The Lemon Lady Junior - 2nd place winner in the "I Love My Whole Grains" photo contest...

How exciting! We submitted a photo to the "I Love My Whole Grains" photo contest, and the Lemon Lady Junior was a 2nd place winner! The Lemon Lady found a cute one of The Lemon Lady Junior. Be inspired to cook whole grains for better taste and healthier living!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW:

Title: Whole-Grain Banana Bread at The Tea Party
Sweet Hostess couldn't wait for her tea party to begin before sampling the delicious, healthy desserts! Whole-grain banana bread crumbs scatter the white table cloth. Yummy!

Thank you Whole Grains Council. We are enjoying all the healthy, fun food prizes!

La Tapatia Mexican Restaurant - Buy 1 Get 1 FREE...

Found a cool website for a few good local deals. http://www.suddenvalues.com/.

La Tapatia is a restaurant our family enjoys. This is a pretty good deal for Sunday thru Thursday dining: Buy 1 Get 1 Free.

http://concord.suddenvalues.com/sudden/businesses/offers.cfm?websiteid=6296

La Tapatia Mexican Restaurant
1802 Willow Pass Road, Concord, CA 94520 - (925) 685-1985
536 Main Street, Martinez, CA 94553 - (925) 229-3866

Another version of a La Tapatia Coupon from Valpak redeemable any day of the week:

http://www.valpak.com/coupons/display/LaTapatia/94517/828426/827407?vpref=retailmenot

Lettuce Eat Kale - The Lemon Lady: Feeding the Hungry, One Bag of Produce at a Time...

The Lemon Lady:
Feeding the Hungry, One Bag of Produce at a Time
October 22, 2009

by Sarah Henry

The Lemon Lady needs a new nickname, methinks.

Anna Chan, 37, has outgrown the title, which doesn’t begin to describe the difference this anti-hunger activist has made in less than a year in her one-woman campaign to get fresh produce into the mouths of people in need in her community....CLICK HERE for entire story written by Sarah Henry.

Visit Sarah's lively foodie blog: "Lettuce Eat Kale."

Homegrown, Gourmet Salad greens for your Thanksgiving Day Feast...

The Lemon Lady's Homegrown salad greens

Garden project for today: Scatter seeds. Reap tasty rewards in time for your Thanksgiving Day celebration. With just over a month remaining, there's plenty of time to grow a delightful array of homegrown greens.

Remember too, that children LOVE gardening. Visit your local library and find dozens of great books to inspire you. Order FREE SEED CATALOGS and spend the winter learning, dreaming about gardening. YOU are your child's first teacher.

CLICK HERE to go to the Contra Costa County Library catalog website.

http://catalog.ccclib.org/#section=search&term=a%20backyard%20vegetable%20garden%20for%20kids&dbTab=ls2pac

Seed companies provide excellent assortments of lettuce and green seed mixes. Just scatter seeds, sun and rain, in no time at all, you're a Master Gardener! Baskets full of gourmet greens. You'll be the envy of all the Holiday parties. Try planting French Breakfast Radishes. Pink and white icicles of brillant color will match the candycane decor just so perfectly.

If you're down to the wire on time, Got 10 days? - Grow micro greens. Great if patience isn't your virtue. Well worth the power packed nutrition punch! Sunset Magazine wrote the perfect article "Easy-grow micro greens." Ten days. Seriously. Super cool!

So, power down the computer. Walk, skip, hop or jog to your nearest garden store. Grab some seeds and Let's Get Growing!

If you live in the Claycord area and are in need of seeds, soil, or growing containers, please contact The Lemon Lady. I'll be happy to donate these items to get you started. Just call or email: AnnaAndAva@gmail.com or 510.406.1625.

Volunteer Opportunity...The Lemon Lady seeking volunteers immediately...

Volunteer Opportunity. The Lemon Lady seeking volunteers in the hunger cause. Become a hunger advocate today! Immediate help is needed. (The Lemon Lady is tired!) Need help with harvesting fruit from local trees. Need help with hauling produce from local farmers' markets. Flexible schedule. Selfless acts of kindness reward the soul with inner joy!

Please, call today!

510.406.1625 or email: AnnaAndAva@gmail.com

“What I do you cannot do; but what you do, I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful."

-Mother Teresa of Calcutta

San Francisco Chronicle - Sunday, October 25th...

Lemon Lady Anna Chan branches out
by Joe Eaton and Ron Sullivan
The San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday, October 25th.

Home and Garden, Page L-2

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/23/HOS51A38G5.DTL

County Food Banks in California: http://www.cafoodbanks.org/

Contra Costa Certified Farmers' Markets: http://cccfm.org/

Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association: http://pcfma.com/

Lettuce Eat Kale...

Here's a fun foodie blog I found. After skipping around for a few minutes, I can see I'd be hooked for hours. The author resides in Berkeley, California and she's definitely in the know about local happenings in urban gardening and fruit harvesting circles. Enjoy!

http://lettuceeatkale.wordpress.com/, by Sarah Henry.

FREE - Seed Catalogs

Order yours today! Many seed catalogs can be ordered by telephone, or internet free of charge. Seed catalogs are very educational, filled with beautiful, inspiring color photographs. Children and adults love variety and learning all about gardening!

http://kids.garden.org/inquiry.php

(800) 538-7476

http://www.seedsofchange.com/garden_center/catalog_request.asp

(888) 762-7333

http://www.bountifulgardens.org/inforequest.asp

(707) 459-6410

http://www.seedsavers.org/CatalogRequest.aspx

(563) 382-5990

http://rareseeds.com/catalog/

(417) 924-8917

http://www.territorialseed.com/catalog_request

(800) 626-0866

http://www.burpee.com/ancillary/catalogrequest.do

(800) 333-5808

http://gurneys.com/catalog_request_qas.asp

(513) 354-1491

http://www.parkseed.com/gardening/MP/catalogrequest

(800) 213-0076

http://henryfields.com/catalog_request_qas.asp

(513) 354-1494

http://www.southernexposure.com/index.html

(540) 894-9480

http://tomatogrowers.com/USCatalogForm.htm

(888) 478-7333

Word for the day: Vermicomposting...

Gotta love it! I clicked on over to CBS 5 Eye on Blogs and learned that San Francisco is making it illegal not to compost. Imagine that?

We can do more on this side of the Bay too. Word for the day: Vermicomposting. Look it up. Try something new. Your toddler will love it too. Mine does. We have Mommy worms, Daddy worms, baby worms and more at our house.

Happy rotten Banana peels to you.

Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm - Open all day, every day until Halloween...

Photo Courtesy: http://www.cvpumpkinfarm.com/

Pumpkins...ALL DAY, EVERY DAY until Halloween. Train rides too.

A local farm, just past Clayton downtown. Only minutes from Concord. Family fun, really nice folks! Open everyday until Halloween - 9am - 8pm.

Ava's been waiting all year for a visit to the Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm. In a few months, they'll be selling Christmas Trees too.

Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm & Christmas Trees
1060 Pine Lane

Clayton, CA 94517-9706
(corner of Pine Lane and Marsh Creek Road)
PHONE: (925) 672-5198
EMAIL: info@cvpumpkinfarm.com

The Concordian, The Clayton Pioneer...

Have you read The Concordian lately? CLICK HERE to read October 2009 online version.

You can pick up a free copy of The Concordian at one of the locations listed HERE.

To read The Clayton Pioneer, CLICK HERE.

Thank you Andre' Gensburger and Tamara Steiner of The Concordian and The Clayton Pioneer for publishing so many nice articles about The Lemon Lady fruit harvesting adventures...all year long. Scroll to page 7 in The Concordian for the latest "Lemon Lady receives garden club award" by Mike Dunn. Mike, thank you too, for your time, effort, and professional photography you share with our community. We appreciate both local papers!

Kids Growing Strong - Ava Gardener, Mommy's little helper...

A few treasured photos of my little Ava gardener.

Our garden at home.
Ava gardener learning that cucumbers grow well in containers.


Ava gardener helping sort fresh, locally harvested pomelos.

Actually, this is meant to be a post about a program I'm learning about, called: Kids Growing Strong.

Kids Growing Strong is a non-profit, garden-based education program that has developed a strong association with California Garden Clubs, Inc. since its creation in 1999. I encourage you to visit their fun, kid-friendly website and explore more about our fascinating world of gardening. Let's get growing!

To contact California Garden Clubs, Inc.:
http://www.californiagardenclubs.org

To learn about Kids Growing Strong:
http://kidsgrowingstrong.net

By the way, California Garden Clubs, Inc. is who honored me for my community service! Thank you again Maryanne Lucas, President and all members of the CGCI.

California Garden Clubs, Inc. Honors and Commends Anna Chan...

Photo Courtesy of Mike Dunn

Anna Chan, The Lemon Lady with ABC7 News Anchor Dan Ashley and CGCI President Maryanne Lucas

Thank you Mayor of Claycord for being the first to report our local news!

From Claycord.com news site, posted by Mayor of Claycord.

"Anna Chan, otherwise known as the "Lemon Lady of CLAYCORD" has won an award!

Anna was recognized this weekend by the California Garden Clubs, Inc., here's why she was chosen for the award....

for service to community; for promoting the benefits of gardening; for tireless efforts to bring fresh, nutritious fruit to Contra Costa County's needy; and for dedication to furthering the goals held in common with the members of California Garden Clubs, Inc.

We first talked about Anna back in February, and since then she's been in the Clayton Pioneer, the Concordian, the Contra Costa Times, Diablo Magazine, on ABC7-TV & KGO-Radio, and I heard she might soon be in the Chronicle. She's also been mentioned countless times on "Mister Writer's" blog, as well as on "Crazy in Suburbia"

Listen to this! Since February, Anna and her daughter have collected over $60,000 in fresh fruit, and every single piece of it has gone to the people in our community who need it the most. I'm truly honored to call Anna my friend.

Anna's a wonderful person with a heart of gold, and we thank her for all she does for our community.

Hey, she has a blog too! Check it out by clicking HERE.

As always, thanks to "Radar" with the great picture of Anna with ABC7 News Anchor Dan Ashley and CGC President Maryanne Lucas!"

To contact California Garden Clubs, Inc.:

http://www.californiagardenclubs.org/

To learn about Kids Growing Strong:

http://kidsgrowingstrong.net/

SHARE Food Pantry, An Unsung Hero in Concord...

George Conlow, President of Share Food Pantry

Let me introduce you to SHARE Food Pantry at The First Christian Church, 3039 Willow Pass Road in Concord, 925.827.4273.

CLICK HERE to visit http://www.sharefoodpantry.blogspot.com/ and learn more about their food pantry, hours and how they help our community.

George Conlow is a true unsung hero of Contra Costa County. He has selflessly served as a volunteer of SHARE Food Pantry for the past 20 years! Very impressive, SHARE is totally staffed and operated by volunteers.

Like other neighborhood pantries, SHARE feeds a large population of area residents. Please keep in mind, you may walk in any garden or store bought fruits and vegetables to feed the hungry. Times are tough for all hunger relief organizations and SHARE appreciates your walk-in donations too.

I have been so delighted to know SHARE Food Pantry and The Salvation Army. They both have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help me at the Farmers' Markets and accomodate after hour deliveries of produce. Since February, I've volunteered over 800+ hours bringing produce to several area pantries, so it sure is nice to have a little help once in a while! :)

I can always use extra help. Anyone interested in helping, please send an email, or give me a call. Thank you kindly.

AnnaAndAva@gmail.com or 510.406.1625.

ABC7 Newscast - Salvation Army runs out of food - Pantry Closed (Update: Reopened a day later.)

Related Links:

The Salvation Army Food Pantry, Concord, CA - (925) 676-6180
http://www.salvationarmyconcordca.org/socerv.html

Food Bank of Contra Costa And Solano - (925) 676-7543
http://www.foodbankccs.org/

ABC7 Newscast
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=7041782

UPDATE:

The Food Bank truck was scheduled to deliver the October supply of food the very next day. I did witness the Salvation Army staff telling clients to come back the next day after the Food Bank truck would deliver more food.

The pantry is now open, and if you watch the newscast from ABC7 it does show footage from the Food Bank. Evidently, the Salvation Army's weekly demand exceeded what their original order was.

I totally support the Food Bank and always hope the news focuses on the benefits of what the Food Bank does to support ALL of our communities' food pantries.

Salvation Army staff reports things are still tight and increasing demand is higher than was budgeted for. Food or fresh fruit and vegetable donations are always appreciated and help to supplement what their monthly food budget cannot provide.