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6A – Daily News – Friday, February 25, 2011 A sustainable local farm — Pacific Sun Olive Oil We keep hearing this word sustainability but what does it really mean to be sustainable? The definition of sustainable development is, the development which meets the needs of the present without com- promising the ability of future generations meeting their own needs. Then shouldn’t it be everybody’s goal to become sustain- able? Being sustainable is a harder goal to achieve than one may think. I decided to meet up with an expert in the field of sustainable business practices Brendon Flynn, general man- ager of Pacific Sun Olive Oil in Gerber, to let me in on how they became a not only sustainable, but successful farm. how much to fertilize and when. Pacific Sun has been testing for bugs, the good and the bad, since its very first year of farm- ing. “It’s all about keep- ing things in balance with nature,” Flynn said. Jadda Miller Fresh This includes the irrigation process. Growers measure cli- mate data that reads how much moisture is in the soil and that, in turn, tells them how many inches of water per hour to irrigate; “So we avoid over watering of the trees and wastefulness of our precious water supply,” Flynn said. In addition to being “There is much more to being considered sustainable than meets the eye,” said Flynn, who’s family has owned Pacific Farm since 1952. It’s not only about being environmentally sustainable, but economically as well. It’s about soil, water and leaf sam- pling for fertility, so they know environmentally sustainable is being economically sustainable, which includes fair labor prac- tices for seasonal and year round employees. This goes hand in hand with having sound business practices that will ensure the farms future in the North State for years to come. I am a huge fan, so I asked Flynn if Pacific Sun was featur- ing any new products. The newest additions were the Myer Lemon Olive Oil and the Dip- Whole Earth, Watershed Fest The Executive Committee of the Whole Earth and Watershed Festival is excited to announce the return of the annual regional festival to Redding City Hall and Sculpture Park 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday April 23. There will be a wide variety of hands-on activities for children, youth and adults focusing on living sustainably offered by more than 90 exhibitors including government agencies, non-profits, businesses, community organizations and educational groups. While these may appear to represent a wide range of interests, all the exhibitors, sponsors and vendors share a common goal: to increase awareness of how we impact our Earth, natural resources, local businesses and building and growth in Northern California. The festival gives everyone the opportunity to share information, ideas, products and activities that will help us all live more sustainably. In addition, the festival will have live music, an eARTh Show featuring local artists and food. By bringing together numerous organizations, business- es and individuals in celebration of Earth Day, April 22, and Watershed Awareness Month, May, organizers hope to inspire commitment to better protecting the planet while building community and having fun. To be a part of the event, visit www.wholeearthandwa- tershedfestival.org. Deadline is April 1. ping Olive Oil, which is a blend of balsamic vinegar, extra vir- gin olive oil and herbs. A few of the popular classics include the Tehama County Blend — Gold Medal winner at the 2009 and 2010 California Olive Oil Council Competition, Proprietors Select — extra vir- gin olive oil perfect for dress- ings, breads and cheeses, Riverview Ranch — a tradi- tional Tuscan flavor blend, Eva’s Blend — Gold Medal winner at the 2010 Yolo Coun- ty Fair and the 2010 California Olive Oil Council competition, Dark Balsamic Vinegar — the traditional style native to Mod- ena Italy, and my personal favorite the Blueberry Balsam- ic Vinegar. I use it for anything from salad dressings to top- pings for desserts — that’s right I said desserts. It’s that good. Bottles vary in size from 250 ml to 500 ml. You can purchase these products at California Kitchen Company in Red Bluff, That Kitchen Place in Redding, Raley’s in the bakery depart- ment, Holiday Markets, Taste of Tehama on Oak Street, or by going to www.pacificsuno- liveoil.com. Finally I asked Flynn, what the goals are for Pacific Sun farm. “To stay in business, and to continue producing quality products that yield a profitable growth,” he said. “Basically, stay here and keep doing what we are doing.” From the sounds of it, Pacif- ic Sun has figured out how to be sustainable and successful right here in Tehama County, which is an inspiration for our com- munity. So go out and try one of the culinary delights for yourself, you will not be disappointed. And you can be proud of the fact that you are supporting our local economy in a sustainable way. Bon appetite! Jadda Miller was born and raised in Red Bluff and trained at the Napa Valley Culinary School in St. Helena. She has worked in Napa Valley, Paris, France, Sydney, Australia and Chez Panisse, in Berkeley. Jadda teaches cooking classes at California Kitchen Company in Red Bluff and That Kitchen Place in Redding. She has a deep passion for working with fresh seasonal ingredients straight from the garden, and is an avid supporter of local farms and sustainable agriculture. Ten ways to eat more vegetables Whether you’re try- ing to lose weight or just maintain a healthy lifestyle, it's important to include a variety of vegetables in meal planning. The health benefits of eating veg- etables are many and include reducing the risk of stroke, type diabetes, coronary heart disease, and certain cancers, such as mouth, stomach, and colon cancer. It can be a challenge to include a sufficient amount of this tasty and beneficial food group to menus. These tips from TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), the nonprofit weight- • Add chopped spinach to meat when preparing meatballs or hamburgers. • Try mashed cauli- flower instead of mashed potatoes. Experiment with differ- ent flavorings such as garlic, a dab of butter, and Parmesan cheese. • Add salsa to a breakfast burrito, pile it on a veggie burger, or use it in place of high- fat, creamy vegetable dips. • Puree pasta sauce with vegetables such as winter squash or chopped broccoli. MCT photo loss support organiza- tion, offer some creative ways to eat more vegeta- bles: HAVING TROUBLE VOTING ONLINE? Here are some tips so your votes can support your favorite local businesses, and so YOU can get in the running for the FIVE $100 shopping sprees that will be given to FIVE lucky online voters! • Each individual voter needs to enter their own individual email address on the ballot. This is especially important when multiple people are voting on the same computer. For example, a couple using the same computer at home, a public computer at the Library or other public facility. • Any number of voters may use the same computer to vote, and may have the same telephone number and home address! Only the voter name and email address must be unique to each voter! • After one person votes online on a shared computer, it’s best to return to the home page. Then the next voter can go back to www.redbluffdailynews.com and click open the ballot again to vote. • If you do not have an email address, here are some options: • Sign up for an email address of your own! They’re free. Suggestion: Go to www.hotmail.com • Use the email address of a friend or family member, with their permission. Perhaps someone from outside Tehama County, and thus ineligible to vote. • To submit your questionnaire, at the bottom you must complete: • Name of Business at which you would spend your $100 prize if you are a winner • Check the box to accept the “terms of service” (contest rules and such) • Correctly enter the code verification. Have fun voting – and Good Luck! www.redbluffdailynews.com • Make a ‘pasta’ dish with spaghetti squash instead of noodles • Puree cooked veg- etables and add them to stews, gravies, and soups. • Add raw spinach leaves and an extra-ripe banana to a fruit smoothie. It may sound strange, but the sweet- ness of the banana masks the taste of the spinach. • Baking? Add shred- ded carrots to muffins or bread. • Instead of cheese and meat, pile your morning omelet with onions, mushrooms, and red and green peppers. Chop vegetables the night before to save time in the morning. • Add chopped car- rots to casseroles or meat loaf. Visitors are welcome to attend their first TOPS meeting free of charge. Local chapter meetings include: Tues- days, 10 a.m., First United Methodist Church, 525 David Ave., Red Bluff. Information call 824-0556 or 529- 1414; Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m., 25160 Josephine St., in Los Molinos. Information call 385- 1068; Thursdays, 9:30 a.m., First Christian Church, 926 Madison Ave., in Red Bluff. Information call 547- 7541 or Nancy at 347- 6120. For more informa- tion visit www.tops.org or call (800) 932-8677. Free coffee, drinks for grand opening Dutch Bros. Coffee will open its newest Red Bluff location today at 645 Antelope Blvd. in the Learning the Wrong Thing Over and Over Does NOT qualify as “Experienced” (Does it?) That’s why Flue Season has a complete training and testing program. Our certified technicians are not getting their “exper- ience” at your home. Spring is chimney clean- ing time if you want to save money: Our lowest price of the year with no price increase for up to 3 years. Limited Time! 527 3331 “You’re the best.” Jean Bradley – Gerber “I can trust you” Dr. E. Reasor, Redding Chimney Sweeps 527 3331 THE Chimney Professionals Flue Season Frontier Village Shopping Center. In honor of the grand opening — and a compa- ny tradition — Dutch Bros. will offer free drinks all day Friday, Feb. 25 starting at 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. Alan Wylie Inspector 4950 Mountain Lakes Blvd #B Redding, CA 96003 Mobile: 530/638-1015 TERMITE INSPECTION FREE & SERVICE* or UP TO 15% OFF TERMITE TREATMENT PEST EVALUATION FREE & SAVE 10% OFF PEST CONTROL SERVICE* This is the second Dutch Bros. Coffee store in Red Bluff for local owners and operators Doug and Michelle Fairey, who opened Red Bluff’s first Dutch Bros. Coffee in 2007 on South Main Street. Couples Salsa February 28th Space is limited 5 weeks - $ Begins Call 530-515-5204 for reservations. 800 East Ave., Red Bluff BOOK BARN Used Books Tues-Fri 10-5 Sat 10-2 Serving Tehama County since 1994 619 Oak St., Red Bluff (530) 528-2665 Dancing 85 COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2595 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St.