Central Valley and NorCal

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I love green, in nature, in clothes, in paintings and quilts, and yes, the color of my eyes has always given me a pass on this day.  We have left the desert and are in a greener part of California.  We are in Davis, home of the University of California (UC) at Davis.  I learned it was originally a branch of the the original University of California at Berkeley.  It was started just as an agricultural branch and has grown up over the years into a lovely campus and town.  In my world of Extension UC Davis is considered one of the premier Land Grant Universities.  The Cooperative Extension offices here are large.  Most are populated with multiple agricultural advisors and there are a few others mixed in.  There are 58 counties in this behemoth state and only scattering of advisors who focus on families by offering nutrition and food security programs.  UC Cooperative Extension has both EFNEP (Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program) and SNAP-ED (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education, formerly know as Food Stamp Education Program Education).  I met with Cathi Lamp and her wonderful team members, Mariana Lopez and Teresa Rios-Spicer, while I was in Tulare County last week.  Yesterday I met with Marcel Horowitz and Sonia Fernandez in Yolo County.  I also met with David Ginsburg, manager for CalFresh/SNAP-ED at the state office.   They run a large program and have over 100 full time staff delivering direct education at the local level.

Cathi, Mariana and Teresa
Tulare County

Sonia, Drew and Marcel posing in front of the soil samples.
Yolo County

There are some interesting things happening in California.  There are large threats to the environment and agriculture from the on-going (fourth year) drought.  All along CA-99 there are large signs about the need for water to help farms survive.  The visible reminders remind all that there is a real threat.  The drought impacts all levels of life here.  Signs in the bathrooms in Davis remind people not to run water while lathering ones hands with soap.  Carefully turn it on and off as needed.  There is less work for the farm workers.  Marcel expected fewer people to show up in the Migrant Camps this year.  One person referred to the San Joaquin Valley as the Dust Bowl.  I had no idea if that was intentional or not.  Yesterday I heard that food prices will increase, people are painting their lawns green and that there are major issues between SoCal and NorCal as the locals refer to the 2 parts of the state about who and what gets the water resource.   So, for now, it is green and lush.  But how long will that last?  How long until the landscape is brown and withered because the water isn't available?  What crops will not be able to be planted.  Will there be a major migration to wetter areas of the country akin to that experienced in the 1930's?

The issues for the undocumented residents seems less urgent here.  Maybe because the population is so rich in Latino families and traditions.  There are some concerns for the safety of the undocumented, especially the parents and children.  When I spoke to my colleagues at the local extension offices they were aware that a number of the people they serve are undocumented.  They do not count (not do we) and they offer education in safe, familiar  places with bi-lingual bi-cultural staff as teachers.  I think the issue of immigration injustice is less pressing in the Central Valley and NorCal than the threat of the drought.  It is not ignored but it is not pressing.  Once people get this far north they settle in and are part of the landscape.

Where I saw more rawness and connection to the issue was at the Bethlehem Center in Visalia.  A faith based NGO that is under the wing of the Catholic Church in Visalia, the Bethlehem Center provides meals, two a day five days a week, some case management, a food pantry and a thrift store for low income and homeless residents of Visalia and the surrounding area.  I met with Benny Rodriguez and Lucio Pulido to talk about their services and to tour their facility.  Benny and Lucio told me that only about 10 percent of their families who come for meals are undocumented (estimated).  Benny shared with me an interesting fact.  In the point of time homeless count for Tulare and Kings Counties combined - 44% live in Visalia.  He said that only 2 children were counted in the last count.  He thinks that the children are hidden during the time for fear of having them taken away.  He also feels that the condition of being undocumented and homeless combined may be compounding the count.  I know that in my county the percent of homeless children is about 27%.

Benny shared with me that Dignity and Respect are the core principles for service at Bethlehem Center.  He spoke about a committee he formed - Voice of the Community.  They asked six of their homeless clients to assess the services at Bethlehem Center.  They told him they wanted more razors in their personal care kits, they wanted AA/NA groups at the center and they wanted inspirational art on the walls of the soup kitchen.  All have been added at the center.   Benny and Lucio excitedly brought out a print that has been used as the source for a mural on the wall.  Christ in the Breadlines was created by Fritz Eichenberg in 1953.  The image is powerful in its woodblock print form and also on the wall with some edits.  The people in the center report that they see themselves in the mural.  A homeless client at the center is the muralist and is also in the finishing stages of a Last Supper mural on the opposite long wall.  I was moved.

Panorama photo of the Christ in the Breadline mural

Benny Rodriguez, Director
Bethlehem Center

I was really glad I visited Tulare County.  I have more to share later.  For now, I will stop and get ready for today's visits and one more day in beautiful Davis, a town full of art!

Shovel Gate
The artist used over 400 used shovels to create this gate that marks one of the entrances to the Davis Arboretum.

Thanks for reading!