Found Treasure Palooza: Fruition, Woodward, Eco Tours and More

June 23, 2023 – Complimentary Citrosa Hazy IPAs and Raspberry Snack sours from Watsonville’s Fruition Brewing. 

Free and fresh halibut ceviche and spicy watermelon gazpacho from under-the-radar Moss Landing outpost Woodward Marine Market. 

Southern sea otters, California sea lions and swooping brown pelicans, viewable from the first-of-its kind electric catamaran steered by Monterey Bay Eco Tours.

In other words: quite the party, arranged to celebrate Edible’s summer issue and solstice at the same time, completely free for the readers who RSVP’d in time (slots filled quick-like). 

And while it may be over, the inspiration for it will linger on newsstands for months, and longer in personal EMB stashes in basements and attics across the West.

All too often, amid the relentless tides of digital updates—we publish around a half dozen online stories each week—I forget to slow down and enjoy the issue.

One way I observe that is through Edible’s weekly radio spot on 94.7 KRML Radio, Friday Found Treasures. 

Often we have so much to cover with that week’s news we can barely tap the motherlode each print issue presents. 

Not this time. 

I took two slow-paced sauna sessions and the ride out and back to the party to deep dig into EMB: Summer ’23. And I’m going to take this digital space to gather links to much of its riches.

One note therein: I continue to be wow’d by how much I learn from an issue without reading a line of editorial. 

Such is the depth and breadth of advertisers who support EMB’s mission. 

From Dig Gardens to Wild Fish, Social Hour to Whisky Club (now celebrating one year), Elroy’s Fine Foods to Sunny Bakery Cafe—and scores more—they make me want to take a month off just to visit them all. 

We should do a contest wherein readers structure their most dashing three-stop advertiser itinerary and we vote on the best.

For instance: Kinderwood Farms for goat yoga and a culinary class, then Soquel Vineyards for a tasting, then Trestles for dinner? 

Or we could just leave it to EMB’s Aga Simpson, who assembled the one-stop/three-part party that was Fruition-Woodward-Eco Tours.

What if I told you we can switch from forever Styrofoam to shrimp-shell packing material. 

Or convert empty downtown storefronts into incredible infill dishing the best breads between San Francisco and Los Angeles. 

Or equip more farm workers to become farm owners.

It’s all happening, and featured in this issue. 

Here appear links to those transformative tales (and more):

• Cruz Foam has pivoted from surfboards to crafting biodegradable packaging made from shrimp shells and insect exoskeletons—and now has three locations, 30 employees and the backing of Leonardo DiCaprio. 

• Ad Astra Bread Co. is readying to open its shiny new production space in downtown Monterey, complete with a life-affirming cafe in front. 

• Farmer/entrepreneur/contributor Jamie Collins just can’t quit taking a seasonal piece of produce—in this case plums—and turning ordinary into extraordinary by way of history, passion and recipe

• Daniela Gerson seizes upon aspiring summer hosts like me and gives us hope with a fly formula for fancy tequila watermelon popsicles.

• Field workers Claribel and José Gallardo reveal how vision, ALBA training and hard work have blossomed into a farm where they grow everything they sell and welcome visitors with warmth.

• Turning Leaf Ranch in Salinas provides fresh perspective on goat meat—and goat empanadas.

• The closure of West Coast salmon season offers an opportunity to reset our collective perspective on the health of a fundamental Monterey Bay fishery.

• Pinnacles National Park, as it turns 10, morphs a day or weekend into a full-blown adventure, and a chance to sample the increasing epicurean options around it.

• Winemaker Ian Brand seizes upon a winemaking byproduct and reframes it as a seductive low voltage fizzy sipper. 

It all speaks to the ultimate transformation this scrappy team aspires to with each issue and newsletter: To take what the wide sweep of producers, creators and underwriters put in, and turn it into something you get a lot out of.