The Emperor's New Clothes....

I've always loved the Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale the Emperor's New Clothes.  It also has been a running theme on and off throughout my life.  But, before I progress any further, here's a real quick synopsis of The Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale.  It is a tale of two weavers who promise to make the Emperor a wonderful new suit of clothes. The catch is that these clothes will be invisible to those who are stupid, incompetent or unfit. Even though the Emperor and his ministers can't see the clothes, they don't want to appear stupid. So the Emperor parades, naked,  in front of his subjects who all admire his "clothes" until a young child points out that he really isn't wearing anything at all.

 This week I once again relived that fairy tale. For many years, I have remained quiet about a lot of invisible clothing, being afraid that I would appear different and odd.  However, this week, I could no longer stay silent and admire the Emperor's New Clothes, which of course don't exist and never existed.  I finally decided that even if all the fearful servants continue to decry how beautiful the Emperor's clothes, I am certain that they don't exist.

And, you know what?  As I quietly whispered the fact that the Emperor really had no clothes on, I began to find that there are many observers that see that the Emperor was naked!  They were just waiting for someone, who would speak the truth.   Like the child in the fairy tale, I naively and fearlessly spoke out. For speaking out, I indeed have been banished from the kingdom.  But,  I have also gained self respect and the respect of many others who know I see the truth and know that I speak the truth.

Moral of this story, do not ignore your gut instincts or for that matter, what your eyes see.  Do not fear being different or unique.  In fact, celebrate your uniqueness and know the fools that follow that naked Emperor will one day realize that "he's not wearing any clothes!"!! 

Do not bug out!

So, I and my business are officially engaged in a new year.  In the past three weeks, I've been introduced to several new and inspiring local products, ranging from an organic, raw cat food to superlative soaps.  And, although all the products were interesting, the one that caught my attention was a healthy, high protein confection,  which contains cricket flour as its protein source. 

Yes, indeed, 2016 may be the year of the monkey, astrologically, but in the culinary world it's the year of the bug, according to Forbes magazine!  But, eating bugs is not really a new idea.  In fact,  the Bible mentions entomophagy,( the human consumption of insects as food), as do other documents from Ancient Greece and Rome.  Many countries around the world actually still include insects in their daily diet.      Bugs just haven't seem to have caught on here in the US, until perhaps now? 

Although I started out skeptical that bugs would ever be the next big thing, after a bit of research, I found out that there are about 2,000 species of bugs are edible, and an estimated 2 billion people eat them on a regular basis. Only in Western countries,  does the "gross" factor seem to still dominate.  And as it turns out bugs are actually good for us. And the planet.  Here's more of what I found out: 

• Crickets contain protein levels that are comparable to beef but with a much smaller ecological footprint.  Crickets also require far fewer resources to raise. 
• Additionally, they are twice as efficient as chickens at converting feed to meat, and 12 times more efficient than cattle.
• Cricket's water and land requirements are a mere fraction of those required for cows. They also produce 100 times less greenhouse gases and have high levels of calcium and iron.

So, there's really no disputing that crickets are nutritionally good for us and our planet. And although those facts still may not convince you to start crunching on crickets, those nutritional facts have been enough to start the rest of the world in recognizing crickets and other insects as a viable food source in developing countries.  In fact, the United Nations released a statement in May 2013 urging the world to focus on eating insects as a way to combat global hunger and boost health worldwide by reducing malnutrition and even air pollution.  

And more importantly, all that evidence has peaked my interest in a whole new facet of the culinary world.  Those cricket confections got me excited to learn about new things and to look at things a bit differently!  And that is why I do what I do.  To keep learning,  to keep seeing the world in a whole new way and to not miss what the present moment has to offer me.  Yesterday, it offered me new friends, new ways of looking at our soil and a whole new world of edible insects!  Stay tuned to see if crickets actually catch on!

Stepping into a New Year..

It's January 22nd and I'm finally shaking off 2015 and stepping into 2016.  I began this year like I begin most years with intentions and with the expectation that somehow, magically, I can close a door on the last year and step into an entirely new, different world.  Of course, that never is the case,  like previous years,  I spent the first three weeks of January clearing away unfinished business from last year. 

Now that I've recovered from my 2015 hangover,  I am ready to step into 2016! And here's what's new.  I am privileged to have been chosen to be a part of a once in a lifetime culinary event,   being held here in San Diego on June 4th-7th for the USA/Canada Delegation of Maître Cuisinier de France (Master Chef of France). Master Chef of France is the most envied title that chefs aspire to achieve.(http://mcf-usa.com/ ). 

During the three- day event, Patrick Ponsaty (pictured), the Master Chef at Bellamy's Restaurant in Escondido, will be hosting the delegates to San Diego's finest culinary establishments and to its most scenic venues. Included in those venues is the Ranch at Bandy Canyon, where the delegates will experience the true bounty that San Diego has to offer at a farmers market.  At the farmers market, which I will create, the Master Chefs will be able to taste produce from the Ranch at Bandy Canyon and other local farms and a wide variety of artisan products from San Diego vendors. 

During the other days of the event, the delegates will be visiting some of San Diego's extraordinary culinary venues, culminating with a gala event on Monday June 5th,  featuring the cuisine of San Diego's Master Chefs, local wine and spirits.

So, I know that you will want to be a part of this historic event!  Here's how you can be a part of it and get to mix and mingle with 80 world class Master Chefs.

• Volunteers:  We need volunteers to assist the Master Chefs with the gala event and throughout the entire event.
• Sponsorship:  we need monetary sponsorship and in kind sponsors
• Vendors and farmers for the Farmers Market at Ranch at Bandy Canyon, Tuesday, June 7th.
• Food Bloggers who want to cover the event.

Any of those opportunities interest you?  Please e-mail me at carolyn@yourproducthub.com! 

It's a new year ! So why don't you step into it and get involved in something new with me?!

A New Year...with intention

I begin this new year without many clients but,  with a heap of hope and with intention!  I begin 2016 with a clear intention of letting the world know how my services/Your ProductHub can benefit their business...benefit their lives! 

With that intention, I first had to let go of many of my "extra-curricular" activities and all the things that I did in 2015, which I enjoyed but,  truly didn't serve my highest purpose.  By letting go of those time consuming activities, I now have a bunch more time for new paying opportunities!   My first focus of 2016 will be on my first love, farms!

With those farms in mind, yesterday, I sent an e-mail to a farmer friend,  to let him know what I could do for his farm.  That e-mail clearly outlined the services that I could provide to his farm.  So I thought I'd share it with you.  Here's what it said:

  I/YourProductHub provides services to small farms/producers that need help making their farm into a true "business".  Many of the farmers that I work with live in lack and are often on the verge of going out of business.  Here's how I/Your Product Hub can change that cycle of lack by:

• Create a business plan that contains a true vision (mission statement/goals), including a marketing plan.    
• Set Up and administer a CSA Program (only if that makes sense): Why hire us? Our experience with CSA Programs has deep roots, including work with Suzie's Farm CSA (five years ago) and current work with Be Wise Ranch CSA program, including doing their newsletter. 
• Set up new distribution sources for their produce/products: we would assess what the best distribution sources would work for them:  Why hire us?  We know farmers markets (we worked for Catt White (SD Weekly Markets) at three local farmers markets; we know grocery stores(WFM , Jimbo's OB People's and Sprouts); Collaborate with other well established CSA programs or other box services;  and we can connect your produce with local restaurants and chefs (Berry Good Night Dinner). 
• Marketing/Social Media/website/blog: Why hire us?  We have experience with most of the online publishing sites (Constant Contact, Word Press, Mail Chimp, Square Space, Weebly). We can set up a very simple, in expensive website that they can easily manage themselves. Begin FB, Twitter and Instagram presence and promotions.

It's a new year and I believe it's time to help our local farmers to flourish! It's time we stop throwing big fundraisers for their failing farms and help them to create sustainable businesses. 

How you can help us with our intentional vision? We would be most grateful if you could send any new or not so new farmer/producer our way.  Our fees are flexible and we can work with almost any budget.

And there you go! Please spread the word to your friends, neighbors and co-workers and help us create a network of small farms that are thriving rather than surviving! 

Happy New Year wishing that you find what you want to create and intentionally make it happen!!

Purposefully planting the seeds for a new year

View fullsize

It's December 29th, time to let go of 2015 and to start planting new seeds for 2016.  I must admit that I love to celebrate a new year!   Despite it being an arbitrary date, a new year always gives me another reason to let go of my past experiences to create space for new ones.  2015 for me and many of my friends was a year marked by great challenges and the profound growth, which always follows great challenges.  But, all that growth can be exhausting and I end this year feeling fatigued!  However, my fatigue is being balanced by the excitement and anticipation for all the new, yet unknown, things which will surely bless me in 2016.
 Before I move forward into the new year,  let's take a quick look backward to 2015.   This year,  I started my business,  Your Product Hub.  Immediately, I was blessed with over a dozen vendors, who believed in my skills and hired me.  Unfortunately, today, only three of those vendors are still in business.  Those vendors chose a tough road and so did I.   Ironically, during the past six months, I have helped more businesses go out of business than go into the marketplace, which often left me feeling frustrated and perplexed. 

 My business had become helping people let go of their dream;  to let go of a dream that they had spent years investing in and which they thought would be their future.   Unfortunately, those dreams were not intended to materialize despite all their blood, sweat and tears.  Despite my own blood sweat and tears, my dream was also not materializing. Surprisingly, it would be through my job of helping those vendors let go and replace their dreams with other dreams and aspirations that would enable me to let go of my own vision for my business and replace it with a much bigger vision,  which will ultimately better serve me and my clients in the future.  Through what we perceived as our biggest losses, we all gained personal insights, growth and self acceptance.   Through our profound losses we got smarter, wiser and gained knowledge about ourselves;  we became what the Webster dictionary defines as "enlightened".    Simply put, we are better because we struggled, suffered and survived!

That was my biggest lesson in 2015 -to let go and have unwavering faith in Life.  By letting go with gratitude of the past,   of my expectations and disappointments,  I can move forward into my future.   I am certain that 2016 will bring me more joy, abundance and fulfillment than I can ever imagine.  It is my intention to make it so. Why don't you try it too!  Let go of all that you were,  so that you can become all that you can be!  I close the door on 2015 and open a new one into 2016.  Join me, it's going to be a big one!

#GivingTuesday a global day of giving back →

Today is #GivingTuesday!  Yes, now for the first time, thanks to the power of social media we have a day to give back on a global scale and it's got its own #hashtag!!  Today, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world are encouraged to come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

And, how lucky am I could be a part of this historical day,  this day of global giving,  by launching a GoFundme campaign to raise money for two Liberian schools,  which my friend has supported single- handedly for years.  Through the creation of that GoFundMe campaign, I learned about another part of the world, which I knew nothing about, Liberia and why my friend chooses to support those schools.  Here's my version of their story:

First off, I bet you, like me, are asking yourself-why Liberia?  Why choose Liberia above all the other cultures/countries in need around the world?  Well, in some weird biblical way, Liberia,  which is also known as the United States of Liberia, was created in our own image, it was created in the image of the United States of America.    It was founded and created by freed US slaves, prior to the civil war in 1822 and by the time of the American Civil War, nearly 20,000 former Caribbean and U.S. slaves had settled in Liberia.  Those freed slaves set up their new country in the image of the country which had recently freed them-the United States of America.   The newly freed slaves(known as Americo-Liberians) built themselves a White House, similar to the one in Washington, D.C.  and like good Americans, those newly freed slaves began formal occasions by reciting the original version of the Pledge of Allegiance-the version that does not include the phrase one nation under god! Unfortunately, over time conflicts developed between the various indigenous ethnic groups and the former slaves.  Those conflicts culminated in 1980,  when a coup broke out between an indigenous group leader and the Americo-Liberian government.   The indigenous ethnic leader eventually overthrew the Americo-Liberian government and established his own regimen. The coup was followed by a series of rebel led conflicts lasting 1989 to 2003.  Those years of conflicts left the country and it's people ravaged from years of violence, leaving a generation with missing limbs, scars of war and a lack of education that dampened their futures.  

And, that's where my present GoFundMe campaign comes in,  donations will provide funding for two Liberian schools that are addressing the needs of those Liberians, scarred by years of war, by lifting up their lives through literacy.  I will be highlighting each of those two schools in two future blogs posts. It is my hope that after reading those posts, that you will be inspired, like me,  and donate your hard earned cash to my cause!  Until then, you by reading this blog have been a part of the first ever #GivingTuesday, a day of global giving.

I thank you for giving me your time and for caring about me and the world you live in!

Baking up some sweet new memories

Turkey Table, WFM Hillcrest 2013

Truth be told, I started this blog three weeks ago, when I thought that pies and baking would be on my mind.  But,  my pie gig didn't happen,  along with a myriad of other things that I thought would happen and did not happen.  So, although briefly confounded by the fact that so many things I thought would happen didn't happen, I decided that it would be a good idea to start baking up some new memories as we head towards Thanksgiving.

Unknowingly and unexpectedly, my baking would begin early last Saturday morning,  when I accompanied my friend, Joanne, a for real baker and the owner of Cardamom Cafe and Bakery, to a cinnamon roll bake off contest, sponsored by the Eating and Drinking in San Diego Facebook group, being held at Modern Times tasting room in Point Loma.  Arriving at Cardamom Cafe and Bakery,  I found Joanne's contest entry,  a pumpkin brioche, rum raisin and apple, cinnamon roll, fresh out of the oven and waiting to be iced.

Slathering those gorgeous cinnamon rolls with spiced cream cheese icing made them perhaps the most perfect and delicious "holiday" cinnamon roll than I've ever tasted. Packing them in the car,  my friend and I headed to yet another event.  Joanne and I have done countless events together.  But this morning seemed different.  We both have just weathered some challenges and the short drive to the event allowed us to catch up on where we found ourselves at that moment.  In that moment,  as we drove those luscious cinnamon rolls to the competition, the past two weeks that had tested my faith, seemed to melt away.   Renewed in spirit, we arrived at the brewery just in time for our event.

Since the event was held at a brewery that I never frequent,  I had no expectation of knowing anyone.  So, I was pleasantly surprised when I was greeted by a bunch of my industry friends and North Park neighbors upon our arrival.  I then reconnected with people I haven't seen in months and after consuming several cups of Cafe Moto coffee and cinnamon rolls, I, not only found the joy, but also the hope, which for the last couple of weeks had eluded me.  The rest of the event was filled with fun and the best part of it,  my friend Joanne won first place for her incredibly delicious pumpkin brioche, rum raisin/apple cinnamon rolls!   Although watching my friend receive the recognition that she so richly deserves was truly sweet,   the new memories, which I had baked up during the moments of that morning were perhaps even sweeter.  During those moments,  on that Saturday morning, I was reminded of what was truly important in my life.  I allowed myself to be immersed in the sweetness of friendship and really delicious cinnamon rolls.  I remembered that who I am is not what I do or what riches I have amassed in my life.   I was once again reminded that it was in the sweetest of the moments of my life that defined it and where I would find its true meaning.   At the end of the event, I like my friend Joanne, once again felt like a winner and was incredibly grateful for it all. Happy Thanksgiving...hope you bake up some sweet new memories too!

What do you do?

What do you do?  I am often asked that question and I often become tongue tied when I begin to reply!  Maybe, because funny enough, I sometimes wonder the same thing!  It used to be easy when I was a Hospice nurse to tell inquiring minds what I did for a living.  These days that definitely is not the case and recently, I've been pondering that question, as I clarify my vision for my future.

First, because the question of "what do you do" is meant as polite conversation, I think that a simple short answer is really the appropriate one.  But I live in a state of becoming,  in a constant flux of growing and re-evaluating.  My passions are varied and I often follow them. So,  composing a short concise answer may not be in my future.  But,  here goes: I help vendors/farmers move forward and grow/create their businesses through a wide variety and very individualized ways.  One of the ways that I achieve that is by obtaining new distribution venues, like grocery stores, farmers markets and restaurants.   However, just as frequently, I also stop vendors from moving their businesses forward, only after I am certain that they will not be profitable or sustainable.  I then help those vendors figure out what they truly would like to be spending their money and their time on creating or becoming.  Both are equally important services.   Bang...my 90 seconds are up and I know you still don't know what I do!   And what I concluded, after weeks of pondering that same question will probably not make it much clearer either.

What do you do?  I serve!   I serve food;  I serve people/my clients;  I serve the planet/farms/gardens;  I serve a higher being (no need to name it) and if you've ever met me,  there's a good chance that I've served you!  So, as not to sound so saintly,  I also serve myself by serving all of those things.  According to Dictionary.com, to serve is to supply with aid, information, or other incidental services.  And that says it all and is exactly what I do!

I know that you are still asking but what concretely do you do? So,   I'll end with what I've been doing most recently.  Yesterday, I was given the opportunity to serve Cafe Gratitude;  to aid them in their endeavors to grow their businesses and spread gratitude throughout San Diego county.   I will be introducing their organic, vegan and gluten free baked goods and prepackaged salads and entrees into select locations throughout San Diego County and up the coast to Encinitas.  

Really want to know what I do.  Check out the photos on my gallery regularly!

Heart healing down on the farm

Early one Saturday morning in August,  I ran away to Cyclops Farms to reconnect with myself, after my heart had been hurt. I came to reconnect with my friend Luke Girling, the owner of Cyclops Farms and to reconnect with myself, to heal.    Indeed I found much more than healing, I found hope, a bunch of new friends and inspiration!

I first met Luke at a Slow Money event , two years ago.  I was instantly taken by his absolutely gorgeous veggies and then, by Luke himself.  At that time, he was growing produce for two North County restaurants on land that they owned.   But, Luke had big dreams that one day very soon he would own his own farm, Cyclops Farms. 

I visited him several times during the following year, picking strawberries in his back yard farm with Luke's wife, Frances and his children.   During another visit, Luke took me to a vacant lot in Oceanside, CA.  The lot was filled with trash and as we peered through a chain link fence,  Luke told me about his plans for Cyclops Farms, in detail!!  Throughout the next year, he kept me updated on his progress and I was thrilled to have Cyclops Farms participate in the Berry Good Night Dinner 2015.

Months after the BGN Dinner, on that Saturday morning, I came to his farm without any expectations of what I would find.  Immersed in my own woes,  I had come in search of beauty and heart healing.  What I found,  made me weep!  I wept for the miraculous progress that Luke had made at Cyclops Farms.  In a very short period of time, Luke with the help of his friends and family had converted the empty lot into a flourishing farm.   Witnessing Luke's heroic efforts and the fact that he doggedly had made his dream come true, inspired me and propelled me forward. 

On that same day, as we sat on the newly tilled earth, chatting about my hurt heart, Luke told me about his "hurt" heart, physical heart,  that is.  It seemed that there were a couple of large tumors surrounding Luke's heart, which would require surgical removal.  He would have to undergo risky open heart surgery.    Although I recognized how grave his condition was,  oddly, I never was afraid for him.  I knew that he had way too much to live for and that he would emerge from surgery just fine! I knew that Luke, like me,  has had many personal struggles and challenges.  He has conquered them all!   I also knew that those struggles had made him a strong warrior and a wise one, beyond his young age.  I knew that he would be fine.  I also knew that I would help manifest that outcome.  I would throw Luke and his farm a fundraiser!

Fast forward to today.  Luke sailed through his surgery and his tumors were benign.  I've long healed my hurt heart.  For you see, It was through the process of creating the fundraiser for Luke and Cyclops Farm that I in fact found the most healing.  It was through the process of creating the fundraiser, I ventured out of my comfort zone! Through that process, I met and connected with a ton of new friends,  stepped into new culinary circles and found new inspiration, love and joy, all along the way!

As I always say, I am a blessed and lucky girl.  Today, I am grateful that I know Luke Girling, his friends, his family,  his farm and his community.  If you'd like to get to know him or Cyclops Farms, there are still tickets available for the fundraiser! If nothing else, I hope that my story with Luke will motivate YOU to take your heart,  venture into new territories and create new possibilities in your life today!   I know you will find the healing,  joy, love and hope,  just like I did!

It is time to let go!

Last week, a whole lot of my friends had their whole life rearranged!     Their (and my) Mothership had crash landed! They had been restructured and their current positions at Whole Foods Market did not exist any longer.  They were given two options:  take the money and run(severance pay) or hang around to interview for a new job somewhere in the company, working for a much lower salary, without any guarantee about that new position.   Within a week, so many of my friends lives had drastically changed and ironically, so had mine!

Although I left WFM over a year and a half ago, I still hadn't completely shaken the WFM label.  I often am still mistaken as a being a representative of wfm and I still have deep roots in all the San Diego stores.  With last week's employee purging, those deep roots were completely uprooted.  The Local program, which I help build and grow,  is no longer.  The Local Foragers have been restructured right out of WFM,  along with their support for local products.  All my Marketing friends were eliminated, along with scores of long time employees that gave each store its own unique character and soul. 

The purging of all the old to make way for a more profitable future, I believe, is one of the reasons for the meteoric decline of WFM in the past couple of years.  I am certain it is far more complicated than my simplistic explanation.  However, I watched WFM give up all the things that made it okay for people to spend their whole paycheck in their stores and still love coming back each week.  Among those things was the passion of their employees for what they believed in:  whole foods, whole people, whole planet.   They believed in that simple mantra and they(we) were going to make the world a better place through organics, zero garbage policies, animal compassion, veganism, gluten free living, micro loans for women and so much more.  We were making the world better through food!  They believed and so did I!

That belief was shattered,  last Monday,  when they learned that their mission had been aborted!  Many of them were left feeling betrayed, bitter and perhaps duped! I, because I am much older than all of them, know that they are in fact, a whole lot wiser for their experiences!  They and I were truly blessed by our time at WFM and we can now move on.  We can carry our old mission to new places or find a new mission and a new Mothership!

Personally, I can now let go.  My friends are gone and most of the work that I was most proud of will be wiped away, as if it never existed.  What I will never let go of is the gratitude I have for the ten,  life enriching years that I had at Whole Foods Market.  And, most importantly, I am grateful for what has become the family of friends that I can carry with me on my future journeys!  Finally, as I let go of all things that do not serve my highest purpose, I am absolutely certain of one thing:  We must be willing to let go of the life we had planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. EM Forster

It ain't easy or what doesn't kill you makes your stronger!

Nietzsche said what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.  David Bowie sang that "it ain't easy baby".  Kermit Frog just plained lamented that it wasn't easy.  And,  I'm here to tell you that they are all right!  This past month ain't been easy for me nor for many of my new vendors!  So, now it's time I talk about the not so easy parts of creating your own product or business and taking it to market, including my own struggles creating my own business.

First and foremost, the food industry is hard!  Passion for a product is not enough to make a business sustainable, especially a food product business.  Dreams of getting rich by selling one jar or package at a time, of even the most delicious product, often become nightmares!  And perhaps, the grocery world has enough of your passion product.

So here's some free sage advice:  go to the grocery store and take a look at the shelves.  The shelves and what is not on those shelves will tell you what product you should create and whether the product you are investing your money in is viable.  Talk to the grocery managers at your local grocery stores and they'll tell you what their shelves need.  Finally because your family and friends love your products is not a good enough reason to go into production.   No matter how passionate you are about your product, that passion alone will not make your business successful.   You must approach your food business as a real business.  Beginning with a business plan (that's for another blog and yes, I do write business plans). 

Next, you need money, lots of money to create a successful food business.  That fact is probably true in creating any business.  However, it is even more true for a food business that is fraught with unexpected expenses.  Simply put,  your business cannot grow without it!  Making it on a shoestring will never propel a business forward.  Look for investors or a partner.  Again, you will need a detailed business plan to attract those investors.  I bet the food business doesn't sound so romantic after all,  does it?

More bad news, the future of your food business is not always under your control.  I've been hunting for and sifting through mounds of co-packers for my vendors and they are probably the most hard to control variable of your business.  My next blog will tell you what I found out, including some of the horror stories I've also heard in my search for the perfect co-packer.

Finally, on a personal note, this has not been easy for me!  Starting all over again, creating a business that helps struggling businesses grow,  ain't easy!  However, as I look at my life, not many things have ever been easy.  It's the struggles that have helped me gain more faith in myself, my abilities and teaches me to trust in the process (most of the time).  So, I am betting that these temporary rocky roads will prove Nietzsche right that what doesn't kill me will make me much stronger!  I look forward to it!

Meet the Rain Goddess

Usually, I have a good idea of what direction I want to go when I begin my blog.  But, as I sit here struggling to organize the enormity of my subject, it has become apparent to me that this blog will be anything but usual .  For you see,  it's subject, Candace Vanderhoff,  is anything but USUAL!!   In fact, I am certain that a single blog could never scratch the surface of what she's created in the last ten years, since I've met her.  But, I'm hoping after you read it, that you'll come away with as much inspiration and admiration for what she does for her community and the world, as I do,  every time, I meet with her!

I met Candy ten years ago, when I attended a meeting in her garage office.  The meeting was about planting an edible landscape in Balboa Park.  That edible landscape never happened but Candy and I became fast friends. 

When I met Candy, she was building clay pizza ovens at elementary schools and clay benches in community parks.  Of course, that wasn't all she was creating.  I would quickly learn that she is always creating something and always has a list of future programs, prototypes and causes to conquer! All of her efforts are to save our earth from drought, hunger, or simply from ourselves!

Before I get too far into our story, here's a brief and certainly not all inclusive bio: Candy hails from Michigan and first worked in field of economic development, where she started a workers cooperative and a micro-lending program.  But, Detroit Michigan was just too small for a lady like Candy, who longs to learn about other cultures in other lands.

It was that yearning to learn about the world that led Candy to travel to India to study women's credit unions and worker co-ops; to Australia and New Zealand to work as a research fellow studying indigenous architecture; to Micronesia, where she taught at the Pohnpei Agriculture & Trade School and the Community College of Micronesia.

But as I said before, Candy is never doing just one thing!  And she's always teaching something to someone!   The list of educational programs and projects that she's created include: Habitat Heroes- native plant restoration, The Village Design Project, Schoolyard Pizza Oven, the Poetry Bench by Design/Build Women, founding Board member of the Natural Building Network.

Among her many other credentials, Candy has a Master's Degree in Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture and holds three Permaculture certificates (EarthFlow Design, Midwest permaculture and Center for BioRegional Living).   She also is a licensed architect and a self proclaimed "social entrepreneur". 

In 2009, Candy founded a successful water harvesting business, RainThanks & Greywater, Cyberhuts, LLC.   Her business has grown since then and she now also designs regenerative landscapes, including native, edible and water harvesting gardens.  During that same year, she also founded Las Casitas, a non-profit organization founded to teach migrant workers to build superadobe huts in canyons where they live.  

 While Candy created her new companies, we sporadically collaborated on projects.  More importantly, Candy remained my staunchest supporter and even believed in me, when I found it difficult to believe in myself.  She routinely would draw diagrams of how I could make my dreams come true and fulfill my life's purpose. 

Six months ago,  Candy hired me (Your Product Hub)  to promote her newest product, the SoloBee Native Bee Shelter.  The SoloBee was one of the products that she created for an Entrepreneur School, which she recently had attended.   In fact, she had created a whole new company called Kaping.   Kaping is named after one of the most beautiful places on Earth(according to Candy), the Kapingamarangi atoll in the Federated States of Micronesia, where she lived during her travels in Micronesia.   After living on that fragile central Pacific island, a tiny microcosm of her beloved Earth, she made a commitment that she would use her skills and passion to create a better world.   She has indeed done just that and gratefully she has included me in that journey to make the world a better place!.

To find out about how she's saving the Earth, by saving the native bees, please visit her website.  And, more importantly I hope that she has inspired YOU to go out and do something to make your world, your life and the lives around you a better place!  You can bet that's exactly what I plan to do!

What's your story??

It's been almost two months, since I've launched Your Product Hub  and I gratefully have met with over a dozen local vendors that make a wide variety of products.  All of those vendors came to me seeking assistance in placing their products in new venues.  And, although I immediately hit the streets to find those businesses new venues, I also wished that they would all take my advice and redo their business' story.  For you see,  each one of those budding businesses lacked a compelling story about their product or their business.   In my opinion, a product's story is the element that creates the product's value and connects it on a personal level to the consumers who will purchase it.   Here's one of those stories that I connected with and I'm certain you will too!

 As most of you know, I spent almost a decade at Whole Food Market, mainly involved in their marketing program.  It was from that experience that I learned how important telling a product's story is to its success in the marketplace.  From that experience,  I also met my friend and now client, Amber Smith, co-owner & creator of Darling Gourmet Biscotti (formerly known as Biscuit Gourmet Biscotti).

Amber, who works full time at a local hospital as an Occupational Therapist, came to me at Whole Foods Market(WFM) Hillcrest over three years ago.  She said she was ready to tackle the arduous process and the tsunami of paperwork,  involved in getting any product into WFM .  I absolutely loved her product!  Everyone at WFM loved her product and we got started wading through all the paperwork! 

With most of the hard work behind her and as we were beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel....everything stopped!  I received an e-mail from Amber that everything had changed and that she needed to put her business on hold.  What she told me next would not only change her life but wouldalso change her business' story forever!

It seemed that while visiting her mother, who had been suffering a long time illness, her sister suffered a blood clot in her brain, while with Amber,  and passed away!  Although that tragedy alone would have been unfathomable,  it was then followed shortly by the death of her mother. Despite those tremendous, profound losses, Amber continued to be determined to bring her biscotti to market.   She said that by doing so she would honor the memories of her mother and sister, who were her biggest supporters and cheerleaders!

In the following months, Amber would experience one more death, the death of her grandmother.  Although I knew that her biscotti business should be the last of Amber's concerns, we continued to correspond via email, meeting sporadically at local coffee shops.  I watched Amber heal over many months and slowly she began to revive Biscuit Gourmet Biscotti.  In fact, in 2014 her business was nominated for a Martha Stewart's American Made product award.  We also started to begin to look at introducing her biscotti to more coffee shops. 

As she moved forward,  Amber became convinced that she would need to re-brand her company because her name Biscuit Gourmet Biscotti often confused prospective customers-was it a biscuit?  A biscotti?  The new name that she chose, Darling Gourmet Biscotti,  came directly out of one of her mother's favorite words-darling! Her new logo would aptly include a heart because her product was now filled with the hearts and the love of those who made her business possible but were no longer present to witness its growth.

It is now 2015, and everything is different!  I no longer work at WFM and Biscuit Gourmet Biscotti is now Darling Gourmet Biscotti!  Two weeks ago, after three years of unbelievable challenges, Amber came to me ready to hit the streets.  In three years, her story and her business' story had changed completely! It transformed from a story of two friends who just loved to bake biscotti into a story of over coming enormous personal obstacles and challenges, of perseverance and of making your dreams come true, in spite all of those obstacles! 

I always find those stories very compelling.  How about you?  So what's your story and does it need to be re-written?  I can help!!!

To find out more about Darling Gourmet Biscotti and where you can currently purchase it by visiting her website.

Gratitude!

It's been almost six weeks since I launched Your Product Hub and today I am filled with gratitude for the outpouring of support, interest and encouragement that I've received from so many people!  Although I am grateful every day, today I thought that I'd write about it and share the love with all!

Last night, I had the privilege of attending the family and friends soft opening of Café Gratitude.  Café Gratitude is a collection of 100% organic plant-based restaurants specializing in gourmet cuisines. We strive to create a menu and environment that supports health and sustainability for both our community and the planet. They practice business through a term they call “Sacred Commerce”, where they provide inspired service, honest and transparent communication, and express gratitude for the richness of our lives. And they lived up to their mission last night!

Admittedly,  I am a meat eater and have had limited exposure to fine vegan dining.  That being said, the food that I ate last night was just damn delicious!  It was as satisfying, filling and grounding, as my usual carnivore cuisine!  Perhaps, what made it even more tasty was the environment of positivity in which it was being served and consumed.  All, who enter Cafe Gratitude, are challenged to focus on what they are grateful for at that moment.  Try it yourself and you'll find out everyone, at every moment, has a reason (probably more than one reason) to be grateful!! 

After we were seated and greeted by co-owner Ryland Engelhart, who beams light and love, we proceeded to eat our way through the menu, which includes dishes,  named after virtues.   We were challenged by our high energy server to choose which virtue we held  most dear to ourselves/what we value most in another person or ourselves.   No big surprise that I chose compassion, compassion for self and all others! 

With our body and souls satiated, an informal gratitude session was held by the co-owners of Café Gratitiude,  during which they thanked their staff, their families, their friends and the universe for the opportunity to open a new restaurant and another chance to raise the frequency of the neighborhood and the world.  Then, we were all blessed to an impromptu concert by Jason Mraz, an environmental steward and one of my newest heroes!  His music lifted the energies in the restaurant even higher! 

The rest of the evening was spent chatting with the restaurant's Executive Chef Dreux Ellis, who sources local and organic ingredients,  supports the sustainable food systems and uses that wealth to create a plant-based cuisine that's both rich in flavor and nutrient dense.".  I am so looking forward to hooking him up with my farmer and rancher friends!

Last night, I was blessed to be among a group of successful people whose sole mission was to make this planet, this world, a better place!  For the past six weeks, I have received unimaginable blessings from my friend,  my community and the universe.   Thank you to all who helped me transform my leap of faith into a dream come true!  I am Grateful!!

GMOs the basics!

I bet you've seen or heard the acronym GMO bantered about the media recently.   But, what does it really mean and why you should even care?   Here's the "Cliff Note" version:

 The facts:

What is a GMO?  =   The World Health Organization defines genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. The process allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, including between non-related species.

Why GMO?  = Crops are currently modified to improve their yield through the introduction of genes that allow the plant to become resistant to plant diseases or tolerant of herbicides (Round Up).

Where GMO?  It is estimated that as much as 90% of commodity crops used in the U.S.’s food supply are genetically modified.   The top two most genetically modified crops in the United States are corn and soy.

The process of genetic modification sounds harmless enough- right? And  in theory may even  sound like a good idea. But that isn’t the full story, as much as big  Agro businesses would like you to think it is. There are many reasons why we should be extremely wary of consuming any food that has been genetically altered. Here are just a couple:

1. GMOs are unhealthy: Since the introduction of GMOs in the mid-1990s, the incidence of reported food allergies has sky-rocketed, and health issues such as autism, digestive problems and reproductive disorders are on the rise. Animal testing with GMOs has resulted in cases of organ failure, digestive disorders, infertility and accelerated aging.  Here's a link to many more research studies. 

2. GMOs increase herbicide use: When Monsanto came up with the idea for Round-up Ready crops, the theory was to make the crops resistant to the pesticide, which would normally kill them. This meant the farmers could spray the crops, killing the surrounding weeds and pests without doing any harm to the crops themselves. However, after a number of years of use, many weeds and pests have themselves become resistant to the spray, resulting in a need to use more herbicides (both in amount and strength).   Translation – lots more pesticide residue in our foods – appetizing isn't it!

So how you can avoid eating GMO's or feeding them to your family? 

Buying 100% Organic, Certified Organic, and USDA Organic-labeled products is usually the easiest  and perhaps the best way to avoid genetically modified ingredients.  The United States and Canadian governments do NOT allow companies to label products “100% / Certified Organic” if they contain genetically modified organisms(GMOs).

But, there is a loophole in the USDA certification process.   The USDA has a list of non organic ingredients that are allowed in organic food, citing the fact that there are not readily available, commercially manufactured organic options for that particular product or ingredient.  Examples of ingredients which are on that  loophole list are soy lecithin and cornstarch.     

GMO Labeling

Although a 2010 Thomson Reuters PULSE™ Healthcare Survey, found that 93% of Americans believe that genetically engineered foods should be labeled,  currently only three states,   Connecticut, Maine and Vermont (2016), mandate the labeling of GMO food products.  In response to the consumers interest in labeling their food, US retailers created the The Non GMO Project.  The Non-GMO Project, a verification program,  works with stores across the country on product policies, shelf labeling and other consumer education programs.  The Non GMO Project verification seal means that the product bearing the seal has gone through a their verification process. That verification is an assurance that a product has been produced according to consensus-based best practices for GMO avoidance.  And its certification, along with the USDA 100% organic certification, may be your best options to avoid almost all GMOs!

 This blog just begins to scratch the surface of a very complicated issue,  I hope that I've given you the information that will launch you on your own exploration of  where your food comes from, how its grown and why those things really matter to your life and well being.   They really do matter!!

Is Organic Food Healthier?

Bet you didn't see that question coming from me!?!  But that is exactly the question that has been running through my mind as I have been meeting with several of my clients that sell organic products and swear by their health benefits.  But is there any factual data that actually proves that organic food is actually healthier than conventional?  And, is that really a reason to buy organic?

Let's begin with some disclaimers:   I have always been a staunch proponent of organics, being schooled at the Mecca of Organics, Whole Foods Market.   I try to buy as much organic produce and products that I can afford and/or that are available in my marketplaces.  And, I believed that by eating mostly organic that I was adding to my overall health and well being. 

That being said, let's take a look at what researchers have documented.  First,  the research does show that most consumers purchase organic products because they believe them to be healthier; that they are better for the environment and that organic products just taste better (55%)!  Among those consumers almost half of them purchase organic food because they believe it to be better for the environment and one third of them because it promotes animal welfare.  But, just because most of us believe those facts to be true are they?

According to a Stanford University Study released in September 2012: "There isn't much difference between organic and conventional foods, if you're an adult and making a decision based solely on your health,"  The research showed no significant difference between the vitamin content of organic products, and only one nutrient — phosphorus — was significantly higher in organic versus conventionally grown produce. However, the research did find that organic produce is 30 percent less likely to be contaminated with pesticides than conventional fruits and vegetables. 

Now comes the research from the school of common sense!  Although the detrimental results of ingesting pesticides has yet to be quantified, it can't be good for us!  And, that's one of the reasons to eat organic.  Here's why eating organic still makes sense to me regardless of whether the research has shown that it contains more vitamins and minerals:

• Pesticides. Conventional farmers utilize synthetic pesticides to protect their crops from molds, insects and diseases.  Spraying crops with pesticides leaves a chemical residue on the produce. Organic farmers use insect traps, careful crop selection (disease-resistant varieties), predator insects or beneficial microorganisms instead of pesticides to control crop-damaging pests.  It should be mentioned however that organic produce is not always 100% pesticide free.  It does typically carry significantly lower levels of pesticide residues than does conventional produce.  I follow the Environmental Working Group's dirty dozen list.  I think it is a reliable guide to the most highly sprayed produce items (dirty dozen) and therefore organic is always my choice. 
• Food additives. Organic regulations ban or severely restrict the use of food additives, processing aids (substances used during processing, but not added directly to food) and fortifying agents commonly used in non-organic foods, including preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colorings,  flavorings and MSG.  Again, there is yet to be research documenting the effects of these chemicals over a lifetime, I choose to believe it can't be good for me!
• Environment.  Organic farming practices are designed to benefit the environment by reducing pollution and conserving water and soil quality. And that's a topic for a whole other blog!

Now I've guided you through my personal exploration on why I buy organic and why I choose to represent so many local vendors who feel so passionate about providing their customers with the highest quality organic products.  Their journey in the marketplace is made much harder because of their fastidious sourcing of their organic products.  But they believe and so do I!

Please buy local and organic when you can for all your own reasons!!

Future of farming?!

Every day at some moment I realize how little I know, about so many things!  Today was no exception when I visited the EcoLife Conservation in Escondido!  And here's what I learned:

The EcoLife Conservation is an organization dedicated to a "world in which people and nature prosper together."  Their focus is on integrating community health and environmental sustainability through simple adaptive approaches.

One on those simple adaptive approaches is "aquaponics".   Aquaponics is a sustainable farming technique that combines aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (the soil-less growing of plants).  It essentially is growing fish and plants together in one integrated system. The fish waste provides an organic food source for the growing plants and the plants provide a natural filter for the water the fish live in. The third factor in that system are the microbes (nitrifying bacteria) and composting red worms that thrive in the growing media. They do the job of converting the ammonia from the fish waste first into nitrites, then into nitrates and the solids into vermicompost that become food for the plants. 

By combining the two farming practices, aquaponics capitalizes on the benefits of each one of those individual farming systems and virtually eliminates the drawbacks of each of them.   Aquaponics uses only a fraction of the resources required by conventional farming to produce the same amount of food.  Additionally,  it uses only 10% of the land and water, and has a much smaller carbon footprint than a traditional farm.  Finally,  the aquaponic systems that Ecolife Conservation have created require very little space and uses very little energy(on location all the systems are powered by solar energy).

Since 2010, the  Ecolife Conservation also has been working on creating  aquaponic systems for homes and villages,  located in developing areas of the world, where the vast majority of hunger occurs.   Closer to home, in Escondido they give "how-to" workshops.  Aquaponics make a lot of sense here in drought ridden San Diego for the water savings alone!

The Ecolife Conservation also offers a classroom and home aquaponics kit, the ECO-Cycle®  and has distributed over 300 ECO-Cycle Aquaponics Kits™ to schools throughout San Diego County.  They work to engage teachers and students in ongoing workshops and curriculum development around aquaponics. 

I'm sure that you want to learn more!  So take a look at their website or better yet set up a workshop for your organization or school!  You can bet I'll be back because I have to know everything about everything! 

Confused about the cottage laws?

This morning I had the opportunity to revisit the California Cottage Laws, also known as the California Homemade Food Act/AB 1616.  I must admit that my understanding of the regulations were murky at best.  However, this morning with the help of an attorney I now have a very clear understanding of the products that can and cannot be sold out of a home/non-commercial kitchen. 

---

The Basics

The California Homemade Food Act (also known as “AB 1616″)  was passed in California on September 21st, 2012 and went into effect on January 1st, 2013.  In general, Cottage Food Laws govern food preparation businesses that are operated from the home.  They allow a person to legally bake and prepare non-potentially hazardous foods from their personal kitchens and sell them on a small scale, generally directly to consumers, farmers markets and in a very few states sales are allowed to restaurants and grocery stores. 

The law is setup as a two-tier system,  different levels of homemade food producers, depending on who they sell to.

• Class A cottage food operations can only sell directly to consumers in places such as a farmers market, a food stand, special events, or other similar venues.
• Class B operations can make direct and indirect sales. Indirect sales mean goods can be sold through third-parties, like stores or restaurants, but class B permits require a home inspection and cost more.  A third-party retailer is defined as "one in which the food may be immediately consumed on the premises", such as a grocery store, bake shop, or restaurant.  In fact, a restaurant may buy cottage foods and use them in their dishes, as long as it disclaims to the consumer that they are doing so.

California’s law, unlike most states, allows a broad spectrum of products (list of approved products),  manufactured within the home,  to be sold.  The list of unapproved products is much shorter and includes perishable baked goods,  pickles fermented foods,  chutneys,  juices carbonated drinks,  Kombucha,  meat jerkies.  Additionally, the law allows vendors to sell their food products in almost any kind of venue, but they are limited to $50,000 of sales. Those limits have increased over time (it was $35,000 in 2013, and $45,000 in 2014) although future increases are not scheduled. Also, unique to California’s law is that it allows cottage food operations to have only one non-family employee. 

Finally, there are some rather simple regulations about labeling those products that you'll need to know.  Want to learn more?  Contact us and we'll help you navigate all the rest of regulations and help you get your product to market. 

Living La Vida Local...

This weekend I had the opportunity to do what I love-dig in the dirt, harvest veggies and learn more about how things grow.  I spent the early morning with Salvadore, the gardener extraordinaire for  Rancho La Puerta, who always inspires me to learn more and dig deeper into the world of growing.  We harvested tomatoes, beans, zucchini flowers, onions, garlic and corn.  Those veggies made their way up to the house where a team of ladies began to prep for the canning and pickling which was to  follow.  Through the process, which I admit I am a complete novice at, I learned a lot and more importantly, everyone learned and we bonded as we created jars filled with the fruits and vegetables of my labors.   The next morning upon seeing all the glimmering jars that we had created, I realized that they  were filled with a lot more than just pickled produce.  They were filled with our good will and passion and that they would be feeding us all through the next season, that is if San Diego had seasons!

Alas, those jars will not be consumed by me nor my friends who created them with me.  They are going to be sold to benefit the The Berry Good Food Foundation is a newly founded foundation that connects, supports and promotes local, sustainable farmers and food makers to build healthy communities through a network of researchers, educators, activists and organizers.   

One facet of the BGF Foundation, The Berry Good Food academy,  will be hands on workshops such as cheese making, jarring, canning, and pickling.  Those workshops will teach participants how to successfully eat seasonally and locally by preserving the bounty of every season.   I am hoping to learn more myself and to help create a new line of products with the Berry Good Academy participants which will be sold to profit the foundation.  Want to participate?   Please like the Berry Good Food Foundation Facebook page and stay connected!

Berry Good Night Dinner 2015

The Berry Good Night Dinner 2015 took place a little over a week ago and so ended three months of preparations, meetings and fun!  If you don't know anything at all about the Berry Good Night Dinner here's a quick synopsis:

Six years ago, Michelle Lerach founded the Berry Good Night dinner to bring together chefs, farmers, citizens and activists from the greater San Diego area that are engaged in the production and preparation of local, sustainable food and drink. The idea was to create a cohesive sustainable food community – making connections, creating business relationships, and increasing dialogue – and with a cohesive voice, help spread the message about local food to the San Diego Community.
In the past six years,  the dinner has grown from 75 to over 250 attendees, and they've expanded their community to reach both sides of the border. they include every local farm,ranch, food and drink artisans that they can identify with more added each year. Not to mention chefs and winemakers – from both sides of the border. More than just sheer numbers, the friendships & business relationships created by virtue of the Berry Good Night are impressive. They have succeeded in many ways in creating greater cohesion in and among our own expanded community. 

With all that being said, The Berry Good Night Dinner is a midsummer night's dream, filled with the magic of the Lerach property, really good food, drink and to put it simply love!  Love for the earth, love for our farmers, who are the stewards of that beautiful earth,  and love for food!  And, this year's dinner lived up to all the previous years magic and impacted all who attended.

And, no one was more impacted than me!  My role in the BGN dinner is to source all the produce/ingredients from local farms and purveyors and get those products to local chefs so they can create their magic!  Being the Sourcerer of all things produce and more allows me to reconnect with the farmers  and vendors, who now have become my friends and reconnect with their land/produce/products!  Additionally, along the way I meet new farmers and vendors, who are now new friends.  The dinner allows me to reconnect with the best of San Diego Food Community and all they have to offer. 

But wait, there's more....I was blessed with the job of harvesting vegetables and picking berries from the most beautiful place on earth for three months!  Adding to those blessings, is that I got to do those tasks with a bunch of my friends, who came along for this epic journey with me this year!

Then, there's my Berry Family who accepts and even celebrates my big energies and passions!  I am eternally grateful to Michelle Lerach (too much to express here) for allowing me to be a part of her cause and her family! 

Finally, the good will and spirit of the BGN will be continued throughout the year by the newly formed Berry Good Food Foundation!  Can't wait for what comes next!

Thank you Bradley Schweit Photography for taking the best pics ever!!