West Boca High in Culinary Competition

West Boca High had another culinary competition – Cake Decorating – and we’ve got delicious pictures from a participant’s mom.

First Place: Allie Miller

Before we get into more of the cakes, here’s an image with some details of the competition:

1st place went once again to Allie Miller, senior, and 2nd place went to Miah Shefer, sophomore. Both of these ladies won last year with their talents as well. The cakes this year were a step up as the students went the extra mile to knock the socks off of the culinary professionals of Boca Raton.
Here is the team:

More cakes:
Second Place – Miah Shefer



Farmer Jay: Keeping South Florida Food Fresh, Pure, and Local

It isn’t rare to walk through the local supermarket and see products stamped with an “organic” or “all natural” sticker. The amount of recyclable bags is increasing, and being “eco-friendly” has become a lifestyle statement. While “going green” may seem like a fad, healthy eating and living in a sustainable fashion is not.

Jason McCobb, owner of Farmer Jay Pure Organics, is s Delray Beach grower who knows that “going green” begins with the basics: Know what you eat.

Farmer Jay can implement custom gardens and raised beds for the beginner or expert gardener. All are made of rot-resistant cedar that is certifiably sustainable. Image courtesy of Farmer Jay’s Facebook page.

Farmer Jay offers fresh, chemical-free vegetables to local restaurants. Other than providing the freshest local ingredients to restaurants, Farmer Jay brings a sustainable lifestyle to the community by helping other gardeners (from the beginner to the expert) create successful gardens to be proud of. He offers the service of building custom-made raised beds for gardens, all made of rot-resistant cedar that is certifiably sustainable, and can have a self-watering system. Local restaurants, such as Tanzy of Boca Raton’s iPic theaters, already boast beautiful gardens from Farmer Jay.
Farmer Jay also offers lectures and events that educate the community on topics such as  how to have a garden in your own backyard to understanding soil. The upcoming event, called ‘Farm Anywhere– Size Does Not Matter!’ will be held on Saturday, November 19th from 1-2:30 at the Ellenville Garden Center (220 NE 11th Street, Boca Raton) The cost of the workshop is $25. This is the second workshop of a series of workshops that will run through December, each with a different theme (check the line-up here!) 
[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&channel=np&q=220+NE+11th+Street,+Boca+Raton&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=220+NE+11th+St,+Delray+Beach,+Palm+Beach,+Florida+33444&gl=us&t=m&z=14&ll=26.360133,-80.082098&output=embed&w=425&h=350]
Farmer Jay offers classes and workshops throughout the community to schools, events, and birthday parties. Photograph courtesy of Farmer Jay’s Facebook page.

Farmer Jay can also be contacted to speak at events ranging from community events to schools and birthday parties, where kids decorate pots, plant herbs, and plant seeds for plant anatomy garden that explores the six different parts of the plant we eat.
Whether it be tossing out the junk food, taking shorter showers, or keeping that New Year’s Resolution to recycle more, the Boca Raton area has plenty of alternatives to commercialized food and unhealthy lifestyles that also supports local land and farms.
Like Farmer Jay on Facebook  to get the most up-to-date information on their offerings and upcoming events in the community for healthy living.

Sun Sentinel Article on Flooding in West Boca

There’s a good article in the Sun Sentinel on flooding in West Boca by Marci Shatzman (e-mail).
In short, flooding can occur, or be worsened, if a community fails to properly adjust the height of the “weir” that separates the community’s lakes from the drainage canals. And people should also be careful not to allow drainage grates to become blocked.
Our experience in far west Boca was that the flooding seemed to be heavier near Palmetto and south of Palmetto, and not as bad near Glades Road. However, the lakes were pretty high in the Mission Bay area as well.