 7/21/11 | 2437 views  Newstart makes healthy food fun
The Weimar Institute’s Newstart cooking classes shows students that healthy eating can be delicious and food preparation can be fun. Cooking instructor Sally Christensen, who has been teaching food preparation and culinary courses for over 20 years, said that cooking with fresh, healthy ingredients can be much more palatable than many people would think. “My goal is to make food that is good for you also taste good,” Christensen said. Her students agree that her goal is accomplished with each class. Lisa Ward, a student from Cleburne, Texas, said that her preconceived notions about healthy vegetarian food have been turned upside down by these classes. “I thought in order to be healthy, I just had to tolerate good food. But this is delicious. I could see myself talking my kids into eating this,” Ward said. Anita Severance, a Newstart student from Edgewood, N.M., said that the food and the company are equally lovely and diverse. “Everything we make is just delicious. Everyone here is wonderful, too. We meet people from all over the world,” Severance said. For each class, Christensen teaches the students how to prepare health-conscious, vegetarian and vegan recipes from scratch. The Weimar Institute’s Seventh-day Adventist roots prioritize health, and Christensen strives to use fresh, whole foods in each recipe. The cooking courses are part of the Newstart Lifestyle Program, an 18-day on-site health recovery course that the Weimar Institute offers for people seeking to restructure their lifestyle. Christensen also teaches courses occasionally through the Placer School for Adults. Nastasya Bravarets, one of Christensen’s assistants for the Newstart classes, explained that each class is different. “Sometimes it’s hands-on so they can try out how it works. Other days Sally does demonstrations. Usually it’s a little of both,” Bravarets said. The types of foods that students learn to make are varied and instruction is comprehensive. Each student receives a cookbook and various handouts to take home so they can make the recipes at home after they leave the Institute. Recipes include offerings like Southwestern crustless quiche, cashew coconut granola, traditional French salad dressing, key lime pie and many more. “They learn new things every day. Sometimes Asian food, Hispanic food, finger foods, breakfast foods,” Bravarets said. Christensen also teaches students how to read labels on different packaged foods, de-mystifying the hard-to-read parts of food labeling. The students pass around different packaged foods and dissect the labels together, calculating the calories, fat calories, sodium and other important nutrients. Christensen said that each person’s different nutritional needs should come into play when reading labels, and she shows the students how to watch for the things they need to intake and avoid on an individual basis. “In this class, you’ll have to become a label reader,” Christensen said. The focus on nutrition from a scientific perspective appeals to many of the students on an intellectual level, presenting modern evidence for nutritional principles. Dottie Jones, a student from Pleasant Hill, said that she values the evidence behind what she learns. “We have been amazed at how good the food is. And there is a real scientific basis for all this, which I appreciate. They get their information from current medical journals, and they apply it,” Jones said. Noreena May, from Carson, enrolled in Newstart to better her health for herself and her family. She has type II diabetes, which had been getting out of control. She also serves as a caretaker for her chronically ill daughter and her husband, who has cancer. “I thought maybe I could get some help and resources to help my family,” May said. “I need to stop enabling them. They need to get up, get some sunshine and eat right.” May has learned to prepare and enjoy healthy foods through the New Start classes, and she has improved her own health at the same time. “I’ve lost a little weight here, and I plan to continue eating healthy at home and lose a little more. You lose a little weight and your diabetes improves. Then your blood pressure goes down. Then you lose a little more weight. It all works together,” May said. “This program has given me the wherewithal to start a new lifestyle for myself and my family." View the published article on the Colfax Record website here. |
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- 7/14/11 | 737 views Weimar artist prepares for national show Stargaard's work reflects sense of the divine
Jay Stargaard, who creates airy, light pieces of art from recycled stainless steel, bronze and copper at her home studio in Weimar, has been invited to participate in this year’s Loveland Sculpture Invitational. The sculpture invitational, to be held in Loveland, Colo. Aug. 12 to 14, is the largest outdoor sculpture show in the nation. Stargaard said she feels honored to participate. She said she wants to bring more beauty and light into the world through her one-of-a-kind pieces, which invoke a natural sense of wonder. “The work is all about joy and life and love. If I can make something, I want it to be about beauty,” Stargaard said. “Whatever you pay attention to comes forward in your life. If we’re focused on beauty, we get to spend more time there.” Friend and fellow artist Stacey LaMothe, who lives in Grass Valley, met Stargaard in a welding class and was impressed with her talent. “Jay welds like nobody’s business. She’s really good at what she does. Her work feels surreal,” LaMothe said. Stargaard is a fabricator, making every piece by hand through welding and without casting molds. She began sculpting with metals seven years ago, and with no formal training, she has built a reputation and a business out of her talent, drive and unique style. “All of my pieces are one of a kind. I never do the same thing twice,” Stargaard said. Stargaard started sculpting by making dragonflies and butterflies from stainless steel and other metals for her home and garden. She now has created a huge variety of garden sculptures, fountains, flowing metal fences, twisting bowls, even furniture and benches that combine metals with rock and wood. “My work makes heavy, heavy materials look light and free,” Stargaard said. “I really try to listen all the time and be true to my inspiration.” For Stargaard, inspiration comes from nature, spirituality, her family and her clients. Knowing that her work has affected people in a positive way means a lot to her. “I have clients come back and tell me stories about how the work has affected them. One lady who purchased some of my butterfly sculptures came and told me later that she had cancer. She said that the only thing that made her feel good was sitting out in the garden, watching those butterflies move in the breeze. It’s really inspiring,” Stargaard said. Tamara Diederichs, from Applegate, has been a client of Stargaard Art for four years and said she loves to purchase Stargaard’s pieces for herself and as gifts for family and friends. “I like that Jay’s art can go outside. The sculptures take on a whole different energy in every single season. It’s neat to see that transformation from season to season,” Diederichs said. “I also love the size of her pieces. She does very small things, like delicate fairies and flowers, but she also does these huge garden pieces too. The diversity of what she does is really nice.” Stargaard recently began creating jewelry. Her bracelets and rings, forged from stainless steel, are soft, airy pieces of wearable art. “The jewelry is new for me. I started making divinity bracelets about three years ago. I also just started doing rings, and they’re really fun,” Stargaard said. LaMothe, who is also a jeweler, bought the first ring that Stargaard fabricated. “Jay’s jewelry is really cool. It has the same surreal quality as her sculptures,” LaMothe said. “What I love about jewelry is that it’s art you can wear. A woman can justify spending on jewelry because she will use it.” Diederichs, who has observed the popularity of Stargaard’s work at a show they attended together, said that Stargaard’s sculptures are popular because they are distinctive and reasonably priced. “Jay’s work is really affordable,” Diederichs said. “Her dragonflies just flew off the shelf at the last show. People loved it, and it was fun to see how people were drawn to her work.” Stargaard confirmed that her sculptures sell out at almost every show she attends. She modestly credits the work itself, its energy, and the changing cultural mindset toward the worth of original art. “With the economy, people are saying we don’t want to spend as much money anymore. But art is original, one-of-a-kind work. There’s nothing like artwork that is one of a kind and fills up your home. You might spend a little more, but it’s so worth it. It totally changes the feel of your home,” Stargaard said. The unique, natural quality of her art makes it distinctive. “A lot of artwork feels very manufactured,” Diederichs said. “But Jay is different. What I’m drawn to is that it starts as just a sheet of steel, and she creates it from start to finish. What she does is truly made from her.” For more about Stargaard Art, visit www.stargaardart.com Stargaard Art is featured at the Auburn Old Town Gallery on a regular basis. Old Town Gallery is always exhibiting new local artists in all mediums. For more information, visit: www.auburnoldtowngallery.com Jay Stargaard’s jewelry is available at the Oz Gallery in Auburn: www.ozgallery.net. View the published article on the Colfax Record website here. |
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Kinderkonzert puts magic, imagination into the music
Auburn Symphony presents hands-on experience for children and their parents
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The Auburn Symphony’s 13th annual Kinderkonzert charmed the imaginations of children and parents alike Saturday at Placer High School.
The title of this year’s Kinderkonzert was “Imagine!,” and the performances included music from a variety of fairy tales and other children’s stories, with recognizable tunes like Dukas’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” Rossini’s “Overture to La Cenerentola” (Cinderella), and the waltz from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty.
After the live music, children also had the opportunity to get up-close and personal with their favorite instruments, courtesy of Placer High School’s band. And with budget cuts eliminating many of the arts programs in schools, elementary students need every opportunity to be exposed to music.
Rob Haswell, business manager of the Auburn Symphony, said getting children interested in music is the goal of Kinderkonzert.
“We want to get kids involved early,” he said. “Study after study shows that the earlier kids get exposed to music, the better they do with math and spatial tasks. Schools have had to cut art and music programs, and the symphony tries to fill in that gap.”
Thanks to donations and grants from individuals and organizations like the Sugar Plump Fairies, who made an appearance at the concert dressed as colorful fairies with bubbles and musical instruments of their own, Auburn Elementary, Rock Creek Elementary and Skyridge Elementary all had coordinated transportation and free admission for the concert.
Sue Larkins, who helped coordinate Auburn Elementary’s participation this year, said this is an extraordinary opportunity for the students.
“The symphony also comes to our school once per year to perform a concert, which is wonderful,” she said.
Larkins’ two granddaughters attended the concert with her. Dakota Larkins of Auburn was particularly excited about the waltz from Sleeping Beauty.
“Sleeping Beauty is my favorite. It used to be my favorite movie when I was little,” Dakota said.
The waltz, which many in the audience recognized from Walt Disney’s classic movie version of the tale, turned out to be a particular favorite among the little girls. Young girls in princess costumes danced in the aisles as the symphony played the waltz under Maestro Michael Goodwin’s conducting.
Goodwin held the audience’s attention in between songs as he introduced each instrument and explained the story behind each piece that was played.
The audience got involved by clapping along to a bass solo and marveling with oohs and aahs at the tuba’s magnificent stature.
The symphony’s concertmaster and primary violinist Kay KyungHa Lee was excited to participate.
“It’s a really great program for kids,” she said. “They enjoy it a lot, plus it’s educational. The maestro is great at picking music for kids that they recognize. Plus it’s a lot of fun for us.”
Sophia Calvillo of Auburn, age 3, said she especially enjoyed the arias performed by soprano Andrea Bublitz. Sophia’s mother, Alice Dowdin-Calvillo, said that her daughter danced along with the music.
“I love all the songs,” Sophia said.
Her mother agreed that the music was entertaining for them, particularly since Sophia knows and loves many of the classical pieces they heard.
“She loves classics. When she was about two, she went through an opera phase,” Dowdin-Calvillo said. “She also especially loves the tuba.”
After the concert, the Placer High School Band put on a musical “petting zoo,” where children touched and played a variety of wind and percussion instruments.
Placer band student Jessica Ciola was there with her tuba, demonstrating how to play lit and helping kids like Sophia get a feel for the instrument.
“This is my first time helping out at a Kinderkonzert,” Ciola said. “And I love it. (The kids are) just so cute and enthusiastic.”
For more information about the Auburn Symphony or about their Symphony Goes to School program, go to www.auburnsymphony.com or call (530) 823-6683.
View the published article at the Auburn Journal website here.
The title of this year’s Kinderkonzert was “Imagine!,” and the performances included music from a variety of fairy tales and other children’s stories, with recognizable tunes like Dukas’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” Rossini’s “Overture to La Cenerentola” (Cinderella), and the waltz from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty.
After the live music, children also had the opportunity to get up-close and personal with their favorite instruments, courtesy of Placer High School’s band. And with budget cuts eliminating many of the arts programs in schools, elementary students need every opportunity to be exposed to music.
Rob Haswell, business manager of the Auburn Symphony, said getting children interested in music is the goal of Kinderkonzert.
“We want to get kids involved early,” he said. “Study after study shows that the earlier kids get exposed to music, the better they do with math and spatial tasks. Schools have had to cut art and music programs, and the symphony tries to fill in that gap.”
Thanks to donations and grants from individuals and organizations like the Sugar Plump Fairies, who made an appearance at the concert dressed as colorful fairies with bubbles and musical instruments of their own, Auburn Elementary, Rock Creek Elementary and Skyridge Elementary all had coordinated transportation and free admission for the concert.
Sue Larkins, who helped coordinate Auburn Elementary’s participation this year, said this is an extraordinary opportunity for the students.
“The symphony also comes to our school once per year to perform a concert, which is wonderful,” she said.
Larkins’ two granddaughters attended the concert with her. Dakota Larkins of Auburn was particularly excited about the waltz from Sleeping Beauty.
“Sleeping Beauty is my favorite. It used to be my favorite movie when I was little,” Dakota said.
The waltz, which many in the audience recognized from Walt Disney’s classic movie version of the tale, turned out to be a particular favorite among the little girls. Young girls in princess costumes danced in the aisles as the symphony played the waltz under Maestro Michael Goodwin’s conducting.
Goodwin held the audience’s attention in between songs as he introduced each instrument and explained the story behind each piece that was played.
The audience got involved by clapping along to a bass solo and marveling with oohs and aahs at the tuba’s magnificent stature.
The symphony’s concertmaster and primary violinist Kay KyungHa Lee was excited to participate.
“It’s a really great program for kids,” she said. “They enjoy it a lot, plus it’s educational. The maestro is great at picking music for kids that they recognize. Plus it’s a lot of fun for us.”
Sophia Calvillo of Auburn, age 3, said she especially enjoyed the arias performed by soprano Andrea Bublitz. Sophia’s mother, Alice Dowdin-Calvillo, said that her daughter danced along with the music.
“I love all the songs,” Sophia said.
Her mother agreed that the music was entertaining for them, particularly since Sophia knows and loves many of the classical pieces they heard.
“She loves classics. When she was about two, she went through an opera phase,” Dowdin-Calvillo said. “She also especially loves the tuba.”
After the concert, the Placer High School Band put on a musical “petting zoo,” where children touched and played a variety of wind and percussion instruments.
Placer band student Jessica Ciola was there with her tuba, demonstrating how to play lit and helping kids like Sophia get a feel for the instrument.
“This is my first time helping out at a Kinderkonzert,” Ciola said. “And I love it. (The kids are) just so cute and enthusiastic.”
For more information about the Auburn Symphony or about their Symphony Goes to School program, go to www.auburnsymphony.com or call (530) 823-6683.
View the published article at the Auburn Journal website here.
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1/13/11 | 1847 views
Local students construct robots for competition
FIRST Robotics event fosters interest in computer programming, engineering
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High school students who like technology, robotics or video games can try their hand at creating a technologically advanced game of their own. The students on the South Placer Robotics team design, build and program robots to compete in games against other high school teams across the nation.
South Placer Robotics is part of the FIRST Robotics Competition, a nationwide program that reaches over 150,000 students, giving kids across the country an opportunity to learn programming and engineering from a young age.
For a competition, teams are given an objective or a game for their robots. They must then brainstorm, decide on a design for their robot, prototype it and fabricate it. The must also program it to complete the required tasks, which often include fighting other robots, manipulating a ball or navigating through a course.
They have six week, starting Jan. 8, to construct their robot before the Sacramento Regional competition at the University of California, Davis to be held from March 17 to 19. They will attend the Silicon Valley Regional at San Jose State University from March 31 to April 2. The national championship will be in St. Louis, Mo. at the end of April.
Cliff Dover, the team’s electrical engineering mentor, has been volunteering with the South Placer Robotics team for nine years, since his children got involved on the team at Granite Bay High School.
“Students really have to learn teamwork, problem solving, and most importantly, decision making. They have to determine what they need to do to win the competition, make an offensive robot, defensive, or both. Then they have to brainstorm and think about what they can do given our team’s talents, skills and time constraints,” Dover said.
Paul Wendelboe, a senior at Granite Bay High School, has been on the robotics team for three years. He is one of two head programmers for the team, using Java software to program.
Wendelboe said he enjoys the challenge presented by Robotics. He wants to recruit students who are not afraid of hard work from all the high schools in the area, as the team is open to all South Placer high schools.
“I recommend it to people who have the attention span for it and can get things done quickly. It’s a lot of work, really fast-paced,”
Wendelboe said. “During the six weeks we have to build the robot, it can get really intense. We work every night during the week, then most Saturdays from 9 or 11 in the morning and sometimes till 10 at night.”
Daniel Hunter, a home-schooled sophomore who lives in Folsom, is on the build team. He got started with Robotics by joining one of FIRST Robotics’ teams for younger children (which are available for ages 5 to 18), and said he is happy to be part of the South Placer team now.
According to Hunter, the rules are complex and the games are always a surprise. But the real test is accomplishing everything quickly.
“The time constraint is the biggest challenge. With enough time, you can do anything, but we’re under very strict limits,” Hunter said.
Dover pointed out that this team provides an asset for students like Wendelboe and Hunter who want to pursue careers in engineering or are curious about the computer science field.
“The idea is to get students trained in a technical profession, and they get a very intense microcosm of what the engineering industry is like,” Dover said. “For some kids it becomes their passion. For others, they decide it was fun but not for them. In either case, they make a better choice. Only one out of four students who begin engineering programs in college actually follows through and graduates. If they’re part of Robotics team, they understand what they’re getting into.”
Dover also said the students learn to come together in ways they normally would not. “The best team is made up of a combination of geeks and gearheads. These students don’t naturally come together, but they learn to depend on and appreciate each other. It’s neat to see the kids change in their relationships toward each other.”
Robotics teams also offer students who do not gravitate toward sports a place to learn skills like teamwork, dependability and how to overcome adversity.
“Sports give great experiences for kids who are athletic, but we don’t invest in these other kids. We as a nation don’t need more football players; we need more engineers,” Dover said.
View the published article at the Loomis News website here.
South Placer Robotics is part of the FIRST Robotics Competition, a nationwide program that reaches over 150,000 students, giving kids across the country an opportunity to learn programming and engineering from a young age.
For a competition, teams are given an objective or a game for their robots. They must then brainstorm, decide on a design for their robot, prototype it and fabricate it. The must also program it to complete the required tasks, which often include fighting other robots, manipulating a ball or navigating through a course.
They have six week, starting Jan. 8, to construct their robot before the Sacramento Regional competition at the University of California, Davis to be held from March 17 to 19. They will attend the Silicon Valley Regional at San Jose State University from March 31 to April 2. The national championship will be in St. Louis, Mo. at the end of April.
Cliff Dover, the team’s electrical engineering mentor, has been volunteering with the South Placer Robotics team for nine years, since his children got involved on the team at Granite Bay High School.
“Students really have to learn teamwork, problem solving, and most importantly, decision making. They have to determine what they need to do to win the competition, make an offensive robot, defensive, or both. Then they have to brainstorm and think about what they can do given our team’s talents, skills and time constraints,” Dover said.
Paul Wendelboe, a senior at Granite Bay High School, has been on the robotics team for three years. He is one of two head programmers for the team, using Java software to program.
Wendelboe said he enjoys the challenge presented by Robotics. He wants to recruit students who are not afraid of hard work from all the high schools in the area, as the team is open to all South Placer high schools.
“I recommend it to people who have the attention span for it and can get things done quickly. It’s a lot of work, really fast-paced,”
Wendelboe said. “During the six weeks we have to build the robot, it can get really intense. We work every night during the week, then most Saturdays from 9 or 11 in the morning and sometimes till 10 at night.”
Daniel Hunter, a home-schooled sophomore who lives in Folsom, is on the build team. He got started with Robotics by joining one of FIRST Robotics’ teams for younger children (which are available for ages 5 to 18), and said he is happy to be part of the South Placer team now.
According to Hunter, the rules are complex and the games are always a surprise. But the real test is accomplishing everything quickly.
“The time constraint is the biggest challenge. With enough time, you can do anything, but we’re under very strict limits,” Hunter said.
Dover pointed out that this team provides an asset for students like Wendelboe and Hunter who want to pursue careers in engineering or are curious about the computer science field.
“The idea is to get students trained in a technical profession, and they get a very intense microcosm of what the engineering industry is like,” Dover said. “For some kids it becomes their passion. For others, they decide it was fun but not for them. In either case, they make a better choice. Only one out of four students who begin engineering programs in college actually follows through and graduates. If they’re part of Robotics team, they understand what they’re getting into.”
Dover also said the students learn to come together in ways they normally would not. “The best team is made up of a combination of geeks and gearheads. These students don’t naturally come together, but they learn to depend on and appreciate each other. It’s neat to see the kids change in their relationships toward each other.”
Robotics teams also offer students who do not gravitate toward sports a place to learn skills like teamwork, dependability and how to overcome adversity.
“Sports give great experiences for kids who are athletic, but we don’t invest in these other kids. We as a nation don’t need more football players; we need more engineers,” Dover said.
View the published article at the Loomis News website here.
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Local girl with autism needs canine helper Family raising funds to get service animal for 5-year-old Ally Gerlach
Allyson Gerlach is an active little girl whose panic and anxiety threaten to overwhelm her daily. Her family and friends are rallying to raise money for a service dog that could change her life. At 2 years old, Ally was diagnosed with a sensory communication disorder. Now 5 years old, she lives with autism/ Asperger’s Syndrome manifesting itself in anxiety, panic, sleep issues and problems with social interaction. Ally, who lives in Auburn with her family, is an active little girl with a sweet personality. Diana Welsh of Newcastle, whose daughter Sedona attended school for special needs children along with Ally, said that in spite of her disorders, Ally is just like any other 5-year-old in many ways. “Whenever she comes over she asks for dress-up clothes, which I think is so cute,” Welsh said. “I always try to remember to get out the girly dress-up clothes.” According to Ally’s mom Kathleen Gerlach, Ally has major meltdowns every day. “She has severe anxiety and sleep disorders. She’s also in the process of being diagnosed with a seizure disorder,” Kathleen Gerlach said. “But this dog has the potential to change her life.” A service dog would be with Ally daily, attending school with her and teaching her coping skills. “The dog will stabilize her, bond with her, and be with her 24 hours per day, give her safety, security, independence,” Kathleen Gerlach said. Karen Shirk, executive director of the Ohio-based nonprofit organization 4 Paws for Ability, the group that will place Ally’s service dog, said that 4 Paws for Ability was the first organization to place Autism assistance dogs. They place over 100 dogs each year, about half with children with autism. According to Shirk, Ally’s dog will be trained like a search and rescue dog to find Ally if she gets lost. The dog will also know behavior disruption commands. “If the child is engaged in a behavior that is destructive (like hitting themselves), oftentimes if the parents intervene it can cause a meltdown,” Shirk said. “Instead they can send the dog in to touch or nudge the child. If the child is frightened or anxious, the dog can turn the whole thing around by giving hugs or kisses. It’s amazing the way it works.” Welsh, who has seen Ally’s active family in action and knows the difficulties they face in their day to day lives, thinks the Gerlach family will benefit from the presence of a service dog in their home. “Kids with autism like Ally have a lot of trouble with anxiety,” Welsh said. “I think this dog will have a calming effect on Ally, and it will be helpful to her parents. They’ll be able to feel more secure that she’s not wandering off and that she’s safe.” The sooner Ally receives her dog, the sooner she can begin integration into her world and grow more comfortable in her own skin. The immediacy of Ally’s need is the reason Kathleen Gerlach turned to 4 Paws for Ability. Through 4 Paws for Ability, Ally’s family and friends must raise $13,000 for her to receive a specially-trained dog (it costs a minimum of $22,000 to fully train a dog to assist a child like Ally). While most organizations take three to seven years to place a dog, 4 Paws for Ability has a placement time of only 6 months after funds have been raised. Kathleen hopes that they can raise the funds soon and get Ally started on a path to greater independence and security. Friends like Welsh help spread the word and support the family as they wait for the dog. “I think Ally’s parents are so inspiring for doing this. They have really inspired me to do something similar for my daughter down the road,” Welsh said. “Ally is a very sweet, loving, intelligent girl who got a lot of challenges dealt to her at a very young age. This is an opportunity for us to improve her life dramatically, and we’re doing everything we can to take that opportunity,” Kathleen Gerlach said. “This is the one thing I can do for her that can have the most impact on her life.” Community members are encouraged to participate in upcoming fundraisers, including a bowl-a-thon at Rocklin Bowl on Feb. 5, which costs $25 per person for two hours of bowling, a raffle, and other fun games. For more information on Ally’s journey, visit her blog at allysdogblog.vpweb.com or view her story at www.4paws forability.org Donations for Allyson are tax-deductible and can be sent directly to Allyson Gerlach, with checks made out to 4 Paws for Ability and sent to P.O. Box 4949, Auburn, CA 95604 View the published article at the Auburn Journal website here. |
Students harvesting wine-making skills
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Sierra College’s “Vine to Wine” course teaches students the ropes of winemaking at Secret Ravine Vineyard and Winery in Loomis.
Ron Morris, Ph.D., owner of Secret Ravine, teaches the course at the winery with the help of his wife and co-owner, Vicky, and other family members.
Three generations of vintners from the Morris family helped with the Saturday class, and those three generations make wine throughout the season at the family-run winery of almost five acres.
The class is small (5 to 15 students) and very hands-on, with each student getting the opportunity to participate in every step. Students measure the sugar content of grapes, pick grapes, crush them and start fermentation.
Morris’ knowledge of the processes and the industry is a comprehensive resource for the wine novice and expert alike. Morris and family take the process slow for the class so everything can be explained and everyone can participate.
Two bins full of grapes —just under 2,000 pounds —were processed during one day of class on Saturday.
“We’re doing less today than usual for the class. We usually process 8 to 10 bins per day during the season,” said Morris’, son-in-law Alan Messamore, Secret Ravine Vineyard co-owner.
After the crushing, Morris’ grandson Chris Wall added yeast and other agents to the crushed grapes. Morris explained the use of sulfur dioxide and chemistry process to the attentive students. The winery proprietors have their process down to an organized science, complete with spreadsheets and equations. Yet, the process is approachable, even for the inexperienced.
“It’s fascinating. I thought it would be interesting to see how wine is made, from start to finish,” said beginner Linda Beroldo, who had never taken winemaking classes before.
Morris started with a small vineyard in 1996 at his Southern California home, hand-crushing his grapes and fermenting the wine on his patio.
“I’m sure I didn’t know what I was doing at the time. The fermentation overflowed and got wine all over the patio. The marketing department (Morris’ wife, Vicky) did not appreciate that,” Morris joked to the students.
A year later, the Morrises moved to Loomis and established the family business that thrives today. His experience is willingly shared with those who want to learn.
Students watched in the temperature-controlled storage room as the giant vats of wine were “punched,” a process that stirs the floating “must” (crushed grapes) into the bottom of the tank, hydrating the dry areas as the wine ferments.
Morris and Wall served glasses of sweet just-crushed grape juice and wine that started fermenting one week ago for tasting, followed by a 2009 and a 2008 Cabernet Franc with a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon for comparison as Morris explained differing schools of thought on how much to crush the grapes.
“You would think someone would do a study and figure these things out for a fact. But there are mixed reviews. Right now what we have is folklore,” Morris said.
The Morris family uses a balance of science and art in their craft, which is communicated to the class in an engaging, understandable manner.
Students Rob and Esther Pock have enjoyed learning from Morris. They started their own home winemaking a couple of years ago and hope to have their first full year of production in a couple years.
“It never gets boring, and it always puts us in the position of being learners,” said Rob Pock. “We’re really enjoying winemaking, and it’s great to learn from a guy like Ron. He is very informative.”
This is the third year of “Wine to Vine” classes through Sierra College. “Establishing a Small Vineyard,” another class taught by Morris at Secret Ravine, is a guide to developing and running small vineyards. “Establishing a Small Vineyard” begins on Oct. 26. Registration is available on the Sierra College website.
View the published article at the Auburn Journal website here.
Ron Morris, Ph.D., owner of Secret Ravine, teaches the course at the winery with the help of his wife and co-owner, Vicky, and other family members.
Three generations of vintners from the Morris family helped with the Saturday class, and those three generations make wine throughout the season at the family-run winery of almost five acres.
The class is small (5 to 15 students) and very hands-on, with each student getting the opportunity to participate in every step. Students measure the sugar content of grapes, pick grapes, crush them and start fermentation.
Morris’ knowledge of the processes and the industry is a comprehensive resource for the wine novice and expert alike. Morris and family take the process slow for the class so everything can be explained and everyone can participate.
Two bins full of grapes —just under 2,000 pounds —were processed during one day of class on Saturday.
“We’re doing less today than usual for the class. We usually process 8 to 10 bins per day during the season,” said Morris’, son-in-law Alan Messamore, Secret Ravine Vineyard co-owner.
After the crushing, Morris’ grandson Chris Wall added yeast and other agents to the crushed grapes. Morris explained the use of sulfur dioxide and chemistry process to the attentive students. The winery proprietors have their process down to an organized science, complete with spreadsheets and equations. Yet, the process is approachable, even for the inexperienced.
“It’s fascinating. I thought it would be interesting to see how wine is made, from start to finish,” said beginner Linda Beroldo, who had never taken winemaking classes before.
Morris started with a small vineyard in 1996 at his Southern California home, hand-crushing his grapes and fermenting the wine on his patio.
“I’m sure I didn’t know what I was doing at the time. The fermentation overflowed and got wine all over the patio. The marketing department (Morris’ wife, Vicky) did not appreciate that,” Morris joked to the students.
A year later, the Morrises moved to Loomis and established the family business that thrives today. His experience is willingly shared with those who want to learn.
Students watched in the temperature-controlled storage room as the giant vats of wine were “punched,” a process that stirs the floating “must” (crushed grapes) into the bottom of the tank, hydrating the dry areas as the wine ferments.
Morris and Wall served glasses of sweet just-crushed grape juice and wine that started fermenting one week ago for tasting, followed by a 2009 and a 2008 Cabernet Franc with a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon for comparison as Morris explained differing schools of thought on how much to crush the grapes.
“You would think someone would do a study and figure these things out for a fact. But there are mixed reviews. Right now what we have is folklore,” Morris said.
The Morris family uses a balance of science and art in their craft, which is communicated to the class in an engaging, understandable manner.
Students Rob and Esther Pock have enjoyed learning from Morris. They started their own home winemaking a couple of years ago and hope to have their first full year of production in a couple years.
“It never gets boring, and it always puts us in the position of being learners,” said Rob Pock. “We’re really enjoying winemaking, and it’s great to learn from a guy like Ron. He is very informative.”
This is the third year of “Wine to Vine” classes through Sierra College. “Establishing a Small Vineyard,” another class taught by Morris at Secret Ravine, is a guide to developing and running small vineyards. “Establishing a Small Vineyard” begins on Oct. 26. Registration is available on the Sierra College website.
View the published article at the Auburn Journal website here.
