March Vegetable of the Month - Red Cross Lettuce

Did you know…? Fun Facts!

• The scientific name of Red Cross Lettuce is Lactuca sativa

• Red Cross lettuce is a type of butterhead lettuce, also called a “bib lettuce”.

• Red Cross Lettuce is an annual plant in the daisy (Asteraceae) family – related to marigolds, daisies, artichokes, and yarrow.

• Ancient Egyptians are thought to have developed many of the current types of lettuce we use from wild lettuce almost 4,500 years ago.

• Red Cross Lettuce is more heat tolerant than most lettuces, but it requires a minimum of 45 degrees soil temperature for planting and germination.

Nutritional Information:

• 1 cup butter lettuce provides 19mg calcium, 0.7mg iron, 131mg potassium, 1,822 IU vitamin A, 1.2g carbohydrates, 0.6g protein, and 0.6g fiber.

Recipes:

Spicy Red Leaf Lettuce and Arugula Pesto

Avocado-Butter Lettuce Salad

Important Announcement from Amie

Dear Veggielutionaries,

It has been seven years since Veggielution was born in backyards near San Jose State University. I’m so proud of everything we have accomplished since then. 

We have grown into a six-acre farm that supplies fresh, affordable produce for families in the South Bay who need it most. We have a vibrant community of more than 3,000 volunteers who share our belief that everyone deserves to have access to healthy, affordable food. 

Together, we have built a truly special place where people connect with the land, see where their food comes from and perhaps most importantly work together to build a sustainable food system for everyone in our community.

But the time has come for me to change the role I play in our community. Effective Feb. 28, I am stepping down as executive director. Being the founding executive director of Veggielution has been a wild and exciting ride, full of joy. Now that it is coming to a close, I am planning to take some time off to recharge and explore before moving on to my next professional adventure.

The board has appointed vice-chair Cayce Hill to serve as interim executive director beginning March 1. Cayce is a professional gardener and restaurant consultant who designs and manages residential California native and edible gardens. Her professional experience includes prior positions as a garden manager, founding program manager of an agricultural internship program, and health policy researcher. She and I will work closely in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition. 

Veggielution was founded to educate people from all backgrounds about sustainable food systems, healthy eating and food access. Our farm is the centerpiece of all we do, the place where together we are creating a sustainable food system, promoting healthy eating, expanding food access and building a community of people committed to change.  

Veggielution is not just one person. It  is all of us together. I want to thank all of you for helping us cultivate a farm that unites people across cultures, generations and incomes to drive community change and build healthier, happier lives.

Warmly,

Amie Frisch 

January Vegetable of the Month: Broccoli

Did You Know...

Fun Facts

• Broccoli originated around the Eastern Mediterranean region, near Italy.

• It is considered a cruciferous vegetable because it resembles a Greek cross.

• Broccoli is related to cauliflower, kale, cabbage, turnips, rutabagas, brussel sprouts, and Chinese cabbage.

• California produces 90% of the nation’s broccoli.

Nutritional Information and Health Benefits

• Broccoli is very high in vitamin C. One cup of raw, chopped broccoli is equivalent to the amount of vitamin C packed within an orange!

• It also contains a significant amount of vitamin A, which is needed to keep your eyes healthy.

• Broccoli is high in soluble and insoluble fibre.

Recipe Ideas

• Stay warm during the holiday season and try out this vegan Cream of Broccoli soup!
• Try serving broccoli as a tasty snack! All it takes is a quick seasoning and a few minutes in the oven. 
• This salad featuring broccoli, red bell peppers, and chickpeas is colorful, crunchy, and easy to make!

A Letter from Cody: Why I Give

Dear Veggielutionary,

I came to my first Veggielution workday back in 2009 because I wanted to get my hands in the dirt, and get in touch with my inner farmer. I kept coming back for that simple physicality, satisfying a need that had been unmet for years.

I was also looking to make new friends after moving back to my hometown. I found that too, more than I ever expected. I came for the farming, but I stayed for the friendships and community. I even met my wife through Veggielution!

If you’ve spent any time on the farm, you know what I’m talking about.

You’ve met excellent people. Through the teamwork of a morning’s hard work, you’ve sparked interesting conversations while enjoying the satisfaction of providing East San Jose families with access to good, healthy food. And you’ve sat down to a communal lunch where you’ve deepened friendships. You’ve given generously of your time and in return found the community that also grows in our fields.

Remember that sense of community as you open up your checkbook or pull out your credit card (right now, if you don’t mind!) to make Veggielution part of your holiday giving. 

Over the years I became a Workday Leader, an Americorps staff member, and then joined the board. I’ve been impressed every time I visit the farm to see many familiar faces, and also dozens of new ones.

These faces are young, old, representing all colors and walks of life. I see in many of those faces that they know this farm is their farm. I see young people taking on leadership roles and learning how they can make a difference.

This community farm is thriving, a magnet for people who want to make a difference through urban agriculture. It’s a magnet for people who recognize that growing and cooking food together can be a big step towards fighting obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and other diet-related diseases that are killing people in our community. For people who recognize that these diseases especially affect low-income families with few options.

That’s the other reason I ask you to give to Veggielution this year: help us provide access to healthy, affordable food and education about how to use it.

We’ve already grown our farm to 6 acres thanks to your generosity. We’ve seen hundreds of elementary school children pulling their first carrot from the dirt with a smile, learning that vegetables grow in the ground and not the store. We’ve seen parents learning to cook healthy meals and transform their family’s nutrition. We’ve seen hundreds of high school and college students learning about collaboration, perseverance, and professional skills as they’ve evolved into young leaders through urban farming. I expect all of this will change our world.

Now, please give generously to help the farm continue its good work.

Thank you for all you've given and for giving today to ensure your community farm continues to thrive.

Sincerely,

Cody Kraatz
Veggielution Board of Directors

December Vegetable of Month: Carrot

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Freshly harvested and washed carrots ready to be packed.

FUN FACTS:

• Carrots are usually found as orange-colored, but purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist as well

• The actual plant of the carrot (the green on the top) can grow to over 3 feet tall

• The greens of the carrot are completely edible, but can be a bit bitter

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION AND HEALTH BENEFITS:

• Carrots are one of the best sources of beta-carotene, which turns into vitamin A and helps eyesight

• Carrots and other orange/yellow-colored foods are shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease

RECIPE IDEAS:

• Make a light, moist carrot cake for dessert

• Bake healthy carrot "fries" as a great snack

• Create a lovely, creamy carrot soup 

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month with Urban Native Era

Since 1990, November has been recognized as Native American Heritage Month. Throughout this month, we celebrate the rich cultures and traditions of the original people of the land that is now the United States, and reflect on aspects of their culture such as art, music, dance, history, and lifestyle.  While looking back and acknowledging the past, Joey Montoya,  a young advocate and student-entrepreneur within our local Native American community, is also embracing the present-day happenings within his culture. Last week, we sat down to speak with him one-on-one to discuss the ways he is currently trying to inspire and educate the South Bay population.

Although half-Native American, Joey’s childhood was more heavily influenced by the El Salvadorian culture of his mother. After his dad passed away, Joey felt the impetus to explore his indigenous ancestry roots, which trace back to the Lipan Apache Tribe in Texas. “My older brother started telling me about our culture and what it meant to be from our tribe. He taught me to always be proud of my ancestry, ” Joey says.

As Joey learned more about his history, he was motivated to start clothing brand Urban Native Era (UNE) (http://www.urbannativeera.com/) to express that pride. “We wear traditional regalia for ceremonies,” he says. “I thought designing pieces with tribal influences that could be used in daily life would be a powerful way to help make Native American culture more accessible.”  

The designs of Joey’s T-shirt, hat and other clothing accessories, sold both online and at local events, reflect a blend of many Native American cultural aspects. “Since North American tribes are very diverse, with different dialects and different things to represent, I try and incorporate various aspects within my work to help the audience find meaning,” he says. His influences include his own history and family’s collection of artwork that has been passed down over generations, as well as the stories of people he regularly meets from other tribes.

In addition to his involvement in UNE, Joey also runs the Native American Student Organization (NASO) on campus at San Jose State University to help rally students around social justice issues currently facing the population, involve them in local pow-wows and other cultural activities, as well as help them define their goals and better prepare them for the future. He also works with elders in the community, and brings them together at regular intervals to discuss their needs and perspectives. In his work, Joey always remembers and embraces the diversity of his culture: at each local event he speaks with local tribes to assure their approval of his event and to possibly be apart of it. For example, when hosting events around the San Francisco Bay Area, he makes it a priority to always ask the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe to contribute a native song, dance, or other ritual in order to show respect towards them and to acknowledge that this is their land.

Stay updated on Urban Native Era by liking their page at www.Facebook.com/UrbanNativeEra and checking out their website at UrbanNativeEra.com

Final Musings from Mark

Dear Friends,

This Fall marks an important transition for me, as well as for Veggielution Community Farm, as I have recently moved on from my position as Associate Director, joining the ranks of the many Veggielution supporters and volunteers. 

When I was 22 years old, I was overcome by the urge to start a garden of my own. I wanted to explore my heritage, connect with what it meant to be from The Valley of Heart's Delight, and learn to live more sustainably. This simple, yet fundamental desire is what led me to found Veggielution in 2007 with good friends Monica Benavides and Amie Frisch.

This urge to connect with the land and get my hands dirty didn't come out of nowhere. I remember my mother telling me stories about growing up on her family farm on the Azores Islands. Back then, my grandfather would work the fields with oxen to grow corn, potatoes and other crops to feed his family and livestock.

This time of year, they worked with their neighbors to bring in the harvest between community meals and parties to celebrate a successful season. My parents filled my head with these stories of their homeland as I grew up below the East Hills of San Martin, surrounded by the beautiful farms and ranchland of Santa Clara County.

I've realized that so many of us in the Silicon Valley share a similar narrative, though the details vary greatly. Over half of the young people I see at the farm have parents who immigrated to the United States, oftentimes having left the farmland and countryside that their families had lived on for generations. When I talk to Santa Clara Valley old timers, they tell me about how they spent their summers cutting apricots in the orchards that are now gone, and how they miss the Valley of Heart's Delight's rural landscape. I believe that people in our area really miss this sense of homeland, of living in smaller communities and really knowing and being able to depend on our neighbors.

Through working together at the farm, we are working to re-establish that feeling, cultivating a tangible connection to our environment, a sense of place and of ownership over the community we live in. Being a part of this effort has had a deeply restorative effect on me, and I know it has been transformative for many of people who have been touched by the farm. One of my greatest pleasures has been watching people who normally would not meet in their regular lives work alongside each other at the farm. At this point, Veggielution can claim responsibility for more than a few lifelong friendships, and even a couple of weddings!

I've been blessed to meet and work with hundreds of wonderful people who are now part of the Veggielution family. Our farm is no longer defined by the work and intentions of the original co-founders, but by a huge community of people who have helped to create this place that we all love. Some of these people have organized new programs, like Pamela Venzie with Art in the Garden. Others introduce new volunteers to the experience of farming as workday leaders, or even help with fundraising and financial planning so our important work can continue. 

So I'm leaving my position knowing that Veggielution has a clear direction towards continued success, and I'm glad that I still get to be along for the ride. In addition to helping out on the farm and lending my advice whenever it’s needed, I look forward to a very important role as a donor. 

As a fellow Veggielutionary, I encourage you to consider what this farm means to you.
Veggielution is much more than a commercial farm selling its produce for profit, and monetary support is essential for us to continue our work. So I hope you will join me in donating generously to Veggielution's end of year campaign, which kicks off very soon. Together, we will keep the farm moving forward. 

I look forward to seeing you again at the farm!

Warmly,
Mark Medeiros

November Vegetable of the Month: Kale

Stalks of lacinto kale (also known as dino or Tuscan kale) ready to be harvested.

FUN FACTS:

• Until its surge in popularity in 2013, the largest consumer of kale in the United States was Pizza Hut, which used kale to decorate its salad bars

• Kale was very popular in Europe during the Middle Ages and Roman Empire 

• There are more than 50 varieties of the kale plant

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION AND HEALTH BENEFITS:

• Kale is chock-filled with vitamin C, with twice as much of the nutrient as an orange per gram

• Kale is a great source of alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), a omega-3 fatty acid that boosts brain health, reduces Type 2 diabetes risk, and improves heart health

RECIPE IDEAS:

• Make healthy kale "chips", a snack sure to please the whole family

• Enjoy kale pesto spread over sandwiches or added to pasta

• Create a beautiful, hearty massaged kale salad