Our Guide to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in East County

Updated January 27, 2013

By Ariele Johannson

Note: Please help us update this directory. If you know of any CSA programs we missed, please contact Ariele at arielejohannson@gmail.com or editor@eastcountymagazine.org. Farmers: Please send in any changes and visit our blog to connect with other farmers to help create a self-sufficient East County.

January 26, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--Eating healthy means including plenty of fresh foods-- and the freshest of all are those grown here in East County. Have you thought about allotting part of your food budget to locally-grown organic fruits, vegetables, milk, meats, and more?

January 27, 2013 (Pine Valley)--Beginning Friday, February 1, the Pine Valley Sheriff's Substation can be found at a new location as construction on a new substation gets underway. The temporary address of the substation is 28914 Old Highway 80 Suite 106, Pine Valley, CA 91962 with the same telephone number at (619) 473‐8774.

January 27, 2013 (Sacramento)--Distracted driving is a serious safety concern for all drivers throughout California, especially teen drivers.  Eighty percent of vehicle crashes involve some kind of driver distraction. Talking on the cell phone or texting is the main source of driver distraction.  The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is urging teenage drivers to stop texting, put away cell phones, and focus on driving.  In an effort save lives, CHP along with Impact Teen Drivers will be conducting a year-long teen distracted driving traffic safety campaign through September 2013. 

By Miriam Raftery and Nadin Abbott

January 27, 2013 (El Cajon)- San Diego Sheriff today announced the arrest of Darin Williams in connection to an early morning fire that caused an estimated $250,000 in damage to St. Gregory of Nyssa Greek Orthodox Christian Church in the unincorporated area of El Cajon.  Williams s charged with arson, burglary and a hate crime, said Sergeant E. J. Dayitt.

The suspect was released last week from a psychiatric institution and became upset when the church’s priest, Simeon Corona, told him he could no longer stay at a parishioner’s home if he woud not take his medications,  U-T San Diego reports.  The priest called Williams, 38,  a “troubled man.”

January 27, 2013 (La Mesa) – Jack Shu, Board President of the Cleveland National Forest Foundation (CNFF), will be the featured speaker at the February 6 meeting of the La Mesa-Foothills Democratic Club.  The meeting will be held at the La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive, La Mesa at 6:30 p.m.

Event continues each Saturday in January and February

By Miriam Raftery

January 27, 2013 (Ramona ) – A Ferruginous hawk, the largest hawk found in San Diego County, hunkers down on a treetop at the Ramona Grasslands preserve.  In a field nearby,  volunteers with the Wildlife Research Institute give visitors an up-close look at another of these magnificent birds (left), which winter in our region after migrating south from the northern U.S. and Canada.

Rainfall  moved the event indoors, where a Peregrine Falcon and a Screech Owl were shown off next. “We’ve never cancelled a single time,” WRI executive director Dave Bittner notes.  Later, as the weather cleared, Bittner displayed a golden eagle outdoors; a special report by the WRI warns that “our last remaining Golden Eagle territories in San Diego County are being threatened.”

January 27, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)--Celebrity chef George Duran (of Food Network and TLC Ultimate Cake Off fame) has shared  this tasty tip for our readers.  Of course everyone has their own opinion on what makes the “best guacamole,” but Duran’s recipe for Crunchy Herbed Guacamole stands out amongst the crowd for two very delicious reasons. What George’s version has is the magic crunch factor, stemming from a fresh medley of diced radishes and chives, taking texture to another level.  Also, his recipe is prepared authentically, as it would be in a traditional Latin household by means of a Granite Molcajete (he uses one from IMUSA), to mince and mix ingredients. Not only does this method make a mean Guac, but it makes for a rich, festive presentation for parties, small get-together’s, or family dinner night.

Hunter among those voted against extending protections to all women

By Miriam Raftery

January 26, 2013 (San Diego’s East County ) – One in four women has been a victim of domestic violence and nearly one in five has been raped during their lifetime, the Center for Disease Control reports.  Yet last year, House Republicans blocked reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act  (VAWA),  allowing it to expire rather than approve a Democratic proposal to expand  protections  from domestic violence for  Native American women, immigrant women and gay women.  

Now,  programs  funded by VAWA  for all women are in danger of disappearing, unless Congress takes action. Nationwide, VAWA supporters are organizing efforts to persuade Congress to pass a newly introduced VAWA bill before funds for all VAWA programs run out.

Advocates  of last session's VAWA measure hoped to end discrimination that has prevented  many women from getting help after violent assaults. Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other racial group; one in three has been raped.  Undocumented immigrant women are often afraid to report domestic violence for fear of deportation. Battered women in same-sex relationships have been discriminated against when seeking shelter 45% of the time.

January 26, 2013 (San Diego)--Wild animals are in trouble, and the problem is people who are careless with food and garbage.Coyotes play an important role in the ecosystem, helping to keep rodent populations under control. They are by nature fearful of humans.If coyotes are given access to human food and garbage, their behavior changes. They lose caution and fear. They may cause property damage. They might threaten human safety. They might be killed.

Relocating a problem coyote is not an option because it only moves the problem to someone else’s neighborhood. Help prevent deadly conflicts for these beautiful wild animals.

January 26, 2013 (Lemon Grove) – The next "History Alive" lecture, sponsored by the Lemon Grove Historical Society, on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. in the H. Lee House Cultural Center, 3205 Olive, Lemon Grove, will feature Alexander D. Bevil discussing "Angels at 7 o'clock," his illustrated story of pioneering women aviators who made history between World War I and the 1930s when aviation was in its infancy. 

"Faced with gender bias, ridicule and sometimes outright sabotage, these 'First Ladies of Flight' had a single-minded determination to fly," said Bevil, who has been a California State Parks historian since 1998 and is the current president of the Congress of History of San Diego & Imperial Counties.

January 26, 2013 (San Diego) – Often called the silent killer, carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, the leading cause of CO is heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel which can be sources of carbon monoxide says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.

CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home and in other locations where required by applicable laws, codes or standards. For the best protection, interconnect all CO alarms throughout the home DiGiovanna recommends. “When one sounds, they all sound!”

By Jamie Reno

January 26, 2013 (San Diego) – The operator of the San Onofre nuclear power plant in Southern California made critical errors in the design of the plant's replacement steam generators and, as a result, the public was put in great danger last year, according to expert testimony Wednesday by an internationally renowned nuclear engineer at a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) hearing.

The chilling testimony, which was presented to the NRC Petitions Review Board, was accompanied by evidence showing that plant operator Southern California Edison should have been required to go through a license amendment process before installing the new steam generators in 2009 and 2010.

http://therenodispatch.blogspot.com/2013/01/design-flaws-at-california-n...

January 26, 2013 (San Diego) – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and Simple Energy announced the three winning schools in the San Diego Energy Challenge school competition. The San Diego Energy Challenge contest gave SDG&E customers in the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) boundaries the chance to compete on behalf of their chosen SDUSD middle school to win cash grants. Participating customers earned points for their school of choice by saving energy on Reduce Your Use days and getting members of their community to sign up and support their team.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

January 26, 2013 (San Diego) – Wildfires are not the only hazard we have to concern ourselves with during High Winds and Red Flag Warnings.

Safety Tips:

The safest place to during high winds is indoors.

Watch for flying debris. Tree limbs may break and street signs may become loose during strong wind gusts. Keep an eye toward nearby balconies for loose objects that may fall.

January 26, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal Fire’s San Diego unit welcomed 66 new members to its ranks in a special badge pinning ceremony this morning at Cal Fire’s facilities on Jamacha Road in El Cajon.  The new Cal Fire members are firefighters from the San Miguel Fire Protection District, which entered into a cooperative agreement with Cal Fire starting December 31, 2012. 

“The transition creates a new generation of cooperation, through a reduction of redundant staff positions while maintaining firefighter staffing at all 8 Fire Stations,” a press release issued by San Miguel Fire District states.