Jess D. Taylor
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Grow Local – Stay Gold
One might not describe an apple as “attitudinal.” But Brooke Hazen of Gold Ridge Organic Farms does. In part, he’s referring to the flavor expression of hard-to-find apples like the Pitmaston Pineapple, Strawberry Parfait, Cinnamon Spice, and Winter Banana—all heirloom varieties which, Hazen affirms, taste like their namesakes. A “attitudinal” heirloom of note for him…
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Eat Local – Spread Kitchen Makes Waves
PHOTOS BY PAIGE GREEN When Cristina Topham was living in New York City, she once went on a blind date to the Caribbean. “The guy was okay, but Anguilla was great,” she recounts. So the Wall Street tech-worker-turned-chef-caterer returned to the city and scoured job boards for culinary work in warmer climes. This is how…
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Letter From The Editor
As I face my own uncertain future, I think of the people whose businesses are just finding their footing—like the new Kabayan Filipino Market in Rohnert Park or the clothing store Slick Bridge, two of nine local businesses we shine our light on in this holiday issue. I think of the hard work and faith…
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Meet an Artist – Laura O’Neal
I grew up a hard-working Indiana farm girl. I bailed hay, fished the pond, and plowed the fields. Basically, I “Laura-Ingalls-Wilder-ed” my way through adolescence. Growing up rural, I always longed for a little more: more adventure and excitement, larger hills. When I was a child, I started my first comic strip called the Argons.…
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Grow Gift Guide – Treats from the Earth
by Mina Rios Since its inception in 2016, the Garden Society founder Erin Gore has been on a mission to break cannabis stigma barriers, create premium cannabis products, and educate people about its many benefits. Living up to its full potential, the Garden Society now prevails as a trusted brand of sustainably sourced cannabis from…
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Eat Shopping Guide
by Nichole LaStrange For the ambitious holiday planners who already have their shopping lists started (read: not us), this Sonoma County newcomer is working on your timeline. Armie Rivera, owner of Kabayan Filipino Market in Rohnert Park, says that their countdown to Christmas often starts as early as September 1st. “We start playing Christmas songs…
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Make Shopping Guide
by Jess D Taylor One Christmas, when he was a young teen, Mob$ta Myk and his brother got only one present for the two of them, a Boss eight-track mixer. “It was all we needed,” he says with a big smile, taking it down from a shelf. After some begging, his mom, who threw karaoke…
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Hope in the Spotlight
What is your organization’s mission? Our mission is to end HIV in Sonoma County, while supporting the health and well-being of people living with HIV/AIDS. To this end, we empower clients with supportive services including housing assistance, benefits counseling, information, referrals, and transportation. We envision the end of HIV in Sonoma County through targeted outreach,…
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Sonoma County Farmers’ Markets
Bodega Bay Bodega Bay Community Farmers’ Market bodegabaycommunitycenter.org/farmers-market Community Center Sundays 10- 2, Memorial Day through October Cloverdale thesantarosafarmersmarket.com 225 N Cloverdale Blvd Tuesdays 4-7 pm, April-November Accepts CalFresh, Market Match, WIC, Senior FMNP Cotati Cotati Community Farmers Market ilovefarmersmarkets.org La Plaza Park W. Sierra and Old Redwood Hwy. Wednesdays 4:30 pm-7:30 pm June 7-September…
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The End Bit
Celebrating his 15-year anniversary this year, one-time musical instrument marketing executive John Maher, aka Petaluma Pete, is still out there in downtown Petaluma “honking out the tunes” as he puts it, playing on one of 30 artist-painted pianos stashed away in the back of the nearby Small Craft Center warehouse. Pre-Covid, these pianos were placed…