Water

Excerpted from "Water is Life"
a National Geographic article published April 2010: 

"The amount of moisture on Earth has not changed. The water the dinosaurs drank millions of years ago is the same water that falls as rain today. Who owns this water? How can I call it mine when its fate is to run through rivers and living bodies, so many already and so many more to come? It is an ancient, dazzling relic, temporarily quarantined here in my glass, waiting to return to its kind, waiting to move a mountain. It is the gold standard of biological currency, and the good news is that we can conserve it in countless ways.

Also, unlike petroleum, water will always be with us. Our trust in Earth's infinite generosity was half right, as every raindrop will run to the ocean, and the ocean will rise into the firmament. And half wrong, because we are not important to water. It's the other way around. Our task is to work out reasonable ways to survive inside its boundaries. "

"Pools" by Ojai artist Linda Harmon

Perhaps water issues like droughts and floods can help us humans wake up to the deeper relationship between water, the environment, and ourselves. With the drought challenging us here in California it is time for responses like permaculture and sustainable practices, that can serve as models for the rest of the world. Obstacles can be seen as opportunities, if we approach them with the right attitude.

What is your relationship with water? Do you have a special connection with a river, a lake, or perhaps an ocean? Our next Salon theme is Water; the Salon will be held on Friday, August 14, 7 to 9 p.m. We invite you to bring your story, a favorite poem or passage, or thoughts to our conversation and our circle.

Click here for further details.

Food Preparation That's Fun,
Healthy and Community Building

Ten more people know how to make sauerkraut and are excited about the wonderful world of fermenting after attending Course 1 of the Green Coalition's Food Preparation Series last Saturday. Michelle Dohrn of Wild at Heart shared her extensive knowledge and passion for fermenting.

Next up is Course 2 led by Katie Zack on sourdough bread and soft goat cheese making, Saturday, August 22. Katie farms in Casitas Springs and sells fresh chicken and duck eggs! The class will be held in Meiners Oaks from 11 am to 1pm and is limited to 12 participants. We already have 5 sign-ups - so don't delay in registering!

We'll wrap up Saturday, September 5 with a class on dehydrating and solar cooking led by Michelle Dohrn and Mikhael Collins. Chard chips, flaxseed crackers and culinary herb salts are on the menu.

Classes are $35 for OVGC Supporting Members and $40 for Non-members. Full details are on our website.

Business Supporter Welcome and Profile

JL & Sons Landscaping

Severo Lara, current City of Ojai Mayor and co-owner of JL & Sons Landscaping, is a lifelong resident and father of two. He shares the goals of most small business owners in Ojai - making a living in the small town he loves.

"My father bought this business in June of 1985," said Severo remembering the early days. "He bought it because he wanted a business that would allow him to teach his sons how to work. And I come from a family of seven, five children. I am not sure if this classifies as a big family - my mother and father's families were much bigger." Severo says his dad had previously worked in Ojai as a chef but didn't think the restaurant's owners would allow him to bring his sons to work, so he decided it was time to change professions.

"I have blurry memories about going to work with my father as a very young boy when he bought the gardening business," said Severo, "helping pick up leaves, dragging the trash can behind me, etc. I want to say that I started to really help out when I was about 9 years old."

Thirty years after his father bought the business Severo is proud to be carrying it on, but he has made some important changes to the company's business model.

"In my business, landscape contractors/gardeners are often convinced and encouraged to use pesticides and herbicides because it is cheaper and easier." said Severo. "I decided after graduating from college that this was not the route I wanted to pursue. I decided to look at gardening as a sustainable model."

to read more click here.

Ojai City Residents

Last Call for Your
Free Light Fixture Retrofit

The Ojai Valley Green Coalition with City of Ojai support is offering city residents a free new porch light or shield for an existing porch light. Research shows reducing glare and overlighting increases safety and security. Visit http://bit.ly/1I997Gb or call 805-669-8445 to learn more.

Why should we want to preserve the night sky? Does "dark" matter? As we look around at night in the Ojai Valley we can see we're overlighting our streets and homes, and obscuring the night sky. But while a dark, star-filled night sky is often thought of as important for astronomy or research, the grandeur of a dark night sky has proven to be critical to our health, to wildlife, and the environment as a whole.