Healthy Harvest Summer 2014

• Custom & Corporate Gifts • Local Honey & Olive Oil • Soups, Snacks & Preserves • Pistachios & Dried Fruit • Shelled & In-shell Nuts • Mustards & Sauces

Your Neighborhood Gourmet

1921 Apricot Way, Brentwood Off Fairview Ave.

2B I THEPRESS.NET

HEALTHY HARVEST

A UGUST 1, 2014

Knoll Farms goes beyond organic farming AMY SCHRADER ast County is known for its

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rich agricultural landscapes

that yield bountiful harvests

of fresh produce. "Buy fresh, buy local" is a way of life thanks to the area's many local farm stands, including Knoll Farms, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary in Brentwood.

Rick and Kristie Knoll, owners of Knoll Farms, are certified organic farmers who practice biodynamic and ecological farming techniques. The Knolls believe their success comes from living soil.

"Soil is the basis for life on Earth," said Katie Knoll. "The minerals and life in soil add a component to the food it grows that you can't get unless your soil is a living organism with nutrients and living critters. The soil in t his count ry is so deficient of minerals that it can't grow healthy food."

The concern over the quality of soil in the count ry first peaked in the 1930s when people were noticing a change in both the produce and health of Americans. In 1936, U.S. Senate report No. 264 revealed that American soil no longer contained the necessary minerals that are essential to growing healthy food.

Photo by Amy Schrader

Knoll Farms is celebrating 35 years of farming in Brentwood. The organic farmers are part of the community of farms in East Contra Costa County, which is known for its rich agricultural history and bountiful produce.

According to Knoll, many farmers turned to chemical alternatives and pesticides that contain poison that kills living organisms, such as earthworms that naturally add nutrients to soil. While more farmers are turning to organic methods, the practice doesn't address the health of the soil. The Knolls introduce natural minerals, helpful critters, such as red worms and earthworms, powdered granite and other elements to ensure their soil will produce healthy food .

"There's a beautiful cycle that nature has created that people cannot replicate," said

Knoll. "Healthy soil results in healthy plants, which produce a higher quality of fruits and vegetables."

The desire to grow healthy food in healthy soil is what prompted the Knolls to start growing their own food. In the early 1970s, they were suburbanites living in Santa Ana. When Rick finished his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from UC Irvine, he got a job in Pittsburg. While they were looking at houses, they came across a 10-acre alfalfa farm in Brentwood.

When the Knolls purchased the alfalfa farm in 1979, the Brentwood population was

only 3,662, but they didn't buy the property to become farmers. "We started growing food wit h the intention of feeding ourselves the healthiest food possible, but it became a necessity to sell it when we were soon buried in organic produce," said Knoll.

Eventually, growing healthy food from healthy soil became a f ulltime endeavor. Today, the farm is in production year-round, and their produce includes varieties of artichokes, garlic, herbs, figs, apricots, plums, nectarines, flowers and salad greens.

The Knoll family is known as the pioneers of green garlic. When the family started farming full time, they needed a winter crop. Rick planted garlic in September for an early harvest in January, hoping to harvest it at an immature age of six months versus the typical nine months. The result was garlic that resembled an overgrown scallion. They called it green garlic.

There wasn't a precedent for pricing a vegetable of that kind, so to sell it, the Knolls had to get people to try it first. Katie combined diced green garlic with her favorite cheese, Cowgirl Creamery Fromage Blanc, which she served on a sourdough baguette at the farmers' market in San Francisco. The rest is history.

"We paved the way for everyone else to grow and sell green garlic," said Knoll.

Knolls Farm is located at 12 51 0 Byron Highway in Brentwood. To find out more about Knoll Farms visit www.knollorganics. com or call 925-634-5959.

To comment. visit www.thepress.net.

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AUGUST 1, 2014

HEALTHY HARVEST

THEPRESS.NET I 38

Growing it local at Gursky Ranch HEATHER BREWER

T

he Gursky Ranch Country Store

Fresh and locally produced items such as sauces, dried fruits, oils and gift baskets are always on hand at Gursky Ranch Country Store.

has been an integral part of the Brentwood community for

more than 30 years. From its beginnings

as a seasonal fruit stand, the store has grown in the past decades, becoming a year-round haven for dried fruits and nuts, specialty soups, sauces and more than 390 other gourmet food items.

The Gursky family has been involved in agriculture for four generations.

In 1975, Roy and Lynn Gursky and their family moved to Brentwood, setting out on a new agricultural endeavor.

"We didn't know much about growing walnuts then, or marketing them, but with help from farmer friends, consultation from UC Davis and other authorities, we soon were educated about how to grow and manage our crop," Lynn Gursky said. "We started out by marketing our first crop f rom our garage in 1980."

Photo by Richard Wisdom

Over the years, the business bloomed and flourished as the community around it sprang up.

"Our store has been able to grow as Brentwood grew," said Gursky. "We've had some amazing loyal customers who still shop our store after 35 years, but we also get new people coming in every day. We really do benefit greatly from the unique agricultural flavor of this area and the small, hometown feel of Brentwood."

The hometown feel is part of what keeps customers coming back.

ON THE COVER: The Gursky family from left, Sarah and Steve (with children Evan and Sophia) and matriarch Lynn make up the Gursky Ranch Country Store, one of Brentwood's homegrown gems.

"I like to support the mom-and-pop businesses as much as possible, which is pretty easy to do in Brentwood because of the agricultural core," said Cari Othman, a Knightsen Elementary School teacher and longtime patron of the store. "(The owners of t he Gursky Ranch Country store) are so friendly and warm. Even if you are a brand-new customer, they will treat you like an old friend."

Selecting from local producers as much as possible, the store offers a long line of products, including honey, nuts, seeds, snacks, dried fruits, oils, spices, sauces, candy and gift baskets.

"We offer pure, raw, natural honey from the Brentwood and Knightsen area.

The honey is unfiltered, not heated or pasteurized," said Gursky. "We also have a large selection of basket gifts, all hand processed here in our store. From our shrink-wrapped fruit and nut trays to the largest cello-wrapped baskets, we pay careful attention to quality and design."

The attention to detail doesn't go unnoticed by the shopping public. " I like the variety of the items they sell sweet stuff like candies, as well as sauces and jams and nuts," said Brentwood resident Jane Rodriguez. "But I really love buying gifts from their shop. They have great gift baskets, and they are all so nicely packaged . You can tell they take pride in their products."

Gursky Ranch Country Store is proud to be a part of Brentwood's distinctive character.

"People in Brentwood love to shop locally and support small businesses, and we offer that connection to the community," Gursky said. "We love our customers and appreciate them so much. We're glad to be able to give t hem as much as they give us."

The Gursky Ranch Country Store, located at 192 1 Apricot Way in Brentwood, is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more informat ion, visit www.gurskyranch.com or call 925-634-4913.

To comment, visit \.-V\11/W thepress.net.

Peaches • Plums and a wide variety of fresh-picked local produce Corner of Walnut Blvd. & Marsh Creek Rd. Weekdays 8-7·Sat-Sun 8-6

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HEALTHY HARVEST

Tess' Community Farm Kitchen coming soon

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arbara Franz and her plans for a farm fresh community kitchen, is one step closer

fru its, vegetables, eggs, honey and nuts will

to reality. The longtime East County

be sold.

resident has spent years planning Tess' Community Farm Kitchen on her prop-

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with any XL Family Pack purchase* ~ *Valid only at Brentwood location. Not valid with other offers, specials or online orders.

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erty in Brentwood, and last month she

OPEN DAILY 11am-9pm 2500 Sand Creek Rd. Ste. B, Brentwood (

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from some of t he area's newest residents.

been very supportive of the project, and

" I j ust met Barbara Franz at the

helpfu l in moving it forwa rd," said Franz.

Brentwood Harvest Time Fest ival, and she

"When I got t he grading permit , I was so

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to the area. "I could tel l from t hat sing le interaction t hat she was very invested and

people the importance of fresh produce. The

very passionate about t he work she is doing.

commercia l kitchen wil l be a place where

I immediat ely bought tickets to t he Dinner

the young and old, the experienced and t he

in the Orchard and got 60 of my friends on

inexperienced are t aught how to make good,

board. They wil l be coming from as far away

wholesome meals, sauces, jams, jel lies and

as San Jose and Saratoga to support this

desserts from what t hey buy at local f arm

endeavor. I even pla n to take some of t he

st ands and farmers' markets.

classes and t o volunteer my time to get the

"We wil l teach people how crops are grown, how to U-Pick, where to find t he

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told me al l about the community kitchen she is worki ng so hard to get off the ground," sa id Marsha Baird, a relative newcomer

nonprofit organizat ion dedicated to teaching

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Th is year's event is schedu led f or Aug . 23.

years, has come from far and wide, as wel l as "The county supervisor's office has

Tess' Comm unity Farm Kitchen is a

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an ann ual Dinner in the Orchard fu ndraiser.

which has been in development for several

palpitations ! "

BARBECUE PIT

In an effort to raise funds and increase publ ic awa reness of the project, Franz hosts

Commu nity support for the project,

finally broke ground.

excited, I thought I was going t o have heart

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In addition t o t he classes and demonstrations. t he kitchen wi ll have an on-site, year-round fa rmers' market, where local

kitchen up and running."

To purchase tickets for the Dinner in

best local produce. the importance of bees,

the Orchard or to get more inf ormation

the difference between agriculture and

about donating to or volunteering with

horticultu re," said Barbara Fra nz. t he owner.

Tess' Community Farm Kitchen, visit www.

"In our classes, we wil l go over everythi ng

commun ityfarmkitchen.org or like their

about farm ing, including growing crops in

Facebook page at www.facebook.com/

your own back yard. We will also have events

Farm Kitchen .

and hands-on cooking classes where we do

To comment, visit vvww.thepress.net.

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Enjoy an elegant gourmet dinner with fine wine and entertainment under the stars Saturday, August 23rd 6:00pm to 9:00pm Tess', 8091 Balfour Road (across from The Lakes in Discovery Bay)

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For Tickets or more Information call TODAY

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NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR

AUGUST 1, 2014

HEALTHY HARVEST

T H EPRESS. NET I 58

Local vintner celebrates milestone 2012 Viogner - Bronze.

A lot has changed in 10 years. Becky Bloomfi eld has proven Contra Costa County wine can hold its own next to acclaimed vintages from Sonoma and Napa.

But one thing that has remained the same is the support from the East County community. " If t he community hadn't wrapped its heart around us, we wouldn't be here," Bloomfield said.

Tickets to the 1Oth anniversary celebat ion are $45 and on sale at Brentwood's Co. Co. Wine. For more information, visit www. bloomfieldvineyards.com .

To comment, visit vvwvv. thepress. net.

AMY SCHRADER

A

fter producing award-winning wines for a decade, Bloomfield Vineyards has proved that you

don't have to go to Napa or Sonoma

for the finest wines in California. In honor of its 10th anniversary, Bloomfield Vineyard is hosting a party Sunday, Aug. 24, at Co. Co. Wine, 633 First St. in Brentwood, to debut its 2013 vintages.

"When we released our fi rst vintage in 2004, people didn't understand that Contra Costa County was a viable w ine growing region," said Becky Bloomfield, vintner for Bloomfield Vineyards. Becky and her former husband Tom Bloomfield co-own Bloomfield Vineyards.

Contra Costa County has long been known for its amazing fruits and vegetables, but not for producing wine. According to Bloomfield, it was challenging to change people's perceptions.

"We broke the glass ceiling by getting our wines into restaurants and tasting rooms in Walnut Creek," said Bloomfield.

Soon after its debut , Bloomfield Vineyard's wines started competing in state competit ions. Bloomfield Vineyard's 2009

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Photo By Amy Schrader

Bloomfield Vineyards, co-owned by Becky Bloomfield (above), is celebrating its 1Oth anniversary by hosting a celebration on Aug. 24.

Cabernet Sauvignon won double gold in the California State Fair. Out of 2,646 wines entered into t he state fair competition, it was a unanimous fi rst place selection, earning the highest possible score. Bloomfield Vineyard's wines have continued to win awards. At the 2014 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Bloomfield Vineyards received the following awards: 2010 Devil's Daughter Red - Double Gold; 2012 Devil's Daughter White - Gold; 2012 Chardonnay - Silver; and

6367 lone Tree Way, Brentwood • 240-7808 Lunch Mon-Fri 11 :30am - 2:30pm; Dinner 4:30-9:30pm Sat & Sun 12-9:30pm • Weekend reservations recommended

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A Benefit Fund raiser to Support the Liberty Hig h School Bands

Aug 22,2014 7pm to I 0 pm Ga mes No Host Bar VFW Hall in Brentwood

$50 per person $75 per couple

August 1

The Citations Blues/Blues Rock

August 8

The Shawna Lynn Band Country/Rock

August 15

Down North Soul/Punk

August 22

Jungle Joe & Alphabet Rockers Begins at 6:30pm Children's Concert & Play Day!

$20 meal only

No one under 21 allowed Order your tickets now, seati11g is extremely limited Lynelle Russell at 925 858 7088 or email at lyneller@att.net 'fllil il I tharity c>tot, >Orr) DO reruod• wit! bt toade ror

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All patrons are asked to follow park rules before, ~ during and after the concerts. No glass ~ c n v oF ~ containers. No audio/video recording devices. B~WOOD

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