Tuesday, April 13, 2010

“Jessica's farmer has a philosophy” plus 3 more

“Jessica's farmer has a philosophy” plus 3 more

Jessica's farmer has a philosophy

Posted: 12 Apr 2010 04:34 PM PDT

Pischer is a farmer. For 30 years he has owned and operated Jessica's Organic Farm, named after his daughter.

The farm is on 47th Street in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

Pischer said he wonders if the sustainability movement that seems to have taken the media by storm has really caused people to alter their lifestyles.

As a first step, he suggested considering the nature of man's relationship with the land.

"The question comes up -- what is the character of our bond with the Earth?" he said. "Maybe what is needed is for people to come together and look at what it is they are a part of."

Pischer's farm sells organic produce on Fridays and Saturdays at a stand on the property, at a booth at the Sarasota Downtown Farmers Market and to a few local co-ops.

He spends his days ordering and procuring supplies for the farm, preparing agendas for work assignments and making sure the fields are fertile and ready for planting.

Fourteen people work on the farm.

People hear about the farm stand largely by word of mouth, Pischer said, and some customers have been buying from him every weekend for 20 years.

Instead of using pesticides, Jessica's uses biological controls like ladybugs and other insects to maintain a balance in the fields so that insects that eat plants are kept in control. All produce grown at the farm is certified organic.

Alyson Noune worked as a farmhand at Jessica's for two years. She started the company Harvest Cycle that delivers produce from Jessica's to about 25 to 30 customers a week.

From day one, Noune said, her experience at Jessica's was unique.

"At first, work was very spiritual," she said. "To be a part of the process from seeding to eating, to be brought back to the ground and to nature was intense and powerful."

She said Pischer reads six or seven books a week and if workers don't share his philosophy, they "don't last a week" on the farm.

At her previous job as a teacher, people didn't talk about current events. Things are different at Jessica's.

"The people I worked with on the farm are some of the most intelligent people I have ever met," Noune said. "We have conversations in the field about Democracy Now programs and BBC broadcasts."

She said she is thankful to have been around the people, discussion and ideas while working for Jessica's.

"I felt less alone going to a job where people could talk about the biggest issues facing us today," Noune said.

Noune called Jessica's a "hidden gem." She added that the philosophy in the fields is not the only thing that makes it special.

"There is a night-and-day difference between food from Bill and food from the grocery store," Noune said.

Once the produce from Jessica's is harvested, customers flock to the farm stand to buy the organic items.

Jerry Musial splits his time between Maryland and Sarasota. He rides his bike several times a week, and his route takes him past Jessica's. His favorite things to buy are spinach and Swiss chard.

"I sauté them in a big pan with olive oil and garlic," Musial said. "Since they are so fresh, the leaves are overflowing out of the pan, but then they cook down. I like that they still have a little bit of crunch left to them and have a great green color."

When Musial buys produce, he brings his car, but he still rides his bike past the farm.

"I rode by the other day and counted nine people working in the far side of the field," he added. "They were all in a row planting something. It's just so beautiful. Everything is lined up and picture-perfect."

Pischer said he is proud that the customers appreciate the beauty of the crops growing in the fields and the fresh taste they experience when they eat Jessica's produce.

For the past three decades, he has worked toward his vision of producing organic food locally while treating the earth with respect. His philosophy never wavers, but remains constant, like the soil on which he stands.

"We have a stake in the community," Pischer said. "We are not looking for rapid expansion; we are looking to do a good job. We are looking to take care of the people who depend on us."

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New coach Aldrich brings hard-lined approach

Posted: 13 Apr 2010 12:06 AM PDT

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As of now, Watertown native Josh Hanson is the leading candidate for the No. 1 spot. The sophomore was the backup to Butler last year before a knee injury in a Week 5 loss to Minnesota-Duluth ended his season. Hanson had played in all five games up to that point, completing 8 of 14 throws for 100 yards, while rushing for 53 yards and a touchdown.

Ryan Schuetz, who threw a 67-yard touchdown pass on his only attempt of the season last year, and Tanner Foth, a 6-foot-5 freshman from Sully Buttes, also are getting snaps.

Butler was a 6-5 pocket passer; Hanson is a 5-11 scrambler, so if he secures the job that Aldrich says is his to lose, he'll bring a slightly different look to the position.

Of course, Tyler Schulte remains very much in the picture. The All-NSIC wide receiver has and will continue to see snaps under center - usually a series at a time, but Aldrich admits that if Hanson struggles, turning to Schulte as the full-time quarterback is an option, particularly with the depth the Vikings have at wide receiver.

"It's a consideration, but we have to look beyond this year, too," Aldrich said. "We want to get Josh as far along as we can, and if we don't feel like it's going where we want it to go, we can go to Tyler. I like knowing that we can put all our chips in with Tyler if we have to."

But Olinger says that solution isn't as easy as it sounds.

"I don't think people realize how Tyler affects things when he lines up at wide receiver," Olinger said. "Teams are just too afraid when we have him and Sam Holsen lined up together, so they have to play their safeties back and that leaves things open for us to really have success running the ball. We've used Tyler as the every-down quarterback before because we had to (due to injuries), but I think there are better situations we can be in."

Salem was heavily involved in the offense, while Aldrich basically had the defense to himself. Now, Olinger, along with offensive line coach Joe Evenson and wide receivers coach John Van Dam, will run the offense with only modest input from the head coach.

"I don't like to be micro-managed, so I won't do that to them," Aldrich says. "You interject when you feel like you have to, but I'm going to let them do what they do. That's the same way Brad was with me."

Still, Olinger expects Aldrich to make his presence felt - even on offense.

"I think he's going to want to take more shots than Brad did," Olinger says. "That's just more of his mentality. He's a gambler."

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Holmes reflects change in Jets philosophy

Posted: 12 Apr 2010 09:47 AM PDT

The acquisition of former Steelers WR Santonio Holmes has completed Mike Tannenbaum's transition from a general manager who wanted to compile a roster of team-oriented boy scouts to one who simply wants the best football players.

Consider what top personnel man Terry Bradway said in 2007 about the Jets' draft plans: "We've got these core values that are important with these players that we select. We've been looking for good guys."

This was an Eric Mangini dictum: "I don't want to know just about the player," Mangini said in 2007. "I want to know about the person. That transcends throughout the organization. Anyone that comes into this organization, I want them to be the right type of person."

"Good" means something different now than it did then. Holmes has been viewed as a problem child since the minute he was drafted. He's just been suspended four games for repeated violations of the NFL drug-testing policy and is also facing charges for assaulting a women at an Orlando bar, though his lawyer maintained on Friday that there is evidence that will exonerate him.

The Jets have not only taken on Holmes' character issues, but also Braylon Edwards' (accused of punching a member of LeBron James's entourage) and Antonio Cromartie's (father of seven children by six women in five states).

So the Jets, who were once mocked for putting character above ability, are now being questioned for assuming too much risk with these moves.

But how much risk is there in trading a fifth-round pick? Risk, remember, is a function of cost. According to economists Cade Massey and Robert Thaler, the expected value of a fifth-round pick for five years is about $1 million. That factors in that the vast majority of these late-round picks don't last beyond a summer or two. That's not much better odds than you'd expect from free agents. So the cost to the Jets of acquiring Holmes -- who had 79 grabs for 1,248 yards last year after being named the most valuable player in Super Bowl XLIII in February 2009 -- is as close to zero as you can get in the NFL.

The cost of Cromartie was significantly more -- a third-rounder in 2011 that can escalate to a second (Massey and Thaler say the 44th pick in the draft is the most valuable when factoring expected surplus value relative to signing cost). Edwards came in at less than that -- a couple of fungible players (receiver Chansi Stucky and linebacker Jason Trusnik) and a third- and fifth-round pick. The expected value for a third-round pick is double the fifth-rounder, or about $2 million.

Tannenbaum began his GM career emulating the Patriots as Mangini perceived them -- a bunch of team-oriented overachievers. Now, though, they are emulating the Patriots for their ability to get premium talent at a steep discount for character reasons (Corey Dillon and Randy Moss, most famously). It's downright Raiders-esque. That's the old "Just win, baby" Raiders, not the current nursing home version.

The key takeaway for me is that Tannenbaum is a totally malleable GM who does what the coach wants. Rex Ryan is a riverboat gambler. This is Ryan's team, just like it was Mangini's team. It's never been and probably never will be Tannenbaum's team. That's a good formula for keeping Ryan happy, and that's of paramount importance because Ryan is guy that players clearly love and respect. If Ryan wants the challenge of righting some rudderless ships -- yachts, really -- give it to him.

From a football standpoint, this is a great move. Holmes will be able to practice with the team all spring and summer. When he returns after four games, he will step in as a slot receiver with Jerricho Cotchery and Edwards. Then, in 2011, Ryan will decide whether he want Edwards or Holmes as the home run hitter opposite the steady Cotchery.

Combined with tight end Dustin Keller and the emerging Shonn Greene along with the best line in football, New York has the makings of a powerhouse offense that can bludgeon you to death or make the quick kill. We're not even mentioning the recovering Leon Washington, once by far the team's most explosive player. LaDainian Tomlinson is sort of a side show, but he's at least a competent third-down back if Washington is traded or continues to refuse to sign his contract tender.

Mark Sanchez has plenty of expensive toys to play with in his sophomore campaign.

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Undersheriff DiSalvo enters sheriff’s race

Posted: 13 Apr 2010 03:14 AM PDT

Pitkin County Undersheriff Joe DiSalvo officially announced his intention to run for sheriff in November as current Sheriff Bob Braudis plans his retirement.

DiSalvo, who has been with the department since 1987, said he would maintain Braudis' philosophy and approach to the department.

"You cannot argue with this philosophy and how it's worked," he said.


DiSalvo, 50, said he's had his eyes on the top job in the department for the last four or five years. He called running for sheriff an "inevitable step." After Braudis was re-elected in 2006, DiSalvo was promoted to undersheriff, where he has taken on more managerial roles in his preparation for the step up.

"I've been planning on this and getting groomed for this for years and I'm ready to go," he said.

Calling his office the best sheriff's department in Colorado, DiSalvo spoke of the department's tolerant and humane outlook in how it deals with the public.

"We don't hassle people, we don't screw around with people," DiSalvo said. "I think that's important."

He also said he wouldn't be changing the department's policy of not engaging in undercover work.

"It erodes a lot of trust in the community," he said. "It makes us all suspicious of each other."

DiSalvo will have perhaps the biggest endorsement in the race — that of his current boss.


"I'm doing everything I can in the next several months before the election to have the helm of this ship handed to Joe DiSalvo," Braudis said.

Braudis, who will retire in January after 24 years as sheriff, said having DiSalvo waiting in the wings made his decision not to run for another four-year term that much easier.

"My succession planning started four years ago," Braudis said. "If I didn't have a Joe DiSalvo, I would have agonized more (over deciding to retire) and I might have reached another decision."

Braudis said DiSalvo has a "big heart" and that he will "give of his own time and his own energy to any citizen who comes here with a problem."

Aspen police officer Rick Magnuson is also running for sheriff. Magnuson ran four years ago but was unable to get 20 percent of the vote against Braudis. Magnuson has said he wants to update the department and bring in new leadership and ideas.

DiSalvo said he would change very little about the sheriff's office, although he said he would reach out to younger county residents for any ideas they might have to improve the sheriff's office.

DiSalvo said his familiarity and experience in the department is "certainly not a negative."

"When I hear this change ... it's not change for change's sake I hope, because that's not always good either," he said.

curtis@aspendailynews.com

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