David F. Bacon

1 week ago | noozhawk.com | David F. Bacon

We hear about periodic alarming levels of domoic acid in our seafood. Levels are monitored constantly and closely by our California Department of Fish & Wildlife (DFW), and when levels rise above health thresholds, they issue warnings about eating certain types of seafood. One common (pretty much annual) warning is to not eat bivalve shellfish such as mussels, scallops and clams. The DFW issues warnings, continues monitoring and lifts warnings when levels drop.

2 weeks ago | noozhawk.com | David F. Bacon

The depths of the sea hold life forms that are truly beautiful, truly weird, truly friendly, and truly deadly. We have much to learn about the critters of the deep sea. The surface of the sea has its share of strange creatures, too. As a sea captain, I’ve marveled many times at critters I wasn’t familiar with, and in some cases was pretty sure I didn’t want to become overly familiar with them. I recall reaching over the side of the boat to pick up a foot-long stick floating at the surface.

2 weeks ago | economichardship.org | David F. Bacon

Farmworker Youth Take to the Streets as Deportations and Displacement Threaten Their Parents Co-published by Economic Hardship Reporting Project and Civil Eats. Santa Maria’s city center, with its gritty mix of old Western-wear stores and chain mall outlets, is the place where the valley’s farmworker marches always start or end.

3 weeks ago | noozhawk.com | David F. Bacon

I woke up from a dream and realized it was actually a memory of gunboats coming at us just outside of Santa Barbara Harbor. This definitely added something wild to a charter fishing trip. It can be a bit disconcerting to watch an inflatable gunboat barreling down on us with a massive machine gun mounted on the bow. Especially a gun that could probably cut my boat in half, like a giant chainsaw, in about three seconds flat.

3 weeks ago | civileats.com | David F. Bacon

Unlock the Full Story with a Civil Eats MembershipExpand your understanding of food systems as a Civil Eats member. Enjoy unlimited access to our groundbreaking reporting, engage with experts, and connect with a community of changemakers. This is the second of two articles about the strawberry workers of Santa Maria. Read the first story here. All photos by David Bacon.