Jenna ArdaizBrown

Meet Your Local CSA: Harvest Fields Organic Farm

May 16, 2017 by Jenna Ardaiz-Brown Leave a Comment

The fantastic rain we got over the winter combined with our world-renowned amounts of sunshine make the FresYes area a produce bonanza right now. What better time to bump up your fruit and veg consumption with a subscription to a CSA box?

In the last few weeks, I’ve been introducing you to CSA (community-supported agriculture) services here in the Valley. I’ve covered Ooooby Fresno and The Farmer’s Daughter CSA. Today, the CSA parade continues with Harvest Fields Organic Farm!

Harvest Fields Organic Farm at a Glance

Website: Found here

Contact: (559) 824-4506

Pick up/Home Delivery: Both. They’ll deliver to your door every Tuesday, or you can pick up at various Fresno locations or at the farm.

Box Sizes Available:
• Standard mini box – $15 (5-7 items)
• Standard small box – $22 (8-10 items)
• Standard large box – $30 (10-12 items)
• Custom box – minimum $22 (You pick whatever you want from their web store.)

Just FYI: Harvest Fields Organic Farm is unique. They’re a non-profit that operates as part of a school campus here in Fresno. The CSA is run by four people, but students and volunteers are heavily involved in the process of growing beautiful produce as part of their education.

Tomatoes as far as the eye can see!

Harvest Fields Organic Farm Questions Answered

Like with Ooooby Fresno and Farmer’s Daughter, I sent out some questions to Harvest Fields and here’s what I got back, courtesy of Director David Obermiller.

Jenna Ardaiz-Brown: What path led you to starting up your business?

David Obermiller: My belief is that agriculture plays an important part of education in America. Connecting kids with hands-on learning. Kids get to learn where food comes from, and how it grows.

What’s your favorite aspect of running a CSA?

Being connected with the customer and seeing the process of “farm to plate.” We love serving people with their practical daily needs.

Your personal favorite product you include in the boxes is…?

I love fruits, our navel oranges especially. By the way, I think we have the sweetest oranges in Fresno!

What sets your business apart?

This is a mission-driven farm. Our goal is to educate our children and adults via agriculture. We also have plans in the near future to provide gardening workshops, organic cooking schools, and much more. We are here to serve the communities of the Fresno area.

What the heck am I supposed to do with all this fennel?!!

What is fennel? Just kidding! We have the options for our customers to customize their box. If they don’t want it, they don’t have to get it.

Peak produce season is gearing up fast. If you’d like to give CSA boxes a try, this would be the perfect time to give it a shot and see what all the fuss is about! And don’t forget: there’s one more CSA I’ll be profiling in this series. Next time: Abundant Harvest Organics.

Break The Barriers Challenges Expectations While Advocating for Ability Awareness

May 15, 2017 by Jenna Ardaiz-Brown 1 Comment

4 p.m. is go time at Break the Barriers.

I’d arrived for my tour at 3 p.m., during a slight lull in the action. Chief of Operations Jared Hergenrader informed me I’d just missed the veterans. A dedicated group comes in daily, as BTB is one of only three Adaptive Sports Facilities that caters to veterans in California.

As we chatted, kids started streaming in. Chatting in groups, some were walking, some moved in wheelchairs, and some were striding along on one or two prosthetic blades. I felt somewhat foolish being wowed because inclusion for everyone while challenging abilities and possibilities is just another day for the Hergenrader family and the crew of staff and volunteers at Break The Barriers.

A Personal Journey Inspires the Creation of Break the Barriers

Break The Barriers is a Fresno institution. It began when Deby Mullen Hergenrader, a National Gymnastics Champion, was inspired by her sister Kathy’s journey. Kathy was born with Down Syndrome, and learned gymnastics initially by emulating Deby. Eventually, she progressed to winning multiple gymnastics medals in the Special Olympics.

What began with Deby’s personal quest for inclusion of all abilities through athletics has grown by leaps and bounds to become an amazing and ever-growing demonstration of ability awareness here in Fresno and beyond. The Break The Barriers performing teams routinely inspire people of all abilities across the country and throughout the world.

A Program For All Interests & Abilities

During my tour, Jared and program director Kyle Carlson took me through the whole facility. While watching a quick video presentation, I noticed the mirrors and springiness of the floor and realized the auditorium and performance space doubles as a dance and movement space. A good thing too, because they’ve already outgrown it as a performance venue!

Every room in BTB does double or triple duty, and for good reason. Over 26 different programs are taught here, from Archery to Swimming, Martial Arts to Gymnastics, Reading to Sign Language. There are also groundbreaking Veterans, Buddy, and Hope programs.

The sprawling facility is anchored by an expansive gymnastics floor. As we watched a group in action, Jared discussed BTB’s practice of teaching some sign language as part of the curriculum. Once again, the ultimate goal is inclusion, giving people of differing verbal abilities the means to communicate with their classmates.

The facility also includes a great chill-out area, originally intended for kids on the autism spectrum when they get overwhelmed and need a minute.

As we were chatting, Kyle was asked to demonstrate a gymnastics move. He excused himself, and 15 seconds later was vaulting effortlessly into the air, to the admiration of the kids on the mats. Then it was right back to business as usual, as the tour must go on!

I checked out the gym, a physical therapy room, and an area for more studious pursuits. The teacher was already in there, setting up tablets for the next reading class. The kid taking lessons in the outdoor pool gave us all a cheery wave as we passed by.

Velociraptor Target Practice

The only empty room in the facility was the archery area, which has targets on every wall and, well, a velociraptor in the corner.

I just had to ask about the proverbial elephant in the room (AKA the velociraptor), and they explained that it’s used as a moving target, particularly by those with vision challenges. They can track the velociraptor and base their aim on auditory cues.

In order to figure out how to teach the skill, Kyle said the instructors spent quite a bit of time practicing shooting arrows at the velociraptor while blindfolded. Just another day at BTB!

How to Get Involved with Break the Barriers

Ready to get inspired?

Break The Barriers is located at 8555 N. Cedar Ave, Fresno, CA 93720. Give them a call at (559) 432-6292 to schedule a tour, or ask about their upcoming classes and day camps. You can also check out their website at http://breakthebarriers.org/.

[All photographs provided courtesy of Break The Barriers. Used with permission.]

Meet Your Local CSA: The Farmer’s Daughter CSA

April 25, 2017 by Jenna Ardaiz-Brown Leave a Comment

Last week, I introduced you to Community-Supported Agriculture, aka CSA, which is basically a way to take advantage of all the great fresh produce grown here in the Central Valley through subscription boxes. If you missed that, you should check it out here, and read all about Ooooby Fresno, the first of four CSAs I’m profiling.

This week, I’ll be looking at another contributor to the Community-Supported Agriculture scene here in FresYes: The Farmer’s Daughter CSA, which is based out of Kingsburg, CA.

Bounty from The Farmer’s Daughter CSA!

The Farmer’s Daughter CSA at a Glance

Website: Found here

Contact: (559) 994-9938

Pick up/Home Delivery: Pick up locations in Fresno and Clovis, Home Delivery for a small surcharge ($25 for 8 deliveries) in Fresno on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

Box sizes available:

• Organic Small Box, 8 different items. $18
• Organic Large Box, 12 different items. $32

Just FYI: Boxes are customizable but are slightly more expensive than the pre-selected version. Add-ons range from honey and jam to sea salt and extra virgin olive oil.

Heirloom Tomatoes, direct to your door!

The Farmer’s Daughter Questions Answered

Kristi Bravo is the dynamo behind The Farmer’s Daughter CSA, and she took some time out of her jam-packed schedule to answer my barrage of questions.

Jenna Ardaiz-Brown: What path led you to starting up your business?

Kristi Bravo: My family and I began KMK Organic Farms in the early 1990s. I played college basketball and graduated in 2008. I was working as a personal trainer when I went to work one day to a sign on the door saying it had closed.

I drove back to what was familiar and began working on the family farm again. I did seven farmer markets a week during my high school years. My dad and I decided to start the CSA by demand by our customers and also as a way for me to create a job for myself, and I then became a customer of the family farm, rather then an “employee,” which fit better for our family dynamic.

What’s your favorite aspect of running a CSA?

Supporting family farms. I understand firsthand how many different hats our farmers wear, and I can help them out by selling their produce for them and allow them more time doing what they love.

Your personal favorite product you include in the boxes is…?

It changes as the season changes. I love be in tune with the seasons and the food that is provided to us during that season.

What sets your business apart?

I offer home delivery and allow customers to place custom orders, and, behind the scenes, it’s just me. I coordinate all the orders, pick up for the local farmers, and deliver them to my customers. Everyone is always surprised to actually see “me” deliver their box to them.

“What the heck am I supposed to do with all this fennel?!!”

Rachael Ray has several fennel recipes that rock! I love it thinly sliced in my salads.

What’s your favorite and least fave fruit or veggie?

Asparagus is probably my favorite, but that is probably ’cause we are knee-deep in the season. I’m always looking forward to what’s coming into season. Lately I’ve been eating my weight in strawberries.

Look at those perfect strawberries!

You definitely owe it to yourself to check out the bounty offered at The Farmer’s Daughter CSA. As a side note, this is the CSA I went with when I came back to Fresno five years ago. I loved the flexibility of the ordering system, and the produce selection was always beautiful.

Remember: this is the second of four profiles I’m doing on local CSAs, so make sure to check in during the next couple of weeks for profiles on Abundant Harvest Organics and Harvest Fields Organic Farm!

Meet Your Local CSA: Ooooby Fresno

April 18, 2017 by Jenna Ardaiz-Brown 2 Comments

I don’t think you’ll get any arguments from the people of FresYes when it comes to the stance that we have incredible access to amazingly fresh local produce.

Somehow though, it’s still a mind bender to realize other regions just don’t have the options we have here.

My husband spent a few months in Mississippi for work and realized how spoiled we are here. He noted that as a rule, the produce where he was seemed smaller, the selection was more limited, and it was considerably more expensive. He got all excited when he finally spotted a beautiful cantaloupe. Coincidentally, there was a sticker from a farm in Turlock on it. Quite a journey for a melon!

Part of the charm of our Valley is the gorgeous seasonal produce available. Who else loves to spot fruit and veggie stands that pop up on the side of the road on a regular basis? (Strawberries, anyone?)

You can even get hands-on and visit a U-pick farm, harvesting fruit with your own two hands. During peak growing season, there are farmers markets going on somewhere in FresYes every single day of the week.

But if you really want to dip your toe into seasonal eating, get an impromptu tour of what the San Joaquin Valley has to offer, and maybe try new some new things, I maintain there’s no better way to do that than a subscription to a CSA box.

What is a CSA Box?

CSA stands for “Community-Supported Agriculture.” The general premise is that you cut out the middleman, calculate roughly what your household goes through in a set period of time, and subscribe to get your goodies directly from a farmer or collective of farmers.

Voila! A box with pre-selected, seasonal local produce magically arrives, either at your door, or at a drop-off location for you to pick up.

Some CSAs are more than just fruits and veggies. Eggs, local honey, jams and jellies, herbs, and even meat is sometimes offered as an add-on option for subscribers. There are usually recipes included as well, just in case you’re stymied by kohlrabi.

You’ll still have to get your bananas at Save Mart or wherever, but in my experience, getting a CSA box makes meal planning kind of an adventure. And let’s face it, who couldn’t use more fresh fruit and veg in their eating routine?

Sound intriguing? Great! Let’s explore some of the local CSAs. Since there are a few to choose from, I’ve decided to focus on one at a time, giving each their due. This week, I’ll be highlighting Ooooby Fresno.

Ooooby bonanza

Ooooby Fresno At a Glance

Website: https://www.ooooby.org/

Contact: (559) 674-2642

Pick up or home delivery? Pick up. There are Ooooby drop sites all over Fresno.

Box sizes available:

Small: 1-2 fruits, 6-7 vegetables. $16
Medium: 2-3 fruits, 8-9 vegetables. $21
Large: 3-4 fruits, 9-10 vegetables. $28
Oooober Box: 3-4 fruits, 11-13 vegetables, occasional speciality items. $35

Ooooby is always ready to sweeten the deal!

Ooooby accepts EBT and gives EBT discounts. Boxes are customizable to an extent; your preferences are catered to. Extras are easy to add, and Ooooby has goodies ranging from dried fruit to eggs, chocolate, honey, and even flour.

Ooooby Fresno Questions Answered

As usual, I just had to ask a few hard-hitting questions about Ooooby. Kiel Schmidt of Food Commons Fresno was good enough to get back to me with some great answers!

JAB: What path led you to starting up your business?

KS: Ooooby Fresno was started as the first step to transition the operation of the T&D Willey Farms as Tom and Denesse retired. In May 2015, we transitioned the operation of their CSA to a Food Commons Fresno operation. In January 2017, we completed the transition of their 75-acre organic farm in Madera into our operation.

What’s your favorite aspect of running a CSA?

We have a great team that really enjoys connecting our local organic farms to families and individuals across the region.

Your personal favorite product you include in the boxes is…

Organic strawberries! Strawberry season has begun!

What sets your business apart?

Many things. We are a great price and accept EBT and Everyone Eats fund to help everyone afford our region’s bounty. Additionally, Ooooby Fresno’s parent company is Food Commons Fresno. That places it within a larger strategy to build a robust local food system with community ownership as the backbone.

What the heck am I supposed to do with all this fennel?!!

Fennel has a great licorice flavor and is fun to chew raw. Beyond that, it is great sliced thin in a salad or roasted with other veggies. We have a few fennel recipes on our website here.

What’s your favorite and least fave fruit or veggie?

Favorite fruit is strawberry, favorite veggie is Brussel sprouts. As far as least favorite, we don’t have one, there is always a way to prepare fruits and veggies to be delicious. We really enjoy exploring new and seasonal flavors.

CSAs sound pretty great so far, right? Over the next few weeks, I’ll focus on The Farmer’s Daughter CSA, Abundant Harvest Organics, and Harvest Fields Organic Farm, so make sure to look for those.

[Want to know even more about Ooooby? Check out this FresYes feature from last year!]

Fresno Ideaworks Mini Maker Faire is Sunday at Chukchansi Park

April 4, 2017 by Jenna Ardaiz-Brown Leave a Comment

That’s what it’s all about!

Are you a multi-tasker? Are you a fan of ingenuity, baseball, or both? If so, look no further. I’ve found the perfect event for you.

Fresno’s 5th annual Mini Maker Faire, hosted by Fresno Ideaworks, is coming up on Sunday, April 9. Ideaworks puts together this event every year, and it’s an amazing chance to get inspired and check out tinkerers and experts in everything from robotics, to woodworking, to glass blowing, to fiber arts… and everything in between. Basically, if it’s creative and hands-on in Fresno, you’ll see it exhibited at the Mini Maker Faire.

The fair takes place at Chukchansi Park during a Fresno Grizzlies baseball game, which is like getting two events for the price of one! Admission is the price of a baseball ticket (for the record, the least expensive Grizzlies tickets are seven bucks each).

However, in the spirit of Makers everywhere, if you bring your own DIY cardboard creation (check out ideas here), admission is free.

Head out to Chukchansi Park and get inspired.

Glass creations

Fresno Ideaworks is Growing its Reach

Fresno Ideaworks is going full steam ahead right now. The Mini Maker Faire is the culmination of tons of planning and hours of elbow grease by makers all over Fresno. In addition to this event, the Ideaworks crew is planning two concurrent moves; they just announced plans for a second location in Clovis, and due to planned renovations at their downtown Fresno shop, they’re moving into temporary digs right across the way.

Makers in action at Ideaworks!

In spite of all this, I managed to track down Scott Kramer, president at Fresno Ideaworks, to ask him to answer a few questions (some serious, some… not) for me.

Considering that he’d spent much of the day helping to power wash the floor in the new Fresno shop, he was surprisingly chipper.

Me: I know you were inspired to begin what turned into Ideaworks by attending a Maker Faire in the Bay Area. I’ve been to it myself, and the event is enormous. What do you consider to be the main advantage of the “Mini” version?

Scott Kramer: Mini Maker Faires provide two things that I think are important to a community that big flagship events like San Mateo can’t. First, accessibility to those who, for one reason or another, can’t make the trip to San Mateo. But, more importantly, Minis provide an opportunity for people to see the astonishing and amazing things that are being made right in their own community.

The Maker Movement isn’t something that’s happening in the Bay Area or New York… it’s right next door and each and every person that comes to the Fresno Mini Maker Faire gets to see what can be done here.

How many years has the Mini Maker Faire event been going on in Fresno?

This will be the fifth Mini Maker Faire. It also marks our seventh large-scale Maker Event, including two years of “Ideaworks Day” at Chukchansi Park.

I’m not asking you to play favorites, but what are some of the Faire aspects, activities, and exhibits you enjoy the most?

Anything built by a kid blows my doors off! This year, we’ve got a young inventor who made a solar panel cleaning robot. I’ve had the privilege to see his project evolve over the past couple of years and it’s inspirational to see the way he has continued to push past snags and to grow his vision.

Another highlight for me is to see people leverage technology or even refine old-school tech and to leverage it against social needs we face as a society. Things from greener vehicles and more efficient living to reuse and re-purposing materials rather than sending them off to a landfill. The abundance of opportunities to live cleaner lives and do more for ourselves gives me hope.

As the event takes place at Chukchansi Stadium, have you decided what to nab from the snack bar? Rumor has it they’re now serving something called the “Oink, Cluck, Moo,” which I’m guessing isn’t a vegetarian option. Or you could go with the “Taco Tots.” What sounds good?

There’s no way I can eat five over-stuffed hot dogs in one day. But a deep and powerful part of me needs to eat these things! All’s I know is that before the season is out, I will have eaten each of these a minimum of once and, likely, a couple of them more than I dare admit!

A young Fresnan getting creative!

Event Details

What: Mini Maker Faire
When: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Game starts at 1:05 p.m.
Where: Chukchansi Park, 1800 Tulare St., Fresno
How to buy tickets: Tickets are available on the Fresno Grizzlies website.

Come on out, stroll through the exhibits, check out the new culinary creations at Chukchansi Park, and watch the Grizzlies (hopefully) knock the stuffing out of the Reno Aces! Sounds like a great Sunday, right? Hopefully I’ll see you out there.

All photos provided courtesy of Fresno Ideaworks. Used with permission.

Fresno’s Manna Café is a Gluten-Free Paradise

March 28, 2017 by Jenna Ardaiz-Brown Leave a Comment

Voila! Breakfast (and lunch) is served.

Sometimes, you just want a go-to breakfast spot. Someplace a little more upscale than say, Denny’s, but not too fancy-schmancy, mimosas with everything, that kind of deal. (Not that I have anything against a good mimosa. But you know what I mean.)

I ran across just such a place by accident last weekend. Occasionally, amazing things can happen just when you Google “Fresno gluten-free donuts.”

How Food Allergies & Great Word-of-Mouth Turned a Business Around

Located in north Fresno, Manna Café is a little off the beaten track, which is probably why they struggled at first.

I spoke at length with our server Chez about what turned things around for this family-owned local business.

According to Chez, a lot of their initial traffic had to do with the same reason my family was there: food allergies. His mom Catherine, who does the cooking at Manna, was diagnosed with celiac disease when the restaurant was just starting out. Thanks to her, pretty much all the food in the restaurant can be modified to be gluten-free.

Eventually, word-of-mouth drove their business, along with glowing reviews on Yelp and Trip Advisor. Gluten-free or not, the place has a great family vibe, which is why it has so many returning customers.

Check out the specials! What’s good? Basically, everything.

What to Order at Manna Café

The restaurant serves breakfast all day, both in house and take-out. Chez commented that they have lots of regulars, and they’ve become like family. Manna Café is actually so busy, they’re opening a second location at 6095 N. Figarden Dr. (where the old Starbucks used to be on the Bullard loop) this spring.

“Okay, great,” I hear you saying. “But is the food legit?”

For that, I need a YES, preferably in big red letters.

As I mentioned, Manna Café serves breakfast all day. The extensive menu includes staples such as bacon and eggs, and numerous types of omelets, as well as a breakfast burrito, breakfast sandwich, breakfast burger, and griddle favorites such as waffles, pancakes, and a Texas bread French toast — again, most of it gluten-free, if preferred.

If you’re looking for lunch, there are numerous burgers, sandwiches, and salads to choose from, as well as specialties like fish and chips, tacos, and hot dogs. Dessert in the form of ice cream, shakes, and pie rounds off your meal. (Check out the full menu here.)

And about that food: It’s the best breakfast I’ve had in awhile, which is saying something. I love me a good breakfast, and being able to order stuff many people wouldn’t think twice about was a huge bonus!

My husband decided whatever he was getting needed to involve pancakes, so he chose the “444 Breakfast,” which includes four eggs, four gluten-free (if you choose) pancakes, and four pieces of bacon. Depending on who you are, this either sounds ridiculous or amazing (if it sounds ridiculous, you can order the “222 Breakfast” — same thing, only half the portion.)

I suspect my kid finds the 444 Breakfast amazing.

I decided to mix things up a little and went with the Huevos Rancheros, which is also available in a gluten-free option. It was wonderful. I took a photo just for this article, but seeing it again is making me consider getting it framed.

Huevos Rancheros. Totally frameworthy.

We both loved our meals. The portions were huge and there was no way I could finish mine. I needed a box because, let’s face it, the whole reason we were there was to check out the baked goods.

Cobbler, pie, cake, coffee cake, cheesecake, muffin, brownie, and biscuits are all available — and all gluten-free. One blueberry muffin and a slice of cinnamon pecan coffee cake later, and we were officially sold. We are definitely looking forward to our next breakfast at Manna Café!

Om nom nom nom!

The Details

Manna Café is located at 10063 N. Maple Ave. in Fresno (cross streets: Maple/Behymer). They’re open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., 7 days a week. If you’re pressed for time, call ahead; they offer a 20-minute lunch option.

Head on by, grab a burger or breakfast, and tell them FresYes sent you!

Here Are 5 Places You Can Learn to Swim in Fresno

March 21, 2017 by Jenna Ardaiz-Brown Leave a Comment

Summer in FresYes (or at least, very hot weather) is coming up fast. Spending the day keeping cool in the pool is a time-honored way to coast through those 100+ degree days that are inevitably coming our way.

And while we are still currently enjoying the blossoming trees and the respite between the rain and the heat, it’s also the official time of year to sign up for swim lessons.

If you have a beginning swimmer in your house (or if that swimmer is you), you’ve probably been looking into resources to help get out of those water wings and into full-on free swimming.

Here is a list of swim instructors in the Fresno and Clovis area that will help you or your little one level up from “Minnow” to “Shark” before you know it.

The Jan Thomas Swim crew is ready for 2017! (photo: Jan Thomas)

1. Jan Thomas Swim School

I learned to swim at this school in the (gulp) 1970s, and now my son is learning here too! Talk about a tried-and-true option: Jan Thomas Swim School has been a Fresno fixture for 59 years.

Price:
Baby and Me: Ages 9 months to 21 months, $130 for 8 lessons (30 min. each)
Private lessons: All Ages, $460 for 10 lessons (30 min. each)

Open: May 1 to August 3

Ages: 9 months and up

Location: 1849 N. Willow Ave., Clovis, CA 93619

Contact: (559) 299-2468

Hints and Highlights: The Duck Hut sells fun toys and snacks in case your little swimmer needs some extra encouragement. Register ASAP; lessons only take place within a brief window, and classes fill up fast! There’s a small “medal ceremony” on the last day of classes. They automatically take underwater photos, and there is a fee to have the pics emailed to you.

Website: Jan Thomas Swim School

2. Jamie’s School of Fish

Price:
Annual Registration fee of $25 per family.
Baby and Me: Ages 6 months to 15 months, 5 children per class, $88 for 8 sessions (30 min. each).
Toddler and Me: Ages 15 months to 34 months, 5 children per class, $88 for 8 sessions (30 min. each).
Private lessons: $298 per session, ages 2 and up (20 min. each).
30-minute group: $158 per session, ages 4 and up, 3 children per class.
Autism spectrum 30-minute private: $298 per session, all ages.

Open: Year round, depending on which location you prefer. Classes are broken up into two-month-long “sessions.”

Ages: 6 months and up

Location and contact: This school has locations in Clovis, Fresno and Modesto. See here for location details and phone numbers.

Highlights: Small class sizes, several locations to choose from, accommodation for children with special needs.

Website: Jamie’s School of Fish

3. Break the Barriers

Price:
New Student Registration Fee: $35
One Group Lesson per week: $144 for 8 lessons
One Private Lesson per week: $280 for 8 lessons

Open: 2017 Spring Semester is April 17 to June 10. It’s split into two sessions of 8 lessons if you choose to attend twice a week, or one session of 8 lessons for students attending once a week.

Ages: 6 months and up

Location: 8555 N. Cedar Ave. Fresno, CA 93720

Contact: (559) 432-6292

Highlights: Break the Barriers is an amazing resource with an impressive local impact. The school teaches many other classes besides swimming, and are dedicated to providing equal access to those with special needs, and those without.

Website: Break the Barriers

Adam Schmall takes lessons in Bullfrog’s indoor pool (photo: Jennifer Schmall)

Bullfrog Swim School

Price:
10 Private Lessons, $395
20 Private Lessons, $595
These lessons can be shared with a friend or family member at no extra cost.

Open: Year round

Ages: 6 months and up. The school teaches older adults.

Location: 6065 N. Thesta St., Fresno, CA 93710

Contact: (559) 281-8650

Highlights: Bullfrog Swim School has two locations, one of which is a private home (if you’d like extra privacy, this is the way to go.) The school emphasizes teaching new swimmers how to save themselves if they fall into a pool, and it has someone on staff to specifically cater to students with special needs.

Website: Bullfrog Swim School

Amy Morris Swim School

Price: $25 registration fee, which includes t-shirt and award.
Baby and Me, ages 6 months to 22 months, $160 for 8 lessons (25 min.s each)
Private lessons, $375 for 10 lessons (30 mins. each) or $40 per individual lesson.

Open: Spring/Summer Session, May 1 to August 3. Fall Session, 8/28/17.

Ages: 6 months and up

Location: 1757 Jordan Ave., Clovis, CA 93611

Contact: (559) 299-8080

Highlights: Pool is heated to 88 degrees, underwater photos available upon request, award upon completion of session.

Website: Amy Morris Swim School

Alexander and I at Mommy and Me lessons at Jan Thomas Swimming School last year

Hope you all feel prepared to hit the pool and soak up some fun in the sun! No pool handy? No problem. Check out this FresYes list of public pools.

The Better Blackstone Association Brings Improvements to Fresno, Starting with a Cooking Expo

March 14, 2017 by Jenna Ardaiz-Brown 4 Comments

Have you heard of the Better Blackstone Association?

Made up of leaders from businesses, institutions, and neighborhoods along the Blackstone Corridor, its mission is to make Blackstone Avenue “a successful place for expanding and starting businesses, safe and clean neighborhoods, mixed-use developments, rapid transit systems, and convenient services, recreation, and entertainment that meet everyday needs.”

Essentially, the goal is to bring the Blackstone community together while focusing on local highlights and promoting positive improvements as a group. “A better Blackstone means a better Fresno,” as the group’s website says.

One of the ways the Better Blackstone Association promotes positive improvements is by creating events along the corridor, such as a recent multicultural food expo in Manchester Center.

Manchester Center all dressed up for “What’s Cooking, Fresno?”

Bites on Blackstone

“What’s Cooking Fresno: Bites on Blackstone” is an event that pulls together local arts and crafts, cultural performers, vendors and exhibitors, and entertainment by Cerro Negro. Not to mention, delicious food! It’s as great as it sounds.

I attended the March 12 event, which was a celebration of soup. If you missed that one, don’t worry—another will take place Sunday, April 2. That one will focus on “stuffed, wrapped, and rolled delights” — seriously, how fantastic does that sound? Details below.

Now THIS is how you do 11 herbs and spices! Eat your heart out, Col. Sanders.

The expo was set up near the carousel, and when we got there early on, it was already bustling with activity. Walking up to the entrance was a treat for the senses. Delicious food aromas wafted through the air, giant flowers hung from the upper level, and people meandered from booth to booth happily tasting and talking as they completed the difficult but important task of establishing which booth and which country had brought the tastiest soup to the table.

There were lots of activities to peruse while you sampled your soup. The setup allowed you to hang out and watch cooking demos up front, helpfully bolstered by a big screen so everyone could catch a close up of the detail work of each chef.

Vendors also lined the walls, bringing gorgeous textiles and local art to the party — or in the case of local artist Jason Bonilla, silk-screening of both t-shirts and tortillas with equal aplomb. (Nutella silk-screening on tortillas is underrated as an artistic medium.)

Silk screening by master Jason Bonilla

A young lady gets her caricature done while food demos are in full swing.

Multicultural performers were there to entertain the hungry crowd.

It was really cool to get to see and sample so many diverse cultural cuisines in one concentrated spot. Sancocho, Jackfruit Soup, Daikon Soup with Spareribs, Southern Vegetable Soup, and Southern Chili were just a few of the contenders at the tasting booths.

In the end, Southern Chili was the big winner, beating out the Daikon Sparerib Soup by just ONE vote!

I’ve never seen the interior of a jackfruit before, much less considered making soup out of one!

How to Attend the Next Cooking Expo

Want to put in your two cents at the next cooking expo?

The March event sold out, so you’ll want to make sure to get your tickets in advance. (Again, the next theme is “stuffed, wrapped, and rolled treats” from around the globe, so you know it’s gonna be amazing.)

If you’d like to check out “What’s Cooking Fresno? Bites on Blackstone: Stuffed, Wrapped, and Rolled Delights,” it’s coming up on Sunday, April 2, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Manchester Center.

Tickets are $5 and are available through the Better Blackstone Association website or through Eventbrite. For details, call (559) 485-1416.

Hope to see you there!