n second annual blueberry festival set

Alan Riquelmy Mountain Democrat correspondent

Newcomers to Once in a Blue Moon Berries farm might need advice on how to pick the blueberries.

First, be sure to have a chair to sit in by the berries. Then, with a bucket below, roll your fingers under the berries to have them drop. A bucket holds 3 pounds worth.

“There’s going to be plenty for people to pick throughout the season,” said Michaelle Pak, event coordinator for the second annual Once in a Blue Moon Berries Blueberry Festival.

The festival is set for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 10 & 11 at Once in a Blue Moon Berries, 1820 Arroyo Vista Way in El Dorado Hills. Attendees will have their pick of different varieties — legacy near the entrance, then bluecrop and bluegold, followed by duke near the top.

“We’re planning to expand it every year,” said Pak, who also operates The Momma Bear Bakery.

The farm is open periodically during blueberry season. The festival, however, is expected to draw 1,000 people each day of the event.

Tickets can be found online: ticketscandy.com/e/once-in-a-bluemoon-berries-blueberry-festival-1788. One ticket is $6. Four cost $20. Parking is $5. There’s no charge for children 4 and younger. A bucket of berries costs $20. People can bring their own buckets to pick, though the 1,000-plant farm will use its own to measure the berries.

Thirty-five vendors will set up shop at the festival, as will the North American Blueberry Council.

“It’s all handmade — 35-plus vendors: cups, candles, clothing, soaps, lots of yummy food,” Pak said of the vendors. “My niece does cute little dog collars.”

Food vendors, live country music, a petting zoo and kids’ area will also be on site.

“This community here, there are so many kids who have no idea where blueberries come from,” said Janet Suttles, who, along with husband Mike, owns the farm. “We’re just the little mom-and-pop blueberry shop around the corner.

“We’re excited for the kids to see it here,” she added. “It’s all up to the berries.”

Berry good

Janet sat in mid-May near her acre of blueberries. They were small and green then, but the heat expected over the weeks was sure to ripen them. Cooler weather is best early in the growing season. Once they start to bloom, heat is essential for the berries to grow and turn blue.

“We wanted to give it the extra week of heat,” Pak said of the June 10 & 11 festival time.

The farm has its origins in Alaska, n See bluEbErriEs, page B5

Recognize abuse of elders and dependent adults

News release

June is National Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month. El Dorado County's Adult Protective Services Program, part of the County's Health and Human Services Agency, is making a special effort to reach out to community members during this month.

“We want everyone to recognize the signs of elder and dependent adult abuse, to take steps to prevent it and to make a report if they have concerns,” said Laura Walny, APS program manager.

El Dorado County has one of the fastest growing segments of older adults in California.

“People aged 65 and older currently represent just over 24% of the county’s population and that number is expected to rise. As our community ages, it’s imperative that we come together as a community in support of health and safety,” said Walny.

APS is a state-mandated program that investigates situations that involve elders (people aged 60 and older) and dependent adults (18 to 59 years old with a physical or mental disability) when those individuals are unable to meet their own needs or are victims of abuse, neglect or exploitation. APS staff assess situations of potential abuse or neglect; provide supportive services and linkage to county and community resources; and work with individuals, families and the community to provide a safety net for vulnerable older and dependent adults.

El Dorado County APS investigated approximately 1,758 reported cases of elder or dependent adult abuse in 2022, an increase of 37% over the last five years. according to Walny. APS staff is also a resource for people who have questions about possible abuse or neglect.

“If you’re uncertain about making a report, please call us,” said Walny. “We’re happy to discuss situations and help determine if they rise to the level of APS intervention. As always, if someone is in immediate danger where their health or safety is at risk you shouldn’t hesitate to call 911.”

Know the signs

Elder and dependent adult abuse is defined as an intentional act or failure to act that causes or creates a risk of harm to the victim.

The state of California recognizes six types of abuse:

Self-neglect: Refusal or failure to provide himself/herself with adequate food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene or medications (if indicated).

Physical abuse: The use of physical force that may result in bodily injury, physical pain or impairment or any n See EldEr AbusE, page B3

Grow for it!

Rosemary —

‘dew of the sea’

Would you like an attractive, easy to grow, low care plant in your garden?

Look no further than

Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis. The genus name means dew of the sea, reflecting the plant’s native habitat on seaside cliffs in the Mediterranean region. It thrives in most areas of California, including western El Dorado County. Rosemary tolerates heat and sun, chilly temperatures down to 20F and requires little water once established. It imparts a delightful smell to your fingers when you touch it and I like planting it next to the sidewalk for that reason. It has pretty, usually blue, flowers during the cooler part of the year that are bee, butterfly and bird magnets. Leaves are widely used for seasoning. What more could you want?

It is a very versatile plant in the garden. Some varieties, such as Prostratus and Huntington Carpet, are ground covers. These are often used on slopes or to cascade down garden walls. Other varieties grow upright. Golden Rain grows to only about 2 to 3 feet tall. Tuscan Blue, on the other hand, grows quite tall, as much as 6 to 7 feet. The upright forms can be grown as hedges, pruned to a specific shape or totally ignore them and they'll still look nice in their natural shape. The upright forms tend to have more aromatic oils so are usually better for culinary use. Just make sure to check the plant label to make sure that you're buying the type and size of rosemary that will work in your garden.

Rosemary is also easy to propagate. You can take cuttings in the early summer from non-flowering branches. You can also bury an

Elder abuse

established branch in a shallow trench, cover the soil with a rock to prevent it from springing up out of the ground and wait. It should form roots within a few months and then you can cut it off from the parent plant and transplant it.

Rosemary does have one drawback. Those aromatic oils not only add flavor to meals but, unfortunately, they also are extremely flammable. So you shouldn't plant rosemary near your house. If possible, plant at least 30 feet away from the house.

Rosemary needs good drainage. Too much water heavy feeding causes rank growth, encouraging woodiness instead of leaf growth. All in all, rosemary is an easy and rewarding plant that thrives in foothill gardens.

Sherwood Demonstration Garden is open every Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon. Master Gardeners will offer tours, answer questions or guests can just enjoy the garden. Check the website for further information about the Sherwood Demonstration Garden at ucanr.edu/sites/EDC_Master_ Gardeners/Demonstration_Garden.

Master Gardener classes are offered monthly throughout the county. Find the class schedule at mgeldorado. ucanr.edu/Public_Education_

Classes/?calendar=yes&g=56698 and recorded classes on many gardening topics at mgeldorado.ucanr.edu/ Public_Education/Classes.

Have a gardening question? Master Gardeners are working hard to answer your questions. Use the “Ask a Master Gardener” option on the website, mgeldorado.ucanr.edu, or leave a message on the office telephone at (530) 621-5512. To sign up for notices and newsletters visit ucanr. edu/master_gardener_e-news. Master Gardeners are also on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Continued from B2 physical injury to an adult caused by other than accidental means.

Neglect by others: Failure to provide the basic care or services necessary to maintain the health and safety of an adult; this failure can be active or passive.

Sexual abuse: Sexual contact with a non-consenting adult or with an adult considered incapable of consenting to a sexual act.

Financial abuse: The illegal or unethical exploitation and/or use of an elder’s money, property or other assets.

Mental abuse: Verbal or emotional abuse such as threatening significant physical harm or threatening or causing significant emotional harm to an adult through derogatory or inappropriate names, insults, verbal assaults, profanity or ridicule; or harassment, coercion, threats, intimidation, humiliation, mental cruelty or inappropriate sexual comments.

Victims may suffer from several forms of abuse. Signs of abuse or neglect can include:

Bruises, black eyes and broken bones that are unexplained or inconsistent with injury

Torn, stained, bloody clothing or bedding

Lack of adequate food, water, utilities, medications or medical care

Cluttered, filthy living environment; dirty clothing and changes in personal hygiene

Unexplained or uncharacteristic changes in behavior

Unexplained purchases by the primary caregiver; another person’s name added to the bank account or important documents; new credit cards or increased cash withdrawals

Harassment, coercion, intimidation or humiliation

How to make a report

El Dorado County APS has a 24-hour hotline to report abuse of elder or dependent adults. To report suspected abuse or neglect call (530) 642-4800.

To report suspected abuse of an elder in a nursing home, residential care facility for the elderly or assisted living facility, call the State Crisis Line number at 1-800-231-4024 or the El Dorado County Long Term Care Ombudsman program at (530) 6216271. For more information about APS visit tinyurl.com/23hpm9e7.

Day Hiker

Stewarts Peak

Idiscovered this 7-mile out-andback trek like I have many in the Truckee/ Donner area, by looking at a peak and deciding I needed to see the view from the top. Near Norden, in the Tahoe National Forest in Nevada County you can park right under Stewarts Peak and its trailhead along Donner Pass Road, or just around the bend at the overlook at McGlashan Point. A nice wide parking area across the road gives you views of both the peak, Donner Lake, Norden Tunnels and Donner Summit Bridge. Give yourself about three hours to climb all the switchbacks to the

7,389-foot peak, take in the view and return to your car. You will share this trail with many hikers and lots of canine companions out for a stroll.

Stewarts Peak is part of the Pacific Crest Trail and has amazing views. Many other trails branch o , so it is easy to get lost. I enjoy taking a closer look at the trees that have managed to grow from the granite and survived the snow loads and high winds common here. Although this is a heavily tra cked moderate trail, it is less congested than lake Tahoe trails. You can hear the Interstate for a half mile or so

■ See DAY HIKER, page B5 blueberries Continued from B2 where Suttles’ children were born.

The family picked blueberries in Alaska. Moving to El Dorado Hills almost 20 years ago, they knew they wanted to grow something. Mike took Janet blueberry picking for her birthdays and the idea grew.

“We just thought, let’s grow blueberries,” she said.

The family spent two years tilling the field and also building deer fencing and installing irrigation, along with the other tasks required to have a successful farm. The farm has seen the couple, their children and three neighborhood girls tend to it over the years.

“Everyone in town calls her the blueberry lady,” Pak said of her mother.

The picking season used to stretch from midMay to July, but warmer weather over the years has reduced it to June.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and changed everything. The farm installed hand-washing stations and used directional arrows to guide people

Day Hiker Continued from B4

on the trail. The sounds fade away the higher you climb.

Take the Soda Springs Exit off Interstate 80 to Donner Pass Road across the street from the peak. You can also park at the rest area and follow trail signs from there.

Mary West is author of the book series Day Hiker – Gold Country Trail Guide I, II and III (second edition available on Amazon). The books are a collection of the Day Hiker columns where West shares her longtime love of the outdoors, favorite hikes in Northern California’s Gold Country and beyond. West was the recipient of the 2017 and 2019 Craft Award for Best Outdoor Column and the 2020 Craft Award for her second book in the Day Hiker series by the Outdoor Writers of California. You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Re-ride Continued from B1 through the blueberries.

• 1:47 a.m. Fresh Pond and then on farther east ...

The last rider is expected to arrive at the Patee House in St. Joseph at 7 p.m. June 17.

The National Pony Express Association was established in 1978 to honor the memory and endeavors of the Pony Express riders and to identify, preserve and mark the original Pony Express route through the eight states it crossed: Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California. The Pony Express was in operation for only 18 months between April 1860 and October 1861. Nevertheless, it has become synonymous with the Old West. In the era before easy mass communication, the Pony Express was the thread that tied east to west. For more details visit nationalponyexpress.org.

The farm has no set operating hours. Instead, Pak advises people to visit the farm’s Facebook page. Go to facebook.com and search: “Once in a Blue Moon Berries.” The farm posts upcoming operating hours online.

The family sees many of the same people come through each season. Some send them pictures of their children picking the berries. Janet has many of those photos posted to the outside wall of a building next to the blueberries.

“It’s a lot of people’s family tradition,” Pak said.