San Clementes Sustainable Food System:

Looking at the Potential to Become a Self-Sufficient City

By: Erik Rempen Mikey OReilly And Duncan Ketel

I.) INTRODUCTION (Erik Rempen) Because of its unique location and history, San Clemente was built as an agricultural city constructed around a centralized center. Whether it was the mission of San Juan Capistrano or the city center itself, the agriculture from the immediate area supported the citizens. San Clemente has the agency to re-establish a sustainable food system around the city using the environment to its advantage. By segmenting terraces in the hills, allowing for a patchwork of native chaparral, oaks, grazing lands and productive farms, the region can greatly supplement the food required to feed the citizens. Additionally, by reestablishing the ocean ecology and taking advantage of the sea lifes systems, San Clemente can create a food system which produces clams, mussels, lobsters and halibut while restoring the natural environment. All this local food would create a city which is not only self-sufficient, but almost entirely independent from the rest of the globe. By importing the non-perashibles from the cities of San Diego and Los Angeles and the areas in between on the railroad, while exporting surplus products, San Clemente can become a center for regional food and local diets. Finally, an open market system which sells the local food to the community, keeping money in the local economy and establishing consumerfarmer relationships while allowing for the convenience of being always open and a one-stopshop. With these mechanisms in place San Clemente can create a sustainable food system that establishes the self-sufficiency of the city by taking advantage of local natural systems. II.) HISTORY (Erik Rempen) In order to understand the optimal food system to implement in a city such as San Clemente, we must first analyze the history and geography of the region. Southern California has been inhabited since the early Holocene (Jones and Klar, 2007) although exact traditions and lifestyles of this time period are still a quilt of guesswork. What is of more interest to this paper

is the colonial history and how that evolved into the area of San Clemente we have today. The California coast was considered to be discovered by Juan Rodrguez Cabrillo in 1542 (Kelsey, 1988). This is to say he may have been the first European to gaze upon the California Coast as there were already nations of people living here. The natives that were established here already inhabited the coast with a complex culture while sustaining themselves off the native ecology. The natives that were present when the Spanish arrived were known as the Ajachemen. They were descendants of the Shoshonean Nation and were estimated to have numbered around 275,000 when the Spanish decided to move in (sanofoundation.org). The Ajachemen Native Americans resided in both permanent villages and seasonal camps. Every Ajachemen family had their own thatched tule and willow hut which was built in a circular dome shape known as Kiichas which had a fire in the middle in which the family members slept around (missionsjc.com). The design allowed for an opening in the roof to let the smoke from the fire out which could be closed during the rains. They lived in groups with numbers ranging from 30 to 300 and interacted with other clans for economic, religious, and social purposes (sanofoundation.org). Each clan was entirely independent politically and managed and sustained themselves on their own resources. As each clan was able to survive on their own resources, there was no need for distribution of food between clans. The Ajachemen lived on a hunting and gathering diet where the hunting was the duty of the men and the gathering the job of the women in addition to food preparation and basket weaving. The natives had uses for nearly all of the ecology in the area while their diets consisted of acorns, seeds, greens, roots, bulbs, game, shellfish, eel, and fish (missionsjc.com). With different amounts of each item depending on where the clan lived, coastal clans got most of their

protein from seafood while inland clans tended to focus on acorns. All the Ajechemen had a diet heavy in seeds, which the majority of which was most likely made up of corn. Acorns are no Diet % Coastal Inland Acorns 15-25 25-45 Seeds 20-40 20-40 Greens 5-10 10-12 Roots/Bulbs Game 10-15 5-10 10-13 15-20 Seafood 20-35 0-5

longer a common cuisine item and in order to make these nuts edible the natives would shell the acorns, pound them with a mortar and pestle, and soaked in water to leach the tanic acids out. Cornmeal was cooked by placing hot rocks in the meal itself (missionsjc.com). Although we do not expect people to revert back to these cuisines, it may be ecologically more sustainable to revert to a diet heavily supplemented with seafood and tree nuts. Panhe is a major Ajachemen archeological site which is estimated to be around 8,000 years old, and one of the few that remains today. The Ajachemen lifestyle was altered so dramatically when the Spanish arrived that little more was saved of their culture and cuisine. The Spanish classified the natives by region and dubbed them a name based on the Spanish man who claimed the region. The natives around what will be San Clemente were named Juaneo, or of Juan (Terry and Klar, 2007). The Ajachemen were largely ignored along the California coast until the 1700s. Russia began to eye the pacific coast from Alaska all the way down to Baja California, and at this point the Spanish began to settle California. King Carlos III ordered presidios (forts) and missions to be built along the coast in an attempt to claim the land for themselves. In 1969 a mission at San Diego was constructed and six years later the mission of San Juan Capistrano was erected, the first permanent structure to be built by San Clemente (Nicholas, 1993). As the Spanish moved up the coast they converted the natives to Christianity calling their new Christian followers Neophytes which meant newly converted (sanjuancapistrano.org).

They used these Neophytes as labor to construct the missions to further spread Christianity into the native nations. The natives in the missions were taught a great number of trades and by 1796 there were over a thousand natives recorded in San Juan Capistrano farming, hearding, doing candle and soap making, iron smelting, as well as running weaving and tanning operations. In 1807 alone 34 adobe houses were built and 1,649 natives were recorded to be converted in that year (sanjuancapistrano.org). By 1811 many tons of wheat, barley, corn, and bean yields were recorded as well as thousands of head of cattle, sheep and horses were recorded for that year (sanjuancapistrano.org). The San Juan Capistrano mission quickly became very productive as it was supported by large tracts of agriculture and grazing lands which were run by converts and Franciscan Friars. In 1821 Mexico claimed independence from the Spanish crown and the missions fell into private control with Pio Pico taking possession of San Juan Capistrano along with California. Poi Pico was a two-time president of Mexican California but possession of San Juan Capistrano was passed on through marriage. His sister married Don Juan Foster, an English shipping magnate who got rich quick in the 1830s. Along with another 200,000 acres to his name, Foster acquired the mission of San Juan Capistrano (Nicholas, 1993). During this time, the Southern California Railway was constructed through this area on its way to San Diego. During the 19 th and 20th Centuries, the area around San Clemente remained as quiet agricultural hills, growing citrus, walnut, and wheat among other crops. Eventually, a Norwegian born in Wisconsin by the name of Ole Hanson came to acquire a large tract of land between San Diego and Los Angeles. Hanson had been the Seattle mayor during 1918-1919 where he resigned after the Seattle Riots of 1919. Hanson decided to build a town on his new land which would be a halfway point between these two major cities along the

California coast. Hansons dream was to create a city which echoed the atmosphere and visual appearance of an old Spanish fishing village (Nicholas, 1993). He designed the city and created regulations which required buildings to maintain the same visual appearance and structure. Additionally, Hanson designed the streets, sewers and subdivisions to be curvilinear to take advantage of the hilly topography. Hanson named this city San Clemente and it thrived while the real-estate market was booming in the 1920s (Nicholas, 1993). Hansons dream suddenly collapsed on top of him as he lost everything as the great depression hit (Nicholas, 1993). Hanson lost everything by 1932 and modern architecture took over from this point on ultimately breaking the visual unity Hanson worked so hard to establish. The citizens of San Clemente now live in a city without the architectural theme Hanson had originally dreamed of although there remains a sentiment of regret for losing this vision. Perhaps San Clemente could once again establish its uniqueness and visual unity along with a sustainable food system to complement it. This would make the city the gem of the Southern California coast, establishing self-sufficiency along with self-identity. By breaking the repetition of current Southern California cities, San Clemente has the opportunity to lead other Southern Californian cities along a similar path, while leading by example.

III.) Geography, Demography, and Climate (Duncan Ketel) In order for a food system to be sustainable it must be based upon the natural strengths of a city, and rooted in the surrounding geography. Furthermore, the culture of the city must be ready to accept changes to their current food system. The city of San Clemente is no exception. San Clemente provides a unique opportunity for our sustainable food system because there is access to ample amount of land, and it is located along the coast, which provides the city

with the worlds greatest asset: the ocean. The City of San Clemente is small and affluent. It is approximately 19.5 square miles and has a population size of just 63,522 with a population density of 3,262 per square mile (city data), to be clear this is a small city. However, this size is actually an inherent advantage, because the food system will required to feed the population will not have a significant strain upon the surrounding environment. San Clemente is 61.5 miles away from Los Angeles and 53.2 miles away from San Diego, this position, in between two major cities, has implications for distribution and trade. East of the city lies the Santa Ana Mountains and the Cleveland National Forest. To the South before San Diego is the Camp Pendleton military base. To north most of the land is developed and part of the urban sprawl that is similar to most cities on the west coast. Although most of this land appears to be used for either, residential, military or government functions there is some suitable land that can be converted to agricultural purposes. To the East of the city, before reaching Cleveland National Forest, there is undeveloped land in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. Although the actual exact amount of land is unknown, this area is approximately 21 square miles. This area will be the site developed for sustainable agriculture. The site is located in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. This area is characterized by small hills and valley with slopes ranging from 7- 70 percent, in some areas. The soil of this region is classified into two groupings. They are Cienba-Anaheim- Soper soil association and the Alo-Bosanko association (USDA, 4-5). These soils are clay like and excessively drained. They are nutrient deficient and, according to the USDA should be used for range, pasture and in some cases the growing of citrus trees (USDA, 4). The natural vegetation found in this area includes coastal sage scrub, chaparral and oak woodlands, which is characteristic for similar areas found

in Southern California. The soil of this region is also prone to erosion. In order for a sustainable food system be grown from this soil certain amendments must be taken. Before this sustainable food system can be undertaken, new infrastructure must be built, which could have a potentially high initial cost. The citizens will have to bear this cost, however, they are well equipped to incur these costs, especially if they can reap the benefits later. The median income of San Clemente is 82,393 dollars and the median age is 38 years old (City Data). This shows that the average citizen of San Clemente is well established and will be invested in the improvement of their city. Furthermore, their high level of income is an advantage, which the city should make use of. There are some amounts of unemployment in San Clemente, 3.8 % of the population is unemployed and 7.2% of individuals live below the poverty line (City Data). The creation of a new sustainable food system will alleviate the small amount of employment and lift those individuals below the poverty line above it by provide jobs in the creation of infrastructure and later as potential farmers. The mean price of a home in San Clemente is 913.531 dollars (City Data). The cost of developing this land outside of the city will be expensive. The city may have to subsidize the these costs, however, as previously stated the individuals of the city have enough liquid income that by through certain measures these costs can be mitigated. The citizens of San Clemente want change. Although there is not a citywide initiative to promote awareness of the environment and they food system, there is interest found throughout the city. Recently there have been calls to clean up the ocean, which Southern California Edison has begun to do by restoring certain areas of the kelp forest. Furthermore there has been a start up of a community co-op known as San Clemente Community Market. The goal of this start up is to bring fresh and organic food to the city (Community Market). This is an example of the

citizens working together, and it shows that the city is culturally ready for a new system to meet the growing needs of its individuals for sustainable food. Growing food, and sustaining agriculture requires ample amounts of water. However, the climate of Southern California, and the soil, is not conducive to agriculture because of its significant lack of water. The average monthly rainfall in San Clemente is 1.13 inches (City Data). However, this average doesnt account for the fact that the majority of the rainfall occurs during the winter months. The average rainfall during the winter months (December, January, February) is 2.88 inches, while the average amount of rainfall during the summer months (June, July, August,) is .06 inches (City Data). Part of this can be accounted for the type of climate in San Clemente. The ocean air forces precipitation further inland causing most rain to fall in the Santa Ana Mountains, and not in San Clemente. Additionally according to the Koppen Climate Classifications San Clemente is classified as a Mediterranean climate. These climates have hot dry summers and warm mild winters. Although in some cases temperatures drop below freezing the average temperature is 73 degrees (City Data). It is the combination of the coastal air pushing precipitation inland, and the general lack of rainfall, which contributes to the dry climate of San Clemente. If agriculture will subsist it methods of soil amendments must be used, and rainfall will have to be used as effectively as possible. The geography of San Clemente is one of a coastal Mediterranean climate. The city receives little rainfall throughout the year, and temperatures rarely drop below freezing. The soil found throughout this area is mostly clay loam and shale stone, which are excessively drained and have a low permeability. However, there is ample undeveloped land in this region, which could be converted to agricultural land. Furthermore the city is small in size so the land is this region could potentially feed all the citizens. The mid coast location of San Clemente in between

two large commercial centers could also provide distribution outlets, as well as safety valves to provide goods that cannot be found in the city. Although the transition from a non-sustainable lifestyle to one of a sustainable food system will be difficult, the city of San Clemente is culturally ready for change. Moreover, the city posses the financial ability to enact the needed changes in infrastructure to create a sustainable system. In supposition, the geography of San Clemente is well suited for the creation of sustainable food system after certain systemic alterations take place. IV) The terrestrial sustainable food system (Duncan Ketel) The terrestrial food system of San Clemente will require a new approach towards the land. One that is holistic, comprehensive, and understanding of the needs of the ecosystem. There cannot be one singular approach. Furthermore, this approach may not be applicable to other cities, unless they have the same geography as San Clemente. This system, however, will effectively provide the citizens of San Clemente with all their produce needs. As earlier described the soil of the site for development is poor. It is nutrient deficient, excessively drained, and has low permeability, which can lead to runoff. In order to combat these insufficiencies this land will undergo several mitigation measures to increase the agricultural potential of the soil. Soil erosion is a serious problem for the soil association in Southern California, soils of the Alo-Bosanko group, which will be soils used for agriculture in San Clemente, are prone to erosion (USDA, 6). One technique to mitigate erosion is through the use of terracing. Terracing has the ability to reduce erosion by 10- 50% (Carman). The effective use of terracing is important in erosion prone soil. Without terracing in mountainous regions, such as islands in

Greece, there has been a significant reduction in the soil productivity (Agro Plan). The amount of organic matter has decreased and there has been noticeable amount of erosion. The cost has been so great that the Greek government has implemented the reintroduction of terraces into certain agricultural regions (Agro Plan). In a closed loop system that focuses on the use of natural remedies and soil amendments, instead of fertilizers and pesticides, controlling erosion is crucial. Another benefit of using terraces is that they prevent and slow runoff. In the case of certain practices used in Iowa terraces have been shown to slow runoff long enough that chemicals such as phosphorous have time to fall to the bottom of the land. The result is that the runoff is cleaner and contains far fewer chemicals (Carman). Although the system of San Clemente will not have be using chemicals it will need terraces to reduce erosion and run-off, especially in a climate that has such little amounts of rainfall. There are two general types of terraces in use. One type is known as a storage terrace. This terrace is primarily used to store water until it can infiltrate the ground water system. Although it can still mitigate erosion, the main purpose is to store water (Carman). The other general type of terrace is known as a gradient terrace. These terraces are used to slow run-off until the water has time to be diverted towards an area ready for absorption. This type of terrace also slows runoff so sediments have time to fall on the bottom letting cleaner water continue to run (Carman). Gradient terraces have three particular types, which are used. The three types are known as narrow base terraces, broad base terraces and grassed back slope terraces. Narrow base terraces are usually narrow terraces that are grassed on both sides with perennial grasses. These

terraces elevate away from the land and then descend into the new cropland. They are built at a ratio of 2:1 meaning for each two foot they move horizontally they move one foot vertically as well. Grassed back slope terraces are only grassed on the back slope, they continue to maintain the 2:1 ratio, similar to narrow base terraces. The front slope of back slope terraces can be farmed if desired (Carman). The last form of gradient terraces is the broad base terrace. These terraces do not maintain the 2:1 ratio and they must be used on flatter types of land. These terraces also can be farmed on both slopes because of the gentle amount of slope found in broad base terraces. (Carman). Although in Iowa these terraces are grown with perennial grasses the system in San Clemente will employ native plants. The reason for this is because perennial shrubs, such as cenoathus, and native trees, like oak are already adapted to the environment of Southern California. Furthermore these shrubs, and trees will promote overall biodiversity, while effectively strengthening the soil and slowing runoff. Overall the terraces in the new proposed system will decrease soil erosion in the foothills of surrounding San Clemente as well as reducing the amount of runoff. Terracing will be the lynchpin of the terrestrial food system of the future for San Clemente. However, one method will not be enough to substantially improve the soil to a level for high agricultural production. To increase agricultural productivity other methods must be used. One such method is conservation or no till forms of tilling. Tilling has been an important part of farming for thousands of years, and it is a valuable part of farming. Tilling gets rid of weeds and aerates the soil. Without tilling or disturbing the soil it is difficult to prepare the soil for planting (NCGA, 1). However, there are some significant drawbacks to tilling the soil. Tilling the soil can lead to more erosion, and increase the amounts of runoff. Furthermore it increases the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere (NCGA,

1). Conservation tilling has benefits and in such soils as those found near San Clemente will actually increase the productivity of that land. Conservation tillage increases the amount of organic matter in the soil, and reduces erosion. However, without tilling the amount of weeds can increase, since there is no disturbance going on. The way to remedy this is by laying mulch all over the cropland. Mulch helps to retain the moisture in the soil and tackle the problem of weeds. Overtime the mulch breaks down and adds nutrients to the soil. This process is a constant state of amendment for the soil. The mulch, and lack of tilling, helps retain the soils moisture and nutrients inside the soil (NCGA, 1). At the same time it effectively inhibits the growth of weeds, by blocking out sunlight. The downside of conservation tilling is that weeds will be more prevalent, but the soil will be more fertile. In an area such as San Clemente where water is sparse, and the soil is susceptible to erosion, any mitigation techniques to increase agricultural productivity must be used. Another benefit of conservation tillage is increase in the carbon stock equilibrium, also known as ESB (NCGA, 2). During tillage while the soil is being aerated carbon is released into the atmosphere. This has several implications, firstly if carbon is in the air and not the soil there is less organic matter within the soil. This could limit the plants ability to grow, and decrease overall soil productivity. An additional inference about carbon being released into the atmosphere is the fact that carbon mixing with oxygen creates CO2, more CO2 contributes to global climate change. The consequence is the contribution to a positive feedback loop, which further accelerates global climate change. The cost benefits of conservation tillage are tremendous. Even in the system of conventional farms low till methods decrease costs. By practicing a low till method a farmer can save 3,500 gallons of oil per year and over 9,000 dollars per year (NCGA, 2). The proposed system would for San Clemente would comprise of

terraces spread throughout the foothills, which each terrace practicing a low or conservation till approach. These two approaches would decrease erosion and runoff. Whilst increasing organic matter and total agricultural productivity from the terrace beds. These measures alone could transform the soil of the Santa Ana foothills into dynamic grounds of agriculture. However, the system in San Clemente will include more natural systems to further reduce erosion, and enhance the agriculture. The terrestrial system of San Clemente will comprise of terraces, conservation methods of tilling, and principles of Agroforestry and topography. Although the Mediterranean climate of San Clemente is generally temperate because of the ocean air it can on occasion fluctuate, and the winds can be volatile. In order to deal with these natural occurrences, and to limit the effect of climate spikes this system will make use of basic principles of cold air drainage (Mollison, 38), the convective transfer of heat (Mollison, 44), and swales (Mollison, 47). Although terraces, and conservation till methods reduce erosion there is potential to reduce this further by creating shelterbelts of trees and shrubbery. If a proper mix of density and height is achieve the shelterbelts can reduce erosion from the wind by slowing it down and providing a barrier from complete exposure (Mollison, 46). Stopping erosion is paramount in soils that are erosion prone, however, in hills and valleys pockets of cold and warm air can develop. The thermal belt lies in at elevations in the middle of valley. The cold air collects itself at the bottom of the valley and at the upper plateaus (Mollison, 38). This knowledge can lead to smart crop planning, including growing crops that prefer colder temperatures in the colder regions, and crops that prefer hotter temperatures in the warm regions.

However, even through this use of understanding the natural microclimates there are still ways to create microclimates. The use of Agroforestry can create new microclimates. When planting crops near or in forests, whether they are natural or manufactured, the forest creates a microclimate because of the convective transfer of heat (Mollison, 44). This transfer results in a cooling effect during the day and heating effect at night. The reason for this is because heat rises and the forest is constantly releasing heat outwards. By using this idea of Agroforestry plants can expend more energy into growing instead of trying to survive the fluctuations of temperature. The last component of the sustainable agricultural system in place will be the use of swales. Swales are similar to storage terraces in that the idea behind them is the same. The swale is a large ditch dug in the land, intended to fill up with water and allow it to slowly infiltrate into the ground water (Mollison, 56). Since the area of San Clemente is arid and receives an unusually small amount of rainfall any attempt to increase the amount of ground water must be made. Furthermore, swales will capture excess runoff water after irrigating the soil, increasing the efficiency of any form of irrigation. The new system of sustainable agriculture in San Clemente is viable. Although the current conditions are unsuitable to agriculture implementing these methods of farming can amend them. This system will be comprised of terraces, swales, conservation tillage methods, and natural principles of Agroforestry. It is this combination that will increase agriculture productivity for the entire region. This method of sustainable agriculture could feed the entire population of San Clemente and even produce a surplus. However, even this system is only half of the solution, this permaculture based form of farming will be combined with marine aquaculture in San Clemente. Together these two systems will lead San Clemente to a

sustainable future, while setting an example for others to follow.

V.) AQUACULTURE (Mikey OReilly) Although the terrestrial life along the Americas vary, San Clemente and the rest of North and South Americas west coast all share a common submerged gold mine of biodiversity. Kelp forests are among the most biodiverse environments in the world. Located primarily along the Pacific coast, they are extremely similar to the rain forests of South America with a canopy and layers of coverage below. The two plants that provide the primary coverage are both brown macroalgae species. Bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana, is the less common of the two and is an annual that reproduces fast. It consists of a large stipe that stretches to the surface with a huge air pocket at the top and numerous long blades extending outward from the top. This kelp can grow up to ten inches a day and after storms is often found washed up on shore. Native Americans often ate this dried up kelp just like potato chips. Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, is the largest and most common brown macroalgae species off the coast of San Clemente and the rest of the southern waters. Under ideal conditions, this kelp can grow up to two feet per day. It is also a perennial and can live for up to seven years. Starting as phytoplankton, giant kelp eventually finds a sturdy rock to attach to and instead of a rood system, they create a holdfast that anchors the plant to the rock. The holdfast actually acts nothing like a root system in the sense that it does not hold any water or nutrients, it only acts as an anchor. This is actually the most important part of a kelps life because the survival of each individual is directly correlated with the strength of the substrate it attaches to. Larger, sturdier substrates provide a better hold when high energy storms come through, often killing most poorly attached kelp. As it starts to shoot up, the thallus, or body, creates blades that branch off of it that act like leaves where photosynthesis takes place. Nutrients and water are transferred through them as well along with the bodys walls. The whole plant is held afloat by gas filled bladders called pneumatocysts that

are formed at the base of the blades. The pneumatocysts are the reason the giant kelp are able to grow, photosynthesize, and live. These plants can grow tall enough to reach the surface and continue growing across the water, even attaching to other plants creating a canopy. When the giant kelp connect like this is when a true kelp forest is formed. These kelp forests are very specific about the conditions where they grow. They only grown along rocky shorelines with depths of about two meters to more then 30 meters. The kelp favors nutrient rich, cool waters of about five to 20 degrees Celsius. These waters are often sites of a lot of upwelling along with a constant cold, nutrient filled current. Upwelling occurs in regions in the ocean where the wind pushes currents and forces the surface water offshore. As the surface water goes offshore, the nutrient filled water from below replaces the surface water and provides all the necessary nutrients the kelp forest system needs. The kelp forest supports a large variety of invertebrates, fish, marine mammals, and birds. Some of the common inhabitants include abalone, california sea lion, california spiny lobster, purple sea urchin, southern sea otter, western gull, and many many more. Many larger animals also feed on the kelp and use it to seek refuge during storms. Also, some grey whales and other large animals have been known to use the kelp cover to escape predatory killer whales. Although many different species make this their home, the most common image that is associated with kelp forests is a sea otter on its back, surrounded by kelp, trying to eat a sea urchin. Although many may think this is cute, these two species play a critical role in the sustainability of the kelp forest. The southern sea otter is a keystone species in this habitat and through changes in the water conditions and over hunting, otters have become almost extinct and are no longer seen in the southern kelp forests anymore. This leaves no predators for the purple sea urchin who travel in herds, feeding on the holdfasts of kelp. As a result, purple sea urchins

have almost completely destroyed the kelp beds in southern California since the 1950s. These herds can destroy kelp forests at the rate of 30 feet per month, and sit, waiting to destroy any attempt at regrowth. After the kelp detaches, it floats to the open ocean, the deep ocean, or onto shore, where it is eaten by other animals. But this leaves an uninhabited desert where a beautiful kelp forest once flourished. Our goal is to start restoration of this amazingly biodiverse, complicated system in San Clemente. Efforts have already been started by Southern California Edison as a result of the possible habitat damage they have created through their San Onofre nuclear power plant. Because of this damage, they have spent $46 million towards this project to restore 174 acres of kelp forest. It has already proven a success and the canopy structure is already formed in many areas. Also, many fish and other life has moved in, making this almost exactly what it was, only time will fully recover it. We plan on expanding this project and slightly modifying it to allow San Clemente to have their own sustainable source of protein to supplement the sustainable terrestrial agriculture. Through research, is it essential that the reintroduction of southern sea otters is the first step to making this project successful. Although otters are not something that will be used for anything, they are key to keeping this habitat going so other species can be collected and used for food. Some may be concerned with the reintroduction of sea otters, that there might be a negative effect, but this species eats a wide variety of things including sea urchins, abalone, mussels, crabs, snails, and about 40 other species. Purple sea urchins are among their preferred delicacies which is fortunate to eventually rebalance of the system. Besides these two species that are not in the current human cuisine, other species of animals that inhabit the kelp forest are edible. There are many edible fish that swim about in the

kelp, in particular the kelp bass, also known as the calico bass, which is a bony fish that feeds on small fishes, crustaceans, and squid. Sport fishing practices like spear fishing is a common practice in kelp forests along the California coast. As well as spear fishing, lobster diving is a favored past time of many costal residences of California. Belonging to the decapod family of crustaceans, the california spiny lobster lacks claws and therefore depends on their sharp spines all over their body as a form of defense from predators. They use their two antennae to make sound which wards off enemies and helps them to detect movement towards them. California spiny lobsters also use their muscular tail as a defense to propel themselves when in danger. They grow bigger by molting their exoskeleton as they form a new one underneath. Lobsters also have the ability to regenerate lost limbs and antennae. They can be found in rocks and caves along the ocean floor. Like most crustaceans, these lobsters are scavengers and clean the ocean floor at night under the safety of darkness. This is an amazing adventure because not only does one get to go do something fun and active with, they also get to catch their dinner for the next night as well. Because this can be such a fun event for individuals and small groups, San Clemente can set up a profit making program were and instructor takes a couple hours to teach a small group of people everything they need to know, then take them out and assist them in lobster diving. This is a way where the city could make money and have the chance to teach the public about our program, about conservation, and about sustainability through the local food system to make San Clemente a role model for all cities. Because San Clemente will be allowing some forms of fishing, there are going to have to also be rules and restrictions on when, how, and the size of the lobster and fish that fishermen take from the newly developed kelp forest. A Native American tale tells us that the first humans arrived in the Pacific Northwest by stepping out of a clam shell. Ever since then, clams have been a central part of shaping the

culture and economy of Native Americans. Most often done in the north, Washington is home to many clam farm that have become extremely profitable. There is one specific type of clam, though, that has proven to be adaptive to different types of environments. Thought to be originally from Japan, the Manila clam has been successfully introduced along the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean. They have become the dominant clam used in commercial harvesting because of they are able to grow fast and are easy to harvest. Manila clams thrive on stable beaches with a mixture of gravel, sand, mud and shell and are commonly found in the middle intertidal zone between three and six feet above the mean lower low water (MLLW). This means they should be placed at the lower end of the average low tide. To supplement the constant bombardment from waves, rocks will be cleared out and stacked just off shore to break up the waves. Clams are bivalves, or shelled invertebrates (without backbone). The shell consists of to valves, or pieces that are joined together by a ligament. These animals are filter feeders and essentially clean the ocean of the wastes that are produced through other animals. When spawning, they release eggs and sperm into the water in hope that with the law of averages, they will meet together. This usually occurs in late spring when water temperatures start to warm up and food is available. Once fertilization takes place, they become microscopic larvae that freely swim until about two to four weeks when they finally settle to the bottom. To provoke spawning, the clams will be placed in artificial tanks that have a pumping system bringing water from the ocean in, and removing the cleaned water by pumping it back into the ocean. This piping will also have a heating/cooling system to create the perfect environment for the clams to spawn. Clams are a highly prized catch for many predators from birds, to crabs, to snails, to flounders, among others. Because of this, it is necessary to use Predator Exclusion Netting. This

is a fine plastic netting which will not decompose nor is it dangerous to any marine life that may come in contact with it. The only problem with this netting is it does not protect against predators that burry themselves under the sand. This can be solved by burying the netting about six inches deep. Although farmers are constantly striving to perfect sustainable farming, using clams and other filter feeders is actually the only way to truly have a sustainable farm. This is because they leave the environment cleaner then it was when they left it. Another species of filter feeders that can be easily farmed in San Clemente are mussels. Just like clams, mussels leave their the environment they are farmed in cleaner then they found it. It has already been proven to be an extremely profitable business in many places, with some farms being worth up to $4 million. The most efficient and sight-specific method of farming is the long-line system. This is a suspension system with two marker buoys on the end of each row that are connected to an anchor. Using this base, the backline will connect the two buoys, with smaller buoys keeping the backline afloat. Then, off the backline, the sleeves that hold the mussels are suspended. The reasons most farmers do this is because with the mussels being suspended, they are less likely to pick up grit, or form pearls. Also, with this method, the mussels are able to get more nutrients and they all have similar distribution and therefore they will have a more uniform size. Most mussel farmers use a system to collect seeds that have been released by the mussels they are farming. They then spend a short time raising the seedlings, then place them back onto the sleeves for them to continue their growth until harvested. This system will not do that because using the catching system may endanger other marine life. So San Clementes system will have a second tank that will be similar to the clam tank to promote spawning and collect the seeds that way. The goal of this system is to keep everything as natural as possible and to try to

integrate this with the natural kelp forest found in San Clemente. This is why we picked this system because this method creates a similar environment of protection as the kelp does. Although this system is supposed to be as natural as possible, this still has to be able to provide food for the city and therefore we have to protect the mussels from predation. So similar to the clams, the mussels will have a protective cage or netting around them that is safe to the environment. The third and final marine species that will be farmed in San Clemente is the California Halibut. This is a flat fish that usually lives in shallow sandy environments. They usually feed on anchovies, sardines, and other small fishes, crustaceans, and mollusks. The California

Halibut is usually found blended into the sandy bottom of where they live. This gives them the ability to hide from predators and ambush prey. This fish is perfect for farming in San Clemente because by removing the natural rock bottom there will be a natural habitat created for these flat fish to thrive. By creating a border for these fish with the natural rock bottom, the Halibut will be able to be contained, monitored, and easily caught to be sold. Some people may question how these three different species can be raised, especially with the limited space in a city like San Clemente. Well to start, there is a space approximately a mile long along the coast that is impacted by the metro railroad station. This area is first a place that goes right up to the tidal line, making it an area where people are unable to enjoy the beach. But the metro station gives the program the ability to quickly ship the marine life that is produced to the consumer. Because there is such a limited amount of land in San Clemente, there has to be a way to bring everything together and work in a small area. This is done by placing the tanks on the shore, with the clams in the intertidal zone. This will reduce the distance to bring the water and the seedlings back and forth. Just inside of the clams will be where the

sand bottom starts and the California Halibut will live. Because this area will be a huge gap in the natural system, the mussel farm will be suspended above the Halibut. This will encourage the small fish that the Halibut feed on to go up to the suspended mussels for food, allowing this system to work without any externalities. After the Halibut/Mussel farm, the rocks that were removed will be turned into wave breaking pillars which will force the waves to break away from the onshore clam farm. These pillars will also provide small caves for the lobsters to seek protection in. Finally the natural kelp forest will be located outside of the pillars and extend as far as possible. VI.) DISTRIBUTION (Erik Rempen) San Clementes unique location between San Diego and Los Angeles along the California coast gives it an innate advantage in terms of establishing a purposeful distribution system. Additionally, the Southern California Railroad which runs conveniently through the city of San Clemente will be of great use as well. As of now the majority of the food that is eaten in San Clemente is purchased from Central California or other parts of the nation or even internationally. When a substantial amount of food is being produced in the close proximity or even within San Clemente, this long distance food distribution will no longer be necessary, increasing the freshness and quality of the food while decreasing the price. Making perishable food travel from long distances not only is environmentally irresponsible but it forces farmers to pick crops when they are unripe, and select for varieties which travel better rather than those which have better nutritional value. Understandably, San Clemente cannot grow all its own food within the city limits but if the city were to supplement the majority of its diet from food produced in the area, the benefits would be multilateral. In addition to decreasing food miles and increasing food quality, the

region would benefit economically as the money spent growing, transporting and buying the food would all remain in the community. That being said, San Clemente cannot grow all its own food and some food items must be imported. However, it would be ideal if these imported items were nonperishable or food items which travel well such as wheat, rice, etc. or if the food came from the immediate regions around San Clemente, within Southern California. The goal is to maintain a local and self-sufficient food system for the region, completely self-dependent and self-maintained. San Clemente can not only easily import the transportable foods it cannot produce but it can also export surplus products which are created in the region. Again, it would be ideal if the exported items were not perishable and thus not difficult to transport. That being said, we would of course encourage the city to eat local produce and maintain a local cuisine. This is not an easy transition to make although there are a few steps which can ease an evolution of an international food system back to local food system. Creating community garden projects is one such step which benefits the sustainability effort while at the same time establishing a more localized food system. Community gardens not only reconnect people to food but they reestablish the rift between humans and natural cycles and systems. Additionally, it will assist in the gradual reacceptance of the seasonality of food. Those who grow their own vegetable garden are more likely not only to respect their environment more, but also their own diet, taking care to be healthier. If San Clemente were to encourage all those with over 1 acre of property to either grow a backyard garden or lease some of their property to be converted into a community garden, the citizens of San Clemente would be galvanized to support a more sustainable food system. The ideal neighborhood garden would be created in the four corners where the back yards of four

different houses meet, establishing a group garden while connecting people to their neighbors. The benefits stretch beyond the community building and encourage people to more easily adjust to the return of culinary seasonality. In addition to growing local food, the citizens of a sustainable food system must eat local food. As described before, this requires the reintroduction of seasonality. There are enormous environmental, economic, and social benefits to returning to a seasonal food system both locally and globally.* By tying meals to occasions and holidays, people will be more accustomed to eating foods at specific times. Just as we all know that pumpkin pies are eaten during thanksgiving, tying foods to seasons is ideal and a great step towards transition. Already San Clemente enjoys a chowder festival in October, creating other specifically local dishes and connecting them to times of the year would be both environmentally and economically beneficial. A citrus festival in spring, selling almond-seared halibut during labor day weekend, lobster in the fall, or bread festival in winter are all examples of tying cuisine to seasons. After growing local produce, there needs to be method of purchasing the produce in a convenient and reasonable manner. Farmers markets have their benefits, including decreased cost, farmer-consumer relations and seasonality but they remain almost entirely unsuccessful as a main source of dietary supplementation. This is because of the lack of convenience: supermarkets absorb all the grocery consumption because of their superiority in convenience alone. Unfortunately, the majority of the money spent on any item in a corporate grocer leaves the community immediately. How can local food production combat international corporations? Through a city supported local market system, the food grown near San Clemente can be sold all at one convenient and daily market.

Open market systems continue to bring local and regional produce to consumers all across the globe yet this is a vending method which we have all but forgotten about. The market would combine the convenience of being available and open every day of the week with the convenience of being a one-stop-shop for purchasing all groceries and farm products. At the same time, the intimate farmer-consumer relationships which are present in farmers markets would not be lost. Additionally, the price of produce would be significantly lower as there is not only very little transport required, but a centralized distribution system on site to the respective vendors. This open market system combines the best of corporate grocers and farmers markets into one cohesive blend. Where would San Clemente find space for a massive market which has the capacity to accommodate the entire city? It is difficult to start from scratch when the entire valley between the hills and the sea is almost entirely developed. Yet using occupied land for a better and more sustainable purpose is not unheard of, and in this case perfect. The San Clemente Municipal Golf Course not only has the perfect layout for a market as depicted in the figure below but it already has the infrastructure for such a market. Additionally, notice the close proximity to the I-5 as well as to the ocean and the Pacific Railroad. The San Clemente Municipal Market would place vending tents along the golf course runs is perfect to create streets for the market while allowing the trees that have grown to stay and offer shade and wind protection to the market. The northern half of the market would be reserved for vending while the southern half would be left for production and distribution.

More specifically, the North West section of the market could be used to sell vegetables, fruits, tree nuts, seeds, cheese, meat, seafood as well as inedible items produced from farms such as shampoo, soap, candles, etc. In the North East corner, meat freezers and storage would be established for quick and easy access to both the meat vendors and the food vendors to the East. The food vendors would sell locally grown and regionally specific dishes as an example of San Clementes unique cuisine. The Southern half of the market would be made up of the production of the inedible items and olive oil etc. as well as other processing, storing, and washing. In the far South East corner would be the composter. Here all the food waste from the market could be converted into compost for the vendors purchase. The idea is to centralize all the production, washing, processing, distribution, vending and recycling into one centralized area which is both reliable and convenient for consumers. This would create an economic, social and mercantile hub for the city of San Clemente which would allow the city to distribute the food produced locally to the local citizens. The community would

be more willing to see their golf course evolved into a local food market as they would be part of the production of the produce. Additionally, there are other golf courses in the immediate area and long term self-sufficiency is of greater importance than excessive leisure. VII.) CONCLUSION (Erik Rempen) The Sustainable food system inputs which the paper has described are neither unreasonable nor too imaginative. Each of these systems has seen success in other areas of the globe and by combining them here in the city of San Clemente, the city could create a truly progressive self-sufficient food system. This would not only benefit the local economy, by assuring that all the money for purchases is maintained within the region, while creating a regionally specific food cuisine of increased quality and nutritional value. Using the terracing system in the hills to produce a patchwork of farms, pasture and native ecosystems, San Clemente can increase biodiversity and productivity of the hills simultaneously. The same can be said for the marine food system which creates a complex interaction between the marine life to maximize productivity while reestablishing the native kelp forests in the area. All this local food would be distributed, managed and sold in one centralized location further establishing the selfsufficiency of the city. San Clementes regional environment offers the city an opportunity to create a sustainable food system, as well as create the independence from the rest of the industrialized food system benefiting the city multilaterally.

Work Cited (Erik Rempen) Jones, Terry, and Kathryn Klar. California Prehistory: Colonization, Culture, and Complexity. Landham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2007 Magalousis, Nicholas M. "Mission San Juan Capistrano Historic Site and Museum." The Public Historian 15.2 (1993). Kelsey, Harry. "Juan Rodrguez Cabrillo." The Americas 44.3 (1988) "City of San Juan Capistrano." San Juan Capistrano. City of San Juan Capistrano. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.sanjuancapistrano.org/>. "Mission San Juan Capistrano." Mission San Juan Capistrano. JUVE Creative. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://missionsjc.com/>. "The San Onofre Foundation." San Onofre Foundation. The Other Room. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://sanofoundation.org/site/>. Works Cited (Mikey OReilly)
http://www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org/exhibits/socal-marine-habitats/kelp-forests.asp kelp http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/ref/econanapei-eng.htm mussel http://wsg.washington.edu/mas/pdfs/clamfarmlr.pdf clam http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=36321&inline=true Lobster http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/mspcont8.asp & http://www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org/exhibits/socal-speciesdetails.asp?id=45 Halibut http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/AnimalDetails.aspx?enc=n3f4wmcSJaOYYF43tqlC3w== senorita http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/invertebrates/echinoderm/Purpleseaurchin.shtml purple sea urchin http://www.defenders.org/sea-otter/basic-facts otter

Works Cited (Duncan Ketel) NCGA. Sustainability Conserving and Preserving: Soil Management and tillage. 22 August 2007. Web. 25 April 2012. Agro Plan Training Manual. Case study 31 Soil erosion terraces Greece. 25 February 2005. Web. 24 April 2012. United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service and Forest Service. Soil Survey of Orange County and Western Part of Riverside County, California. 1978. Print. Carman, Dennis. Terraces 11 May 2005. Web. 26 April 2012. San Clemente. City-Data. http://www.city-data.com/city/San-Clemente-California.html. Web. 22, April 2012. Mollison, Bill. Introduction to Permaculture. Tagari Publications, 1991. Print.