Spring 2012

EDITOR’S MIXING BOWL LOCAL HEROES Laney College Bistro Terra Bella Family Farm Berkeley Bowl Marketplace URBAN ADAMAH: Jewish farm takes root in West Berkeley ALL THAT AN URBAN FARMER NEEDS TO KNOW: A book review of The Essential Urban Farmer SUPPLY UP! Resources for your spring garden A BEAN’S DEEP ROOTS IN THE EAST BAY:…

It’s early February, and the flowering quince outside my window is in full bloom. The display is just a small part of the big flower show now unfolding all over the East Bay as the rose family relatives of this shrub—apples, pears, cherries, plums, apricots, nuts, and berries—prepare to produce summer fruits. It has me…

FORAGING FOR THE GREATER GOOD: Why and how to target invasive aliens By Carol Rice, Illustrations by Cheryl Miller Did you know that California has been invaded by aliens? It’s true, and it’s been going on for a few centuries. Invasive aliens—species from other parts of the globe—are present in every habitat in the East Bay, whether…

WATER: Another kind of harvest By Jillian Steinberger, M.A., Illustration by Alan Leon Water is life. That’s true anywhere on the planet, but let’s put our own interests into perspective. In California, where we get almost no rainfall for six months each year, keeping the agua flowing has long required planning and infrastructure on the state level.…

Seven Stars of Spring by Jessica Prentice Jessica Prentice, Maggie Gosselin, and Sarah Klein created the Local Foods Wheel to help us all enjoy the freshest, tastiest, and most ecologically sound food choices month by month. Here are Jessica’s seven spring favorites. You can learn more about the Local Foods Wheel and the group’s other…

What’s at the Market? By Barbara Kobsar Illustration by Susanne Kaspar You’re never far from a farmers’ market here in the East Bay. Every day of the week—except Monday—there’s an open-air market where you can shop for fresh, in-season produce and specialty products. In the past, many farmers’ markets would typically fold up their tables…

By Carrie Spector I’m at Luso Mercado. The shop is easy to miss among the fast-food outlets on a busy stretch of East 14th Street in San Leandro, but this small market is holding fast to the East Bay’s Portuguese heritage. A couple of elderly men sit on stools at a counter near the register…

AN EAST BAY TREASURE: Merritt College Landscape Horticulture By Jillian Steinberger M.A. Thinking of a green career? Why not study under some of the Bay Area’s leading landscape professionals at Oakland’s Merritt College. The school’s Landscape Horticulture program offers over 20 full-credit classes per semester leading to certificates in Permaculture Design, Landscape Design, Landscape Construction, Nursery…

SUPPLY UP! Resources for your spring garden By Jillian Steinberger, M.A. Once upon a time in a land of milk and honey with a gentle Mediterranean climate, a wise garden elder said to his students (one of them was me), “Northern California is God’s country.” It’s easy to speak hyperbolically about the glories of gardening…

ALL THAT AN URBAN FARMER NEEDS TO KNOW The Essential Urban Farmer, reviewed by Helen Krayenhoff Be forewarned: This is a rave, not a mere review! The Essential Urban Farmer, by Novella Carpenter and Willow Rosenthal, just published by Penguin Books, is a tome packed with hard-earned personal wisdom and experience now made available to…

Urban Adamah: Jewish farm takes root in West Berkeley By Sarah Henry, Illustration by Alan Leon, Photos by Nicki Rosario Adam Berman is no novice farmer, having previously grown food on the East Coast. But he has been bowled over by the abundant harvests at Urban Adamah, the one-acre West Berkeley farm with Jewish roots where he…

Each year, Edible East Bay asks readers to vote for their Local Heroes in a number of categories. Laney College Bistro won by a landslide in two categories! Chef/Restaurant & Nonprofit: Laney College Bistro Want to have a white-tablecloth lunch for the price of takeout? Laney College Bistro, our readers’ Local Hero choice for both…