Red Phone, I recall a while back that the mushroom art downtown
was one day going to be auctioned off to benefit local nonprofit
organizations. What is the schedule.
“Red Phone, I recall a while back that the mushroom art downtown was one day going to be auctioned off to benefit local nonprofit organizations. What is the schedule. Though it sure is a good time to help nonprofits, it might not be a good time for an auction, given the economy. So, what are the future plans for the beautiful mushroom art located throughout downtown?”
Red Phone: Dear Love That Art, Red Phone contacted Jorge Briones, executive director of the Downtown Business Association. He said you are correct in identifying the economy as the reason that an auction has not been held as yet.
“At the current time our office is hopeful that the economy will improve enough during this spring and summer to make having and auction viable, ideally before the end of 2010,” Briones said. “The ultimate goal is for each named beneficiary to receive as much money from the sale of each mushroom as possible and a stronger economy will help that goal.”
Anyone looking into the groundwater?
“Has the Santa Clara County Environmental Health Department ever investigated the effect that the South Valley Mushroom Farm has on our ground water? My observations are that the product is being mixed on the ground with no barriers preventing percolation into the soil.”
Red Phone: Dear It’s the Water, Red Phone again contacted Chris Rummel with the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health. He said that is the responsibility of the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and the Santa Clara Valley Water District. They monitor the water quality of surrounding active wells.
But he did say, “this site is not creating any problem that would cause them to change.”
The entire region already has elevated nitrates due to agriculture and septic tank systems, Rummel said.
The only way to reduce nitrates now would be to eliminate all septic systems and agriculture and horses and the effects would not even be seen for many years to come.
“The compost is entirely mixed and processed on concrete pads,” Rummel said. “All water drainage is collected and reused on the next batch of compost. The Water Board has approved of their process. The only thing that is piled out in the open ground behind the farm is the used or ‘spent’ compost. This material is organic and is trucked away every growing season for fertilizer on neighboring or central valley farms. Landscapers also take this material. It is free and makes great fertilizer for landscape or gardening. All of our areas mushroom farms will give this material away by the truckload, especially to their neighbors.”
Good caller, hope that answers your question. Just in case it doesn’t, an e-mail asking for clarification has been sent to the water district.
Stay tuned.
