Follow the pathway of 40 tons of meat and vegetable pieces, pits, bones and coffee grounds per week — and learn the anti-warming science behind the City of Santa Cruz’s new food scraps collection program.
Thomas Sawano
Thomas Sawano joins the Lookout team after two-and-a-half years at City on a Hill Press, the student-run newspaper at UCSC. While there, he reported on the university, arts and culture events, and the city of Santa Cruz. Thomas is deeply interested in local politics and feels fortunate to have begun his journalistic career in this town.Thomas graduated in 2022 with degrees in Cognitive Science and Philosophy. Though hailing from Los Angeles, he has vowed to never live there again on account of traffic and a lack of actual weather. Thomas loves traveling, going to music festivals, and watching documentaries about the outdoors. He has recently picked up rock climbing, and hopes the sport won’t damage his typing hands too badly.
Posted inFood & Drink
A taste of El Salvador: Dos Hermanos Pupuseria
Dos Hermanos Pupuseria serves simple food that works — four types of pupusas served alongside curtido slaw and a fiery salsa that leaves you wanting more.
Posted inFood & Drink
Wellness in a bottle? La Vie offers on-the-go boosts
Raw foods, recombined: That’s what you’ll find with Watsonville-based La Vie’s probiotic mixtures of fruits, vegetables and nut milks that are good and good for you. You can find its products at five farmers market locations throughout Santa Cruz County.
Posted inFood & Drink
Plus de terroir? Tabitha Stroup aims to scale up her homegrown, waste-reducing business
Entrepreneur Tabitha Stroup works with 10 farms but has the space and ambition to triple the reach of Terroir in a Jar — a one-stop shop for small farmers to turn their excess produce into shelf-stable, highly merchandisable jams, vinegars, shrubs, preserves and just about every other kitchen cupboard ingredient imaginable. Terroir is the quiet force behind products you’ve seen at farmers market stands around Santa Cruz County, including Prevedelli Farms’ jams, Common Roots Farm’s shrubs and Terra Amico Farms’ sauces.
Posted inFood & Drink
A heavenly almond butter made for the mortal masses: Philosopher Foods
Philosopher Foods sells great sprouted almond butter at Santa Cruz County farmers markets and elsewhere — but it’s also selling a great story about regenerative farm practices.
Posted inFood & Drink
Four generations and counting: Prevedelli Farms
Mutsu, gala, Fuji, crimson crisp, Sommerfeld and beautiful pink pearl. Known for its endless supply of tasty local apples, Watsonville’s Prevedelli Farms banks on farmers markets in Santa Cruz County and neighboring areas to keep its business going.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
With Benchlands ‘clearing’ again delayed, city council approves cleanup budget
On Tuesday, the Santa Cruz City Council allocated $1 million toward the cleanup of the San Lorenzo Benchlands encampment. The clearing of the encampment has again been moved back — with city officials estimating that the first residents of the park will be moved in mid-to-late-September, pending the setup of a Salvation Army-run shelter inside the National Guard Armory building in DeLaveaga Park.
Posted inLookout PM Archive
Lookout PM: SC City Council approves Benchlands cleanup budget and begins to tackle rezoning, design rules
On Tuesday, the Santa Cruz City Council allocated $1 million toward the cleanup of the San Lorenzo Benchlands…
Posted inFood & Drink
Close, but no tomatoes: Molino Creek Farm
For Roland Saher, it’s a year of selling sunflowers, cucumbers, zucchinis, torpedo onions and sweet onions at the downtown Santa Cruz farmers market. But climate change means Molino Creek Farm’s dry-farmed early girl tomatoes aren’t available this year.
Posted inCoast Life
Beyond the Benchlands: Under lawsuit threat, Santa Cruz sets plan to clear homeless camp. What happens next?
Santa Cruz began clearing the Benchlands this week, but city leaders acknowledge that this could be a slow process depending on the number of shelter beds it can provide and the willingness of those in the encampment along the San Lorenzo River to relocate.