Fruits and Veggies at Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market
Plus: Celebrate National Mead Day, LV Resident Protests Tree Removal, Kumeyaay Exhibit at Old Town, and Commentary Regarding Traffic Calming Measures
Many of you who come to the Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market sing the praises of the delicious strawberries and other fruits and vegetables offered at the HB farm stand every Thursday. We thought we would talk to the person running that stand and get some insight as to what makes the produce so good. We asked vendor Jasmine Valle some questions about the produce she sells and got the following responses.
—What is the name of your farm? It is the MP Family Farm.
—How long have you been doing Farmers Markets? I have been working at the Farmers Markets about one year.
—What do you think of the Linda Vista Farmers Market? I really like the atmosphere at the Linda Vista Farmers Market. I enjoy talking to customers and helping them out with their fruits/veggies. I usually feel connected with the customers because I try to engage them in conversation.
—What are the most popular products you sell at the market? The most popular product we sell are the strawberries.
—Where is your farm located? San Luis Obispo, near Nipomo California.
—What other markets do you do? We do Pacific Beach Farmers Market on Tuesday, and Hillcrest Farmers Market on Sunday.
—Do you have any hints on how to handle the veggies and fruits after a person gets them home, in other words, refrigerator, or not? Yes, I usually tell customers to put their strawberries/berries in a glass container for freshness and for the strawberries to last longer. For the veggies to last longer like the lettuce, cilantro, and etc to put in a bowl with a little water for freshness.
—What is your favorite product of all those you sell? My favorite products are strawberries and other berries because I enjoy making smoothies. What I also enjoy is making blueberry pancakes, and I love berries with yogurt.
—Why should people buy from you instead of a supermarket? How do you think prices compare? People should buy from us because products are picked daily and they are pesticide free. Meaning that there's no chemicals that could harm their health. The prices are almost similar but we need to take into account the water, gas, farm maintenance, and worker. These must all be considered. Sometimes people ask why the prices are so high but we need to stay accountable for the hard work it takes for us to take our products to the Farmer Market. For example, the garlic usually takes like 8 months to grow and so on. We try to make the prices reasonable.
—Anything else you would like to say? I enjoy working at the Farmers Market because I learn something new each time. And I also enjoy helping the customer with their berries and veggies.
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We wish to thank Jasmine for taking the time to answer our Linda Vista Update questions. I learned how to better take care of the produce I buy. If you haven’t tried the strawberries and other fruits/veggies, please give them a try. I think you will come back week after week for them. And don’t forget to tell Jasmine you read about her in this newsletter.
Remember, the Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market is held every Thursday from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Linda Vista Plaza Shopping Center.
LV’ers… Get Ready for National Mead Day
The big day is coming up. Will you be prepared? We assume you’ll be thirsty. What big day are we talking about? In case you haven’t heard, this Saturday, August 6 is National Mead Day!
Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with this ancient alcoholic drink. Though it’s been around for hundreds of years, the typical Linda Vista resident may not know much about mead—the famous drink of the Vikings—but we are happy to report the award-winning Lost Cause Meadery is located right here in our area, specifically in the Morena District (5238 Banks Street, Suite B, San Diego, CA 92110). It sits right next door to the popular Deft Brewery, which was featured in one of our previous issues. And so, if you want to take part in celebrating National Mead Day, Lost Cause Meadery is where to can go to enjoy a little mead and learn a lot about why this drink is gaining in popularity.
Mead is made by fermenting honey with water and other ingredients like fruits, spices, grains, or hops. As pointed out on Wikipedia, the alcoholic content of mead ranges from about 3.5% Alcohol by Volume (ABV) to more than 20%. The defining characteristic of mead is that the majority of the beverage's fermentable sugar is derived from honey.
Mead has been around for thousands of years, since the pre-Neolithic period, and it’s been produced in European, African, and Asian societies, however, the drink has been popularly associated with the Vikings and Norse mythology. Mead was a prominent cultural fixture for these warriors. The Norse served mead during their three largest feasts: the celebration of the harvest, mid-winter, and mid-summer. Mead has also been associated with the Medieval and Renaissance eras. For example, in the Old English epic poem Beowulf, the Danish warriors drank mead.
As far as mead drinking goes today, I recommend paying a visit to the Lost Cause Meadery. It’s an intriguing place that features an inviting tasting room where you can experiment with different brews of mead, and then take some home in the form of cans, growlers or bottles. The mead is produced on the other side of the large room, as evidenced by the numerous barrels shown in the above photo.
Lost Cause Meadery opened first in Miramar in 2017, while the local Linda Vista meadery opened in 2020. Since that time, as explained by one employee, Lost Cause Meadery has been in the business of offering “ridiculously high-quality mead.”
During my visit to the tasting room, knowledgeable Lost Cause employee Megan enthusiastically gave me some pointers regarding mead. She recommended I try a few sample mead drinks from their “taster” menu, to include the Mellow Mel (which consisted of wildflower honey, pineapples, Citro, and El Dorado hops), the Häxa (made from orange blossom honey, black currants, raspberries, and vanilla), and the Hell Naw (aged 14 months in a bourbon barrel). Each one served as an excellent introduction to mead. The Mellow Mel tasted the closest to how I previously imagined mead to taste, with the Häxa tasting fruity and delicious, and the Hell Naw featuring the unique bourbon barrel taste.
If you can’t make it to Lost Cause Meadery on August 6, no problem, because it’s open Wednesday through Sunday every week.. Here are the hours: Wed/Thursday (4-8 pm); Friday (4-9 pm); Sat (12- 9pm), and Sun (12-8 pm).
LV Resident Protests Tree Removal
Back in November 2021 we featured an article on a Linda Vista resident—Andy Stinson—who was challenging his Homeowners Association (HOA) over an attractive improvement he made on a patch of HOA common area next to his Fashion Hills townhouse. The Fashion Hills development sits perched on the rim overlooking Mission Valley. The improvement included an aesthetically pleasing flagstone patio complete with fruit trees. Stinson claimed he built the improvement in the common area (without first asking permission from his HOA Board of Directors) as a way to combat the erosion on the slope that runs down the side of his townhouse. Stinson also saw the addition of the fruit trees as a way to promote the concept of urban orchards.
This newsletter promised readers an eventual update on the outcome of this classic homeowner vs. homeowners association conflict.
As it turns out, Stinson was not able to convince the HOA board to keep his improvement. Much to his disappointment, and in spite of his protest, Stinson was ordered by the board to remove his entire improvement, to include the young fruit trees. The HOA board members refused to compromise on this issue. The board was willing to expend several thousands dollars of homeowners monies to pursue the strict enforcement of this case. The removal was finally conducted in June.
However, contention over Stinson’s nearby common area did not end with the settlement of this case. Recently, the HOA Board of Directors also decided to remove two of the trees in the same common area located next to his townhouse. The ficus trees, planted over 30 years ago, were deemed invasive.
On Wednesday of this week, feeling that he was a victim of selective enforcement (Last month Stinson was also fined twice for $200.00 by the HOA Board for walking his dog without a leash, as well as leaving his trash cans out too long), he decided to protest the planned removal of the trees. He did so by handcuffing himself to one of the ficus trees as the tree removal workers came to do the job. Due to his unique protest tactic of civil disobedience, the tree service contracted by the HOA decided not to get involved and risk injury to anyone. In the meantime, police representatives arrived on the scene and politely counseled Stinson on the need to find alternate ways of expressing his objections to the HOA, or face a possible misdemeanor charge the next time.
As explained by Stinson, he tried to get the City of San Diego to designate the trees as “Landmark Trees”, a City designation for “Trees that are unusual or have a very high aesthetic quality”. Such a designation would mean protecting the trees against any future removal. Unfortunately, in a Kafkaesque turn of events, Stinson was advised that the City’s Tree Advisory Board does not have enough members to meet, and accordingly, any Landmark tree decision would not likely be accomplished earlier than two years from now.
We look forward to keeping our readers informed on the final outcome of this passionate contest. In the meantime, make sure you take some time during the day to hug your own favorite trees. Who knows when someone will determine they are problem trees that must be removed.
Land of the First People Exhibit at Old Town
An issue of the Linda Vista Update published several months ago featured an article detailing sites in and around the Linda Vista area that commemorate the habitation of the Kumeyaay nation. The article noted how the long-ago presence of the Kumeyaay people still resonates throughout the area, highlighting such sites as the Kumeyaay village in Tecolote Nature Center as well as the Kumeyaay Garden located along the north rim of the canyon on the University of San Diego campus.
We are happy to report that we recently came across one more site, located ever-so-close to Linda Vista, just across the San Diego River at the entrance to Old Town. This new site is the Iipay -- Tipai Kumeyaay Mut Niihepok, or The Land of the First People exhibit, an addition to the Old Town San Diego State Historical Park. This area just opened in October of 2021. It is situated at Juan Street and Taylor Street, where the old Caltrans Office used to be, before it was replaced by the new Caltrans complex built across the street. The Old Town area is where a Kumeyaay village called Kosa’aay or “Dry Place” existed long ago.
What you will find at this exhibit is an interpretation and education experience that explains the history of the Kumeyaay people, along with the native vegetation and animals that surrounded the area hundreds of years ago. The exhibit includes beautiful landscaping, plenty of historical information on plaques and displays, accessible paths, attractive artwork, areas for group gatherings, and structures that provide shade and seating.
Anyone visiting the site will pick up valuable information about the Kumeyaay culture and how these Native Americans lived.
One interesting feature of the exhibit is the dry riverbed representing where the San Diego River once flow, a significant distance away from where it is currently located.
In spite of, or because of the landscape, as you walk around the exhibit you will understand why the Kumeyaay village was called the “Dry Place”—you certainly get the feeling that San Diego has always been a location short of rain.
Though you may want to visit the exhibit because of its educational value, it can also serve as a pleasant place to rest in between a vigorous walk, jog, or bike ride—a site where one can sit and contemplate in a meditative setting. Or it might be a place you visit prior to heading into Old Town for a meal or margarita. The only drawback is listening to the constant hum of traffic emanating from nearby Interstate 5.
In any event, it’s just a short distance from the borders of Linda Vista, a brief walk, jog, bike ride, or car drive away.
Commentary
Implementing Traffic Calming Measures in LV
Have you ever taken notice of how a previously unfamiliar word or phrase—one that you long took for granted—suddenly pops up everywhere you go? That’s what I have recently been experiencing with the phrase “Traffic calming measures.” I never gave this phrase much thought, until recently, when I saw it used in reference to a couple roads/traffic intersections in Linda Vista.
Now that I’ve done a little research about the definition of “traffic calming measures,” I have to admit I am a bit disappointed. As it turns out, my concept of “traffic calming measures,” and what officially constitutes “traffic calming measures” are not exactly the same thing. Now, I don’t mean to brag, but I contend our Linda Vista traffic situation would be much better off if MY concept of “traffic calming measures” were adopted. You would definitely see some calm drivers in Linda Vista. Let me explain.
According to Wikipedia, “traffic calming measures” involve using physical design and other measures to improve safety for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists. It has become a tool to combat speeding and other unsafe behaviors of drivers in neighborhoods. It aims to encourage safer, more responsible driving and potentially reduce traffic flow. The phrase “traffic calming” is a literal translation of the German word Verkehrsberuhigung, which first appeared in 1985.
In terms of Linda Vista roads/intersections, a recent article published in this newsletter about problems occurring at the Via Las Cumbres and Caminito Del Cervato intersection in University Canyon mentioned that local residents have long asked the city of San Diego for “traffic calming measures” like speed bumps or street signs. In an older article, we once wrote about how $750,000 in funds from the city’s Climate Equity Fund are budgeted for upgrades to the Linda Vista Road/Comstock intersection—considered one of the most dangerous intersections in San Diego. As written in the article, this project will involve “up-graded crosswalk signals and other traffic calming measures.”
I am sure speed bumps, traffic signs and upgraded crosswalk signals all make for great improvements, and over time they will play a significant role in reducing traffic accidents, but I always imagined traffic calming measures to involve much more direct methods for calming drivers—after all, how calming can it be to drive over a speed bump? I envision creative and fun traffic calming measures that reduce driver anxiety levels and ensure much less stress. Check out below the creative and fun traffic calming measures I have designed for use at busy Linda Vista intersections. They go way beyond the more conventional thinking regarding traffic calming measures:
1. At the Genesee Avenue and Linda Vista Road intersection: Industrial strength fans will be employed at all four corners of this busy Linda Vista intersection. They will blow the strong but soothing scent of burning sandalwood incense. The aroma will mellow out stressed drivers, putting them in a more cosmic or spiritual mood.
2. At the Ulric Street and Linda Vista Road intersection: When the light turns red, volunteers will step into the intersection and greet drivers at their windows while carrying Labrador retriever puppies. Drivers will be encouraged to open their windows and pet the puppies on the head. It is a proven fact that petting Labrador Retriever puppies lowers your blood pressure.
3. At the Comstock and Linda Vista Road intersection: Jimmy Buffet music will be piped-in to the intersection to get drivers and passengers in a laid back, breezy, Caribbean frame of mind. Classic reggae music will also be interspersed between Parrot Head tunes to chill stressed out drivers. After a few Bob Marley songs, drivers will want to travel at a much slower and safer Rasta speed.
4. At the Via Las Cumbres and Linda Vista Road intersection: Volunteers will offer harried drivers steaming cups of Lavender chamomile herbal tea, which is known to increase brain neurotransmitter activity and thereby have positive effects on driver mood and anxiety.
5. At the Napa Street and Linda Vista Road intersection. Electronic signs will be placed over each intersection. The signs will display the alternating instructions of… “Breath in” and “Now Exhale” …. for anxious drivers to heed while waiting for the green light. Deep breathing exercise are known to lower anxiety and make people feel calm.
Any driver lucky enough to experience all five of my traffic calming measures will definitely become super mellow and much less likely to drive over the speed limit or experience road rage.
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The Linda Vista Update publishes informative, interesting and fun news about Linda Vista and its neighboring communities.