Two American Success Stories
An interesting article in Good Times, one of SC's weekly alt-mags, on Swanton Berry Farm. Swanton owner Jim Cochran was the first commercial farmer to grow strawberries organically (in 1983), after watching the effects of the toxins used as pesticides on the field workers and on himself (he got pesticide poisoning several times). "It was less of an issue about consumers than about workers" says Cochran. After learning how to grow strawberries organically and convincing people it was worth the higher price, he now says "We're not only successful, we're successful paying good wages". Good organic strawberries are now easy to find around here; but Swanton's are reputed to still be the best.

The best place to get your oil changed in the Bay area is 9 Minute Oil Change, just off Page Mill Road on El Camino Real in Palo Alto. These guys are amazing; you pull in and a team of four immediately goes to work and is usually done in about 5 minutes or so. It's like pulling into a pit stop, and it totally puts places like Quick Lube or Jiffy Lube to shame. I mean, it's fast, it's easy, and it's kind of cool to watch. It seems to be run by an immigrant family who I would guess are Eastern Mediterranean/Middle Eastern. This is the kind of thing that, to me, makes America great - you come up with a better idea, you work hard, and you build a great business. I'm sorry I work farther down the Peninsula now, because it's time for another oil change and I don't want to go anywhere else.