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Local Love – Patio Eats Edition

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Jason Farris
Head YES man at FresYes.com
I grew up in Fresno. Relaxed in its calm breezes, listened with my dad to the crack of the bat at little league baseball games when I was a kid and now take my son to do the same at minor league games. I broadened my mind at its schools (I went to high school right here at San Joaquin Memorial, and to college at Fresno State!) I love that if I drive for two hours in one direction, I can be in the mountains. For two hours in another, luxuriating on a California beach. I can enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere of San Francisco or Los Angeles, but still be able to come home to relaxation, calm, and quiet.

I love where I live, and I also love what I do. I'm lucky to be able to work in a profession in which I get to build relationships; one that has me meeting new people each and every day and helping them to build new lives in my beloved city. I'm lucky enough to work in a profession in which I can marry cutting-edge technologies and marketing techniques to good, old-fashioned, nose-to-the-grindstone work. I am lucky enough to work in a profession that allows me to work as an advocate for my clients; to use every tool at my disposal to get a job done well for them, and with as little stress and expense as possible.

I love my city. I love my job. One inspires my excellence for the other.

Fresno? I say FresYES
Latest posts by Jason Farris (see all)

Time to give a quick shout-out to locally-owned restaurants that are practicing incredible resolve and shifting their business to outdoor dining. Some have even gone the extra mile by bringing in shade structures and misters for their customers. We see you!

Check out our lists. There are so many (aren’t we lucky!). If we missed anyone please send Cassie a quick email at cassie@fresyes.com and we will get them added right away.

14689 Academy Oaks Ln, Clovis, CA 93619

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Jason Farris
Head YES man at FresYes.com
I grew up in Fresno. Relaxed in its calm breezes, listened with my dad to the crack of the bat at little league baseball games when I was a kid and now take my son to do the same at minor league games. I broadened my mind at its schools (I went to high school right here at San Joaquin Memorial, and to college at Fresno State!) I love that if I drive for two hours in one direction, I can be in the mountains. For two hours in another, luxuriating on a California beach. I can enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere of San Francisco or Los Angeles, but still be able to come home to relaxation, calm, and quiet.

I love where I live, and I also love what I do. I'm lucky to be able to work in a profession in which I get to build relationships; one that has me meeting new people each and every day and helping them to build new lives in my beloved city. I'm lucky enough to work in a profession in which I can marry cutting-edge technologies and marketing techniques to good, old-fashioned, nose-to-the-grindstone work. I am lucky enough to work in a profession that allows me to work as an advocate for my clients; to use every tool at my disposal to get a job done well for them, and with as little stress and expense as possible.

I love my city. I love my job. One inspires my excellence for the other.

Fresno? I say FresYES
Latest posts by Jason Farris (see all)

At the end of a long tree lined driveway is your Clovis country home, ready and waiting for you, your guests, family and friends. 

Built in 1996 with an exceptional level of craftsmanship, this 3,330 square foot home is being offered for sale by the original owners.  Positioned at the end of the developments culdesac, this  20 acre property, with sweeping views of the Sierra mountains is remarkable and includes everything a discerning buyer would expect from a premier property.

Click me for more information 🙂

If having a large functional kitchen for baked goods, prime cuts of meat and family gatherings is on this list, look no further. An enormous kitchen island with a single-slab butcher block countertop, stainless steel appliances, double gas oven/stoves, refrigerator and the ultimate luxury item for the kitchen, a butler’s pantry.

While the master bedroom with its en-suite luxurious bath and fireplace is a favorite in this house, the real showpiece is the 6000 square foot wrap-around porch with saw-cut detail – created by hand, this magnificent porch runs around the entire home.

The backyard is a true oasis, an entertainers dream with its large shimmering pool, It’s perfect for garden parties, wedding receptions or intimate fireside chats with friends.

The guest home, located at the end of the paved drive is not to be overlooked with it’s own wrap-around porch, kitchen and full bathroom. Perfect for a caretaker, friends, or family member.

Sitting just North of the seller owned solar system is a large three car garage for storage of classic cars, tractors, boats, atv’s, and outdoor recreation gear has you covered for safe storage 

Opening up your windows at the end of a long day and turning in for the night takes on a whole new meaning when instead of the sounds of cars driving by you turn to crickets, woodland birds, tawny owls, and the soft rustling of leaves in a cool breeze

All this is only a short drive to Clovis North and the best dining, shopping, and entertainment Fresno and Clovis have to offer.

FresYes Helps You Plan Your Staycation

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Sarah Soghomonian
TV Producer and fan of all things fabulous.Bulldog Born, Bulldog Bred!
Latest posts by Sarah Soghomonian (see all)

          The Cornoavirus has lots of people rethinking their summer vacation plans. Many are choosing to stay close to home. That doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun and create memories. FresYes has put together a list of places to consider for your “staycation”.

Forestiere Underground Gardens

The Forestiere Underground Garden is open daily and offers guided tours.

          Be a tourist in your own city. The Forestiere Underground Gardens is a California State Landmark. It welcomes travels from around the World, but most locals sadly have never been to it.

          Built in 1906, the Underground Gardens is located at 5021 W. Shaw Avenue in Fresno, near Highway 99.

          Baldassare Forestiere was a Sicilian immigrant and citrus grower. He built a vast network of rooms, tunnels and courtyards as a subterranean escape from the sweltering Central Valley summer heat using only shovels, picks and other hand tools.

          The fruit trees and grapevines he planted on the property are still thriving today.

          The Forestiere Underground Gardens is open daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The guided tours are one-hour long and reservations are required. They can be made online.

          Adults are $19. Seniors, college students, military and first responders are $17. Children ages 5-17 are $9 and children 4 and under are free.

Madera Wine Trail

          Madera County tasting rooms are open and ready to serve visitors. Nine wineries make up the Madera Wine Trail. You’ll find a variety of wine types; a mix of reds, whites and dessert wines.

          Ficklin Vineyards, San Joaquin Winery, Idle Hour Winery and Fasi Estate Winery are open daily.

          Toca Madera Winery, Papagni Wines and Birdstone Winery are open weekends.

          Quady Winery’s tasting room is closed, but they are offering curbside pickup. Westbrook Wine Farm is open by appointment only.

Catch up with friends while enjoying a glass of wine along the Madera Wine Trail.

Superior Dairy in Hanford

          Who doesn’t love ice cream on a hot summer day? Superior Dairy in Hanford has been serving up huge scoops of homemade ice cream since 1929.

          They offer traditional flavors like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry and fruit favorites like banana and lemon.

          Their banana splits and sundaes are large and perfect for sharing.

          The S-O-S, which stands for Superior Oversized Sundae, features seven huge scoops of ice cream with all the trimmings.

          Superior Dairy and its vintage dĂ©cor has been featured on several national television travel shows.

          Located at 325 N. Douty Street in downtown Hanford, it’s about a 40 minute drive from Fresno. 

          Or if you really want to up the experience, you could take the Amtrak train from downtown Fresno to downtown Hanford. A round-trip ticket is $16.

Come hungry! The banana split at Superior Dairy in Hanford is HUGE!

 Shaver Lake, Huntington Lake, Millterton Lake, Pine Flat Lake and Bass Lake

          The local lakes are open and offer plenty of opportunities for families looking to beat the heat in the water.

          Boat rentals are available at many of the locations. You can also rent things like jet skis, tubes, water skis and paddle boards.

          While Millerton Lake and Pine Flat Lake are designed more for the day trip visitor. There are logging opportunities around Shaver, Huntington and Bass Lake and lots of unique places to get a good meal.

Bass Lake is a great place to make memories with friends.

Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

          When was the last time you visited one of our National Parks? People come from all around the globe to visit and often times it’s been years since us locals have made the drive to these national treasures.

The redwoods of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park are breathtaking.

          With fewer European and Out-of -State travels visiting due to COVID-19, now is a great time to check them out.

          The parks are open with physical distancing and other precautions in place.

          Want to climb Half Dome? Now might be the best time to try. Yosemite is offering the opportunity through a daily lottery.

          To learn more about what’s open at Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks visit their websites.

Love Local Produce? Food 4 Thought will make your week!

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Natali Carrera
Natali Carrera is a devoted coffee addict who also loves her teenage son, her husband of 18 years and shopping small & local. She is the founder & CEO of parent support non-profit Success Together, Inc. and has been a freelance content creator for FresYes.com for 7 years. Natali is a lifelong Fresno resident, unrelenting cheerleader and Fresno State grad.
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Every time an out of state friend or family member visits, they always want to go shopping for fruits and vegetables, as they share that the produce they have access to pales in comparison to the fresh, ripe and generally affordable options we have here in the Central Valley. I love taking out-of-town guests to our Farmer’s Markets, especially.

We haven’t had guests since COVID-19 hit, however, our family still loves fresh produce and I recently learned of a great new way to acquire an abundance of local fruits and veggies at an incredibly affordable price! Food 4 Thought is a local business that specializes in providing locally sourced, in season produce to kids through school meal programs. Recently however Food 4 Thought began offering curated boxes filled with a variety of fruits and vegetables to the general public both via pop-up pick ups and home delivery (for a nominal delivery fee).

I decided to purchase one of their boxes and was super impressed with the quality and variety of items, especially for the price. For $19 I received 14 lbs of produce including mandarins, plums, plumcots, apricots, peaches, nectarines, blueberries, zucchini, yellow squash and broccoli. I chose to pick up my box from their pop-up location at 3938 Ann Avenue (nearest major cross streets are Willow and Ashlan. Pick up was super easy and there were additional pre-packed bags of specialty fruits like donut peaches that were available for purchase as well, if desired.

My actual purchased box of produce – all for $19. Isn’t it beautiful?

As of this week, Food 4 Thought is offering multiple types of fruit boxes which include a mixture of fruits and vegetables, just fruit, just vegetables and there are boxes with melons included now, too.

Image credit: Food 4 Thought
Image credit: Food 4 Thought
Image credit: Food 4 Thought
Image credit: Food 4 Thought

Food 4 Thought accepts multiple payment types including Venmo, which makes their contactless delivery service an especially great way to ensure high-risk or medically sensitive Fresno residents can still easily access fresh fruits and vegetables. Additionally, with so many encountering financial strain currently, this is also a wonderful way to ensure Fresno families still have access to great, fresh and nutrient-rich foods at affordable pricing – boxes are heartily packed and will feed a family for days.

Want to score a box of delicious local produce for yourself or send a box to a loved one? All of the details on pop-up locations (with some even as far as Coarsegold) and times as well as how to sign up for delivery are available on Food 4 Thought’s Facebook Page – so head on over, give them a follow and get your hands on a box pronto, I’m certain you’ll be glad you did!

Fresno County Wineries Welcome Back Tasters

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Sarah Soghomonian
TV Producer and fan of all things fabulous.Bulldog Born, Bulldog Bred!
Latest posts by Sarah Soghomonian (see all)

Staycations are all the rage this summer thanks to travel fears associated with COVID-19.

          Twelve wineries, two breweries and one distillery makes up the Vintners and Distillers of Fresno County. Each of the properties is back open for tastings and has social distancing and health precautions in place.

          FresYes has put together a list to help you plan your visit to these wonderful destinations located in our own backyard.

A. Nonini Winery

2640 N. Dickenson Ave., Fresno

Monday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Nonini family is fourth generation winemakers. They first started making wines in 1936 and offer a diverse variety to choose from.

Cardella Winery

41424 W. Panoche Road, Mendota

Monday – Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Cardella family has been involved in agriculture since coming to the Central Valley from Italy in 1902. Nathan Cardella studied Enology and Viticulture at Fresno State and in 2004 launched Cardella Winery with his dad. They are known for their premium artisan wines and picturesque tasting grounds.

A visit to Cardella Winery in Mendota is like a visit to the Italian countryside.

Engelmann Cellars

3275 N. Rolinda Ave., Fresno

Friday Evenings: Picnic in the Vineyard Park        

Weekends from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday nights at Engelmann Cellars features live music. Guests 21 and over can bring snacks, but no outside beverages or ice. Upcoming concerts include: Charros of Rock Unplugged (6/26), Midnight Run (7/3) and The Killer Dueling Pianos (7/11).

Fresno State Winery

5638 N. Chestnut, Fresno

Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 6  p.m.

Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Fresno State Farm Market is open daily and offers wine tastings of the Department of Viticulture and Enology products. While you’re there you can shop the other Fresno State grown and produced products, including the famous sweet corn.

Kings River Winery

4276 S. Greenwood Ave., Sanger

Weekends from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Weekdays by appointment

Owner Bob Bagdasarian was raised on the 40 acre farm that now features a beautiful tasting room. There are several upcoming events taking place at the facility, including:  Reading Between the Wines (6/28), Yoga, Wine and Vines (7/12, 7/26) and 2020 A Night at the Chef’s Table benefiting the American Cancer Society.

Lomac Winery

2674 N. Westlawn Ave., Fresno

Weekends from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Lomac’s refreshing Chardonnay and Rose are great for the hot summer days. The winery also features Moscato, Cabernet, Merlot and Pinot Noir wines.

Marechal Vineyards

1835 N. Zediker Ave., Sanger

Weekends from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Since the early 1900s the Marechal family has been farming in the Central Valley. This winery has small plates available for purchase, including: sandwiches, flatbreads and salads.

Marian Farms

2305 N .Rolinda Ave., Fresno

By Appointment: 559-276-6185

“From our soil to your glass” is the motto at Marian Farms. Their distilled spirits are made with the raw materials they grow, including Washington navel oranges and grapes.

Moravia Wines

3620 N. Bishop., Fresno

Friday from 6p.m. to 9 p.m.

Weekends from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy the weekly entertainment, food and sangria specials Friday nights at Moravia Wines. There’s a $5 cover charge. June 26th will feature Rich & Rick Classic Country and food from Quesadilla Gorilla. July 3rd a Veterans Celebration is planned with Dixieland Music and food from Dog Gone Good Dogs. July 16th is Elvis Night, featuring Jeremy Pearce’s Tribute to the King and food from Big Rigz BBQ.

Ramos Torres Winery

1665 Simpson St., Kingsburg

Weekends from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

This Friday, June 26th a special event is taking place at Ramos Torres Winery from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Vince Warner will perform and food will be available for purchase from Joe’s Steakhouse. A single plate is $15; a family of four can dine for $50. On July 31st, winemaker and owner, Oscar Ramos, presents Paella Night. This Taste of Spain will feature a Paella feast and live music by Merlinda Espinosa. Tickets are $25 per person.

Guests will have a Taste of Spain when they feast on Paella on July 31st.

Simonian Farms

2629 S. Clovis Ave., Fresno

Daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Taste wine in their Wine Tasting Saloon. While you’re there you can visit the Western Themed Town Museum and Animated Shooting Gallery.

Tioga Sequoia Brewing Co.

745 Fulton St., Fresno

Monday – Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Thursday – Saturday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

This local brewery was one of the first to open in downtown Fresno. They’re patio is known for being a great place to meet with friends.

Valley Oak Winery

11809 E. Belmond Ave., Sanger

Weekends from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Valley Oak Winery is the home of Ubick Vineyards. Their tasting room opened in 2017 and features eight red wine varieties.

Yribarren Family Vineyards

12333 W. Neilsen Ave., Kerman

By Appointment: 559-285-6122

The owners live on the property and are currently offering COVID-19 discounts on wines.

Ziveli Winery

5840 N. Biola, Fresno

Weekends from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Nale Family opened Ziveli Winery in 2016. Ziveli means cheers in Croatian.

559 Beer

356 Pollasky Ave. #100, Clovis

Thursday & Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The first microbrewery in Clovis is family owned and operated and features eight beers on tap.

Local Blood Center is First in the Nation at Producing Pathogen-Reduced Plasma from COVID-19 Patients

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Sarah Soghomonian
TV Producer and fan of all things fabulous.Bulldog Born, Bulldog Bred!
Latest posts by Sarah Soghomonian (see all)

The Central California Blood Center is the first blood center in the country to produce pathogen-reduced plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19. It’s now being used at local hospitals to help save lives.

          To help stop the COVID-19 outbreak, the FDA has expedited an experimental treatment involving using the plasma of patients who have recovered from the Coronavirus and injecting it in patients who are critically ill with the disease.

          Blood centers from across the nation have been asked to draw the plasma from recovered patients. This process called Apheresis Plasma donation is an existing component of blood bank operations.

           â€śFor us, the difference was that we’d been already set up to produce pathogen-reduced platelets,” said Ersilia Lacaze, of the Central California Blood Center. “So when the time came to collect plasma from recovered COVID patients, we knew we could move quickly, to make it pathogen-reduced plasma.”

          With the help of their partners at the CERUS Corporation, the Central California Blood Center became the first blood center in the nation to complete the process.

           â€śSimply put, it means that we are the leaders in the delivery of blood products for those who need it most: The patients of our Central Valley,” Lacaze said. “It also means that Fresno and the Central Valley were on the map nationally in the midst of several efforts to battle COVID-19.”

          Currently Community Medical Centers, Saint Agnes Medical Center and Kaweah Delta Health Care District are using the pathogen-reduced, convalescent plasma to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Hospitals outside of the Valley could also use the treatment in the future.

          “The hospitals are working with us on follow-up, success stories that I hope to share soon,” Lacaze said. “We are asking anyone who has recovered from COVID-19 and has been asymptomatic for at least 28 days to head to our website and complete the interest form that allows us to determine if they qualify for donation.”

          To learn more about donating plasma and the efforts of the Central California Blood Center to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, go to their website, DonateBlood.org.

          The Central California Blood Center started as the Valley Blood Bank in 1949. It’s grown to serving patients at 30 hospitals in Fresno, Tulare, Madera, Kings and Mariposa Counties.

          Between 5,000 to 6,000 pints of blood must be collected per month to meet the needs of patients in our Central Valley communities.

          To learn more about how you can donate blood visit their website.

Are you as excited as I am?!

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Jason Farris
Head YES man at FresYes.com
I grew up in Fresno. Relaxed in its calm breezes, listened with my dad to the crack of the bat at little league baseball games when I was a kid and now take my son to do the same at minor league games. I broadened my mind at its schools (I went to high school right here at San Joaquin Memorial, and to college at Fresno State!) I love that if I drive for two hours in one direction, I can be in the mountains. For two hours in another, luxuriating on a California beach. I can enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere of San Francisco or Los Angeles, but still be able to come home to relaxation, calm, and quiet.

I love where I live, and I also love what I do. I'm lucky to be able to work in a profession in which I get to build relationships; one that has me meeting new people each and every day and helping them to build new lives in my beloved city. I'm lucky enough to work in a profession in which I can marry cutting-edge technologies and marketing techniques to good, old-fashioned, nose-to-the-grindstone work. I am lucky enough to work in a profession that allows me to work as an advocate for my clients; to use every tool at my disposal to get a job done well for them, and with as little stress and expense as possible.

I love my city. I love my job. One inspires my excellence for the other.

Fresno? I say FresYES
Latest posts by Jason Farris (see all)

Sunny weather, the smell of BBQ on the grill, the sound of kids outside playing in the pool, more businesses being allowed to open up and serve our community, and of course the return of a hot real estate market!

Earlier this week I released some simple local real estate stats for the month of April – it’s a year over year comparison for existing single-family home sales in the cities of Fresno and Clovis. Check it out below –

Take a look at the first line, Average Sold Price is up almost $30,000! The Average Days on Market (how quick on average a home stays on the market before going under contract) is down by 10 days. So what’s going on here… it’s a supply/demand issue. With interest rates under 3.5%, it makes sense that there would be a lot of buyers looking to purchase a home right now (yes we are showing homes right now, we can do it virtual or with a private appointment). And while a buyer may pay a bit more for the home itself than a year ago, they are now able to escape high rent apartments and housing and build their own equity. Sellers are enjoying all the competition from buyers wanting to be the next owners of their homes. If you are thinking of selling your home, I kid you not, this is the time! We are putting more homes safely on the market each week using 3D tours and private showings with buyers that are required to wear masks and gloves. Text me if you have any questions on the market today 559-708-8768 – I’m here to help.

Local Love – The Complete Edition

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Jason Farris
Head YES man at FresYes.com
I grew up in Fresno. Relaxed in its calm breezes, listened with my dad to the crack of the bat at little league baseball games when I was a kid and now take my son to do the same at minor league games. I broadened my mind at its schools (I went to high school right here at San Joaquin Memorial, and to college at Fresno State!) I love that if I drive for two hours in one direction, I can be in the mountains. For two hours in another, luxuriating on a California beach. I can enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere of San Francisco or Los Angeles, but still be able to come home to relaxation, calm, and quiet.

I love where I live, and I also love what I do. I'm lucky to be able to work in a profession in which I get to build relationships; one that has me meeting new people each and every day and helping them to build new lives in my beloved city. I'm lucky enough to work in a profession in which I can marry cutting-edge technologies and marketing techniques to good, old-fashioned, nose-to-the-grindstone work. I am lucky enough to work in a profession that allows me to work as an advocate for my clients; to use every tool at my disposal to get a job done well for them, and with as little stress and expense as possible.

I love my city. I love my job. One inspires my excellence for the other.

Fresno? I say FresYES
Latest posts by Jason Farris (see all)

Each week since the pandemic hit we have put out a different guide, entitled, Local Love. Each guide has promoted a local business that is in need of our continued support during this uncertain time. We started by featuring Valley restaurants, continued to the South Valley, then we raised up a glass in cheers with our Happy Hour Edition, showed you our sweet tooth with a Dessert Edition, and recently decided it was time to work it all off with our Fitness Edition. These businesses still need our help (now more than ever) so we put it all together for you in one big guide that you can print out and work from #buylocal