Gluten-Free Fun at the Ramos Strawberry Farm

I had the joyful pleasure of visiting Ramos Strawberry Farm in Watsonville, CA two weeks ago. I was beyond excited since this was my first visit ever to a farm in California AND my first visit to a strawberry farm in the whole world! I was a guest of the California Strawberry Commission for both a farm tour and lunch at Ella's at the Airport, surrounded by a bunch of equally enthusiastic food bloggers.

Me with Farmer Miguel Ramos, owner of the farm

From the moment we met owner and grower Miguel Ramos, I could tell this man lived and breathed strawberries. He spoke passionately about his farm, his strawberry crops, and the fundamentals of working on a strawberry farm for more than 30 years. Mr. Ramos also threw in a few funny strawberry stories from his years on the farm which made the group laugh. (Stolen strawberries?! Not on his watch!) My favorite quote of the day was when Ramos said "Strawberries are the shape of our hearts and the color of our blood." Clearly, this man LOVED his strawberries which helped make our tour even better.

Mr. Ramos showing off his beautiful strawberries

Throughout the day we learned interesting facts about strawberries, which are definitely are an integral part of farming in California. According to the California Strawberry Commission, "California's 400 family strawberry farmers sustain their communities. They create 70,000 jobs, have funded more than $2 million in scholarships for children of field workers and invest 97 cents of every farm dollar back into their communities." (source) As we learned from Mr. Ramos, who lives in the area, many strawberry farmers both live and work in the communities where they farm. Protecting the health of the neighbors, the land, and the environment is their top priority.

Once we learned about strawberry farming practices, we were let loose on the farm. I was so giddy to bend down and pluck strawberries right off the vine to eat. I got to try different varieties and consumed strawberries as big as my palm! I even got down and bit one right off the vine which was the winning #StrawberrySelfie of the day. (see below)

Caught taking a #strawberryselfie

It doesn't get fresher than this! The winning #StrawberrySelfie

After I think I consumed my weight in strawberries, it was time for lunch at Ella's at the Airport. Of course, we had a strawberry-themed lunch. My favorite dish of the day was the strawberry, pineapple, and pancetta-encrusted goat cheese skewers. Look at these delicious things!

Simple to make, yet so delicious!

I had such a great time meeting California-based bloggers on the Ramos Strawberry Farm. This was my first non-NYC blog event and everyone was so friendly. We bonded over strawberries and all left that day with a strawberry-stained smile on our faces and our bellies full. I have always been a fan of strawberries since they are naturally gluten-free and full of flavor. The visit to the farm made me truly appreciate where my strawberries come from and the labor of love that goes into growing them. Thank you to the California Strawberry Commission for a wonderful day! 

The CA Strawberry Commission, bloggers, and Miguel Ramos on the farm.

I did not go home empty handed. Strawberries for DAYS!!!

DID YOU KNOW??

• Research suggests that eating just 1 cup (#8aday) is good for the whole body, promoting heart health, diabetes management, supporting brain health, and reducing the risk of some cancers.
• With year-round availability and a 12-month growing season, California strawberries are an easy way to pack a nutritional punch in your daily diet!
• With more vitamin C than an orange and loaded with nutrients, California strawberries are a nutritious and versatile fruit to enjoy every day.
• Strawberries are naturally sweet but low in sugar -- only 7 grams and 45 calories per cup!

To learn more about California Strawberries, please visit the following websites

Website: www.californiastrawberries.com

Twitter: @CAstrawberries  

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CAstrawberries  

Instagram: CAstrawberries  

NOTE: This is post is sponsored by California Strawberries. All opinions are my own. With or without this trip to the farm, I will always be a fan of strawberries! 

New Santa Cruz California Celiac Group

One of the hardest parts about leaving New York City and moving to California was leaving the NYC Celiac Meetup group. I led that group for more than a decade and many of the members became some of my best friends. I put endless hours into running that group, planning more than 300 events, and making newly diagnosed celiacs feel like they weren't alone in this gluten-filled world. I got so much out of running that group and I was sad to leave behind such a supportive community.

When I got to Santa Cruz, California, I discovered there had been two separate groups, one gluten-free group and one celiac support group. Sadly, neither group really met in person anymore nor did they know about each other. As a support group leader, I know how it feels to be burnt out. You work hard to plan plan plan and then you hope for people to show up to your events. When people don't show up, it's disappointing. When you've made reservations and have no-shows, it is embarrassing. Both of these women had been what I had been through in New York and seemed like they needed a break from their groups but were still interested. After meeting with both of them, I am hoping to join forces to revitalize the celiac disease support community and make an even bigger and better group in Santa Cruz County!

Community and support is such an important part of the celiac disease journey. I can't tell you how many people I've met over the years that tell me they felt lonely and like they were the only one in the world with celiac disease. They met just one person that they can talk about gluten-free with, and their whole perspective changes. They suddenly realize they are no longer alone and that someone understands EXACTLY what they are dealing with being on a medical gluten-free diet.

Given my own personal journey for a support community as well as the desire to help others, I created the Santa Cruz Celiac Facebook group. My plans with this group are to build both an online support system as well as coordinate in-person events for people in Santa Cruz and surrounding areas for people with celiac disease. If you or anyone you know will benefit this group, please feel free to join. In coming months, I will definitely host face-to-face events for the community. Thanks for sharing and hope to meet you all soon!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/santacruzceliac/

Save the Date: Gluten-Free Fun with the Santa Cruz Socialites

One of my biggest worries about moving out of NYC to California was losing my gluten-free network and friends. I worked years to build a strong gluten-free community both in person and online and I was concerned that leaving New York would break those bonds. But then I realized so much of my support system is through this website and my social media channels, making me quite location independent. My readers (YOU) all sent so many kind words and I received a ton of encouragement through my NYC Celiac Meetup group. Soon I had Friends introducing me to friends, gluten-free locals making suggestions of where to eat, and so many of you giving me the motivation I needed after my cross country move!

For those of you who know me personally, you won't be surprised to hear that I dove head first into networking here in Santa Cruz, CA. I knew if I sat idle, I would have been even more homesick than I was. (Yes, it happened/happens. I miss NY!). I joined the Santa Cruz Challenge, a 12-week boot camp that lets me explore the beautiful west coast, meet others, and get a hardcore daily workout on the beach. One of the very first people I met through the Challenge was Monica Karst, the founder of Santa Cruz Socialites. The name alone struck me as very "Housewives of Santa Cruz" but it is the exact opposite. The Santa Cruz Socialites is a community and online directory of prominent and powerful female business owners across Santa Cruz County. Monica's mission with the Santa Cruz Socialites is to "bring the diverse women in our [Santa Cruz] community together, creating an empowering network of resources, education and inspiration." I left thinking I might have met my new West Coast people!

A few weeks after I initially met Monica, I met up with her again after one of my bootcamps. Covered in sand and sitting in the sun (yes, this is how I take my meetings now), I told Monica all about GlutenFreelancer, my gluten-free consulting business. I also told her about my years of living with celiac disease, my Gluten-Free Fun and Gluten-Free Globetrotter websites, and my gluten-free adventures. Immediately, she felt like I would be a good fit for the Santa Cruz Socialites community.

Each Tuesday morning, the Santa Cruz Socialites hold a "Take Away Tuesday" phone call full of information, inspiration, and motivation for entrepreneurs to use in life and business. I am thrilled to announce I am the guest host next Tuesday, March 1, 2016. I will share my gluten-free expertise and lifelong celiac experiences with the Santa Cruz Socialites community. I am so excited to introduce myself to the Santa Cruz Socialites network and hopefully make some new business connections here in Santa Cruz County!

The best news? You don't have to be a Santa Cruz Socialite to join in! You can dial in at 9am PST on Tuesday if you want to hear me make my Santa Cruz Gluten-Free Debut!

Santa Cruz Socialites 

TakeAwayTuesday with Erin Smith

9:00am PST 

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Dial in number: (712) 775-7031 

Meeting ID: 572-832-217

Help for the Gluten-Free Displaced by SoCal Fires

As seen on Gluten-Free NYC on 11/20/08

From Maryrose Hopke of the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF):

If you have celiac disease and have been displaced from your home by the recent fires in the Southern California area and are in need of assistance in finding gluten-free foods, please contact CDF at 818-990-2354. We're here to help!

Ener-G Foods to Support Victims of the S. California Wildfires

I just got back from a very interesting vacation in San Diego. My second day in So Cal there were over 5 wildfires burning in San Diego County. By my third day, more than 50% of my hotel was filled with fire evacuees. It was quite a scary time to be there, but I worked hard for my vacation and I decided to stay. I had to cancel my trip to Palm Springs since every way out of San Diego county that I had planned for was blocked by fires. I wanted to avoid driving through any potential unsafe zones, so I extended my time in San Diego. Let me tell you, it isn't a bad place to be "trapped" but I just wish it had been under different circumstances. People were enormously generous to the over 500,000 evacuees but I couldn't help but wonder what people with Celiac Disease were to do when most of the food donated was stuff we couldn't eat. David, of Gluten-Free NYC, posted about gluten-free food for evacuees and I think it is important to get the word out.

Today while I was searching the internet, I also found out that Ener-G Foods is coordinating food donations with the Celiac Disease Foundation and the American Red Cross to help those on restricted diets. People affected by the wildfires can contact the Celiac Disease Foundation for more information on how to obtain these donated foods:

Celiac Disease Foundation
Elaine Monarch
www.celiac.org
1-818-990-2354
cdf@celiac.org

If you wish to contribute to the Disaster Relief Fund, please contact:

American Red Cross
PO Box 37243
Washington DC 20013
www.redcross.org
1-800-REDCROSS

Please consider donations specifically for the California Wildfire Disaster Relief Fund. From being there, I know first hand the devastation these people are going through. My heart and prayers go out to Southern California.