Spring 2017

Spring 2017

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Spring 2017

Editors & Publishers

Publishers' Message We admit it. We are full of awe and admiration for the Imperial Valley and the amazing people who cultivate it and keep it fresh, new and happening. Yes, even if your kids think you are older than dirt and you’ve been here a really long time, you can’t help but be surprised at how often you can find something new and fresh around almost any bend. The ingenuity, creativity and generosity of people here are special and deserve notice.

That is why we are proud the spring edition of Imperial Valley Alive! features what’s cooking, growing and happening here now. Spoiler alert: expect some surprises, fun and prizes inside.

For those who think farming is the same old thing, it’s time to wake up and start reading. The diversity of crops grown here is beyond belief. Cilantro? Beet tops? Mustard? Fennel? Yes to all that and many more that are unexpected.

Even more interesting than the variety is what growers do to respond to changing tastes and concerns about food. There is an array of new specialty crops and more acreage being planted in organic fields.

Local growers aren’t afraid to take the lead on such issues as onfarm food safety programs, the use of technology or the reopening of the local beef processing facility to take local agriculture to an even higher level.

In the Imperial Valley we like to cook and eat as much as we are interested in what’s growing. In this edition, you can read about our Holy Grail -- carne asada, the dish unique to the region. And we hope you try and enjoy the recipes provided by growers and others in the community.

And, as always, our readers and Facebook friends have added lots of zest to this edition with great photos of the wildflower super bloom the region experienced thanks to the winter rain.

Many of you also participated in the “find the golden egg” contest Imperial Valley Alive! held on Facebook and on our website, www. imperialvalleyalive.com.

Congratulations to our winners, Andy Leon of Brawley and Sophia Castaneda of El Centro, who each won gift certificates to Broken Yolk Café, and Denisse Almodovar of El Centro and Christina Martinez, who each won coupons for Johnny’s Burritos. Both Broken Yoke and Johnny’s are among the fantastic advertisers who make this magazine possible.

Your enthusiasm for the online contest inspired us to cook up a

Have Imperial Valley Alive! delivered to your home Quarterly magazine $16.80/annual subscription (Tax included) Fill out the information and mail it and your check to:

Reliance Public Relations, Inc., P.O. Box 1944, El Centro, CA 92244

Bill Gay

Susan Giller

Peggy Dale

fresh, new feature for you to find in this edition. We have hidden somewhere on one of the a smaller version of this flower pages of this magazine. Find it, take a photo of it and the page it’s on, and send the photo and your contact information in a private message through our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ imperialvalleyalive. Or, send the photo and your name and contact information via email to info@imperialvalleyalive.com or, by “snail mail,” to P.O. Box 1944, El Centro, CA 92244.

The first 100 entries received will be entered into a drawing for a gift basket courtesy of Imperial Valley Alive! and Reliance Public Relations, Inc.

_

Below are the winners of our first four Facebook contests:

Sophia Castaneda of El Centro

Andy Leon of Brawley

Denisse Almodovar of El Centro

Christina Martinez of Imperial

Name: _____________________________________________________ Email: _____________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ City: _______________________________ State: __________________ Zip: ______________________________ Country: __________________

www.imperialvalleyalive.com Spring 2017

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INDEX |

Volume 1, Number 3 EDITORS & PUBLISHERS Bill Gay Susan Giller Peggy Dale

CONTRIBUTORS Stefanie Campos Brian McNeece Darren Simon

COVER PHOTO Joselito Villero

The Brawley Food Technology team is shown with instructor Cathy Shank. At left is a closeup of the Black Bean and Corn salad entree the team prepared. - Photo by Sergio Bastidas

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alejandra Noriega

WEB DESIGNER Jesus Uriarte

SALES

Sue Gay Mark Gran Marissa Bowers

ADVERTISING

advertising@imperialvalleyalive.com 760-693-5330

GROW |

alley Agriculture by the V Numbers, Page 6 rom the Field to the F Shelves, Page 8 ood Safety: The Growing F Priority, Page 10 " Valley is the Napa of Beef¨,

SAVOR |

ut of the Past, Onto the O Grill, Page 14 From Farm to Table, Page 16

ENJOY |

ilverdale Cheese Brings S Hope, Page 18

Page 12

SUGGESTIONS

info@imperialvalleyalive.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Send name, address and email address along with $16.80 for annual subscription to:

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Spring 2017

ON THE COVER: Raul Mendez, food safety manager for LaBrucherie Farms, checks a field of spring mix.

-Photo by Joselito N. Villero

| INDEX

LEARN |

Lucky Recycling Part of Bigger Plan, Page 22

INNOVATION |

Drones Give Farmers Bird´s-Eye View, Page

24 Interventional Radiology Offers Hope, Page 32

ENJOY |

Recipes, Pages 7, 13 Readers Capture Desert Beauty, Pages 30

Flowers bloom along Interstate 8 on Mountain Springs Grade. -Photo by Dane Knight

ALSO INSIDE Publishers’ message, Page 3 Subscriber Information, Page 3 Where Does It Grow, Page 20

A drone hovers above an agricultural experimental field Wednesday at UC Desert Research & Extension Center in Holtville. -Photo by Joselito N. Villero

Calendar of Events, Pages 26-28 Coupons, Page 36 Send Us Your Photos, Page 37 Incredible Years, Page 38

ROGERS& ROGERS

W WW. R O G ER S A U TO S . CO M Spring 2017

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GROW |

Cattle line the fence at Superior Cattle Feeders. - Photo by Bill Gates

Valley Agriculture

By the Numbers

Beyond the Ordinary

By Susan Giller

6

Some say you can grow just about anything in the Imperial Valley and a lot of it. And a perusal of the annual Imperial County crop and livestock lends credence to the notion that the region’s agricultural prowess knows no bounds.

Thanks to the region’s unique yearround growing season and available water, Imperial Valley farmers plant and harvest a veritable alphabet soup of crops – everything from aloe vera to wheat and lots of unexpected crops in between. Quinoa? Barley? Sweet basil?

Algae? Fish farms? Yes to all that and more. The Imperial Irrigation District’s annual inventory of areas receiving water counts more than 100 different crops grown in the Valley in 2016.

Gross value of the region’s agriculture production in 2015 was $1.925 billion, according to the most recent Spring 2017

Imperial County Crop & Livestock Report available. That made Imperial County the 11th largest ag producer of California’s 58 counties for the year.

The county also was the state’s top producer of onions, wheat, Sudan grass and alfalfa seed and the state’s only producer of sugar beets, according to the annual ag statistics compiled by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. And, Imperial Valley was among the top five producers of cattle, lettuce, alfalfa hay, broccoli, celery, carrots, corn, sheep, dates, melons, spinach, potatoes, salad greens, cabbage and grapefruit.

Thanks to the unique local harvest seasons, the Imperial County Farm Bureau estimates more than two-thirds of the vegetables consumed in the United States during the winter months come from the Imperial and Yuma valleys.

Despite the extraordinary – and everincreasing – variety of crops, Imperial Valley’s perennial top commodity is cattle. The 352,800 head of cattle fed locally was valued at $444.9 million in 2015.

The largest acreage in the county is traditionally planted in field crops, which include alfalfa, Bermuda grass, Sudan grass, sugar beets and wheat.

Altogether, the field crops were planted on 349,700 acres in 2015 in Imperial County.

Of the field crops, alfalfa, valued at $168.5 million; Bermuda grass hay, valued at $64.9 million and wheat, valued at $60.8 million were among the county’s top 10 crops in 2015.

Vegetable and melon crops that were among the county’s top 10 crops in 2015 were: onions, $145 million; head lettuce, $107.7 million; leaf lettuce, $99.7 million; CONTINUED | PAGE 34

| ENJOY

An Imperial Valley Salad

Vegetable Ceviche Lettuce Cup 1/2 red onion, diced 1 bunch of green onions, sliced 1/2 each of red, green, orange, yellow bell peppers, diced 1/2 cup sweet corn, cut off cob 1 serrano chile, diced 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 1 cup seeded cucumber, diced 10 grape tomatoes, sliced 1 avocado, diced 1/4 cup mozzarella string cheese, thinly sliced 1 tsp. Good Seasons Italian dressing, dry

Salt, garlic salt and pepper, to taste 1 container of "Chopped Confetti Vegetable Blend¨ (red and green cabbage, celery, carrots, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, green bell pepper) 4 baby head lettuce

3 limes, juiced 1/4 cup Clamato 1/2 cup V8 Low Sodium Vegetable Juice Mix together well the red onion, green onions, bell peppers, sweet corn, serrano chile, cilantro, cucumber and Chopped Confetti Vegetable Blend. Add salt and pepper to taste as well as dressing mix. Add Clamato, vegetable juice, and lime juice to taste. Right before serving, add tomatoes, cheese and avocado. Wrap the vegetable mix with 1 piece of baby head lettuce and serve with homemade tortilla chips. Serves 12.

The Vegetable Ceviche recipe is courtesy of Denise, Smith, Debi Cameron, Lori Young, Mary Emanuelli and Joey Emanuelli, who developed the recipe using almost entirely produce grown in the Valley.

Spring 2017

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GROW |

Jack Vessey stands between rows of fennel (left) and chard (right). - Photo courtesy of Vessey & Co. in Holtville.

From the Field to the Shelves

By Darren Simon

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In a time when there is an ever-expanding trend toward healthy eating— fueled, in part, by 24-hour cooking networks where chefs push boundaries, introducing new kinds of “leafy” foods — Imperial Valley farmers are rising to the demand.

They have to.

“It’s about staying relevant,” said Jack Vessey, president of Vessey & Co. in Holtville, a large Imperial Valley farming operation, growing on more than 10,000 acres of land. “Change is necessary. We have to be innovators.”

The trends in healthy foods we now consume have led to an increase in organic farming, and to new kinds of crops being planted. In 2015, the latest figures available from the Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, organic farming accounted for more than $275 million of the Valley’s nearly $2 billion ag economy.

These new vegetables—some quite alien-looking — are spreading across fields countywide, adding to the Valley’s role as the nation’s leading vegetable producer during the winter. This reaffirms the ability of local growers to adapt to ever-changing market forces.

Anyone who watches the Food Network may already be familiar with these new foods. Walk though nearly any grocery Spring 2017

store and you’ll also probably find them.

Vegetables like kale, chard, and fennel are now in supermarkets and on dinner tables.

And much of what you’re purchasing and eating has probably come from the winter crops grown by Imperial Valley farmers.

Scott Howington, president of Oasis Farming, Inc., near Holtville, is among the local growers who have embraced both organic farming and the growth of these new specialty kinds of crops. In fact, Howington solely produces organic crops, growing for a company called Lakeside Organic Gardens based in Watsonville. He said Lakeside Organic wants to be “the onestop store” for organic vegetables.

In the mid-1990s, after working for an organic carrot farmer, Howington set off to grow his own niche in organic farming.

Today, he farms 1,100 acres of organic fields.

“I just found an opening I thought I could fit into,” Howington said.

To list the organic crops he grows would be difficult. There are some 48 crops in all.

He grows 10 acres of fennel and 4 acres of a crop he calls little gems — miniature romaine lettuce in both red and green colors. He also has fields of Italian parsley, baby broccoli, celery root and many other organic specialty crops.

The push toward new crops is not going away any time soon — or ever — thanks

Valley farmers lead the way

Scott Howington, president of Oasis Farming, Inc., near Holtville, holds a box of celery from one of his fields. - Photo by Darren Simon to food networks, to the growing interest in healthy eating and to the development of the bag-salad industry, Howington said.

“People are eating today things they would never have dreamed of eating 10 years ago,” he said. “With all these new products, it is expanding their pallets and giving them options.”

The fact that unique crops have been added locally should not surprise anyone.

Vessey said Imperial Valley farmers have always been innovative, incorporating growing trends, adding in new crops and doing away with crops that were no longer profitable.

“We’ve always been accepting of change,” he said.

A fourth-generation farmer, Vessey said he likes to grow a new crop every year, and through the years that has meant adding crops that would be considered part of the spring mix found in bag-salads, like Asian green lettuce and baby leaf lettuces. In the early days of the spring mix production, he started with 80 acres and today has over 3,000 acres. There was a time, he said, when spinach was a new crop for the Imperial Valley. Where once he only grew 40 acres of spinach, today he has some 2,000 acres.

“If we are not going to grow with the demand, we might as well hang our hats on the door and quit,” he said.

These days, Vessey & Co., has added crops like kale, chard and fennel into the vegetable mix. Romanesco, a star-shaped variety of broccoli, is another of the new crops. Vessey also grows red beets, but for the purpose of harvesting their leafy tops for spring mix.

Then, there are the multi-colored varieties of carrots also expanding in the Valley.

Another factor in the development of these new crops is the growth of food home delivery services that focus on healthy foods.

Vessey has a contract with Capay, a company operating in Vernon and the Bay area that packages farm-fresh foods into baskets for home delivery.

“People are getting back into cooking at home and seeing the benefits of it and cooking healthy,” Vessey said. “They are watching food shows, trying new things and incorporating them into their diet.”

While these new crops might be part of a trend, it takes more than just a trend to fuel a farmer’s decision to plant. Vessey stressed it is a strategic decision that involves weighing the profitability of such crops, versus the costs and the risks. And there is always risk involved in growing a new crop.

“I strategically determine who we are going to work with and how

Organic red dandelion bunches grown by Oasis Farming, Inc., fill a box waiting to be shipped. - Photo by Darren Simon we are going to do it to manage our risks,” he said.

Both Vessey and Howington explained that growing such crops brings its own set of complications, not the least of which is the staff hours required. They said these crops tend to be more labor-intensive because they grow in smaller blocks than more conventional crops, and each block is like its own field that must be managed. Then, as organic crops, there are different growing methods that have their own set of costs.

“You have to be innovative to get that extra dollar,” Vessey said.

Both farmers also said Imperial Valley is going to continue to play a critical role in the production of winter vegetables.

“Imperial County is so important to the production of leafy greens not only for the nation but for the Western Hemisphere,” Vessey said.

Spring 2017

9

Ricardo Canchola, food safety director for LaBrucherie Produce, takes notes while inspecting a field of spring mix for possible contaminants.

- Photo by Joselito N. Villero

Food Safety

By Susan Giller

10

Imperial Valley vegetable growers will tell you it is too late to start thinking about food safety when a consumer picks up succulent lettuce, spinach or other tasty greens at the grocery store.

For Valley growers, food safety protocols start to be implemented before the first seed is sown, before a field is prepped for planting, before the first drop of water hits the ground.

“Food safety is our number one priority,” said Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association Executive Director Kay Day Pricola. “I provide updates and it is discussed at every meeting. It is that important to our members.”

For Imperial Valley, often called the nation’s winter salad bowl, leafy green vegetables have long been a source of pride and precise cultivation practices.

However, a 2006 E. coli outbreak traced back to contaminated spinach grown in Northern California made it clear that business as usual was no longer good enough.

Spring 2017

The growing priority

Before the outbreak ended, three people had died and more than 200 people had fallen ill in six states. As the public’s confidence in the nation’s food supply plummeted so did the market for spinach, lettuce, cabbage and all leafy green vegetables.

Imperial Valley growers joined others throughout California to make an unprecedented commitment to protect public health and public confidence in the food supply. They formed the Leafy Greens Products Handler Marketing Agreement (LGMA), which is a hefty set of food safety practices that are implemented on leafy greens farms throughout the state and verified by lab tests and frequent independent or government audits.

Jack Vessey of Holtville and Larry Cox of Brawley were among the growers appointed to the statewide LGMA advisory board in 2006 that oversaw development of the science-based food safety protocols now used to identify and reduce sources of contamination on farms.

“We knew we had to get out in front of this thing to restore public confidence,” Vessey said. “We never wanted anything like this to happen again.”

The importance of California and Arizona leafy greens on the nation’s food supply and the economy cannot be overestimated. Together, the states produce about 94 percent of the nation’s lettuce and leafy greens. And, with a winter leafy green harvest valued at nearly $300 million in 2015, Imperial County supplies the nation’s stores at a time when few other supplies are available.

Vessey said growers knew they needed to develop a pragmatic, workable program quickly rather than wait for government to take over.

By collaborating with university and industry scientists, food safety experts and government officials, the initial LGMA food safety practices were completed in about six months, Vessey said. Implementation began in 2007.

“We knew we had to take safety to the next level,” Vessey said. “We adopted metrics to minimize the risk of contamination in every aspect of farming.”

Now, 10 years after LGMA was put into practice, Vessey said, it works so well because “it really changed the culture on farm.”

In contrast, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed

into law by President Obama in 2011 to shift the emphasis on preventing contamination rather than responding to it. The guidelines, when finalized in 2016, are largely modeled after LGMA, Vessey said.

“It really harmonizes with LGMA and that’s important because it levels the playing field and extends the protection across the nation,” Vessey said.

California’s LGMA food safety practices touch on every aspect of farming and the area surrounding the fields on which leafy greens grow. They are updated and modified as research and new information requires. Growers are required to have food safety compliance plans, including a trace-back program so produce can be traced back to the field in which it was grown.

Produce fields must be at least 400 feet from any feedlot.

Growers must do pre-season and pre-harvest testing to ensure there was no potential contamination threat from animal intrusion. Water must be extensively tested and records kept proving there was no upstream potential contamination.

Soil and soil supplements must be sampled and lab-tested.

And, government field audits must be conducted to verify that farms are in 100 percent compliance with the practices.

Each farm’s plan may incorporate a variety of techniques to carry out the litany of LGMA protocols. In the Imperial Valley techniques include air cannons to discourage bird and rodent intrusions and droppings, daily washing of farm implements to prevent the possible introduction of pathogens into fields, mesh barriers laid across irrigation ditches, and limiting entry into fields or requiring field inspectors to be gloved.

“LGMA pretty much transformed how we do everything,” said J.P. LaBrucherie of El Centro. “It really put food safety at the forefront.”

For LaBrucherie Produce, implementing the LGMA practices, keeping training current and keeping up with changes, requires so much attention that the farm created a food safety department with about six employees who now work year-round.

LaBrucherie’s carefully tended produce fields now grow in delineated hygienic zones. Gloved field workers zigzag through fields taking samples for lab analysis and checking for signs of intrusion or pathogens.

While LGMA practices are specific to leafy greens, LaBrucherie said he and many other Valley vegetable growers now follow the same protocols for all their vegetable crops.

Despite the expense and effort involved, LaBrucherie is an enthusiastic supporter of LGMA practices.

“The use of the protocol is the right thing to do,” LaBrucherie said. “You sleeping better at night is a by product.” 

Raul Mendez, food safety manager for LaBrucherie Produce, takes notes while inspecting a field.

- Photo by Joselito N. Villero

Spring 2017

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GROW |

FROM LEFT: Eddie Beltran, refrigeration and boilers manager, Rafael Gongora, maintenance and Jose Lara, director of engineering and maintenance, pose with One World Beef CEO Eric Brandt.

Beef is processed at One World Beef Packers in Brawley. - Photos by Susan Giller

One World Beef

By Susan Giller

12

At One World Beef (OWB) Packers in Brawley, the craft of producing topquality beef is practiced with a respect for tradition, dedication to quality and precision workmanship that rivals a winery aging its finest vintage.

OWB Packers CEO Eric Brandt considers such care essential because in his eyes, “Imperial Valley is the Napa of beef.”

It’s hard to argue with the logic of a man who has built his reputation by knowing and marketing top-quality beef around the world. Moreover, he grew up in the Imperial Valley where cattle is king and cut his eyeteeth in a family renowned for its premium beef. And he has further refined his palate and vision of making a standout line of beef by marketing the commodity around the globe.

“It always takes extra steps, extra care to create the finest,” Brandt said.

Brandt brought his vision to life earlier Spring 2017

"Imperial Valley is the Napa of beef¨

this year when he was able to creatively obtain financing to reopen the Brawley beef packing plant that was shuttered in 2014 by National Beef.

OWB is operating at a much smaller scale than National Beef, though Brandt has plans to expand. And, local cattle producers are eager for the operation to grow.

Steve Snow with Phillips Cattle Co. in El Centro said, “What’s important to us is when they’re going to be able to take more. We need local processing for the cattle industry to get back to anywhere like it was.”

In 2015, the most recent year for which statistics are available, there were more than 352,000 head of cattle in local feedlots worth nearly $448,900,000, which was way down from when National Beef closed and laid off 1,300 workers.

Brandt knows how important OWB Packers is to the local economy. He said every job at OWB Packers creates six or seven in the community. Additionally, local feeders need a local processing

facility for the economy of the industry to work.

Today, OWB Packers is a custom, or toll processing, facility.

“Basically, we can process meat for anyone, including our competitors,” Brandt said. “We will help someone build their brand. And we can handle special requirements.”

The key to making the process work is a strong ethical grounding that calls for transparency throughout the process.

“Our core value is respect,” Brandt said.

“Respect for each other, for the animals we are sacrificing, for our community, our environment and our customers. You can sense it in all of the team members’ eyes.”

In addition to hiring and training a team of over 200 in just four short months to restart the operation, OWB Packers has installed the latest in meat-grading technology for use by USDA inspectors.

The technology captures images of meat on a camera that then are analyzed by computer to increase the consistency and efficiency of the grading process.

“We work with beef just like a winery works with each varietal to enhance the wine’s unique attributes,” Brandt said.

For instance, in the Imperial Valley, Brandt said, “We have learned to raise

CONTINUED | PAGE 35

| ENJOY

One World Recipes Courtesy of Brandt Beef

Tuscan-Style Rib-Eye Serves 4 (as hors doeuvres) Ingredients 4 1/4 1/4 4 2 2 3

1 1/2-inch-thick Brandt All Natural rib-eye steaks cup olive oil cup minced garlic teaspoons kosher salt teaspoons fresh ground pepper teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat gas grill to high; leave one burner off.

Brush steaks with olive oil and season with the garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Grill streaks over direct heat until well-marked, about two minutes per side. Move the steaks to the cooler part of the grill, close top and continue to cook another six minutes each side for medium rare.

Drizzle steaks with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Let rest eight to ten minutes then carve and serve.

Grilled Skirt Steak with Blue Cheese Butter Serves 4 Ingredients 4 4 2 2

tablespoons blue cheese tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature shallots finely chopped tablespoons chopped parsley Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper 1/4 cup olive oil 2

lbs peeled skirt steak cut into 4 equal pieces

Directions: For butter:

In a small bowl combine cheese, butter shallots, shallots, parsley

For steaks::

Brush steaks with olive oil and place on grill.

Cook first site approximately 3 minutes.

Turn and cook approximately another 3 minutes depending on thickness of steak for medium rare.

Season with salt & pepper and let rest 3 minutes before slicing against the grain.

Top with butter and serve.

Spring 2017

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SAVOR |

Mickey Dale of Imperial gets ready to add more meat the the grill. The meat is sold as arrachera by Seeley Gomez Market.

- Photo by Peggy Dale

Carne Asada

By Brian McNeece

14

“Let’s have a carne asada!”

If you live in the Imperial Valley, you know exactly what that means: thin strips of seasoned beef seared on a hot grill, then chopped and piled onto heated tortillas with all the fixings. In a few minutes, folks will volunteer for the other requirements: beans and rice, salsas, chopped lettuce or cabbage, cilantro, and more. Don’t forget the beer. When you say carne asada, you’re talking about a party.

“Carne asada” in Spanish is generic for grilled beef. Throughout Latin America it has been around forever. But as an Imperial Valley tradition it is something special, though its origins are foggy.

Dale Ramey, owner of Ramey’s Meats in Brawley, said, “You’ll hear lots of stories.

But nobody knows. People started asking us for it in the ‘60s.”

Daniel Soto, part owner of Kennedy Market, with outlets in Heber and El Centro, doesn’t claim to know the origin either. He recalled he read something in the paper years that said carne asada “was brought over to Calexico in the ‘40s from Mexicali.

“That’s just what I read,” he said. “My Spring 2017

And Soto said, “We ship all over – even out of the country.”

You can start a heated discussion in the Out of the past Imperial Valley by offering an opinion about onto the grill where to get the best carne asada or how to season it.

To help you in your next verbal bout, father sold carne from the beginning, when here’s a primer on cuts of meat. Soto of he started the first Kennedy Market in 1959 Kennedy Market said Mexicali taco shops use a cheaper cut of meat called shoulder in Calexico.”

Imperial Irrigation District Director Bruce clod. It’s inexpensive, flavorful, but chewy.

Kuhn’s love affair with carne asada started That’s why it’s cut into very thin slices. In some markets where the meats are listed in back in the late ‘70s. both English and Spanish, it’s called paleta “We would have business meetings at or diesmillo (used also for chuck steak). the shop, and, well, how do you feed 30 A better cut of meat is skirt steak or people? Carne asada,” he said. “I started arrachera in Spanish. Mexicans use the experimenting with seasoning and people term arrachera because it’s also the name liked it so much that I spent three years of the cinch that holds a saddle on the commercializing it.” horse at about the point of the cut of meat.

When he hit on the winning formula, he The best carne asada locally is flap meat, started making and selling the carne asada found further back on the animal below seasoning from home. the sirloin. In Spanish, it’s again called “At one time a semi backed up to my arrachera or fajita. house with a ton of spices on it. I was out As for seasoning, nobody is really talking. there grinding spices and filling jars and Ramey markets a dry seasoned salt putting labels on,” he said. that lists the usual ingredients of salt and Finally, that got to be too much. Now, Kuhn contracts a Long Beach company to peppers, but gives nothing away when it lists “spices.” El Sol markets use Chef make his Bruno’s Asada Mix. Merito Carne Asada mix. Kuhn’s Bruno’s “But if you want to know where carne asada started,” Kuhn said, “it was a gringo lists garlic, paprika, onion, and oregano along with the vague and mysterious in Holtville in the late ‘50s.” “spices.”

No matter how Imperial Valley carne Like a lot of people, this writer has plenty asada started, its popularity continues to of carne asada experience. spread.

In the ‘80s I used to buy meat from “My monthly UPS bill is $800,” Ramey said of the seasonings and meat he ships. Salazar’s East Highway 80 Meat Cutters,

and because my sister-in-law was a friend of the family, we were allowed the secret recipe, which is … . No, sorry, my wife warns me that she was sworn to a “code of silence” for the privilege of having that recipe.

Suffice it to say that almost all preparations include some citrus juice. Store-bought carne has been marinating for a long time, something Kuhn warns against.

“Citrus does tenderize the meat, but makes it too acidic and mushy,” he said. “Buy it unmarinated, and just spray a little lime juice on, then sprinkle some Bruno’s and let it sit for 30 minutes.

You will love it.”

Perhaps Soto of Kennedy Market will share his recipe with you.

“We’ve won about 30 awards for our carne asada,” he says proudly. By many measures the most successful of local carne purveyors, Soto has added to his Heber headquarters with Kennedy’s Karne stores in El Centro and Escondido. Recently, he opened a restaurant on Ocotillo Avenue in El Centro and plans for “something new” in Imperial Beach.

“We’re surviving,” says Soto. “Now, everybody has carne asada.

Vons, Costco, even Wal-Mart. It’s been tough.”

New Star Market, at the corner of Broadway and Imperial Avenue in El Centro, is long closed, but I remember my family (we’re talking the early ‘60s) buying carne asada there. Here’s its recipe, courtesy of Kelly Bell Gray on the “We Remember El Centro When” Facebook page.

Arrachera from Seeley Gomez Market is ready to be consumed.

- Photo by Peggy Dale

1/2 lb. of flap meat or flank steak per person.

Ingredients: garlic powder, onion powder, dried cilantro, black pepper, meat tenderizer, seasoned salt, lemon juice.

In a glass or plastic flat dish, sprinkle lemon juice, and the rest of the dry ingredients. Put down a layer of meat. Repeat dry ingredients. Another layer of meat, lemon juice and the dry ingredients. Continue the layers alternating the lemon juice every other layer then end with the lemon juice. Let marinate to taste. Grill fresh or freeze for later.

Let’s have a carne asada! 

Spring 2017

15

SAVOR |

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE: Cheesecake is prepared by Calipatria Food Technology students for a recent Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program showcase and recognition ceremony.

Students from the Brawley Food Technology team prepare their Black Bean and Corn salad entree.

The Imperial Food Technology team prepares a béchamel sauce - Photos by Sergio Bastidas “I would love to make things that are grown locally here. That way you can proudly say whenever you present it to someone, ‘It was locally grown here. This is homemade,’” said Brawley Union ...by way of High School senior Myriah Tellez. the classroom The 17-year-old is a student in Cathy Shank’s Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program (IVROP) Food Technology class.

Myriah took the class because of her interest in the culinary arts, spurred in part by her sister who went to culinary arts school.

By Stefanie Campos Shank is not only teaching the basics of food preparation and safety, but about the plethora of ingredients available locally.

Drive in any direction and in every season in Imperial Valley and “I didn’t really know what was offered unless I passed by the enjoy breathtaking views of land in the midst of growing season. fields when driving,” said Myriah.

Whether it’s lettuce, onions, corn or alfalfa, the rows upon rows of Recently the class worked to master the artichoke, using fresh harvest ready for the picking is a testament to the farming produce donated by a local farmer. lifeblood of the Valley.

“This is a very much farm-to-table community,” said Shank, Not only do local farmers produce more than 100 different who is teaching the class at BUHS for the first time this year. commodities, including bamboo, sugar cane, fish, goats, honey “Whenever I can get anything from here locally I let them know.” and more, according to the Imperial County Farm Bureau, but the The class steamed some artichokes with garlic and boiled region’s dairies and feedlots produce local milk and prime meat, others with olive oil and garlic. In another session, Shank brought adding to the rich diversity from our land. in apples from Julian and the students made their own apple When such fresh, bountiful ingredients surround us, it only juice. makes sense to utilize them while cooking for what could be the Shank may be new to the high school classroom setting, but ultimate farm-to-table experience. she’s worked in the food industry for 25 years. Home grown Several teachers around the Imperial Valley are doing just herself – she graduated from Brawley High – Shank’s culinary that: teaching Imperial Valley students the benefits and basics of reputation and local connections provide potential extraordinary ingredients sourced locally. collaborations for her students: Brandt Beef, Desert Olive Farms

Farm to Table

16

Spring 2017

and Ashurst Bee Company, to name a few.

“A lot of them are, ‘Just tell us what you need,’” said Shank.

“Everybody very much has reached out and if we can use something of theirs, they’re happy to help us with it. … It’s very nice.”

Born and raised in Calexico, Dallana Gomez returned full-circle to a path that began when she was young. She remembers cooking at age 6 and after taking the IVROP class herself; she continued her education at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in San Francisco. After working as a volunteer at Imperial Market Days she brings her love of the farm-to-table movement to her students.

“The Imperial Valley is where we grow a lot of these things,” she said.

The Imperial Food Technology class gathers with instructor Danna CONTINUED | PAGE 36 Romo. - Photo by Sergio Bastidas

Spring 2017

17

ENJOY |

Food handler specialists move a cheese cutter to a new location at the new Silverdale Cheese plant west of El Centro.

- Photo by Joselito N. Villero

Silverdale Cheese

By Peggy Dale

18

A slice of the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea has come to Imperial County courtesy of the Silverdale Cheese packaging facility in western Imperial County.

The plant, situated between Seeley and Plaster City, is an innovative project driven by an abundant supply of California cheese and a shortage of places to package it. Working with nearby Bull Frog Farms and farmer Heidi Kuhn, and with loans from Imperial County and the Small Business Administration, Sandra Tung and her Silverdale team opened the facility at the end of March.

“We have beautiful cheese here in California,” said Tung, whose team for the past three years has been working on ways to have that cheese not only produced in California but packaged here as well. But the company’s plans for the plant are far greater than a cheese packager. Not only will her Spring 2017

A Valley slice of Isle of Man

company market cheese and eventually other dairy products, but as business grows, she wants to use it as a platform to draw people to Imperial County.

“We will build a visitors’ center and model it on the Hilmar (Calif.) Cheese visitors’ center,” she said. “We’ll make the inside beautiful so people will want to come.” Her plans for the center include a coffee shop and market, with tours offered for schoolchildren and others.

But that’s Phase 3 of her plans, expected to wrap up in mid-2018.

Sandra Tung holds a copy of the Silverdale Phase 1 began when the first hires of the initial 28 staff were trained in the cut Cheese logo, which reflects her native Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. - Photo by Joselito N. Villero and wrap process at the end of March.

Phase 2, which she hopes to have in place by the end of this year, is to add most important part of the plan for the milk processing – butter, yogurt, ice Imperial Valley is the importance local cream – using milk from local dairies like dairy processing provides to efforts to Bull Frog Farms. More jobs would be attract and grow the local dairy industry. added – up to 40, she said.

And, Tung hopes to see the reopening Then comes Phase 3, the visitors’ of the adjacent Kuhn Farms Dairy, which center. Phase 4 is to expand, bringing was at its heyday as a dairy when owner in milk from other dairies. Perhaps the Jim Kuhn, Heidi’s husband, was alive.

In seeing a longtime dream come to fruition, Tung has combined her expertise, honed in the dairy businesses in her native Mann and then Canada, with the desire to eliminate what she describes as unnecessary shipping costs to California’s dairy industry, not to mention the carbon footprint that amount of shipping leaves behind. At the core of her drive, though, is food safety, traceability and accountability.

“As a food tech, if you say to me, ‘Where did that cheese come from? What’s its traceability?’ At my previous dairy, I could tell you down to the cow. We had full traceability. You can’t do that here,” Tung said.

That’s because the dairies that make cheese contract with companies that cut and package it, shipping enormous blocks of product thousands of miles to be cut, wrapped under various labels, and shipped to distribution centers, said Tung.

Lost in that process is identity of origin.

Despite the food industry’s emphasis to “know your food from farm to table,” packaged cheese falls through the cracks, Tung said.

“You have 330 million people in this country all buying cheese with no idea where it comes from,” she said. In addition, shipping to out-of-state copacking companies means it will be days, if not weeks, before the finished product ends up in consumers’ hands.

Tung, president and CEO of Silverdale and its parent company, dairy product supplier MBC USA, Inc., wants to change all of that. She believes she has found that solution here in Imperial County.

Tung has leased the plant left vacant when Gossner Foods

CONTINUED | PAGE 37

Spring 2017

19

Whereis king Ag

The Imperial Valley helps feed the nation, and the world

Editor's Note: Crop locations can vary. Those indicated on the map were current as of the magazine publication date.

Top Ten Commodities 2015 Imperial County Agricultural Crop & Livestock Report Rank 1 Cattle 2 Alfalfa 3 Onions 4 Head Lettuce 5 Leaf Lettuce 6 Broccoli 7 Alfalfa Seed 8 Bermuda Grass Hay 9 Wheat 10 Carrots

Gross Value 2015 $444,887,000 $168,561,000 $145,022,000 $107,788,000 $99,738,000 $90,265,000 $66,592,000 $64,973,000 $60,883,000 $56,962,000

Rank 2014 1 2 3 4 20 5 10 6 11 9

1 8 3

5

Editor's Note: The listings are in no particular order of value.

1 Cattle

4

Imperial County is among the top five producers of cattle in the state, with 352,870 head of cattle. Cattle leads the Imperial Valley crop rankings at No. 1, with a gross value of $444,887,000 in 2015.*

3 Honey 2 Carrots

20

No longer confined to carrot orange, this root vegetable now comes in a (sort of) rainbow of colors. Holtville is known as the Carrot Capital of the World, although the crop can be found growing in other parts of the Imperial Valley. Carrots were the Valley’s No. 10 commodity in 2015, valued at $56.96 million. * Spring 2017

Westmorland is associated with bees and honey and is home each year to the Honey Festival. In 2015 there were 42,489 hives in the Imperial Valley, with 346,250 pounds of honey valued at $723,000. *

5 Onion Seed One of the prettier crops in the Valley is onion when it is left to go to seed. In 2015, 348 acres of onion seed were harvested, valued at $1,155,000. *

6 Fennel

9

The frond-capped fennel is growing in popularity in kitchens everywhere, and can be seen growing in the cooler months in local fields. It is included in the miscellaneous vegetables category of the crop report, which has a combined value of $77,568,000. *

7 Broccoli

5 6

2

Broccoli was valued at $90,265,000* in 2015, with 14,738 acres harvested. Broccoli can be seen growing in the cooler months in many parts of the Imperial Valley. If left to go to seed, it develops tiny, pretty, yellow flowers.

7

8 Dates Dates ranked first in the Fruit & Nut Crops category, with 7,731 tons harvested, mostly in the North County area. Dates had a gross value of $24,358,000. *

4 Spring Mix Among the prettiest crops is spring mix, grown in multi-colored rows. The crop nearly tripled in acreage and more than doubled in value in 2015 from the year before. It grew from 6,500 acres valued at $12,910,000 in 2014 to 18,052 acres and valued at $26,157,000 in 2015. *

9 Alfalfa Alfalfa ranked second in the 2014 and 2015 crop reports, with the latest value of $168,561,000.* Alfalfa grows year-round around Imperial County. *2015 Imperial County Agricultural Crop & Livestock Report, the latest figures available.

Spring 2017

21

LEARN |

LEFT: Lucky drivers Hector Castaneda and Jose Aguirre stand next to a company truck. - Photo by Peggy Dale ABOVE: Ed Mealey is principal owner and president of Lucky Recycling Group.

- Photo by Sue Gay

Lucky Recycling

By Bill Gay

22

Lucky Recycling Group, the Valley's newest and only locally owned trashhauling company, is working to establish an organic (green waste) processing site in the county.

The company’s goals are to have it in operation by the end of the summer.

The facility is being developed in the wake of recent state legislation that mandates a commercial organics recycling program and eliminates the ability of local governmental agencies to count as recycled yard waste sent to landfills. The objective is to decrease methane levels and the resulting greenhouse gases from landfills. The legislation encourages returning it to the soil through composting.

To achieve the state’s goal of a 75 percent reduction of waste going to landfills by 2020, more green waste sites are required.

The owners of Lucky hope that over time the material they compost will help place land into agricultural production in Mesquite Lake.

“Lucky has been very aggressive to establish a green waste facility which, when in operation, will be very beneficial to the county,” said Bob Douthitt, manager of the Imperial Valley Resource Management Spring 2017

Lucky Recycling Group to establish green waste processing site

Agency. He added the new site would assist the county in meeting the state’s AB 1826 Mandatory Organic recycling plan and is a critical component in achieving the state mandated objectives.

Jeff Watson, environmental scientist for California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), noted the importance of using composting to bring ag land into production. He said the small size of Lucky fosters close relations with customers, which in turn help control contamination of the green waste that would be applied to ag fields.

“You have an incredible ag center in the Valley, but a lot of ag land has gone out of production for various reasons,” Watson said.

A CalRecycle report has suggested that the state will need “dozens and perhaps over 100 new or expanded” organics processing facilities to process the green material generated as a result of the new laws.

Establishment of a green waste site is an ambitious move for the yearold full-service trash hauling and recycling company. Longtime EL Centro businessman and contractor Ed Mealey is principal owner and president. Partnering with him is Dan Drewek, an El Centro

resident with nearly 25 years in the trash-hauling business, mostly with large corporate haulers. Drewek’s son, Andrew, is also in the company.

While there are a number of smaller agricultural green waste recycling areas in the Valley, this one will be the only public site specifically designed to accept green and brown materials such as tree trimmings, untreated wood, manures and agricultural materials.

The material will be turned into compost and mulch and applied as a soil amendment on site or on other land zoned for agricultural uses. It also will be either sold or given to the public for private landscaping uses.

Lucky Recycling began with two people on Jan. 16, 2016. Today there are 12 employees working the seven trash and recycling trucks. The company already has contracted with the Calexico Unified School District and has handled several large construction projects. It will soon be bidding for long-term waste-hauling contracts with cities as well as other local agencies.

Drewek, the company manager, compared his current position to others he has held “This is much more exciting,” he said.

“There is more opportunity — it’s not a corporate environment and we are able to establish a personal relationship with the community.”

“There are multiple areas in the county that are not contracted,” he noted. With two large corporate waste haulers in the Valley market, he admits there are challenges. “To compete in a market like this is difficult because we are wedging our way in.”

While its corporate offices are located on Industry Way in El Centro, the centerpiece of the company is one of the most unique buildings in the Valley. Mealey points with pride to the huge former Shippers’ Ice building on Commercial Avenue. Built in 1906, it is the oldest building in El Centro and was a focal point of the Valley’s early produce industry.

“They produced 1,800 tons of ice a day here,” Mealey said.

The ice would be loaded onto box cars — at both ends — while melons or other produce would be loaded in the center.

In the days before air conditioning or modern refrigeration techniques, Shippers’ Ice was the key to getting Valley perishable commodities to market.

In addition to its modern role as a recycling center and yard for Lucky Recycling, the building played a small part in the filming of “American Sniper.” The film company used Mealey’s building as a staging area for the film work that took place across the street.

This year marks Mealey’s 70th year in business: it was 1947 when he founded his trucking company, which expanded into a construction company in 1955. Mealey Construction demolished the burned remains of the Barbara Worth and California hotels as well as the old administration building and auditorium at Central Union High School. He formed Lucky Tire Recycling in 1998. Lucky Recycling Group was formed with the merger of Mealey’s construction company, Desert Recycling and Lucky Tire Recycling.

Drewek is vocal in his admiration of Mealey and his vision.

“He is not in it for today or tomorrow but for the long haul,” Drewek said.

Part of this vision is in the name itself.

Said Drewek in explaining why “recycling” is part of their name: “We do trash like the other companies. But so much can be diverted today, the more the world goes in that direction” the word “waste” does not belong in the company title.

They hope to drive that point home soon with an organics operation.

Recycling - Waste Disposal - Reclamation - Processing

Locally Owned & Operated Waste & Recycling Company Our family team will gladly serve County of Imperial customers with Front-Load Dumpsters or Roll-Off Boxes

Services we provide: ♻ Roll-Off Waste and Recycling

Containers ♻ Front-Load Waste and

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Paper Fiber Recycling, Aggregate Recycling ♻ Waste Tire Removal

and Shredding

Call today and Save!!!

Dan Drewek is company manager for Lucky Recycling Group.

-Photo by Peggy Dale

760-352-2002 Spring 2017

23

INNOVATION |

Sean Hogan, academic coordinator at University of California-Agricultural and Natural Resources in Davis, demonstrates the feature, capability, and application of a DJI Inspire 1 Pro drone in agriculture in February at the UC Desert Research & Extension Center in Holtville.

- Photo by Joselito N. Villero

Drones and Agriculture

By Robert Castellanos

24

Agriculture and technology may seem unlikely bedfellows, but local growers are not shy about putting high-tech to work in their fields.

“People are always looking for the next best thing,” said Carson Kalin, whose Kalin Farms is based in Brawley.

Kalin is one of a growing number of local farmers in the Imperial Valley using or considering drones to improve how they cultivate crops.

Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are becoming increasingly popular for a variety of uses.

Spring 2017

Bird's-eye view offers advantages to farmers

“They are showing up all over the place and in trade magazines,” Kalin said.

Interest in agricultural applications for using drones on ag fields has grown enough that the University of California Desert Research and Extension Center near Holtville recently has held workshops on their use.

In agriculture, drones have a number of potential applications. They can be outfitted with a digital camera to provide images useful in evaluating a crop’s health.

Kalin is so interested in drones, he has two: one for agricultural use; the

other one he uses for fun. He uses the ag drone to record infrared images, which when analyzed by computer help identify potential problems, such as plant diseases and areas not adequately irrigated.

The drones clearly offer advantages for farmers who use them, Kalin said.

“They put an eye in the sky and give a view you can’t get from the ground,” he said.

The drones are fairly simple to operate, he said. The farmer takes the drone to the desired field and sets the path it will travel on a tablet. The photos taken need a 70 percent overlap to be

effective, Kalin said, so it is important for the drone to zigzag and cover the entire location, Kalin said.

The grower then just presses start on the drone and it begins its route, shooting images from about 400 feet up. When it’s done, the drone comes back and lands automatically.

The camera operator then takes the memory chip out of the camera to process the images on a computer and reviews the processed information.

Before drones, the only way to get this kind of aerial information was from a manned aircraft or satellite imaging.

The camerawork from these methods is less precise. The missions with a manned aircraft would take longer than using A drone flies over a field west of Holtville during a demonstration in a drone and the operation is more expensive than drones overall. A drone can be used more frequently, is more precise, February.

- Photo by Joselito N. Villero and is a cost-effective alternative to the other methods mentioned.

Drones have been used by the military for quite some time, but they have recently become available to the public and are more popular than ever. They come in various sizes, from small enough to fit in the palm of your hand to as big as a small dog. Military drones tend to be larger, even the size of a small airplane.

Drones are not the first technological innovation to be used in agriculture. Ever since humans have been cultivating crops, they’ve sought more efficient and productive means.

Kalin said drone technology has been beneficial, though it’s still too early to gauge how effective it will be. Maybe some future improvements in software or upgrades in camera resolution will increase their usefulness. We can only wait to see how the future of drones and agriculture turns out.  WAFFLE SANDWICH

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3049 N IMPERIAL AVE EL CENTRO, CA 92243 THEBROKENYOLKCAFE.COM Spring 2017

25

Pioneer Days drew a crowd to Pioneers' Park Museum in February. - Photo by J.D. Romero

Calendar of Events MAY

May 6

May 4 Imperial County Office of Education Celebration of Education 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 4, Jimmie Cannon Performing Arts Theater, Southwest High School, 2001 Ocotillo Drive, El Centro.

May 5, 6 & 7 "Beauty and the Beast¨ 7 p.m. May 5 and 6, 2 p.m. May 7, Palmer Performing Arts Center, Brawley The North County Coalition for the Arts presents a production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Best,” featuring Ooh La La Dance & Studios. For ticket information, visit www.northcountycoalitionforthearts.org.

May 6

26

The information included in the print version of Imperial Valley Alive! is what was available by publication deadline.

Visit our calendar online at www.imperialvalleyalive.com and submit your event information.

Yuma County Library Comic Con 9 a.m. May 6, Yuma County District Library, 2951 S. 21st Drive, Yuma.

For fans of all ages. Participate in fan panels, games, crafts and cosplay from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. All attendees will receive a free comic book, while supplies last.

No charge to attend. For more information, visit yumalibrary.org/comic-con-2016.

Spring 2017

ECRMC Day at the Ballpark 5:40 p.m. May 6, Petco Park, San Diego.

Tickets are $53.50 each and can be purchased, cash only, in the El Centro Regional Medical Center Marketing Department, 1262 Poplar Drive, El Centro. For ticket information, email elena. lopez2@ecrmc.org or rosanna.lugo@ecrmc.org.

May 13 Eli´s Heroes 5K and Crossfit Competition 8 a.m. May 13, Crossfit Imperial Valley, 505 Industry Way, Imperial.

Funds raised will go toward the costs of a kidney transplant for 2-year-old Eli Samaniego, son of Crossfit members Israel and Lizett Samaniego. Lizett and Eli will undergo a parent-to-child transplant this summer.

Crossfit Imperial Valley hopes to raise $10,000 for the family.

May 13 Evening on the Green 6:30 p.m. May 13, Brock Asparagus, 1399 Forrester Road, El Centro.

Funds raised at the inaugural event will benefit the Imperial Valley Community Foundation. For event

details, sponsorship information and tickets, please call 760-336-0055 or visit www.ivcommunityfoundation.org.

May 15-20 26th annual Mariachi Festival Sin Fronteras 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 15-20, 421 Heffernan Ave, Calexico.

Hosted by the Calexico Chamber of Commerce, events include: the selection of Seniorita Mariachi Festival, Kick-Off Mixer, Mariachi Idol Competition, opening reception for Mexican artisans, live mariachi groups, Mexican food, Ballet Folklorico, annual tequila tasting and ending with a Noche Mexicana Gala.

May 18 Art, Music, Wine!

6:30 p.m. May 18, Imperial Valley Desert Museum, 11 Frontage Road, Ocotillo.

Admission is $25 per person. The evening will feature wines from Baja California’s Valle de Guadalupe, hors d’oeuvres, desserts, works by local artists, chamber music, door prizes and a silent auction. Reservations may be made by calling Antonio Rivera at 760-909-0044 or emailing him at antionioriverarealtor1@gmail. com. The IV Desert Museum may be reached at 760-358-7016.

May 20

June 15

Mall Walkers Kick-Off 7 a.m. May 20, Imperial Valley Mall, 3451 S. Dogwood Road, El Centro.

Hosted by El Centro Regional Medical Center.

111th annual Dinner Meeting & Silent Auction 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. June 15, Mirage Club, Naval Air Facility El Centro.

Join the El Centro Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau for the event and to welcome incoming president Jeff Sturdevant. Admission is $65 per person; table sponsorship is $750 (for eight people). Contact Anthony Moreno at 760-352-3681 for more information.

May 20 Princess Tea Party 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 20, Old Post Office Pavilion, 230 S. 5th St., El Centro.

Sponsored by the City of El Centro Community Services Department. Tickets are $25 per princess and one queen (an adult is required to attend); $10 for additional princesses or queens. For children ages 2-12 years.

Reservations required at the El Centro Community Center. For more information, call 760-337-4555.

May 20 Lights! Camera! Cure!

9 p.m. to midnight May 20, Cattle Call Park, Brawley.

Between Women Inc. presents Lights! Camera!

Action! — the Brawley Cancer Walk — at Cattle Call Park. For more information, call Sara at 760-351-1774.

May 27 Young Artist Concert 7:30 p.m. May 27, Jimmie Cannon Theater at Southwest High School.

Sponsored by the Imperial Valley Symphony Association, Inc., the concert features a young artist from the Imperial Valley in a concerto performance and a program of patriotic pieces for the Memorial Day Weekend.

JUNE June 1 Annual Dinner & Branding Iron Ceremony 5:30 p.m. June 1, Stockmen’s Club, 275 Marjorie Ave., Brawley.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner starts at 6 p.m. A silent auction and announcement of the Branding Iron recipient will follow dinner. The cost is $50 per person and $90 per couple. For more information and to purchase tickets, contact Gracie at 760-344-3160.

June 3 Annie´s Black Hills Chuck Wagon Dinner Show June 3 at Pioneers Park Museum, 373 E. Aten Road, Imperial. Time to be announced.

The program will be performed by the Imperial Valley Master Chorale. For more information, visit the Imperial Valley Choral Society website, ivchoralsociety.com.

JULY July 4 Freedom Fest _ 6 p.m. July 4, Imperial Valley College.

Concessions open at 6 p.m. with fireworks at 9:30 p.m. Hosted by the Imperial Chamber of Commerce, IVC and KXO Radio FM 107.5.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY MAY May 4

Participants look at entries in the Calexico Art Walk on the Border in February.

El Cajon Farmers´ Market - Photo by J.D. Romero 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. May 4 and every Thursday, Prescott Promenade, 201 E. Main St., El Cajon Free to the public. The market offers fresh, locally grown May 6 fruits and vegetables, freshly baked breads and more.

Warlock Mine and Tunnel Tour For more information, visit elcajonfarmersmarket.org.

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 6, Julian.

May 5 Meet at 9 a.m. in the parking lot on the north side First Friday at Julian Station of Interstate 8 at the State Route 79 exit to Julian.

5 p.m. to 10 p.m. May 5, Tickets are $30 and must be bought in advance Julian Station, 4470 California 78, Santa Ysabel. on Eventbrite.com. Trip includes two-mile hike to Happy Hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. with the music reach Warlock Mine and back. For information, of Donn Bree, $2 tacos and drink specials. Enjoy email Erin Johnson at erin@atlasobscura.com. the jam from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

May 6

May 6 & 7

San Diego River Run, Walk, and Ride 5K 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. May 6, Lakeside River Park.

For more information, visit www.lakesideriverpark.org

Hands on Camels Adventure Weekend 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. May 6 and 7, Oasis Camel Dairy, 26757 Old Julian Highway, Ramona.

Cost is $350 per person. For information, visit cameldairy.com/hands-on-camels-clinic.

May 7

May 7

Vintage Alpine 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. May 7, Summers Past Farms, 15602 Old Highway 80 in Flinn Springs.

Hosted by the Alpine Kiwanis Club, the 27th annual Vintage Alpine fundraiser benefits the Kiwanis Club of Alpine Foundation, Inc. The “Wine Experience in the Country” costs $70 for pre-sales and $80 at the door. It includes live music in a garden setting, silent auction and opportunities to meet wine and food specialists.

East County San Diego Festival Chorus Spring Concert 3 p.m. May 7, College Avenue Baptist Church, 4747 College Ave., San Diego.

The concert features Mozart’s Requiem and “A Salute to Andrew Lloyd Webber.” Admission is $17 for adults, $15 for seniors and students, and $5 for children under 12. Miliary with ID attend for free. For information, visit www.sandiegofestivalchorus.org.

Spring 2017

27

June 9 Apple Blossom Tea 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 9, Julian Women’s Club.

Two seatings, at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Cost is $25 per person. Reservations may be made by calling Jonna Waite at 760-765-0212.

June 10 Julian Dance and Backcountry BBQ 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. June 10, Menghini Winery, 1150 Julian Orchards Drive, Julian.

Admission is $25 at the door or $20 in advance the day before event. Ages 16 and under are $5, sold only at the gate. No pets and no coolers. For information, visit juliandance.org.

Nereida Sandoval and J.D. Romero attend the Calexico Art Walk.

- Photo provided by J.D. Romero

May 11-13

May 19 & 20

Julian Wildflower Show 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 11-13, Julian Town Hall, 2129 Main St., Julian Admission is free. There will be exhibits of flowers and plants that grow within a 15 air-mile radius of Julian, including mountain and desert wildflowers.

Fourth annual Julian Fiddle and Pickin´ Contest May 19 and 20, Julian Town Hall, 2129 Main St., Julian.

May 19 workshop is $50 person, from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Pre-registration is required. The contest begins May 20 at 9:30 a.m. with awards at 7 p.m. Registration is $10 for ages 13 and older, free for 12 and under. No charge for admission, although donations will be accepted. For camping information, write Michael Hart at camping@ juliannews.com; for the workshop, contact Avery Ellisman at 760-522-8458 or avery@familyfiddlecamp. com. For the contest, contact Dan Touchstone at 760765-2231 or dtouchstonefiddler@gmail.com.

May 13, 14, 27 and 28 Oasis Camel Dairy Open Farm and Show 1 p.m. May 13, 14, 27 and 28, Oasis Camel Dairy, 26757 Old Julian Highway, Ramona. Cost is $7 to $10. Guest can ride camels, visit a mini farm animal petting zoo, and purchase camel milk chocolate, lotion and soap.

For information, visit cameldairy.com.

May 14 and every Sunday, Julian Doves and Desperados 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. May 14 and every Sunday, next to Julian Fitness Center on Main Street in Julian.

Historical skits, including comedy and gunfights. For information, call the Julian Chamber of Commerce at 760-765-1857.

May 19

28

Gunsmoke VII 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. May 19, El Cajon Elks Lodge 1812, 1400 E. Washington Ave., El Cajon.

Gunsmoke VII: A Night of Gamblin’ ‘n’ Carousin’ in an Old West Saloon is presented by the El Cajon Valley Host Lions and the Winchester Widows. Admission is $50 and includes Black Jack, Roulette, Craps, Texas Hold ‘Em and Poker, as weall as hors d’oeuvres and two complimentary drink tickets. For tickets, contact Paul Walters at 619-465-6258 or via email at pwalters08@cox.net.

Spring 2017

JUNE June 2 First Friday at Julian Station 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. June 2, Julian Station, 4470 California 78, Santa Ysabel.

Happy Hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. with the music of Donn Bree, $2 tacos and drink specials. Enjoy the jam from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

June 3 In-Ko-Pah 4 Concert 1 p.m. June 3, Desert View Tower, Old Highway 86, In-Ko-Pah Road, Jacumba.

Tickets are $47 for day entry and $57 for overnight camping. Parking is free.

Nonprofit event offers an evening of music under the sky. For information, visit www.inkopah.org.

June 17 Julian Blues 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 17, Menghini Winery, 1150 Julian Orchards Drive, Julian.

Gates open at 10 a.m. Music starts at 11 a.m. Advance tickets are $30, available on the website www.robbbowerpresents.com.

June 24 Desert Night Sky Photography Workshop 4 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. June 24, Christmas Circle and Palm Canyon Road, Borrego Springs.

Sponsored by George’s Camera Academy in San Diego, the workshop costs $185 per person. Borrego Springs has been designated a dark sky community by the International Dark Sky Association. Instructors are noted photographer Ernie Cowan and photographic artist Kati Cowan. For information, call Ernie at 760-518-8050 or write via email at ernie@packtrain.com.

JULY July 7 First Friday at Julian Station 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. July 7, Julian Station, 4470 California 78, Santa Ysabel.

Happy Hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. with the music of Donn Bree, $2 tacos and drink specials. Enjoy the jam from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

July 8 & 9 Oasis Camel Dairy Open Farm and Show 1 p.m. July 8 and 9, Oasis Camel Dairy, 26757 Old Julian Highway, Ramona. Cost is $7 to $10. Guest can ride camels, visit a mini farm animal petting zoo, and purchase camel milk chocolate, lotion and soap. For information, visit cameldairy.com. 

Imperial Printers

Spring 2017

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ENJOY |

Flower Photos As our desert burst into a super bloom, our readers grabbed their cameras and posted their pictures on our Facebook page.

ON THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM BELOW: A hedgehog cactus off Highway S2 north of Ocotillo, taken by Mickey Dale; brittlebush covers the hillsides in the Mountain Springs Road area, by Dane Knight; hedgehog cactus near Agua Caliente turnoff on Highway S2, by Mickey Dale; ocotillo blooming on Highway 98 south of Ocotillo, by Dane Knight; variegated bloom on cholla, taken by Stefanie Campos near Agua Caliente.

OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: An Ocotillo bloom, taken by Charlie Nichols; beavertail cactus, taken by Kilah Wilkinson north of Ocotillo on Highway S2; cholla blossom, taken

by Charlie Nichols; and wildflowers, taken by Greg Curran near InKo-Pah during the Jacumba Hikers´ wildflower hike.

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INNOVATION |

Dr. Shahrouz Tahvilian holds a device used to deliver treatment in minimally invasive procedures as part of Interventional Radiology.

- Photo by Peggy Dale

Interventional Radiology Offers Hope

By Peggy Dale

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Dr. Shahrouz Tahvilian is one of the newest medical professionals at Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District in Brawley, where he has been practicing his specialty of Interventional Radiology since last September.

Known in the medical field as IR, Interventional Radiology offers new treatment options for a wide range of diseases and conditions.

“What sets us apart is we use imaging – ultrasound, CAT scans, X-rays – to perform minimally invasive procedures,” said Tahvilian, the Imperial Valley’s first Interventional Radiologist.

Among those procedures is Interventional Oncology.

Spring 2017

“We have a lot of cool things to treat cancer these days,” Tahvilian said. “No invasive surgeries are needed.”

Using a CAT scan for guidance, beads carrying chemotherapy medications or radiation are injected directly into the center of a tumor through a small catheter in the artery, avoiding traditional, systemic treatment that destroys both good and bad cells throughout the body.

“We either bathe the tumor in chemo or in radiation” depending on the required treatment, he said. “We have ways of killing cancer outright.”

Another form of cancer therapy using IR is ablation, in which the tumor is burned or frozen with tiny probes inserted into its center.

“We have been using cryoablation on

New treatment options at PMHD kidney and liver tumors so far at Pioneer Memorial Hospital, but we can use it on other types,” he said. “It’s a great alternative for the patient who, for many reasons, can’t undergo surgery. … The patient is semi-awake and goes home the same day.”

These procedures have met with a 95 to 100 percent success rate in destroying the tumor, Tahvilian said. They are not typically used for patients with metastatic cancers.

IR has been used with great success for years in other parts of the country for women’s health issues, namely fibroids and pelvic congestion syndrome, but locally treatment has involved surgically removing the fibroid, and often the patient’s reproductive organs. With

IR, surgery isn’t necessary. Younger women of child-bearing age, in particular, find this method more appealing, since uterine removal isn’t part of the procedure, and recovery is much faster.

With pelvic congestion syndrome, some pelvic veins lose their ability to send blood back to the heart. Using IR, the damaged veins are located, plugged with tiny coils, and normal blood flow resumes along other, healthier veins.

This type of treatment also is used in trauma cases, where the interventional radiologist assists the surgeon in locating and plugging damaged vessels in order to prevent life-threatening internal bleeding.

Tahvilian’s path to become an interventional radiologist has taken him almost full circle, geographically speaking.

The eldest of five children, he grew up in San Diego and Los Angeles. It was during his early years at the University of California San Diego that he discovered he wanted to become a doctor, although he didn’t know what field to pursue. That realization came later.

He completed pre-med studies at UCSD and took a year off to teach the MCAT, or Medical College Admission

A closeup of the device used to deliver treatment in minimally invasive procedures as part of Interventional Radiology. - Photo by Peggy Dale Test, before going on to graduate in 2010 from New York Medical College.

By that time, he said, he’d taken an elective course on IR and, he said: “I loved it. It was everything I enjoy. It’s hands-on. You can diagnose and turn around and treat them.”

Tahvilian completed his training in Diagnostic Radiology at Monmouth Medical Center in New Jersey. Last year he did his fellowship in IR at Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y. Then Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District

came calling, and the rest is history.

With the many treatment opportunities IR offers, Tahvilian has found himself with plenty to do at PMHD. “I have become very busy here,” he said. “There’s a need for (IR). No one else here has it.”

“IR is everything I enjoy,” he said. “I love that you can diagnose someone without cutting them open, that you can quickly find the answer you’re looking for.”

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VALLEY AG. CONTINUED FROM | PAGE 6

Raul Mendez (left), Food Safety Manager, and Ricardo Canchola, Ford Safety Director, at a vegetable field planted with Green Romaine spring mix. - Joselito N. Villero Photo broccoli, $90 million; and carrots, $56.9 million.

The category includes a veritable buffet of produce, including spinach, sweet corn, potatoes, cantaloupes and watermelon and more. The category has the most variability and volatility, reflective of market conditions and responding to the public’s changing taste.

For instance, in 2015, the value of leaf lettuce soared to $99 million, up from

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just $24 million the previous year. And the value of the local spring mix crop jumped to $26 million, up from $12.9 million the previous year. Conversely, the value of watermelon in 2015 was $11.3 million, less than half what it had been the previous year.

As for variety, the Valley’s “miscellaneous vegetables” category, valued at $77.5 million in 2015, included such unexpected local produce as artichokes, arugula, asparagus, basil,

beans, beets, Brussels sprouts, cilantro, collard, cucumber, daikon, dill, endive, fennel, garbanzo beans, garlic, kale, leek, mustard, Napa cabbage, okra, parsley, peas, radish, rapini, rutabagas, squash, Swiss chard and tomatoes.

The change in the public’s interest in how food is grown is reflected in the dramatic increase in the local production of organic crops. In 2015, the value of organic crops harvested in Imperial Valley had grown to $275.3 million, up from just $39.3 million in 2011.

And that barely scratches the surface of what you will find growing in the Valley. Seed crops are another major category – including top 10 crop alfalfa seed worth $66.5 million in 2015. And then there are those few, but valuable acres, planted in fruit and nuts, including such things as dates, lemons, other citrus, mangos and olives.

Because most of the nearly 457,000 acres of local farmland is planted in crops that can change year to year and season to season, you never know what savvy growers will plant next. And, that makes any drive around the Valley an adventure. 

ONE WORLD BEEF | PAGE 12

Holstein cattle really well. They thrive here even in the summer because of the way we feed them, care for them. We celebrate that heritage in the way we process it and work with it in a manner which enhances the beef and we label it to market its attributes.”

Yet not all Valley beef is the same. OWB Packers processes premium Brandt Beef, The True Natural, which is certified all hormone- and antibiotic-free and 100 percent source-verified natural beef.

In the future, Brandt said, OWB plans to add an Imperial Valley Ranches label for premium natural beef from local feeding operations other than Brandt’s.

OWB Packers also processes some local beef outside of a natural beef program utilizing the Brawley Beef label.

Currently, OWB Packers also processes Baja native or Angus crossbred carcasses from Mexicali under the Baja Beef label.

In a very real sense, by opening OWB Packers Brandt has returned to his roots. His father, Bill, was one of the eight cattle feeders who in 2001 built the state-of-the-art beef plant that was initially called Brawley Beef to realize a long-held dream of having a local facility.

He called the process of negotiating with National Beef to buy the plant "a learning experience."

“It’s not normal to bring a plant back to life that was closed for so long,” he said.

He attributes the success of OWB Packers to the dedication of the employees, most of whom had worked there when it was National Beef.

“They are more than employees, they are team members and they are striving every day to make it work,” he said.

Sign outside One World Beef Packers in Brawley.

- Photo by Susan Giller

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FROM FARM TO TABLE, FROM | PAGE 16

Calipatria Food Technology team members prepare their Bananas and Caramel Crepe dish. - Photo by Sergio Bastidas When she returned to the Valley, she took it to heart and began gardening with her younger brothers.

“They were more prone to cook with it because they saw it grow and appreciated it a little more,” Gomez said.

Gomez has taught classes for children in the city of Imperial.

Now, she teaches the IVROP class at Calipatria High School. Gomez takes basil and mint plants into her class and incorporates the herbs into her lesson plans. Local ingredients arrive at her classroom in several ways: some students’ grandparents work in farming and will bring boxes of whatever is in season, other times there is produce that arrives by way of what the students bring from home.

“Be resourceful and creative with what you have,” is what Gomez teaches her students when the abundance of ingredients could range from radishes to broccoli to apples.

“Especially since the FFA does grow some herbs, sometimes we try to incorporate those,” said Gomez.

Gomez’s students learn the benefits of farm-to-table cooking. “(Students) learn how to cook with what they have,” she said.

“Not only is it available to us but it’s actually fresher than if you were try to get something … nonlocal or not in its season of growing. … If you’re able to get it local, then it’s even better.”

“I love food and I love to share it with people,” said Shank, adding she enjoys “watching (her students) learn and seeing their palates and their minds open up with the food.”

The Calipatria Food Technology team prepares crepes.

- Photo by Sergio Bastidas

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Spring 2017

SILVERDALE CONTINUED FROM | PAGE 8

shuttered its Imperial Valley Cheese operations.

While an import herself, she is determined to ensure that the equipment used at her plant is American-made.

The plant will use DNA testing to scan samples for bacteria and pathogens, a procedure that will reduce the turnaround time even more while ensuring food safety.

“We want to make sure the cheese goes out in the same condition it came in,” she said. “The turnaround time and DNA testing will make this plant very attractive.”

Silverdale’s logo embraces Tung’s Manx roots. The company is named for a vacation spot cherished by Tung. The triskelion at the logo’s center reflects the “three legs of Mann,” which represents the island’s deftness at defense against its foes, and dates to the 17th century.

Tung, who calls herself a “dairy maid” at heart, became a major player in her country’s dairy industry, before moving to Canada to develop a profitable business as a dairy exporter in Canada.

Sandra Tung, President and Secretary of Silverdale Cheese, shows a scale that will used to weigh shredded cheese at the new Silverdale Cheese plant west of El Centro.

- Photo by Joselito N. Villero Connections she made there opened the door for her to move to California, where she continues to make a mark.

Her vision for the Imperial Valley, the

place she now calls home, is to see its own dairy industry revived. With Silverdale, she and her team hope to do just that.

R

eader Becky Estrada holds a copy of Imperial Valley Alive! while visiting Buena Vista, Colo.

Take a photo of our magazine with you on one of your travels and share on our Facebook page. If you're an out-of-town subscriber, share a photo of you and the magazine in your hometown!

Spring 2017

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Incredible Years “Our motto is, ‘It’s not easy being parent, but you’re not alone,” said Yvette Garcia, Executive Director of the Children and Parents Council in El Centro. Better known as the CAP Council, it has had a working relationship with Imperial County Behavioral Health Services for more than 30 years, Garcia said.

For the past two years, Behavioral Health Services has partnered with the CAP Council through The Incredible Years parenting program. The partnership on The Incredible Years is divided into two segments: the prevention side, which is the CAP Council’s responsibility, and the treatment side, handled by Behavioral Health Services.

Any parent or person involved in the field of child care, whether as a caregiver or a student entering the child care industry, is eligible to participate in the CAP Council

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Raising children is the most important job a parent will have, but it is far from the easiest. Just ask any parent.

parenting programs, which targets parents of children ages 3 to 5 and 6 to 12. Classes are free and, depending on the age group, run 12 to 16 weeks. The two- hour weekly classes are available in both English and Spanish at sites throughout Imperial County.

To participate in this parenting program, families are referred by community agencies or parents can request to be enrolled.

“The collaboration on this prevention program is to help parents learn about child development, behavior and how to help their child, in an effort to prevent child abuse,” Garcia said. “If we can help parents through this parenting program,” she said, “we can help prevent a child from developing a mental health diagnosis.”

Imperial County Behavioral Health Services works with children already receiving services through its many programs. Parents are referred to The

Incredible Years program if their child is being provided services by the agency’s staff.

Its weekly parenting groups range from 12 to 20 sessions, and it’s also offered at sites throughout the county.

“We offer The Incredible Years program as an intervention for parents whose children have been diagnosed with conduct problems and attention deficit hyperactive disorder, and parents have difficulty controlling these children,” said Jose Lepe, Behavioral Health Manager. “These children have difficulties listening to directives and have trouble paying attention. Children with conduct disorder become easily explosive and have trouble with self-regulation, and parents tend to use harsh discipline.”

“This is just another service on top of all the other services we offer. It’s an extra set of tools in the parents’ toolbox to help reduce the behaviors the child is displaying,” said Behavioral Health Manager Maria Wyatt.

“These are the kids that have an ADHD or conduct disorder diagnosis. We teach the parent how to reduce those behaviors through this model.”

“We use the same model, the same book and workbook,” Wyatt said. “Nurturing relationships with their children is the goal for both entities.”

“We want to foster the parents’ ability to promote the child’s social, emotional and language development,” Lepe said. “We’re teaching the parent that the foundation of parenting is learning how to use empathy, attention and involvement; playing with them, problem-solving, listening, and talking.

Toward the end of the sessions parents learn about appropriate consequences.”

Role play is crucial in helping parents understand reasons for the child’s behavior.

Parents are encouraged to catch the child being good and reward them for it.

The great thing about The Incredible Years, said the CAP Council’s Garcia, “is its focus on attachment and bonding with the child, of taking that time.” That can mean reading a book together, playing with building blocks, or coloring together, she said. “Take a few minutes to do something with your child.”

The bonus, Lepe, Wyatt and Garcia said, is that parents connect with each other during the sessions and become their own support group. “A lot of the parents appreciate the skills they have learned,” Wyatt said. “More than anything, they realize they’re not alone.

It really gives them that sense of community.”

For more information about the CAP Council or to enroll in classes, call 760-353-8300. 

Imperial County Behavioral Health Services

The Incredible Years The Incredible Years is a training program for parents, children and teachers.

F

or the past two years, Imperial County Behavioral Health Services has partnered with the Children and Parents Council in El Centro, using The Incredible Years, to train parents and those working with children to help strengthen families and prevent child abuse.

The CAP Council works with families to prevent children from developing traits that require Behavioral Health Services programs. On the treatment side, The Incredible Years curriculum is used by Behavioral Health staff to work with families whose children already are in ICBHS programs.

Here are some parenting tips suggested

by Yvette Garcia, executive director of the CAP Council:  Each child is born with an individual temperament. Accept your child’s temperament and build on it.  Each child goes through stages of development at his or her own rate and style.

 Toddlers are trying their independence  Preschoolers create their own world; they play with language, practice adult roles and are learning to get along with other children  Parents have expectations. Think about your expectations, are they reasonable and age and developmentally appropriate?  Find and create opportunities to say yes rather than no. There is a reason why a young child’s first words might be no.

 Children get a feeling of belonging through both useful behaviors and misbehaviors.  Remember, a child may misbehave if they are curious, tired, sick, hungry or bored. In truth, so do we!

Children master new skills when they are ready:  Babies are learning to trust adults, themselves and the world around them

Children and Adolescents Outpatient Services 120 N. 8th St., El Centro

800.817.5292 • 442.265.1525

El Centro Family Resource Center 1027 8th St., El Centro

Calexico Family Resource Center 604 Birch St., Calexico Brawley Outpatient Clinic 195 S. 9th St., Brawley San Pasqual Family Resource Center 39 676 BaselineSpring Road,2017 Rt. #1, Winterhaven

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