The solution to one of the wine industry’s most costly and threatening problems may be coming soon from Lodi — and it will trot out on four feet, tails a-wagging, with noses keener than even advanced scientific equipment. 

It’s harvest time at the Reimagination Farm in Lake County, California. As autumn turns the air crisp and the leaves begin to change, former UC Davis Asian American Studies professor Robyn Rodriguez surveys the land in front of her and reflects on the rhythms of nature. “Even the earth follows cycles of rest,” she muses. “That’s how we regenerate.”

Over the course of summer and the first weeks of fall, over 60 varieties of peaches and nectarines pass through The Fruit Bowl, a 76-year-old produce stand on the rural outskirts of Stockton. 

PODCAST EPISODE: San Joaquin County Historical Museum’s executive director and fifth generation Stocktonian Phillip Merlo speaks on the rich history, abundant opportunities and dogged optimism of the port city.

Coffee is a $225 billion industry in the U.S., providing 1.6 million jobs. But are we growing, roasting and making the best cup possible? That’s what an innovative program at the UC Davis School of Chemical Engineering has been working on for the past 10 years.

They say you can’t have your cake and eat it too, but Oobli (formerly Joywell Foods), a Davis-based startup, has introduced a healthy, guilt-free way for consumers to satisfy their sweet tooth. Their new line of canned teas and dark chocolate bars uses sweet proteins instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Dust kicks up in a cloud and the sound of gravel crunches as cars and trucks pull into what’s become a summer staple in the Capital Region — fresh strawberry roadside stands. The ramshackle wooden stands, with bright red hand-painted strawberry signs and makeshift awnings to shield workers from extreme summer heat, are typically open seven days a week in peak season.

The first sip of Pila Kava hits like a low dose of novocaine, numbness spreading across the surface of the tongue. This soon fades into a background hum as the flavors bloom. The first note is the earth and spice of the kava itself — the root of a pepper variety native to the South Pacific.

Michael Hargis has always been entrepreneurial; as a fifth-grader he sold condoms to the upperclassmen. He would later produce parties, raves and music events like Sacramento’s 2012 Electronic Dance Festival. Then came food. 

In Uganda, farmers clean maize in three traditional ways: hand sorting, winnowing and sieving. During an internship in eastern Uganda in 2018, Ismael Mayanja observed these processes and believed there had to be a better method.