tuesday night at Merrill College for weekly teachings on poverty-related issues such as worldwide hunger and the genocide in Darfur. This year the event was held at Merrill’s Baobab Lounge.

The purpose of the annual event is to learn about what it means to be a conscious consumer, said fourth-year Nathan Ellstrand, a history and politics double major.

The event consisted of a lecture from STOP members and UCSC students Cecily Wild and Robyn Perry on conscious consumerism and sustainability during the first hour, and the second hour was the clothing-swap.

“The clothing-swap goes well with [Merrill’s] theme, ‘Cultural Identity and Global Consciousness,’” Ellstrand said. “People typically bring in whatever they have left over or whatever they want to get rid of.”

Students unable to make it to the swap can still make a difference by visiting the Sweat-Free Communities Web site, where they can learn about several progressive clothing companies making a difference for workers’ rights worldwide.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Your Alternative Guide to Thrift, 831 Style

Comic book store owner Joe Ferrara looks forward to Free Comic Book Day, an annual event in which comic stores give out comic books for free. The event will be celebrated this Saturday by Ferrara’s store, Atlantis Fantasyworld, as well as Comicopolis on Front Street. Photo by Alex Zamora.

Hollywood’s comic-based films for audiences of all ages continually bring in profits, and the comic book genre has proved its staying power in this digital age. This weekend locals can pick up free comic books in celebration of the eighth annual international Free Comic Book Day.

Every year on the first Saturday in May, 2,000 comic stores nationwide give out nearly 2 million comic books. Free Comic Book Day comes to Santa Cruz this weekend from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. at two local comic book stores: Atlantis Fantasyworld on Cedar Street and Comicopolis on Front Street. 

Joe Ferrara, the owner of Atlantis Fantasyworld, said that Free Comic Book Day is his favorite day every year.

“Year in and year out, it’s just a wonderful way to celebrate comics,” Ferrara said. “The whole idea here is to show people that this entertainment medium has grown from just-for-kids to adults. We hold it to show people the diversity of comic books.” 

Ferrara estimates that the most popular series will be the Wolverine comics, to coincide with the release of the “X-Man Origins: Wolverine” movie in theaters nationwide this Friday.

“The movie industry coincides Free Comic Book Day with a release,” Ferrara said. “Last year was ‘Iron Man,’ and now it’s the Wolverine movie. People go to see the movie and then pick up a couple of books.”

The origins of Free Comic Book Day are rooted in Concord, Calif. Joe Field, a friend of Ferrara and owner of the Flying Colors comic book store, was inspired by the Free Cone Day held every year by the Baskin-Robbins across the street from Field’s shop. Field approached several distributors with the idea and now the event is celebrated internationally.

The selection ranges from “Archie” to “X-Men,” Ferrara said. He estimates that Atlantis Fantasyworld will be giving away over 4,000 comic books this Saturday. There will be a table display of 15 different comic books for people to pick up. 

As part of the festivities, Atlantis Fantasyworld will also have the 25th anniversary comic book cover of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” All “Watchmen” merchandise will be 30 percent off on Saturday only, all “Peanut” merchandise will be half off, and several titles in hardcover books that are usually priced at $30 will be sold for $5.

Dan Brereton will be making an appearance at Atlantis Fantasyworld this Saturday. Brereton has illustrated for several comics, including “Batman,” and most recently on a comic book called “Beta Ray Bill” featuring the popular character Thor. Brereton will be signing comic books during the day for the event.

Troy Geddes of Comicopolis explains that the event is more about getting people into reading comics than making a profit.

“We can have a good [business] day because it’s a promotional event, but it’s really about getting people into reading,” Geddes said. “Every year there’s more publishers, and it’s getting bigger and bigger.” 

Geddes estimates that the better-known comics such as “Green Lantern,” “Batman,” “The Simpsons” and some independent comics will be the first to go. He also said that several of the books available will be combined editions — two or more different comics in a book that will have both sides with the comics’ cover art.

Ben LaCara, a second-year Stevenson student and computer engineering major, hopes to find his favorite series, “Why, The Last Man,” and other titles at the event.

“I really like the plot [of the series],” LaCara said. “They’re really fantastical books. It’s a means of entertainment. I didn’t really grow up reading them though.”

LaCata became interested in comics during high school when a friend lent him a comic book, he said.

“The whole idea is that it’s supposed to be fun,” Ferrara said. “If it was free ice cream day, I’d make a beeline for it for sure.” 

—–

For information on available titles, pricing on merchandise and store hours, visit FreeComicBookDay.com.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Free Comic Book Day Giveaway Comes to Santa Cruz