Brentwood Cherry Picking

Sweetheart Cherry – large, dark, sweet and delicious!

We made a quick trip to Brentwood on Sunday to pick cherries. The weather was unseasonably cool but we weren’t complaining! First we drove by Tachella Family Farms on the main drag (Walnut Blvd.), where in the “old days” we would pick up a farm map and get the lowdown on the best places to pick. Tachella is sadly no more, replaced by Annie’s Happy Farm. Annie’s didn’t have the same farm stand set-up, and we were somewhat shocked by the u-pick price of $5 per pound plus a $2 entry fee per person! We decide to move on. We drove by Farmer’s Daughter at the corner of Walnut and Marsh Creek,

Fall Produce Bowl

Here are some lovely items I picked up at the Diablo Valley Farmers’ Market today; Happy Boy Farms Delicata squash and salad mix with edible flowers, Hamada Farms Cara Cara oranges, Red Rio grapefruit, Satsuma oranges, Meyer lemon and more. I’m not sure what causes the interesting pattern on the grapefruit. This market is every Saturday year round at the Shadelands in Walnut Creek. Parking is super easy and the market is large and pleasant under the trees. 

Be Green at School

Green Schools Initiative is an East Bay non-profit organization working to make our schools healthier places for our children.  This website is a great resource for parents, teachers, policymakers and children. Looking for green school supplies? Want to plan green school events or fundraising? Want to know how you can green your school? Or learn about other schools that have gone through the process? Want to make a difference?

Fruit Bowl

Here’s a photo of my bounty from the Walnut Creek Farmers’ Market this morning. All fruit is from Hamada and Medina farms (my favorite fruit vendors). Even the blue bowl is from the market, but they’re only sold close to the holidays. The Walnut Creek market is open every Sunday morning from 9am – 1 pm.

Diablo Valley Roots & Shoots

We had a great hike a couple weeks ago with the newly-forming Diablo Valley Roots & Shoots. This maze photo was taken on the event in Briones Regional Park.

What is Roots & Shoots?

Roots & Shoots is the Jane Goodall Institute’s international environmental and humanitarian program for youth of all ages. It is a fun and exciting way for young people to learn about problems and issues in their local communities and then discover ways to make the world a better place. All projects are focused on improving the lives of people, animals and the environment. Kids who belong to Roots & Shoots groups have the opportunity to network with R&S members from around the world to learn about other cultures and gain a deeper understanding of the global impact of their actions.

Here is a list of some upcoming events:

July 25 – (appreciating nature) Tour John Muir house and grounds in Martinez, time to be announced (early in the day), small entrance fee for adults and children over 15.

July or Aug – (environmental care) Pacific Rim Recycle facility tour – Benicia. There may be a cost, besides the bridge fee.

Aug  23 – (cultural experience) Ohlone Village site open house – Coyote Hills, Fremont, 10am, includes 1/2 mile hike one way to 2,000 yr old village where cultural demonstrations will be shared, bring lunch.

Sept 19 – (environmental care) Coastal Clean-Up, not an official meeting, time and place to be announced.

Sept 20 – (celebrate and promote peace) ‘Roots and Shoots Day of Peace‘ (a global event) family picnic, Civic Park, Walnut Creek, time to be announced (early in the day).

If you would like to learn more, please email: DiabloValleyRandS@hotmail.com. Membership is free and open to local children of all ages but primarily focuses on those in elementary school.

Trudy Blooms!

Trudy the Corpse Flower at the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley bloomed during Monday night, the 22nd of June. I had a chance to visit her today and she’s already started to close up. Then she opens up and her petals fall down, and in about 4-6 months she should have red fruit.

East Bay Wildflower Guide

Here is a terrific wildflower guide that I came across with photos of East Bay wildflowers organized by color. It’s put out by the East Bay Regional Park District.

Blooming Soon: Trudy the Giant Corpse Flower

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting “Trudy the Corpse Flower” at the UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley. Trudy is a member of the Voodoo Lily family (no joke!) and is the largest flowering structure in the plant world. Trudy is 16 years old and currently stands almost 6 feet tall. Her family originates from Sumatra, Indonesia and she first bloomed in the garden at age 12. When she blooms her leaves will open up into one dark red giant flower. Trudy will then warm herself up to human body temperature to create a foul smell to attract beetle pollinators. If pollinated (she will be hand pollinated at the garden) she will then bear beautiful red fruit.

Trudy can be viewed daily and is expected to bloom as early as Father’s Day, June 21st. How appropriate!

Farmer’s Daughter: Brentwood Organic U-Pick

We are so excited to finally have found an organic u-pick farm in Brentwood! The Farmer’s Daughter is the ONLY organic u-pick farm that I know of that is part of Harvest Time. They’re not certified organic, however they farm in a sustainable way and don’t use chemicals. Today we picked apricots, and in the upcoming weeks they’ll have nectarines and yellow peaches. Please note that the fruit we picked today wasn’t low to the ground, which makes it less fun for young children. A lot of the ripest fruit was out of reach even for us adults, and it would have been nice to have had access to some ladders. Also note the coffee bar was not open 😉

Available for purchase at the farm stand is picked white corn, peppers, squash, green and wax beans, stone fruits, watermelons and more.

The Farmer’s Daughter is located on the NW corner of Walnut Blvd. and Marsh Creek Rd. (925) 634-4827.

Bay Area Cohousing: It Takes a Village

Cohousing is a type of collaborative housing in which the community is planned, owned and managed by the residents. Cohousing residents usually have their own private house or apartment, but then have access to generous shared areas which creates a village like atmosphere. Cohousing fosters community, sharing, green, and economical living.

In Contra Costa County there is a community known as Pleasant Hill Cohousing. Once in awhile there will be a unit for sale, rent or available for house-sitting. Pleasant Hill Cohousing offers free monthly tours of their community; see their website for more information. Currently there is a unit for sale which is a 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath townhome priced at $480,000  plus $9,000 for the carport (separate parcel), total $489,000. If interested contact Joanne Brown: joanne@joannebrown.com.

A new 23-24 unit cohousing community in Berkeley is being formed. 1-2 bedroom flats will be close to everything. For more information visit: East Bay Cohousing (EBCOHO)

There is a Tour de East Bay Cohousing event on Sunday, June 14^th from 9 am to 3:30 pm. Cost: $35-45. Bicycle to and explore 6 cohousing locations in the Berkeley/Oakland area.

Interested in cohousing?  Search the US Directory of Cohousing for a location near you.