Auction Ends: Dec 1, 2008 03:00 AM PST

Gift Ideas

Treasures of Suisun Valley Gift Box #2

Item Number: Hort 2

Estimated Value: 115 USD
Sold: 55 USD to naomischoenholz

Number of Bids: 4 - Bid History

Item Description

Treasure of Suisun Valley Gift Box. The Suisun Valley Treasures were lovingly assembled and "boxed" for you by the members of the Fields of Dreams Horticulture Students at Solano Community College.

The Gift Box brings you:

One Bottle of Katz and Company "Rock Hill Ranch" Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Suisun Valley. Value $24.

One Bottle of Katz and Company Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc Vinegar, AgroDolce, Value $11.
One Bottle of Ledgewood Creek 2005 GSM, 60% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, 20% Syrah. value $18.
Jar of Erickson Ranch Artisan Honey. Value $7.
Jar of Erickson Ranch Artisan Pink Pearl Apple Sause. Value $7.
Jar of Erickson Ranch Artisan Blenheim Apricot Jam. Value $7.
Designed Crate and packageing. Value Priceless.
Hope and Love from Fields of Dreams. Value Priceless.

THE TREASURES OF SUISUN VALLEY GIFT BOX is the prototype gift box that the Field of Dreams students plan for their new business enterprise. All proceeds from the sale of THE TREASURES OFR SUISUN VALLEY GIFT BOX will go to THE FIELD OF DREAMS Horticulture Program at Solano Community College. Our Mission is to empower challenged individuals, the disabled and disadvantaged with tools that will improved their quality of life through supported education and supported employement. To become productive and successful in achieving ones goals always adds meaning to life. That is what the Field of Dreams enterprise does for our students.

Solano Community College Alumnus, EJ Hulana, Leads the way with Field of Dreams, Supported Education and Employment at Solano Community College and Solano County

Field of Dreams, a new farming and business program, empowers people with disabilities and mental health consumers through supported education and employment. The program was created by the Neighborhood of Dreams, developed by Crestwood Behavioral Health and Dreamcatchers Empowerment Network, in collaboration with Solano Community College and Solano County Health and Human Services.

Solano Community College’s Disability Services Program and the Neighborhood of Dreams have established an adapted horticulture (gardening) course, which offers a mainstream setting for nurturing employment and life skills among adults with developmental disabilities and mental health issues. The course is the first of possibly several that will lead individuals to a Job Direct Certificate in entry-level horticulture careers (nursery, landscaping, farming, etc).

“Integrating individuals with challenges into the mainstream student population is important for everyone involved,” said Ron Nelson, Retired Coordinator for the Disability Services Program at Solano Community College. “Not only does the new program provide an opportunity for learning valuable work and life skills, it also helps break down stigma or misperceptions about people with disabilities and mental health issues.”

“The Field of Dreams program is literally the first seed in what we hope will grow to be a garden of opportunities for developmentally disabled adults and clients continuing on the path of mental health recovery,” said EJ Hullana, Neighborhood of Dreams Coordinator and Dreamcatchers Empowerment Network Program Administrator.

An innovative use of California Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funding, the Field of Dreams program is one of the first to work directly with an educational institution to integrate mental health clients into the college education system.

As Solano County focuses on supporting local organic farming in the Suisun Valley, the Field of Dreams program and its participants enjoy increased potential to make a positive impact on the community. Ultimately, the program aims to create an on-campus business that employs trained students and provides options for disabled and disadvantaged individuals as they transition to independence.

Solano Community College

Established in 1945 as Vallejo Junior College, Solano Community College is part of California’s public community college system of 109 campuses in 72 districts across the state. The College’s service area encompasses the communities of Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Suisun, Vacaville, Vallejo and Winters, as well as Travis Air Force Base. The 192-acre campus houses facilities, programs, staff and services for a student population of 11,000 and offers academic study and occupational training to all area residents.

DREAMCATCHERS EMPOWERMENT NETWORK

The Dreamcatchers Empowerment Network and Crestwood Behavioral Health, Inc. and have collaborated to provide Solano County with the Neighborhood of Dreams, funded by the Mental Health Services Act. Providing services that assist the person-centered recovery of each individual in a supportive learning environment, the Neighborhood of Dreams partners with community agencies to offer wellness and recovery-oriented services at centers throughout the county. The program offers support for each individual’s recovery through an array of learning opportunities, development of meaningful roles and relationships, and empowerment.

Fields of Dreams and Solano Community College Supporters Include:

KATZ AND COMPANY
Kim and Albert Katz are passionate about artisan foods. Our mission is simple: we strive to produce the finest artisan-made foods possible. In this age of mass-produced and market-driven products, we create genuine food that nurtures the soul and satisfies the palate. We have spent over a quarter of a century in the food world during a dynamic period of time when Americans´ taste and understanding of authentic food has grown exponentially.

Starting back in the early eighties, we fed our passion by opening our own restaurant in the SF Bay Area. Albert was the chef and sourced product for his daily fresh menu, and Kim designed the interior and filled the dining room with fresh flowers through her San Francisco floral design shop. We took our jaunts to the California wine country to find small artisan-produced wines and foods for our highly acclaimed restaurant. After fifteen years in the restaurant business, the Napa Valley appealed to us as a pleasant place to raise our daughters, Simone and Lily, and to further pursue our passions.

Our timing was fortuitous. The rebirth of the olive oil industry was just taking shape in California. Albert found himself drawn to the industry after a culinary visit to Italy and seeing authentic olive oil produced first-hand. He became part of a small group of enthusiastic pioneers who formed the California Olive Oil Council (COOC). His passion for the industry grew into producing and distributing award-winning extra virgin olive oils and having a stint as president of the COOC. Kim found her passion serving her well in package design and graphic design…she created the Branches honey and preserves packaging that won two NASFT awards, and branded the Katz Kitchen Line package.

Our culinary experiences led us to create the Katz Kitchen Line...exceptional ingredients for use by professionals, or for those who would like to cook like them. We learned in our own restaurant kitchen, “the line” is where your meal comes together, and where the quality of the ingredients makes all the difference.

We hope our artisan-made products will serve you well on your “Kitchen Line.” To your good health drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil.

ERICKSON RANCH

Erickson Ranch’s roots began in Italy in the early 1900’s. Born in 1888, Augusto Toselli immigrated to Suisun Valley by way of San Francisco as a young man on a quest for adventure, and a new life. Good fortune and luck were on his side. In 1920, after years of hard work, Augusto married Annie Boitano, the youngest of four daughters born to Italian immigrants. Annie had been living in the nearby town of Tolenas, and the couple was able to purchase a 20 acre farm planted with pears. The pears were removed to improve the profitability of the Ranch and were replaced with the wonderful Bartlett Pear. Augusto and Annie also raised chickens and sold eggs. As time progressed, the farm, as well as the family, grew with the birth of the three Toselli children, John, Rose and Alice.

The second generation was to carry on the Toselli tradition of farming. Rose married her high school sweetheart, a local hard-working young man named Ray Erickson. They married after Ray returned from WWII and built a home alongside Rose’s parents. A son, Ray Erickson Jr, was born in 1951, and the family farm grew slowly. Big Ray worked at Mare Island and farmed on the weekends. And in 1958, Ray and Rosie purchased a 13 acre ranch up the road from the Toselli farm. The land came with old prune trees, which Rosie worked and maintained. The young family moved their home to the new ranch in 1960, and has been farming the land ever since. Over time they planted apricots, peaches, nectarines, and Bartlett pears still came from original property. Peach harvests were so plentiful that as a child Ray Jr. sold peaches from the back of a truck on the current property. This eventually led to building a more permanent produce stand. Tomatoes and corn were added to the crops, and by the 1970’s, so were kiwis.

Ray and Victoria Erickson are the current generation farming the land that has been in their family for so many years. They were married in 1983, and have two children, Kristen and Ross. Kristen was born in 1985 and is currently serving in the Air Force. Ross was born one year later in 1986 and is currently serving in the Marines. Ray and Victoria are very proud of their children. The family owned and run produce stand was very prosperous in the 1980’s. Word of mouth and the sign out front brought in the business. The kiwi crops were removed because they weren’t productive. Meanwhile the Erickson’s worked on improving and extending the peach crop to the entire season, June through October. Local women and families who like to canned peaches and tomatoes frequented the stand.

In the1990’s, a bankrupt Tri Valley Cannery caused a decrease in the demand for local pears. Energy and resources were redirected to removing some of the pear crop, though some of the "original pear crop” was maintained. This further extended the peach orchard and therefore the season. We continue to harvest some of the remaining 90 year old pear trees to sell the fruit at Erickson Ranch.

In the year 2000 we began flower production of dahlias in earnest. Flowers had always been planted in addition to the crops but only for decoration. The dahlias were from the original home garden at the ranch and as time progressed the dahlia garden has grown and new varieties have been planted for picking. In addition we have perennials and annual flowers for bouquets. We have done several weddings and other special occasions. We are an option for the more budget minded bride and groom who would enjoy picking and arranging their flowers. There is nothing like fresh flowers for a wedding. Each year you’ll find something new in the Dahlia garden.

In 2002 we added the Chile Roaster to the property. For years we have grown chilies and generations of families have come to pick peppers to take home for roasting. We can now roast the chilies for them with three sizes of roasters on the spot. We have a huge variety of chilies from mild to hot and in between. You pick!

Homemade jams were added to the produce stand shelves in 2003. The fruit is grown on the Ranch or in Suisun Valley, harvested and prepared immediately. We have the added benefit of picking fruit from the tree at the peak of ripeness and are therefore able to use less sugar. This technique enhances the natural flavor of the fruit.

At Erickson Ranch we are currently continuing with the traditions our family has cultivated for generations, and always looking for ways to improve our ideas and offerings so that the family farm may be preserved.

LEDGEWOOD CREEK WINERY

The winery's beginnings date back to 1985 when Dean and Bunny Frisbie bought a pear orchard in the little know Suisun Valley viticultural area. To honor the pioneering Peabody family and their long-standing farming history in the valley, they named the orchard Peabody Ranch. By 1989, vineyards had replaced the pear orchard and the original Peabody Ranch was soon incorporated into what is now Ledgewood Creek Winery & Vineyards.

With Ledgewood Creek running along the property's northern edge, the original Peabody Ranch vineyard proved so successful that the overall holdings few to include over 350 acres planted with grapes. In the fall of 2002, Ledgewood Creek Winery released its first wines from the 2001 harvest. The vineyards and winery remain family-owned and operated with patriarch Dean Frisbie as General Manager and son James sharing his time between wine sales and vineyard marketing.

The Frisbies' philosophy has always been, "If it is broken, fix it…and if it is not, how can we improve upon it?" Those who grow the grapes at Ledgewood Creek work tirelessly to find the vineyard's best expression of fruit quality and continued vine balance. This means constant fine tuning of canopy management, fertilization schedules, irrigation techniques, and crop tonnages. Fruit at Ledgewood Creek is harvested by hand - the red grapes by day, and the whites at night. Night harvesting, while costly and time consuming, has proven the best method to control the quality of the fruit harvested.

After the grapes are picked, consulting winemaker Larry Langbehn takes over and the magic begins. Carefully arranging his profile palate of flavors, aromas, acids, and tannins, Larry determines which lots are best for each label. With complete authority over barrel regime, he begins by using a selection of new and seasoned barrels. His flavor palate is ever-expanding with new aromas, textures, acids, and tannin levels. With all of these elements before him, he can then perform blending to produce the perfectly balanced wines that are Ledgewood Creek.

Item Special Note

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The winner may pick up the Treasures of Suisun Valley Gift Box at the Solano Community College Foundation Office, 4000 Suisun Valley Road, Suisun Valley, CA 94534

Katz And Company

101 South Coombs, Suite Y-3
Napa, CA 94559

info@katzandco.com

888.898.9881
707.254.1866