A week of goodbyes

The first time I visited the Bamford Family Farms tasting room on Myers Street in downtown Oroville was during a rainy First Friday event. That’s when downtown businesses rally around a theme and invite participants into their shops and restaurants and galleries for refreshments and to show off their stuff. The young woman behind the counter was memorably friendly, happy to offer not only tastes of the Bamford line of flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars, but also recipe tips.

I walked out that day with a small bottle of blood orange olive oil and traditional balsamic. With dinner party plans that night, I wowed my friends with a simple scoop of French vanilla ice cream topped with a drizzle of both. So good! The Bamfords—three generations of them on the farm—also run a cattle ranch, with pasture-raised beef it sells out of a freezer at the store.

I’m sorry to say this story doesn’t have a happy ending. Last week, via Facebook, Bamford Family Farms announced it’s shuttering its operations effective immediately. While certainly not the first business to fall victim to the Camp Fire, it is the first I’ve heard of to go under because the Miocene Canal is now dry. PG&E, which owns the canal, won’t fix the portion that burned, so dozens—more, probably—of ranchers and orchardists are struggling.

Stop by the tasting room at 1442 Myers St., where all the goodies are on sale. Last year alone, the Bamfords took home eight gold and silver awards for their oils. It’s delicious stuff, and I’m sad to see it go.

More closures As tends to happen, some businesses close up shop without a lot of fanfare. Such was the case with Cream, the ice cream sandwich shop by Tinseltown, which posted an unassuming sign on its door last month simply notifying customers it’s closed indefinitely. Then there was Broadway Market & Deli, the Chinese restaurant downtown that just kept the name of the business there before it. Both seemed to have their followers, so I’m sure they’ll be missed.

A final farewell Organic farmer Carl Rosato has graced the pages of the CN&R on multiple occasions. His Woodleaf Farm in Oroville was a pioneer in certified organic growing. After decades of tending the fields and getting multiple grants to advance the science of natural insect suppression, Rosato had become quite an expert, someone others looked to for advice and mentorship. He and his wife, Helen Atthowe, sold Woodleaf Farm in 2015—it’s now Peach Jamboree—and moved to Oregon. Sadly, last year Rosato suffered a bad accident on his farm there that left him in a coma. He passed last week (Nov. 25).

Atthowe shared this: “Carl never stopped learning, changing his ideas, being curious, and seeing with the eyes of wonder and awe. He had a life of passion and purpose and service and has been loved and been well-loved by family, friends, students, and all the people he touched with his work.”