Santa Cruz County Agriculture, Food & Gardening Digest

As another year zips by, Edible Monterey Bay has your back, offering a tasty way to mark its passing. Sample the Best New Openings of the Year, from Salinas to the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Salmon populations in the Scott and Shasta rivers have crashed, so state officials are about to restrict irrigation again. And the controversial rules may even become permanent.

Jeju Kitchen has debuted quietly on the lower level of Carmel Plaza, where Carmel Burger Bar used to be.

Three restaurants in San Francisco, three in Los Angeles and one in San Diego have been added to the Michelin Guide. Two of the SF eateries also made Esquire’s list for best new American restaurants in 2023.

Sea Harvest, the family-owned fishing outfit with boats on the water and a constellation of market-restaurants on shore, has a new market that just opened in Moss Landing.

The California Department of Water Resources released an environmental impact report for a tunnel that the state would like to build through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The report identifies potential impacts to farmland, tribal remains and endangered species of fish.

Even though California is facing a crippling housing shortage, one potential source remains untapped. The state allows thousands of apartments used for part of the year by farmworkers to otherwise sit vacant for three to six months.

Water managers in Pajaro Valley are paying farmers for water they get back into the ground. The move comes as California has grappled with water shortages in recent years.

Chef Jean Pierre Iuliano—who helmed Café Mare in Santa Cruz for nearly 22 years—served his last meal Nov. 26. But don’t despair. Café Mare will reopen Dec. 1 under new ownership by Marco Paoletti and Andrea Loporcaro, who both worked there in the early days.

The Double Up Food Bucks program—with its proven ability to connect food-insecure families and individuals to more fresh produce—officially debuted in Monterey County.

Watsonville has a winner in new Tacos Al Fuego, and it’s not surprising that the family-owned addition to the Hangar food complex proves excellent.

This whole Lady & Larder thing is a lot to digest. That becomes clear within 30 seconds of talking with the twin sisters behind it, Sarah and Boo Simms, who have returned to the Carmel Valley to relaunch the business.

HERBL, one of California’s biggest cannabis companies, collapsed earlier this year. The company, which sold $700 million of cannabis last year, reportedly shorted the state $17 million in taxes.

Center for Food Safety has filed arguments seeking to revoke the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ approval of nationwide permit 56, which authorizes industrial finfish aquaculture structures in ocean waters around the country. CFS represents a coalition of conservation, tribal, and fishing organizations.

The Elmore Desert Ranch gets 22.5 billion gallons of water from the Colorado River, almost as much as is cleared for Scottsdale, Ariz. And that’s just a fraction of the 386.5 billion gallons from the river going to 19 other families in Imperial Valley.

The vodka—shaped like a water pipe and inspired in part by the movie “Up in Smoke”—is being made in partnership with Scotts Valley spirits house UBlendIt.

In a study published in Nature Sustainability, scientists assessed the potential for wide-scale synthetic production of dietary fats. The raw materials are the same as those used by plants: hydrogen in water and carbon dioxide in the air.

The acquisition includes the Daou brand, Daou Mountain Estate, four luxury wineries, and around 400 acres of vineyards in Adelaida District of Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County.

Janice and Joseph Gali of Gali Vineyards in Watsonville still have fruit hanging. There’s good news and bad news, as with anyone trying to ripen coastal syrah this season.

Angelo Heropoulos, owner of Hero Ranch Kitchen and Flowers Restaurant in Saratoga, has taken over the storefront most recently occupied by Pasta Armellino, which shuttered in October.

Star Bene Ristorante, on East Cliff Drive, brought chefs Mario Ibarra and Sandro Costanza together. Now they have opened a new restaurant in Ben Lomond, called Aroma.

New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from downtown Santa Cruz to have more space. The new spot on River Street is 29,000 square feet, allowing the grocery store to expand its offerings.

After 17 years with Driscoll's and the last six as president, Soren Bjorn is moving up. He has been elected by the Board of Directors as the organic berry company's new CEO.

When we last spoke with Jayne Droese, she was serving up Detroit-style sourdough pizzas under the name Jayne Dough. Now she is putting down roots in the Capitola Village as La Marea Café.

Hundreds of wells in Tulare Lake aquifer are at risk of going dry. Today's recommendation is the first time that state officials have moved to crack down on local plans that fail to stop excessive groundwater pumping.

Sommelier Mark Bright wants to bring a taste of Europe to the Santa Cruz Mountains. You might know his name from Saison, the Michelin-starred restaurant he opened in San Francisco in 2009.

Water providers say rebates for residential areas are costly and residents may refuse to remove their lawns. The rules aim to save enough water for more than a million households a year.

Chef Butter started when Jane Shaffer, maker of the fresh artichoke hearts line called ArtiHearts, got a bit bored during the pandemic. The longtime chef turned entrepreneur had been toying with the idea of compound butters.

The European Union has banned certain additives that are used in American candies and baked goods. California is on the cusp of prohibiting their sale by 2027.

Marianne's Ice Cream has settled into its new plant and storefront on Fair Avenue and plan to hold a grand opening party in the coming months.

DeRose Vineyards in Hollister is well known to wine lovers for its casual atmosphere that somehow accentuates the serious intent of winegrowers Pat and Alphonse DeRose.

This qualifies as more than pretty good news. Pretty Good Advice in Soquel is welcoming a sister into the world.