Value-Added Products from Citrus Jam to Goat Milk Soap Fuel Local Food Movement in Riverside

Orange & fig jam is one of many flavors offered by Riverside­based Etta Mae Gourmet. (photo courtesy Laura Goalen­Anderson/Etta Mae Gourmet)

For centuries, artisans have added value to agricultural produce. Today, soap made from locally sourced goat milk and jam made with citrus sourced from local groves are among numerous value-added items available in Riverside, California.

Laura Goalen-Anderson of Etta Mae Gourmet and Janice Lake of Goat Rodeo Soap took different routes toward becoming value-added entrepreneurs, and both are passionate about providing quality products that include ingredients grown and raised locally.

Goalen-Anderson has always liked to cook, and making jams is one of her main culinary interests. In 2013, the Riverside Food Co-op approached her to see if it could offer her jams to its members. She was delighted to be included, and her local “craft jammery” in downtown Riverside was born. She named the business after her grandmother, Etta Mae, who each year made strawberry jam and orange marmalade.   Read More

Original Water System that Spawned Riverside Citrus Industry Remains Key to City’s Local Food Future

The Gage Canal became a reality in the late 19th century, and was a key factor in making Riverside a major citrus­growing area. (Wikimedia Commons photo)

Riverside, California and its relationship with water goes all the way back to its founding in the early 1870s, when the city was named for its close proximity to the Santa Ana River. In present times, access to water and water policy can seem like a complicated maze, one best solved by examining the city’s geography and history.

The 96-mile-long Santa Ana River, the largest river in Southern California, begins in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows through Riverside and Orange county before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. The Santa Ana River Basin is massive, spanning 2,650 square miles in four counties.

Riverside uses precipitation that winds up in this basin for its water supply, as much of it is collected in 54 wells operated by Riverside Public Utilities.

The city is the birthplace of the California citrus industry, which came to fruition only because of newfound water sources. Read More

Experts Weigh in: While Hydroponic Growing Techniques Offer Incredible Benefits, We Still Need Dirt

Tomato plants grow in the soil. (Wikimedia Commons photo)

Traditionally, farmers have grown plants in nutrient-rich soil. Now an increasing number of growers are utilizing hydroponic growing systems, which use a variety of soil-less media in a controlled environment.

But which is better—soil or soil-free?

Seedstock ventured to find an answer to this question by talking to a farmer, a hydroponics expert, a horticulturist and a chef. They each have different opinions, but one thing is clear: while soil-less growing techniques can offer incredible benefits, we still need dirt.

Here’s what they had to say. Read More

Spring in California is Time to Inspect Citrus Trees for Asian Citrus Psyllid

News Release – A tell-tale sign of spring in California is a flush of new leaf growth on citrus trees. Because the feathery light green leaves are particularly attractive to Asian citrus psyllids (ACP), the leaves’ emergence marks a critical time to determine whether the pest has infested trees.

“We encourage home citrus growers and farmers to go out with a magnifying glass or hand lens and look closely at the new growth,” said Beth Grafton-Cardwell, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) citrus entomologist. “Look for the various stages of the psyllid – small yellow eggs, sesame-seed sized yellow ACP young with curly white tubules, or aphid-like adults that perch with their hind quarters angled up.” Read More