[captioning made possible by california farm bureau federation] >> ♪ la la la la la la da da da da... >> here at birk's restaurant in santa clara, they're known for being a south bay institution. since 1989, plate after heaping plate has been served up to a pretty discriminating crowd. and no matter how full they are, most leave room for dessert, desserts that are almost too pretty to eat--almost. >> here we have the orange- creamsicle-flavored ice cream. it sits on a carved-out half of a navel orange. so here is our desserts for our v.i.p. table, special guests, of course. >> chef maurice dissels believes in keeping the menu as unique as possible, and for his desserts, he relies on a local girl done good--sheri tate. >> she brought a sample of her ice creams and sorbets, and as they say, the rest was history. >> it comes as no surprise, really, that ice cream has been called the great american dessert for a reason. each american consumes an average of 23 quarts of ice cream, ice milk, sherbert, and other commercially processed frozen dairy products a year. but even the gre american d

a part of that and help out any way i can. >> this segment is brought to you by the california farm bureau federation. from farm to feast. stay tuned for more of the tempting tastes of california. >> welcome back to "california country". >> did you know that california is the only state in the country to commercially grow almonds? there are more than 6,000 almond farmers throughout the state, growing on more than 500,000 acres. almonds are easily one of the state's biggest crops, but down in san diego, they're getting a new life. and it's all thanks to a little help from mom. meet mama mellace. she's the face behind the newest company to utilize and expand on california's booming nut crop. the company's headed by mike mellace and mike runyon, who were living good lives in the corporate world until one day fate intervened in the form of a simple snack. >> he buys these cinnamon almonds that come in a bag. you see them at a lot of the festivals. i had never seen them before. and they're real big out on the east coast. and so we started eating them. he givese some, i say, "oh, my goodness, these things

. >> this segment is brought to you by the california farm bureau federation. >> welcome back to "california country." >> here in california, the landscape is dotted with farmers that have stories of courage, dedication, and perseverance in the face of adversity. however, none have quite the history of the ikeda family. but to see how far they have come, you first have to see where they've been. in thearly part of the twentieth century, many of the hills above the arroyo grande area were farmed by japanese families who planted a variety of crops each spring. together they banded together to form pove, the pismo oceano vegetable exchange, which was highly successful until world events hit this small coastal community in the 1940s. >> before the war, it was probably between 40 and 45 members of pismo oceano vegetable exchange. during the war, all the japanese families got shipped off to internment camps further inland, main to utah and arizona. and during that time, there was an alien exclusion act in which aliens couldn't own land. so you either had to buy land through a child who was a citiz

[captioning made possible by california farm bureau federation] creamy, rich, and decadent, avocados have become a staple for many of us. according to the california avocado commission, about 43% of all u.s. households buy avocados regularly now. so when you think of avocados, you probably think of this, right? guacamole. but today farmers and chefs are proving that avocados can be so much more. good. ok, sure, what's not to like about guacamole? i mean, we do eat a lot of it. in fact, more than 49 million pounds of avocados in the form of guacamole will be consumed on super bowl sunday alone. but at hawks restaurant in granite bay, they're exploring different ways to use the alligator pear, otherwise known as an avocado. >> we like using california avocados because they're grown as close as an avocado can be. these are from the simi valley. they're really versatile. they're rich. as you can see, we puree them. we serve them somewhat chunky. we can wrap things in them. they're just real versatile. and they're tasty. >> but chefs like michael are just part of the equation of educating

[captioning made possible by california farm bureau federation] >> cominup on "california country," take a step and sip back in time at a unique ranch. >> the overall theme is, wow, it's pretty spectacular. >> then, farming in the city? sound impossible? not for these folks. >> this is my land, but it's everybody's land. >> next, meet a farmer and a chef who make the perfect pair--literally. >> i think pears are great because they're--i like the versatility. >> then, ever wonder how to pick the best summertime produce? we've got the tricks of the trade from a pro. it's all ahead, and it starts now. [moo] >> here in the tiny town of santa margarita, they have a population of only 1,300. but what they lack in size, they more than make up for in history. that's thanks to its legendary occupant, the santa margarita ranch, one of the oldest, continuously operated cattle ranches in california, and one that draws oohs and ahs from both its visitors and owners. >> the overall theme is, wow, it's pretty spectacular. most people that look at it, just go, ooh, blows you aqay. >> this was the most i

[captioning made possible by california farm bureau federation] [captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--] >> the school district provides free translation services. this message will be repeated in spanish. [speaking spanish] [speaking cantonese] president kim: good evening, this is the regular meeting for october 26, 2010. -- i'm miss mendoza. >> [roll call] thank you. commissioner mendoza: if you would like, us for the pledge of allegiance. [pledge of allegiance] thank you. i need a motion and a second. >> i move the adoption of the minutes. commissioner mendoza: roll call, please. >> [roll call] thank you. that's five aye's. commissioner mendoza: we're a littl punchy tonight. superintendent garcia? >> this evening, i would like to remind the public that this coming monday will be first furlough day for the entire school district. due to the cheapness of our stake in the budget cuts, schools, child development centers and offices will be closed on monday. this includes all after-school programs. this is the first of four furlough days that will occur throug

[captioning made possible by california farm bureau federation] [captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--] patty: hello? cathy: patty! i've decided to follow your lead and file for social security benefits online. patty: but cath, aren't you back in zanzibar? cathy: i just got on my laptop and went to socialsecurity.gov. it took less than 15 minutes! patty: wow! you are a miracle worker. cathy: well, cheers, patty. i'm off to film a baby rhino. ♪ when cousins are two of a kind! ♪ patty: a baby rhino. >> welcome to coulterwire. the san francisco arts commission and department of public works has joined forces by battling graffiti by launching a new program called street smarts. the program connects established artist with private property owners to create a vibrant murals which is a proven an effective strategy for combating graffiti on private property. artists, along with his crew, recently transformed a building turn to vandalism into a masterpiece. let us take a look. >> part of me has so much compassion for other graffiti artists. i understand why they are