I just got a didn't post because of email containing html. I believe I caught that & remember seeing this below in the digest. But just in case, here it is again. 2 updates: Jose bopped into town yesterday, and just left for the airport to fly to San Diego, but I missed him. Lucy gave me his cell phone number: 619.726.6467. I left a message on it. Scott Ashkenaz & Roswitha Remling will be vacationing this year from June 1st=>September 30. ~~~ Hi All, I just talked to Mary Garcia at GNS Spices in Walnut, CA. They have contracted a (remains anonymous until early Aug.) produce seller and shipper to grow savinas. She didn't say how many acres but I have a feeling it's more than their previous 84. She doesn't know whether the seller will sell our small ~500 lbs amount. The plants are hardening in greenhouses right now. If the weather's right the picking season will be late Aug.=>early Nov. Mary will call me back in early Aug. with full details I suspect the price will be much more than the $2/lb. the Garcias charged me, and much more than the $3/lb. I charged for expenses and to donate to Grey Bears. I also will have to arrange for a local wholesaler to get them for me, since the grower/seller down there doesn't allow individual pick-ups. There are 18 local produce wholesalers in Santa Cruz County, 9 of those here in Watsonville. I gave Jose Casillas, owner of El Valle Produce, 530 Walker St., Watsonville, 831.728.7781 about 30 savinas in Oct. 2001. He loved them! I just talked to his daughter, Lucy, who said he's visiting his folks in Tiuana and won't be back 'til next week, but Jose is going to be growing savinas somewhere around here. (I heard somewhere the Garcias let their PVP on savinas lapse. Can anyone confirm or deny this rumor?) Lucy says the price will be as much as they can possibly get from local small markets and chain grocery stores around here. I don't know the timing on any of this yet. (I doubt we could pick our own.) Anyway, after the Garcias decided not to grow any last year, I'm working on our annual group buy again. Scott, tell me again the days you all are going to be away traveling. Art Pierce 831.724.7204