Southern Sonoma Country Life

Bringing Back the Milkman — Petaluma's Moreda Family Farms Deliveries — Farm-to-Doorstep Service

Moreda Family Farms is a small family farm which, like all small businesses in the area is facing uncertainty due to COVID-19. The Moredas are in the same boat as  many of their family's friends who are also small family farmers around Sonoma County.

When they heard that local store shelves were being stripped of dairy products, knowing there is in fact, plenty to go around, rather than sitting back and waiting for someone to do something about it, the Moredas took the bull by the horns, (pun intended) and jumped into action to not only fill the need for fresh farm products in our refrigerators, but also doing their part to eliminate as many hands in the farm-to-refrigerator process as possible while supporting neighoring farm products.

The Moredas newly updated website says: "Our employees have committed to taking care to handle products safely, keep hands washed, wear gloves when delivering and to practice social distancing. We are all in this together and we each have to do our part. One of our missions is to get food safely to those who most need it. The elderly should not have to leave their home and put themselves at risk to get their essentials, so our delivery service is free to anyone over the age of 65 (this is on the honor system, and we just ask that you please help us help others by respecting it).

We believe that it is our duty to step up and help where we can and it just so happens that we think that bringing back the milkman will have the added bonus of being fun for the community. You’ll see us milkmen and milkwomen, delivering in all white, just like the good ol’ days. Help us take this bull by the horns, and spread this service to anyone you think it could help. Thank you to our community for supporting each other in times like this."

With less people in the milk supply chain, you'll experience a fresher product with fewer hands on the packaging. Best of all, no waiting in line in the grocery store, or driving from store to store to source your dairy needs. 

Moredas farm fresh milk is comes straight from local Holstein dairy cows. The family is partnering with neighboring local brands to bring you a range of dairy products and farm foods, such as Spring Hill's Cheddar and Jack and other varietals of Jersey Cheese and rich, creamy buffalo milk specialty gelato from Double 8 Dairy.

"All of these are locally sourced from small, family-farm operations," say the Moredas. "Our friends, who are working hard to keep safe and reliable food on tables through the COVID-19 Crisis. We are all in this together."

Check out the Moreda Family Farms website by clicking here.  

Email is the best way to contact for service currently — MoredaFamilyFarm@gmail.com

 

Easter at Home — Downtown Petaluma's Gem of a Kitchen, Home & Gifts Store i Leoni Has Us Covered With Curbside Pickup and Local Delivery

Downtown Petaluma's beloved iLeoni has our Shelter in Place provisions ready for us, and is doing online orders and phone orders, with the option for either curbside pickup or delivery.

"We're in this together, and we are committed to making your home as comfortable and relaxing as possible," says the team at one of my favorite, locally owned, family businesses in town.  

New shipments are in just in time for our Easter Baskets!

Cheerful and festive mini Bundt cakes would make a darling addition to your in home Easter Dessert table. Bunnies, garden vegetables decor and little Easter eggs are in stock.

Not fussed about Easter? There's plenty more to brighten your kitchen this spring, not to mention enhancing your culinary expertise (or experiments!), such as:

Ranch Gordo Heirloom Beans (fantastic addition to any pantry and dish)
Bread Cloches for home baking
A wide variety of cooking tools
Coffee Makers
Extensive selection of electrics

Call or email for curbside pickup or delivery — 123 Kentucky Street  707-762-9611 ileonipetaluma@gmail.com

Don't be tempted to order online from the big, national chains. It's best for everyone if you buy local. Gift cards are also available. Click here for the iLeoni website, though I suggest giving the team a call or email for more direct service right now and to chat about what's in stock, your needs and options. 

Sonoma Family Meal to the Rescue (AGAIN) — Restaurant Disaster Fund Meets Community Food Needs

A message from Sonoma Family Meal Founder Heather Irwin:
"Last Monday, I spent most of the day on phone calls with emergency non-profit food providers. The news isn't good. There aren't enough volunteers, there isn't enough food, and most of all, money is NOT coming in. I emailed everyone in the Sonoma County restaurant community I know asking that we find a way to bring our combined strength together for our community and ourselves," writes Heather. "I threw out the idea of starting a Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund where we pay restaurants to cook, putting employees back to work while providing meals for families in need.

This was born from a conversation Heather had with @kyleconnaughton of @singlethreadfarms who started a pilot program with Heather to feed 200 families in need each day when restaurant dining rooms are closed. Heather hit send on the email, and waited for answers. Ideas. Support. Anything.

"My first food angel text came a few hours later from @lisamattsonwine @jordanwinery, saying that John Jordan read the email and wanted to do something significant," writes Heather. "I ran all the numbers on how many families we need to feed, how many meals per day, how many restaurants we need to keep going through the end of June... I honestly think this unprecedented food insecurity crisis in Sonoma County--fueled by the Coronavirus and all the other economic challenges Sonoma County has faced since the fires--is going to take 3-4 months to get back down to the levels it was before COVID-19. Let’s hope... John Jordan and @johnjordanfoundation donated the first $150,000 we need to get this program off the ground!"

Sonoma Family Meal has started a match drive to reach its goal of $300,000, which will allow this innovative non-profit to pay 20 restaurants and caterers to produce up to 100,000 meals for thousands of seniors and families facing food scarcity in our county over the next four months.

"We have already signed up @gerardspaella, @preferredsonomacaterer, and @figgirl to operate relief kitchens," writes Heather. "With these additional funds, it will help us continue our efforts in bringing on more relief kitchens and help feed families in our community with the greatest need."

Please considering donating, however small or large and and share with friends who'd be up to support Sonoma County restaurants and those in our county who rely on community generosity in programs like this in order to be able to feed their families. Click here to donate today. 

 

Order Fresh Farm Food Directly from The Marin County and Sonoma County Borders - Handy Links and Lists From Marin Agricultural Land Trust

MARCH 24, 2020

With the recent order for residents of all Bay Area counties to shelter in place, Marin Agricultural Land Trust MALT wants to remind you that, even from the confines of your home, you can make a difference through the simple act of choosing where you buy your food. When you buy local, you support the people who are growing vegetables, milking cows, harvesting eggs and continuing to supply food throughout the Bay Area, even now. 

MALT is so grateful to local ranchers and farmers — and all of the agricultural businesses working through these challenging times — as they work to continue to provide us with healthy, local food.  

But with restaurants closing, agriculturalists in Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino and neighboring counties and across the world, are facing challenges to the long-term health and viability of their businesses.

Here are a few recommendations from MALT about how you can continue to support our local ranchers and farmers and local food systems:

DIRECT TO CONSUMER OPTIONS

Barinaga Ranch offers lamb raised on its certified-organic coastal pastures. Contact Barinaga Ranch directly to order. https://barinagaranch.com/

Chi’ken City by Kitty sells eggs that can be picked up at the ranch by texting (707) 790-3582.

Nicasio Valley Cheese’s organic farmstead cheese can be ordered on its website for direct shipping to your home. https://nicasiocheese.com/collections/our-cheese

Rossotti Ranch offers overnight shipping of pasture-raised veal and goat, and has discounted many of its packages on its web store, Grotto Rossotti. You can also purchase and pick up meat at the Marin Civic Center Farmers’ Market or schedule a pick up at the ranch. Details can be found on the Rossotti Ranch website.  https://rossottiranch.com/grotto-rossotti/

Stemple Creek Ranch offers shipping of 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef, lamb and other meats direct to your door in all 50 states. https://stemplecreek.com/shop

Toluma Farms will ship its cream cheese and butter (and bagels) to you from its business in the city, Daily Driver. Order on the Daily Driver website. https://dailydriver.com/

Little Wing Farm is offering pre-orders on boxes of produce than can be picked up at the farm on Fridays. https://littlewingfarm.wixsite.com/order

WHERE TO FIND MALTED PRODUCTS

You can find a range of MALTed products at farmers’ markets, farm stands and grocery stores in Marin, Sonoma, Napa and throughout the Bay Area. Please check websites listed below as many hours of operation may change.

San Rafael Farmers’ Market — Marin Civic Center

Thursdays

8 a.m. — 1 p.m.

https://agriculturalinstitute.org/directory/listing-details/thursday-san-rafael-market

San Rafael Farmers’ Market — Marin Civic Center

Sundays

8 a.m. — 1 p.m.

https://agriculturalinstitute.org/directory/listing-details/sunday-san-rafael-market

San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market

Saturdays 8 a.m. — 2 p.m. | Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m. — 2 p.m.

https://cuesa.org/

Larkspur — Farmers’ Market at Marin Country Mart

Saturdays 9 a.m. — 2 p.m.

https://www.marincountrymart.com/farmers-market

Bivalve Dairy Cheese can be found at Petaluma Market, Oliver’s Markets, The Palace Market, Toby’s Feed Barn, Brickmaiden Café, Gary’s Wine & Marketplace in Saint Helena, Woodlands Market in Kentfield and both Good Earth Market locations in Fairfax and Mill Valley! 

Chi’ken City by Kitty eggs can be found at Scotty’s Market in Terra Linda, Farmer Joe in Oakland and Andy’s Markets in San Rafael.

Tomales Bay Pasture eggs can be found at the Palace Market in Point Reyes Station and other grocery stores in the Bay Area.

Pozzi Ranch Lamb is currently available at all Whole Foods Markets in Northern California.

Table Top Farm provides a weekly vegetable box through its Community Supported Agriculture program. http://www.tabletopfarm.net/csa/

Little Wing Farm, three miles east of Point Reyes Station on Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Road, provides farm fresh vegetables and flowers.

Clover sources milk from family farms in Marin and Sonoma counties, many of which are MALT-protected! Find its products at your favorite groceries. https://cloversonoma.com/

Straus Family Creamery offers milk, butter, cream and ice cream and is available at your favorite groceries. https://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/

VISIT MALT's BUY LOCAL PAGE

You can also visit our Buy Local page and make a personal commitment to purchase from local producers in the coming weeks.

And here's a link to Farmer's Markets and Farm Shops for all of us in the Petaluma/Sonoma County Area. 

Say Cheese — Support Your Local Cheesemakers With Online and In-Store Purchases

Thanks to the folks at California Cheese Trail for the following updates and images on where to get our mitts on the cheese we've come to know and love, best cheese out there. 

Curbside Pickups & Deliveries

Cowgirl Creamery Pt. Reyes Shop – Offering curbside pickup at their Point Reyes shop / Online shop is open

Daily Driver SF – Offering curbside pickup and delivery

Lady & Larder – Curbside pickup, delivery and online shop is open

Milkfarm – Curbside pickup

Nicasio Valley Cheese – Call 415.662.6205 and they will come out to meet you outside the shop / Online shop is open

Smallgoods – Curbside pickup & delivery

Palace Market – Open

 

Air High Fives at the Cowgirl Cantina

 

Online Shop

Central Coast Creamery – Online shop is open

Pennyroyal Farm – Online shop is open

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese – Online shop is open

Stepladder Creamery – Online shop is open

Valley Ford Cheese – Online shop is open

Full List of Cheesemakers who Ship

 

Gift Certificates

Cheese School of San Francisco

Food and Farm Tours

Spring Cleaning? Five Reasons Why You Should Start a Donation Box For Alphabet Soup or Your Favorite Benefit Thrift Store

We don't talk about thrift stores as much as we should, even though my Sonoma County community of Petaluma has a lot of great thrift and second hand goods stores as well as antique stores and it's long since been the norm for savvy shoppers to both frequent these storefronts as well as donate on a regular basis. More of us are coming around the the concept of reducing our carbon footprint in buying less in general when it comes to clothing, accessories and household goods and when we do buy new we want them to be as easy on the earth as possible. One of the best ways of repurposing unwanted items in our homes is to pass them along to someone who does need them. 

Here are five reasons why you should donate to a benefit thrift store such as Petaluma's Alphabet Soup or Saks Thrift Ave. 

1. Streamline Your Home & Closet: Time to sort out last season's clothing and seasonal home decor now that the weather is warming up and we all have time on our hands. Spring cleaning is cathartic. Tackle areas that have piled up over the winter and purge.
2. Don't even think of throwing good clothing and footwear away. Your too-tight jeans or last-years fashion item you never wore will be someone else's bargain find and for the few dollars you might make in a resale store, you'll make someone's day and be boosting the coffers of a needy non-profit in your community at the same time.
3. Who says you won't find the most amazing belt or bag or vintage item in lieu of the multiple bags of items you donate? I have a friend who has a thing for jewelry that she hunts down in thrift stores, gold and silver and the occasional gemstone, too. 
4. All of the items you donate will be put to good use, assuming they're in reasonable condition. If the store can't sell them they'll sort through for shelters and homeless people. 
5. By donating to a non-profit's thrift store, sales of your clothing and accessories and household items make a real difference in people's lives. After we make it through the Coronavirus crisis there will likely be more people in our community than ever in need of affordable clothing for themselves and their kids. Furnishing a home with thrift store finds has been how many of us started out and yet the concept of having even the most basic a budget for setting up home is beyond the reach of more and more young people today. Think of the sofa you've been storing in your garage and what a find it will be for someone not nearly as set up as you or me with the basic needs.

Alphabet Soup Stores are my favorite local thrift stores to donate to as a parent of three sons who were schooled in Petaluma. Profits benefit 13,000 students currently enrolled in our wonderful area schools. I routinely go through my closet in fall and spring to sort out items that I no longer need with this in mind. I also try to apply the one-in, one-out rule as much as possible, especially with shoes, which I love and do my best not to over-buy.

Because the stores are shut currently there are no donations being accepted for sorting at this time. But that doesn't mean they're not going to be warmly received as soon as the doors reopen. So get to it and box up your clean, gently worn/used items. Streamline your closet today! 

In 1994, Petaluma Educational Foundation opened their first storefront, Alphabet Soup Thrift Benefit Shop.  Soup's growth and success over the years demonstrated that a second location would increase the benefit in the community and better serve the schools through the mission of Petaluma Educational Foundation.  The Foundation Grant and Scholarships programs enhance and enrich the academic experience of more than 13,000 students in Petaluma’s 38 public, charter, and not-for-profit private schools.  

The second shop, known as the Home Store, was opened in 2013 and currently sells  housewares, linens, furniture, art, and books.    

The original location is now known as Soup's Clothing Boutique and sells clothing (women's, men's and kids), shoes, handbags, jewelry, accessories, children's books, and toys.

These two downtown retail spots offer shoppers a unique experience of discovering vintage treasures along with popular fashion at affordable prices.  

Shop, Donate, Volunteer  to help support the mission of PEF, allowing for the foundation to expand its impact at our local schools, currently serving 13,000 + students annually.  

To make a financial donation directly to Petaluma Educational Foundation, click here.

Just Added — Check Out Books By Sonoma County Authors in My Bookshop.Org Store

When you order new books on Bookshop.org you are supporting your favorite indie bookstores with each purchase. It's encouraging each time I log on to the site to see the $ donation amount to brick and mortar bookstores going up and up as we're all stocking up our to-read stash to help keep ourselves sane.

I woke up in the middle of the night last night to the sound of a large owl hooting in the oak trees behind my bedroom window. Owls being associated with wisdom and prosperity, seemed to me perfectly in tune with my thoughts of an urgency for collating and highlighting books by local authors, especially during this trying time.

One thing brick and mortar indie storefronts are not massively keen on is filling the front of store space, or any much space with a bunch of books by local authors, in most part, I've come to understand, because of the real estate value of shelf space. It's not easy for bookstores to make much of a profit and the local author takes a back seat to books pushed by the big publishing houses.

And so it's pretty fantastic to stock my virtual store on Bookshop.org with titles from as many Sonoma County authors as I can find. There are other authors I tried to include here, but each book must have distribution that works with this exciting new bookseller's program in order to be featured, sold and delivered to your doorstep.

What's so great about Bookshop.org is that it's as easy and convenient to shop on as Amazon and yet its mission is to support and preserve the physical bookstores we love to browse in person. 

Click here to browse my store within a store, especially the Sonoma County titles, many of which have been written by writers I know and admire personally. 

While we are all doing our best to buy local, it's super important to promote and support the arts in our community and it's good to remember that literary art takes many months and years to produce. A book by a local author is a small business in itself. 

I'd love it if you share this post with your social media friends. Let's get Bookshop.org on more people's radar. 

Oh, and don't forget to review your favorite reads on Bookshop.org, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com. Reviews are extraordinarily helpful. 

Beautiful, Vintage Inspired Free Coloring Pages from the desk of Fog Valley Books Illustrator Nicky Ovitt (& More)

Creative friends are coming up with the best stress-relieving, time-filling activities for our home-based days. The lovely and talented Nicky Ovitt, who hand illustrated my first two books, including the wonderful recipes inside of Fog Valley Winter, has put together a series of free coloring sheets for all of us, young and old to print out and color in. Click here for Nicky's coloring pages. 

And you know what would be a really nice thing to do? Download, color and mail to a relative or friend or deliver to a neighbor with a handwritten note on the back. 

Post your finished pieces on social media and tag with

#lookatmecolornicky 

And here are more pages by other generously sharing artists:

https://www.rachelignotofskydesign.com/free-downloads

 

https://www.suzyultman.com/printables

 

https://www.roxymarj.com/f-r-e-e-b-i-e-s

 

http://www.emilybalsley.com/shop/art-at-home-4-pack-digital-download

 

 

 

Big Green Country Goes to Bodega Head — Literary Locations — Sonoma Coast, Northern California

When I wrote my novel, Big Green Country's timeline with road trip action at the start of the book taking place during the month of February, I never imagined blue skies as bright and clear as the February day I returned to the spot where characters Bridget and Bobby, Maggie and Marcus pull up in their truck to eat fresh crab sandwiches, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Bodega Bay at Bodega Head. 

It was pouring with rain in the story and a serious storm was headed their way. 

As you can see from these photos and (rather windy) video clip, if the weather had cooperated as well for the McCleery women and their companions, the story would have taken a very different turn.

If you are familiar with the rugged landscape of the Sonoma Coast and tucked-away Bodega Harbor, with its fleet of salmon and crab fishing boats and small, bustling seafood shacks, you'll immediately identify with the sights, sounds and flavors of this part of the book. 

If you've never been in these parts, you'll feel like you have as soon as you open the pages of Big Green Country. 

Northern California has its own distinct microclimates from coast to valley to mountain, depending on impact of Pacific fog and topography and it has been thrilling to write about the geography and natural history of the region from the Sonoma Coast, through the Russian River watershed and up into the Emerald Triangle of Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity Counties.

I'm thankful that Big Green Country is making its early rounds in book groups in Sonoma and Marin Counties and there has been such a lot to discuss given the contemporary subject matter of this novel which touches on so many major elements of modern life in this part of the world, not least, a family struggling to maintain its multi-generational ranch property, while its youngest member has gone missing after leaving home to trim weed in the north. 

Without throwing in any significant spoilers, the part where the four adults stop for a bite to eat at a favorite crab shack is a fictionalized version of Spud Point Crab Co in Bodega Harbor. 

I made a pit-stop for mid-day lunch and to think about the characters in my book who I've talked about and analyzed with so many readers that they feel quite real to me now. 

Big Green Country is available in print and via Kindle on Amazon.com around the world, at Barnes & Noble.com, Bookshop.org and to order at indie bookstores, and also directly from me via the Paypal button on the homepage of this blog post. 

Please take a few minutes to post a review on Amazon or Goodreads or Barnes & Noble, or Bookshop.org if you've already finished reading your copy. Let me know if you are within driving distance and your bookgroup is interested in a visit from the author. 

Lots of people have asked me about the McCleery ranch and house. Is it real? Does it actually exist? Where is it? It's not one actual ranch but an imagined homestead that I conjured in my mind from my many journeys around coastal Sonoma County. I've always been intrigued by the dilapidated old Victorian ranch homes with their rustic grandeur and long-forgotten beauty. 

The McCleery ranch is, in my mind and in the book, somewhere remote in setting though not all that far to the north of the small coastal town of Tomales, tucked into the rolling hills, overlooking the Pacific. 

Bodega Bay is about a nine mile drive from this fictional ranch, which would take about 20 minutes on the winding roads.

 

 

 

 

Exceptional Trip Tip — Writing Italy — A Week of Writing Masterclasses Deep in the Tuscan Countryside Oct 4th-10th 2020

Here's something special for my writer friends here in Sonoma County and reader/writers elsewhere in the world. Who wouldn't love to find themselves in a writing class deep in the Tuscan countryside for a week, this fall?

This wonderful retreat is on my radar via my dear friend, Michael, a fellow British/American Petaluman who is friends with one of the co-hosts and tutors, award-winning and Sunday Times best-selling author, Helena Attlee.

Close your eyes and take your fingers off your keyboard. Now picture yourself with six days of masterclasses await amidst the comfort and bohemian atmosphere of a 13th-century castle deep in the Tuscan countryside.

Guided by Helena and acclaimed biographer and travel writer Julian Evans, what an extraordinary opportunity to forge new writing skills and ways of seeing and experiencing your surroundings. Whether you wish to write about travel, history, biography or autobiography, landscape, food or nature – any form of creative non-fiction – six days at Castello di Potentino would be an ideal moment to start a new project or look at an existing one with fresh eyes.

During the week you'll view Tuscan shepherds making cheese, taste wines made from the castle vineyards, explore unspoiled landscapes with a local botanist, learn to make pasta and immerse yourself in village life at the market: lived experiences to capture on the page. Working in a small group, learn crafted techniques to strengthen your writing voice and enable you to create storytelling truth from fact. Helena and Julian will also offer one-to-one tutorials.

Special guests include Rachel Roddy, whose weekly column in the Guardian has won her many fans, and Derek Johns, who has recently stepped down from running London’s oldest literary agency.

This six-day stay is priced at around $2000 per person all-inclusive (give or take exchange rate), except for travel to and from which you'll cover the cost of yourself. This seems very reasonable considering the quality of accommodation, meals and instruction. October is a great time to travel to Italy from the U.S. Flight prices aren't too prohibitive after the summer season wraps up.  

Click here to learn more about Castello di Potentino, an ancient castle built on an Etruscan site in a secret valley. 

Click here for more information on how to sign up to attend.