#80. Thomas Nicholson Stratton: The Future of Humboldt Belongs to Those Who Dream Big

Scott Hammond: Ladies and gentlemen, friends and neighbors, it's Scott Hammond with the 100% Humboldt podcast with my newest best friend, Thomas Nicholson Stratton

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And it's not just because I brought ice cream, right?

Scott Hammond: It is… Well, we'll get there.

Scott Hammond: Hey, Thomas.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Thank you for having me.

Scott Hammond: Thanks for coming. Tell us-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: You're welcome

Scott Hammond: … tell me who- You have Foggy Bottoms Boys there, so that must mean something.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, sure do. Um, an iteration of, uh, a convergence of, of a full life lived, it feels like, for the amazing experience that I've been able to, uh, achieve. But, um, I'm from northeast Oregon, and fell in love here in Humboldt, and came down to live here 10 years ago as part of a dairy family and-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … um, just loved every minute of it and, and getting to experience the life in Humboldt is– We're so blessed here.

Scott Hammond: Oh, man. So we wanna hear all about Jersey Scoops, right?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, Jersey Scoops, Nicholson Livestock.

Scott Hammond: And you guys-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Loleta Meat Co.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh. Oh. Is that-

Scott Hammond: What?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Are you gonna get the exclusive?

Scott Hammond: Yeah, maybe in the scoop. They call me Scoop Hammond. So tell, tell us about your story, Thomas. So you grew up in-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: You got it

Scott Hammond: … way up in Burns or somewhere?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, actually, uh, all the way, about an hour from the border, each

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: direction-

Scott Hammond: Ontario?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … northeast Oregon. Yeah, just a little, just a little bit, uh, further up north.

Scott Hammond: So Ontario is where all the Boise people go for weed.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. Oh, God. There's so many things, uh, especially alcohol laws, fireworks laws. There's a lot of, uh, state crossing for-

Scott Hammond: So they come over to you guys?-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Y-

Scott Hammond: … 'cause Oregon looser?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, back and forth too.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, so alcohol for one, fireworks for the other, sales taxes for Washington, you know, property taxes for Ore- I mean, it's just-

Scott Hammond: It's all right there.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, it's all right there. You could have all sorts of different enterprises.

Scott Hammond: Well, there's not much up there actually.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I grew up in a, a small town called Union, Oregon. Um, so it's a bedroom community very similar to what Ferndale is-

Scott Hammond: Oh, okay

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … uh, from a university community. It's called La Grande, Eastern Oregon, uh, Eastern Oregon University. Uh, it was Eastern Oregon State College for a while.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So, so many similarities between-

Scott Hammond: How many students there?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, great question. I think there's probably about 3,500, so it's not huge.

Scott Hammond: Pretty big for-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … that area.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: But yeah, it's, it's a beautiful area. It's secluded just like we are here, so I feel right at home. Uh, you know, every time I come through the redwoods, it's that different smell, and it's like, for me, it's the pines when you– when I go to Grand-

Scott Hammond: Right

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … Round Valley, right?

Scott Hammond: Right.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, so yeah, similar community. I actually met Cody, my husband, at a Starbucks, and, uh, our mutual friend, his polo teammate, uh, she and I grew up together, and we just said hi and introduced each other.

Scott Hammond: There.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, it was 2007.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I was a senior in high school. He was a freshman in college.

Scott Hammond: Polo's a thing.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, for horses in Eastern Oregon, there's not much else to do except for ride around

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: on a horse.

Scott Hammond: We're not talking about water polo either.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: No. No. We're talking, uh, equestrian, hitting balls on- with sticks. It's pretty intense.

Scott Hammond: It's a pretty rad sport actually.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: He's– It's– He's an athlete, that's for darn sure.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, you gotta be tough.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Polo ponies are a whole nother-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: They sure are

Scott Hammond: … another money

Scott Hammond: s-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh

Scott Hammond: … pit probably.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, yeah. I mean, we've– we– Actually, one of our friends that grew up there, uh, uh, Quinn, uh, uh, he's amazing, and he's done the international championships.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, was in the Olympics this last year.

Scott Hammond: Right. That's good.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So his mom wa- was Cody's polo coach, and they… You know, what's funny is that they all said we should be together as soon as we- they knew each other, all of our friends. I mean, just barely met each other-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and kept in contact for 10 years on-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … Facebook and, you know, MySpace when it was a thing.

Scott Hammond: MySpace.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And we're like, "You just, you just know two queer people. You think that… You know, come on. That's not how it works."

Scott Hammond: Right.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: But they knew. They knew.

Scott Hammond: They knew. Oh, cool.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: It's good to, good to be known and be… I was gonna make a comment about polo. So I, I played water polo-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, really?

Scott Hammond: … in San Diego growing up. Different polo.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Didn't take a horse, just a ball.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. And the ability to swim well.

Scott Hammond: And a pool.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And not to die in the pool.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: No drowning.

Scott Hammond: Which is important. So you went to grade school and, uh, middle school and, and high

Scott Hammond: school?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. So, uh, fun fact, uh, actually four days a week, all the way K through post-secondary education, all the way through university. Uh, went- ended up going to Johnson & Wales University. It's a marketing business hospitality school. It was in Denver, Colorado. Um, they've consolidated campuses now, so it's, it's no longer there, but, uh, yeah, it's, um, it's four days a week for me I, I hope to achieve. Or maybe now that I'm working seven days a week, this is my payment.

Scott Hammond: You gotta pay back.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I gotta pay back those extra days.

Scott Hammond: All those four-day, all those four-day weeks.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I did that at Humboldt. I was able to go four or five days.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Gosh.

Scott Hammond: Never studied on weekends.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: It's life-changing, you know?

Scott Hammond: Yeah, I just had this other life balance and thought I'd be an ocean major, and I was a recreation major. It's perfect.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Go figure. Go figure.

Scott Hammond: I got a good, good educ- Yeah, Humboldt was, is and was great, so…

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And what'd you end up with?

Scott Hammond: Uh, recreation administration and liberal arts.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Very cool.

Scott Hammond: So minors in PE, theater, uh, recreation, and s- Oh, business. You have to have a business background.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, yeah. There's a, there's a-

Scott Hammond: There's a business underl-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … underlying everywhere. There has to be, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Good education.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, my mom was a school teacher for 36 years as a-

Scott Hammond: So you know

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … education, phys- or physical education-

Scott Hammond: Is she still up there?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and health teacher.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Still goes and-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … you know, substitute teaches and everything.

Scott Hammond: Tell me your dad– What does, what's your dad do?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. He's, uh, done maintenance, crews, rock construction companies, anything that's like a machinist working to getting things-

Scott Hammond: Huh

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … problem solved at a large scale with large pieces of equipment.

Scott Hammond: I think-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So I got to grow up-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … riding cats and digging in dirt and-

Scott Hammond: So all the mechanical stuff

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … big dump trucks and rock crushing-

Scott Hammond: Which is probably really useful on the ranch today.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I, I'll tell you, between my grandfather and my dad, all the skill sets that I have learned over my lifetime-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … have been invaluable to the creations-

Scott Hammond: Huh

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … that we're starting right now.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: That's really cool. I like, um… So you went to Denver, school in Denver, so that's all being useful now too.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Absolutely. At the belly of, um, a BA with a business administration, um, and then, uh, got my degree in marketing and really focused-

Scott Hammond: Right

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … on behavioral consumer science. So you know, why people make purchases or-

Scott Hammond: And buy ice cream. That's good.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Well, yeah. I mean, and the way that we like to address it is, uh, you know, is it a deficit mindset, uh, or is it a growth mindset, right?

Scott Hammond: Ah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Is it, is it scarcity, and is it, um, you know, fear, or are we joy and abundance?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Like, we're-

Scott Hammond: Ah

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … like, we wanna go for the joy and abundance.

Scott Hammond: Yes, we do. So-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Everybody wins that way.

Scott Hammond: I'm gonna go on camera here.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: It's time. It really is time.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, it might be, it might be too soon.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Where, where is it?

Scott Hammond: But I wanna have it ready.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Do you have it? Do you have it?

Scott Hammond: It's to– Oh, I-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Do you have the bag?

Scott Hammond: The ice cream?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I mean, I don't– hopefully I didn't get it-

Scott Hammond: Oh, no

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: All right, here we go. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Our producer Nick has the ice cream. So, uh, yeah. Is this too soon?

Scott Hammond: It's like-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Not at all. I think-

Scott Hammond: I mean, this is a joint-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I think it's gonna melt if we don't do it.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: This is about the perfect temperature.

Scott Hammond: I'll, I'll pop it so it-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … it, it melts a little bit.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Get it on, get it on the mic, too.

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah. Oh, look at that. Oh, man, this looks really… May I?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: I feel like I, like, jumped the gun. Joni's gonna be so embarrassed when she sees this.

Scott Hammond: Oh, wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So there's chunks of Patch's, uh, triple chocolate brownie in there. Patch's just opened up, uh, Patch's Pastries, uh, another location on Main Street in Fortuna. That's where the main bakery hub will be. And so that's one of our six current collaborations-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … for flavors. Shake Fork Farm with their strawberries, Fog Line Coffee with their coffee. We're working-

Scott Hammond: Really good coffee.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, it's really fantastic.

Scott Hammond: You ever had Phil's Coffee in the Bay Area?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: No.

Scott Hammond: P-H-I-L's.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: No, no, no.

Scott Hammond: Oh, my gosh.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Is that where I need to go next?

Scott Hammond: Well, that's… Yes. Yeah. So, uh, we always love Black Rock up in Oregon.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, okay.

Scott Hammond: Black Rock Coffee's killer.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, I haven't had them either.

Scott Hammond: It's really good.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Need to get out.

Scott Hammond: But Phil's is like… It started in the Mission District, and they, um, really diverse and really, uh, small, but everything's a pour-over.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm.

Scott Hammond: And you can pick, like, 20 coffees.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm. And this is what, um, this is what Rob and, and his family and team is aiming for at Fog Line. Uh, so most of them are small cultivators. A lot of them are women-owned that they're purchasing from directly. Uh, and in the case of the, uh, the coffee ice cream we're providing, it's called Minka, uh, and it's the darkest roast that they have. Uh, but it's actually really light compared to everywhere else. They don't go for that second pop as, in roasting-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … as you would do. Uh, like Starbucks coffee is, you know, the burnt flavor.

Scott Hammond: And Fog Line, are they up in Valley West, or are they the guys-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: They are. Yeah, Valley West

Scott Hammond: … right by the co- they're not the guys by the co-op.

Scott Hammond: That's-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-mm. Yeah, yeah, this is off, right next to the food hub, North Coast Growers

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Association.

Scott Hammond: Speaking of dark, I'll make segue.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. Ooh.

Scott Hammond: Very smooth segue, Scott.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I had dark, dark chocolate ice cream. And, um, Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate happens to be-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … another dark chocolate.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Um, tell me about the association with these guys. You guys are-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, you know, um, we're excited to finish our collaboration, so we're, we've worked together. And, and I will say to preface-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … uh, you know, I wrote a little article w- uh, with the Impact magazine for, uh, Nancy Olson and, uh, the Eureka Greater Chamber. And, uh, it's about that it takes a lot of work to collaborate, and it's, it's a lot more than just buying something off the shelf.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, but that's how you make a relationship work and-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and business work cohesively.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, so we're just final- funneling up the details there, but yeah, our, our chocolate ice cream, we're, we're looking forward to, to having Dick Taylor

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: chocolate.

Scott Hammond: It's huge. I gotta think… Uh, Nancy was a guest on the show.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: She was very excited when she heard I was coming

Scott Hammond: … shout out. Nancy, hey, what's up? Um, no, I love that. And I think… So let- let's back it way up.

Scott Hammond: So Jer-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: You got it. You got it

Scott Hammond: … so Jersey Scoops is in Loleta, California.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Right over here on my map. Do you ever see me use my prop?

Scott Hammond: Ready. Loleta sits right over here. It's south of Eureka, which is in, it's in California.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: In Humboldt County, California. And Loleta is, um, uh… I'll, I'll let you tell the story of Loleta, and then the story of how you guys are there as the-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … uh, Jersey Scoops.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Which my wife went to today, and I'll talk about that, but-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Okay

Scott Hammond: … y- I'm done talking. You talk.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: You got it. Um-

Scott Hammond: That ice cream's really good, by the way.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Thank you.

Scott Hammond: Is there coffee in there?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. None yet. Oh, Nick, do you… You probably need some too. It's delicious. Um, I, you know, I am so grateful to have a family that I was able to, to join in the Nicholsons because I have a lot of big, hairy, audacious goals and, um, I gained those through 4H. Um, my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health for better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world. I mean, that's what I live for. Four generations, right?

Scott Hammond: Can you say it one more time? 'Cause it's really important stuff.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, you got it. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, repeat it.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Slowly, with hand motions. My head for clearer thinking, my ha- uh, my heart for greater loyalty, my hands for larger service, and my health for better

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: living-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … for my club, my community, my country, and my world. So that's four generations. Since the program began in the nation, um, our family's been involved.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, so I first moved here and, uh, fell in love, moved here, and then got a job at the Cooperative Extension office, uh, with UC ANR, uh, University of California Agriculture and Natural

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Resources.

Scott Hammond: So you know, uh, one of my other guests-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Is Yana?

Scott Hammond: Yana.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, I thought so.

Scott Hammond: Yana's amazing.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Fire expert. Knows about fire.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, she knows about it all. She gets to have– She's surrounded by brilliant scientists, and is one herself, and gets to interface all of the pieces together, which is really amazing to see live and how that works.

Scott Hammond: Oh, Yana. Shout out to Yana.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Uh, super sweet.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um-

Scott Hammond: Super amazing person.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, yeah. And so that was my first experience in Humboldt, right? That family there and, and Leslie, uh, Canifax, who's been a part of the community for a long time and-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … ran that office so well.

Scott Hammond: So what did you do with them, for them?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, so essentially I coordinated the 4H program. Uh, so between here and Del Norte, I, uh, coordinated all the program aspects, and we really-

Scott Hammond: That's a huge thing.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, it was really fun. But it was easy, right?

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I mean, when I say easy, I mean I knew the program. I knew what it took. A little bit different in California than in, in Oregon. Um, but I knew the goals, um, and the state was really clear about those outcomes, and that was achieving parity among our community, but really reaching into our community in a different way. And then they knew that in 1950s, our agricultural community was really reliant upon cooperative extension offices in every single county,

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: basically-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … across the United States, as is those locations, uh-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … for all the services.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: USDA, FSA, uh, your local resource conservation service, your natural resource conservation service. But that was in the '50s when 50% of the population was, uh, getting their livelihood directly from agriculture.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Now it's 2%.

Scott Hammond: Phew.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So in the cases of, you know, what problems we're trying to solve were the same, there's a limited amount of people to actually help solve those problems. Um, and in this case, for education for our youth in a, in agrarian sense, uh, we need now to get into schools and work with schools, which is a huge part of what we try to do as well.

Scott Hammond: Gotcha. Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So Jersey Scoops. Sorry.

Scott Hammond: Speaking of Jersey Scoops-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I'm going all over the place

Scott Hammond: … in Loleta, California.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, actually Cody came in with a goat to-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. Oh, that's right

Scott Hammond: … Rid- Riddell Elementary when I was-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, yeah. He said he saw you

Scott Hammond: … career day or whatever.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: And the goat was the big hit and it was pooping everywhere.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: What are these, what are these parents?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: We no longer have diapers in the house, so when we do those experiences, they're really raw.

Scott Hammond: Oh, the goat was, goat was a hit.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Big hit.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: But, um, so we've taken all that, um, and, you know, super blessed with the Nicholson family taking on all these crazy ideas with us to be able to grow. I mean, where we are as a family, as a dairy, primarily to start, uh, is that we are focused on soil. When we focus on the community below the ground, we know that we're able to impact the community above the ground in a, in a greater way. You know, so say to now at this point, managing just under 1,000 acres and, you know, having 10 employees across all, uh, organizations, you know, that's, you know, one to 100, right? So let's make that acre value, you know, one to

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: 10.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Let's employ more people-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … on the same amount of acreage by creating added value and really building the economic, uh, prosperity. And we can do that in a long, slow, organic growth process.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, but it takes people engaged and involved. And people were saying when we started this business was, you know, we did purely social media, and we had some eggs to sell every now and then. It was mostly to my cooperative extension office staff members.

Scott Hammond: That was it.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: That was it. Um-

Scott Hammond: Brought eggs to work.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, that was it, you know, and I'd always done that. I, I had chickens-

Scott Hammond: Four bucks a dozen.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. It was still eight, but, you know.

Scott Hammond: Still. 'Cause you had killer eggs probably.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, they were, they're great. Um, but then we just slowly adding enterprises and scale over time, uh, decided that, you know, the milk is what our, our best opportunity, uh, would be as far as a commodity that we had to-

Scott Hammond: So do you sell-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … add value to

Scott Hammond: … to the cooperative as well as yourselves?

Scott Hammond: Or do-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, so there's-

Scott Hammond: Is all the-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: There's no longer-

Scott Hammond: Is all the ice cream-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … cooperatives here in Humboldt. Um, so what we have is, uh, Rumiano Cheese Company up in Crescent City.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, and so we have a contract with them, among many other dairy farmers.

Scott Hammond: Cool.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And our milk goes into be making multiple products, actually. Most people think about cheese with Rumiano-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … or their amazing, you know, grass-fed butter.

Scott Hammond: Killer.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, but really what that, that manufacturing facility up there is, is it's a added value stack on stack on stack.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I mean, it's taking whey protein powder, lactose powder, and then essentially converting 70% of the volume of water that's in the cow's milk into the wash down fluid that they have for the plant, right? They are able to filter it that much-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … to recycle that amount of water, and it's-

Scott Hammond: And the killer cheese-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … fantastic product

Scott Hammond: … that they have is the dry whatever?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: The Dry Jack, yeah.

Scott Hammond: The Dry Jack.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: They're famous for that, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Many, many, many, many years of awards.

Scott Hammond: Super good cheese.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. It's amazing.

Scott Hammond: No, that's, that's wonderful. So tell us about the shop.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: You got it. Uh, so with all the crazy ideas we have, we finally, you know, decided to go into some ice cream, added value through our dairy product. And, uh, through a series of elimination, simply because we were looking for three-phase power and, uh, a place that was central to all of our operations, uh, we landed in Loleta.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, so it's between our, our, um, operation for alfalfa. We grow all of our own alfalfa sub-irrigated.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, so we don't have to apply any, um, uh, manure because we graze it later, and we don't have to apply any irrigation because it's tapping into the, to the riverbed. Um, and we really don't have to do much except for cover crop, and we leave it alone.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, so that's our feed operation on Cockroppen Island. We have a, a beef operation out in Loleta on Table Bluff-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and then the dairy is about three miles outside of Ferndale.

Scott Hammond: So you got your fingers in a lot of stuff.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, that's-

Scott Hammond: Plus eggs and lambs?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Y- yeah, yeah, so those are, those are, um… They used to be together. The chickens and the, the beef used to be together, but, uh, because of bird flu-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … um, we've tried to mitigate all those risks by not-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … keeping them together 'cause the cows were getting it, um-

Scott Hammond: Right

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … this winter. Still can, you know. We're s- we're in the recovery period of that, uh, epidemic at this point.

Scott Hammond: Do you guys, uh, do goats too?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: We've had goats from time to time, but the saying is, "Where water flows, goats will go."

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So you have to have great fences.

Scott Hammond: Oh, right.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And we don't have the most amazing fences for goats.

Scott Hammond: 'Cause goats get out.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, they, they'll do whatever they can.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, they do.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Including just eating the hoop through the wire, you know?

Scott Hammond: Right.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, they, they, they elope. They're, they're crazy.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: For sure. For sure.

Scott Hammond: So-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: We have dairy goats and meat goats from time to time, for sure.

Scott Hammond: So diversity, so that's wonderful. So you built this, this shop-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … it has amazing ice cream.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yep.

Scott Hammond: My, my wife and daughter just got back, and they said it's expanded. So you have lunches, and you have a beautiful s- other section.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: They said the floor… She mentioned the floor. I go, "Did you say the floor?" She goes, "The floor, you should see it, Scott. It's beautiful."

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And so tell, tell us about the vision for taking over

Scott Hammond: Loleta.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I, as… I'm gonna k- keep wandering 'cause it's just so many stories that I'm enveloped with, with this area. And, and the story behind that space of expansion was Loleta Market. You know, Lol- L- excuse me, Loleta Meat Market.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, and, you know, for many decades, that

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: facility-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … uh, was a meat market. Pixie, um, who was most previously there-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … got removed b- for various different reasons from the landlord. Um, none to her fault, it's just they were doing a bakery operation, and it was a big to-do. I mean, it made, you know, some articles.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, so what we're doing is we're paying homage, uh, to what that space is. Um, we offer meat. We would have loved to have done, like, a fresh meat, uh, counter and, and service that way. It was kind of actually in the plan-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … uh, in developing. Um, but we weren't able to do that, uh, because Redwood Meat closed. Uh, so, uh, we no longer actually have that access to quick turnaround for, for animals when we need it and, and create that demand.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, so we're gonna have frozen options-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … available, and we do right now, uh, for that meat. But the space is really honoring, uh, what was there previously. And that floor, when I showed Pixie the first time, uh, after years of just neglect and empty, right,

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: abandonment-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … uh, hadn't been touched, and she goes, "This is exactly what it used to look like 40 years ago."

Scott Hammond: Is it re- redwood or what is it?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: It's fir.

Scott Hammond: Oh, it's fir.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And there's no coloring that we've added to it or-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … or stain or anything. It's just the color of the fir. It's gorgeous.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: It's, like, this off rust color with very few knots in it.

Scott Hammond: So Loleta has all kinds of potential to do

Scott Hammond: crazy stuff.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Well, yeah, Loleta's full of energy. It's, uh, it's an amazing place.

Scott Hammond: And the old dairy's-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: The people are amazing

Scott Hammond: … being torn, torn down or whatever that was, right? The processing plant.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: The bricks.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, yeah. The Matthews, um, are… You know, they have a, a big vision, and they're doing it, again, in a slow, appropriate manner-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … you know, versus just going after it. The, the previous owners also tied up into other parts of Loleta that, you know, led to some, some challenges and, and some downtime. Um, with all the factors of Loleta Cheese-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … you know, going out of business and the creamery going-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … out of business, uh, moving operations. Um, it, it's full, it's full of energy. It's there. So we're trying to think about it, you know, the appropriate way

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: and-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … uh-

Scott Hammond: It's still there

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … Nadia's on the, the chamber, and I'm on the chamber, and we're all-

Scott Hammond: Is there a chamber for Loleta?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: Rad.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: There's a community chamber there.

Scott Hammond: Good.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And we're-

Scott Hammond: Good

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … we're tackling that.

Scott Hammond: Um, hey, if you're just joining us, my new best friend Thomas from Foggy Bottoms Boys and Jersey Scoops and a thousand other- … streams of revenue, uh, uh, is talking to us about, uh, life, life on the ranch.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So the, the– Loleta has that big tunnel, the rail tunnel-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … which is trippy to go in that thing.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: And then the graveyard's above that somewhere-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … although I've never-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Just off to the side. Yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Have you been to the graveyard?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, yeah, for sure. Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: And somebody down there has a bar with Seth Kinman stuff in it, like over the bar.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I wasn't aware of that.

Scott Hammond: Was it Seth Kinman, the dude that was buried down there?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I, I'm not aware. No, I'm not aware fully of that history.

Scott Hammond: I'll let you know later. I don't know much.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, yeah. Please do.

Scott Hammond: It's a little foggy, but yeah, the-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I, I think the, the piece that I'm super excited about is that, you know, right now, um, the county, Hank Seaman, who's awesome at these trail projects and, and really coordinating the-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … the steps to move forward and, and specifically with the Great Redwood Trail, tying our trail plan that we have-

Scott Hammond: Sweet

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … for Humboldt into the Great Redwood Trail, which is-

Scott Hammond: Will it go through Loleta?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … amazing project. Wasn't even on the map, but we called a few people to say, "Why? What's going on?"

Scott Hammond: Where would it go? Up the hill, up above.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I mean, it was going to go through Loleta, but it just wasn't even on the map as far as a namesake, you know? So we've changed that.

Scott Hammond: That's– Sure.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, now we're, we're really trying to make that the rock and center and gateway for so many activities and, and, and opportunities for other businesses just to thrive. I mean, Cock Robin Island, uh, out there has a boat launch. Uh, there's beautiful scenic views of the ocean.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: There's lots of bird watchers that go out there-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … all the time.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: But you put a kayak out there, you know, ride the tide out and-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … you know, come back in. There's so many amazing things you can do.

Scott Hammond: Table Bluff, Lighthouse Ranch.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: All the, all the stuff.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: What I'm stoked though is this Great Redwood Trail, the community's come together. We've had Cal Poly student involvement with evaluations and community development plans, uh, filed for several grants, uh, to really make the parklet that we have there thriving and as a gateway for the Great Redwood Trail. So we'll, we'll pre-develop that. Um, the next stage from Eureka to CR is taking place right now.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, and so from CR to Fern Bridge, which is what we've identified-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … to want to participate in the development of-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … um, we're starting all those conversations of community charades-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and development, so it's really fun.

Scott Hammond: These are gonna be-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Tunnel included.

Scott Hammond: Tunneling. Oh, that'd be fun.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. It'll be really cool.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And the trestle too, if you, if you know the Eel River Drive exit-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … uh, you'll go underneath the old railroad trest- railroad trestle. And upon the-

Scott Hammond: Right

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … review, when they did their initial CEQA and, uh, engineering design

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: review-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … the trestle is actually holding up quite well.

Scott Hammond: Sweet.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So we, we could have the depe- the potential to really develop that into a walkway.

Scott Hammond: So as the gateway for the trail, that could be years away, but magical.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. I mean, 10 maybe for, you know, full completion of, of vision.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, our hopes is everything that we're doing right now in preparations is complete community involvement.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I mean, everywhere– Our Cal Poly students created a map, uh, with actual scaled bathroom, parking spaces, um-

Scott Hammond: Camping?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: There's potential. We have that there-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … but it's an option, right? Um, there's varied opinions on all sorts of different things that should be input.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: But essentially, we'll have everybody participate, put on the map where they would think something could go.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And, uh, in considerations of engineering, plumbing, electrical, or otherwise, we'll see where everybody's lines up and-

Scott Hammond: Huh

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … try to present that as a, a potential plan for folks-

Scott Hammond: I like that

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … to go forward.

Scott Hammond: So strategically located.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Because people know how to use our, our community, right? I mean, there's been some changes from where people park and the directions of the roads and all the above, and there's various opinions of safety and actualities. But, um, to, to get that information is invaluable, and our community is, is very willing to participate and share those things.

Scott Hammond: How big is Loleta, California?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I think we're like six, six to seven hundred people within the proper-

Scott Hammond: Super small. Yeah

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … but we're not a municipality. I mean, so we're within the county.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: We have a utility services district. We have a lighting district. Um-

Scott Hammond: Okay

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … so we, we get to work together cooperatively.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um-

Scott Hammond: Who does the water?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, so, uh, we have, uh, uh, a new group, uh, essentially, whole staff turnover.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: They're just amazing. Um, you know, we were really scared there for a while. Who are we gonna get? I mean, this takes some– For a while, it was very detailed, and we had a gentleman named Manny, who was amazing. Shout out to Manny. Uh-

Scott Hammond: Manny, the water guy

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … just– He's so much more. And, uh, I mean, really just a, n- very-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … amazing, brilliant guy and-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … led the steps for us to, uh, pass, uh, a little levy for us to increase the size of our, um, sewage treatment and-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … upgrade it 'cause it's extremely old and outdated. Um, but yeah, what, what we've got going on there is people willing to work with us and community members that know how to utilize the infrastructure we have and the plan that we have moving forward, so that's super exciting.

Scott Hammond: So tell me more about your involvement with, uh, Eureka Chamber and the, uh, and Nancy and the group that's called…

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Leadership Redwood Coast.

Scott Hammond: This is like the fourth year?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Third year-

Scott Hammond: Third

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … this year. They're planning the fourth already for next year.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, you know, the concept between her, uh, Susan Seaman, um, and, uh, an awesome gal, uh, named Ally, uh, who's now li- moving out of the, or moved out of the area. Um, they, they developed this concept that Nancy had done several times before in larger communities but is, is time old. Uh, I mean, really just bringing potential leaders, leaders, people that are growing into leadership roles, uh, to- together, and people that are willing to pay money to, to, to get that experience.

Scott Hammond: Wonderful.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And this experience for us was, um, and this year, going up to, um, Pelican Bay Prison, uh, talking with the, uh, managers of the city and the Tolowa tribe about the collaborative project that they have going on in the parkway there.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, really engaging, you know, deeply with inside of the economic development side, uh, and the Nature Conservancy, the Redwood Nature Con- um, Conservancy. Is that right? Redwood N- Anyway, it's the foundation Sollev there is amazing.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, uh, and he helps with the Redwood Parks Foundation.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, and so learning about how that all in- in- interacts was, uh, very eye-opening. Um, I- I traveled up there once a month or, excuse me, once a week for four years with the 4H program-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … so very familiar with the community and-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and all the people, and love that space, um, and what they, what they are trying to accomplish. Um, and it gave me a whole new perspective. Um, we were in Willow Creek last week. We're going to Garberville next week.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: We have a coastal trip, uh, coming up in, in July. It will end on-

Scott Hammond: Like Shelter Cove down that way?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: We w- I, I don't think we're going that far.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, the… I think we're, like, I am, I know for sure that I'm always a stop. I've been a stop, um-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … in agriculture-

Scott Hammond: Oh, wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … um, for the last two years. Um, but this year we're gonna be out on Carbon Island talking about our carbon sequestration project, uh, that we're participating in.

Scott Hammond: So who's gonna lead that? Will you lead that or be a student?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I'm gonna, I'm gonna be a student and let Cody lead it.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I'm sure I'll have something to say.

Scott Hammond: Raise, raise your hand and object to something.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Just give him a hard time.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: On the daily.

Scott Hammond: Cody-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: If not on the hour

Scott Hammond: … I really don't agree with what you're doing here. That's funny.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Well, the funny part is, is that I'm the one that's involved in soil.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: He's the one that's just killing it in the marketing, and I have the marketing degree. He has a soil science degree.

Scott Hammond: That's funny 'cause I figured you'd be the marketing 'cause you're out at all the demos and all that stuff.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I… Well, you see, that's the local part, right?

Scott Hammond: Right.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So that's me, the front face for it, but the, you know, the 130-plus thousand followers that we have on TikTok and the 40, 50, 60, I don't even know what it is, on Instagram and Facebook-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … um, that's a lot of him leading the charge and me editing copy.

Scott Hammond: That's cool.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: That's good marketing.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I think it's, it's gonna get even better.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Hopefully we'll have more time, right?

Scott Hammond: I wanna hear about those big, hairy goals here in a second.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: You got it.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. What, you know, take over the world stuff.

Scott Hammond: Um-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Let's talk about Humboldt.

Scott Hammond: Let's talk about… Yeah. No, I like the gateway for the Redwood Trail. That's gonna be fun.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And then our trail around the bay is almost done.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. June we're gonna celebrate.

Scott Hammond: Bomb.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I'm so excited.

Scott Hammond: It's gonna be cool. My wife's so pumped.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I can't say that I haven't walked a portion of it that I wasn't supposed

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: to.

Scott Hammond: Boot- bootlegging the- … trail already.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I mean, they had two-by-fours across the l- the bridge-

Scott Hammond: Yeah, they jumped the fence, which was a cone

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … so you…

Scott Hammond: They walked around the cone, and they walked all the way up to-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: People are so excited.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Especially the area, that breakup at the other, uh, where, uh, Re- um, Simpson was.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Redwood Timber, whatever they're called now.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I should know that offhand, and I don't. But that whole, that, that goes around the bay is supposed-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … to be magical. It's just got these views of Arcata Bay that are just

Scott Hammond: outstanding.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: That pier may not be the easiest parking spot, you know?

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: But yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: But they-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Not that I know. Not that I know.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, they broke in.

Scott Hammond: So did you. So, so, so Nancy with the Eureka, Greater Eureka Chamber's done this amazing thing-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … of leaders that are up and coming.

Scott Hammond: Um, I really love it. I think it's really like it… You are the future.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, and-

Scott Hammond: I'm not the future. I'm 65 and k- you know, fading in some way,

Scott Hammond: but it's-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … it's all the dudes and dudettes that are amazing and coming along going, "Hey, um, let's make this place better."

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So, uh, let- let's ask the questions, the, the hard questions.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Housing, homelessness-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm

Scott Hammond: … healthcare.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: You said no zingers.

Scott Hammond: Oh, I didn't say Trump. I didn't say the P word. So, so if, if we're talking about that stuff, there's, so this is some real hard shit to address here.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: It's real.

Scott Hammond: What do you, what do you fear? What do you see as the opportunities? What, how do you-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … uh, from your per- uh, perspective, how do you

Scott Hammond: want to talk about that? I mean, it's-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: You know, it's, it's a place where I think the intersection of economy, um, commodity, and resource is an opportunity for us to engage together. Um, you know, something I haven't spoken about yet, but is, uh, Redwood Region Rise, which was the, spearheaded by, uh, North Edge, formerly AEDC.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, and-

Scott Hammond: Is that Ross Wallop?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Ross is cool. Hey, Ross.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. And, uh, Susan Seaman and Pam. Um, there are lots, lots of folks that are-

Scott Hammond: Pam Wall

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … great there. Yeah, they're, they're great folks.

Scott Hammond: She knows wine.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Does she?

Scott Hammond: Really.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh-

Scott Hammond: Hey, Pam.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I'll have to let her know.

Scott Hammond: She's… Tell her that she knows wine. Do you really know anything about wine? No, she's a sommelier, and she's amazing.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, really? Wow.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Well, that's awesome.

Scott Hammond: And Susan Seaman's amazing.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: That-

Scott Hammond: Is she still on the city council?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: She, she's not. Uh, that's when I first met her.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I was, uh, doing a youth program here with 4H and, and CR and got to do a little tag along for a moment.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So I, I just know that, you know, the people that are here and the, the projects that we have, uh, in front of us and, and this pr- project specifically, Redwood Region Rise, was a different approach, and it was from, uh, California Jobs First initiative. I couldn't state to you the, the Senate bill that it came from, but essentially this, this concept was, is that we needed ground-level approach of a perspective and a lens to view economic development from. Because from the translation of what business is at the large scale, uh, and economies of scale-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … where you're moving, you know, hundreds of, of thousands, if not millions of dollars in, in efforts to move the needle for maybe these, these needs, uh, that the community has-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … or, or from the unfortunate side of greed, right? You're, you're missing-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … what that connection is. And, uh, for me, from a non-economist, uh, perspective, I don't, I don't claim to be, but in the essence of resiliency, if we do have a gap between those places of our Indigenous folks, our BIPOC folks, if we have a, a, a perspective on poverty a- at, in any race, if we see those things as being addressable by a blanket,

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: um, it, you're never gonna achieve anything. And it's really trying to identify those communities' needs

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: states-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and helping them discover what those solutions are-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and, and those resources, in my perspective. And we think-

Scott Hammond: That echoes, uh, what Mantova said last week. He said homelessness-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, really?

Scott Hammond: … has– There's different classifications. About 70% are, are drug addicted and mental illness, and then there's

Scott Hammond: other-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … substrata of that, and you can't tr- you can't throw the blanket on it.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: No. No.

Scott Hammond: It doesn't work.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And, and this concept of, of housing first, which, you know, I'm a cheerleader

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: for, um- By the sentiment and what's been successful in other countries and other communities around our nation, um, comes with a lot of caveats. And those caveats, I feel, are the support mechanisms on the behavioral side, and that comes from, you know, my education and, and understanding and consulting within business, is that you have to create those neural pathways. Um, you have to establish those habits. And those habits are things from taking out the trash to really being, uh, able to identify daily hygiene, uh, necessary to, to live a, a different life. And sometimes people don't wanna take that step depending on where they are. Um, but the realities of trying to do economic development while supporting all these initiatives, um, in Eureka is extremely rife with challenges, right? I mean, how do we take a population in which, you know, my mother-in-law works with, you know, directly, um, in working with DHHS, and, and sees and understands these perspectives that I'm so grateful to understand and see, um, through her eyes and, and hearing the challenges that exist on the ground floor and, and really that implementation stage. So Redwood Region Rise, uh, I don't think is the f- the, the real final opportunity

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: to-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … to develop, um, these connection points because the money is finite, right?

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: What we come with from a collaborative state, which is the Redwood Region Rise collaborative from Lake Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte Counties, to work across this subregional level on the north coast is to identify the opportunities from those communities, and we've done a lot of the data surveying-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and we've missed the boat on several opportunities. But what we have done is we've taken to task, and we've done better than every other county in the state, and we've heard that from the state-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … is that we've taken that mission to heart, and, uh, we've done the best that we p- possibly can, and it's way better than where it has been done

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: otherwise.

Scott Hammond: Make us more eligible for more funds?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And that means from, you know, engaging with the community and actually having, you know, those c- conversations, that, that data, the ability to be able to take that information and move projects forward. Um, and in the case of what we've had the opportunity to do is apply $9 million around the community, uh, for these four counties in a way that took a lot of work and a lot of negotiating between leadership and these appointees to, uh, a

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: voting bloc.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, again, it wasn't perfect. It, it had to be done within a very short timeline.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: The legislature doesn't give you time to-

Scott Hammond: No

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … to solve all the problems. Um, but I'm really proud of the work that we've been able to accomplish. I was a business owner that, uh, participated and joined in-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and was just super happy to be able to provide my perspective. Uh, but a lot of the organizations are, you know, SBDC or food hubs or, uh, you know, cooperatives of, uh, small businesses-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … um, other agriculture en- engaged and involved.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, economic, uh, or economists, right?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, visitors bureaus all coming to the table-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and talking together with those people, um, that, that need to have their story and information shared so that proper techniques can be engaged in that economic development.

Scott Hammond: That's-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I'm, I'm kinda dodging the question about the solutions, but-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … I really feel, uh-

Scott Hammond: That's a start

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … I, I feel, I feel the way to address it is by asking those that really know the challenges that they have.

Scott Hammond: Well, imagine people talking together and collaborating.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. Right?

Scott Hammond: What could, could possibly-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Takes a lot of work-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … but it's worth it.

Scott Hammond: It's, it, it's really interesting, yeah, to watch.

Scott Hammond: Um, when I watch, uh, Access TV and I watch-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … uh, city council meetings, I'm going, "I could never do that. Oh my God. They go on and on. My ADD, like OCD- … would be on LSD. It would be- I would be tripping hard.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, I mean, I-

Scott Hammond: You should sit down. You can sit down now.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I, uh-

Scott Hammond: Or next?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, yeah. I, uh, I started engaging in, in, I wouldn't say politics, but understanding that intersection of politics at age 16. I was, uh, the secretary for our city council for a short time as a FBLA advisor.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: A young person that's engaging in that work.

Scott Hammond: In Union, Oregon?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: In Union, Oregon.

Scott Hammond: It's right up there on the map. It's-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: It's my

Scott Hammond: … it's north.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: It's, it's-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Way over there in the corner, the top rung.

Scott Hammond: It's way over there.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: But, uh, uh, yeah, I mean, it was my little, uh, first edition, uh, IBM ThinkPad-

Scott Hammond: Hmm. Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … uh, that I was typing up meeting notes for the first time as the, for the community and, um, making, making some changes and moves as wind development was coming in and seeing-

Scott Hammond: All right

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … how that economic-

Scott Hammond: Up there especially.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, yeah. I mean-

Scott Hammond: Were you homeschooled too ever?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, not, uh, not luckily enough. My mom was a, a, a public school teacher.

Scott Hammond: Oh, she's a teacher.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I mean, I wouldn't say lucky, but yeah.

Scott Hammond: Why would I ask that?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: But no, no, no, I, uh, I, I definitely loved my public school experience.

Scott Hammond: So my son was a doctorate student at UC Davis-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Hmm

Scott Hammond: … and the professors would come to him and go, "Hey, Jesse, tell us how the home school… We're really kinda into it. We, we wanna really take our kids home." And it, and so Jesse's like, he's the expert.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I love it.

Scott Hammond: It's really funny.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I love it.

Scott Hammond: It was really great.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: It's a whole different experience.

Scott Hammond: Oh, man. So, uh, so those are some of the issues. Yeah, so we're, we, we have some hard stuff up, you know, that we're up for.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Um, and you know, and I– It's funny 'cause it a little bit trite 'cause we throw out, hey, wind power and the f- the fish farm and-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … this and that and the trail, and that, that's all good 'cause we need some hope.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: But, um, I've had Dr. Bill Barnum sit here and go, "You know, that whole housing thing that we were gonna do with like 3,000

Scott Hammond: units-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Hmm

Scott Hammond: … there's two built-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … in 30 years." I go, "Oh, shit."

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: "That's not good."

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: "How could, how could we miss it?" And so

Scott Hammond: it's, um, it's not a hopeless message, but it's kinda real that we, we miss a lot of trains that come through.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, and you know, not to take, uh, the pun too far, uh, but I mean, essentially, you know, there's so many projects, Last Chance Grade, uh-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … Cal Poly and their expansion-

Scott Hammond: Right

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … our fiber optic cables, uh, the development of the harbor, the Great Redwood Trail itself. I mean, the list goes on.

Scott Hammond: The trail around the bay.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, all, all of it, right?

Scott Hammond: That's gonna be great.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I mean, it's, it's amazing that it brings a lot of construction jobs and, but among that, there's so much detail that, you know, we have a lot of union workers, and we have a lot of non-union, uh, construction jobs. Um, but the challenge of interfacing in the program where it's a one-to-one match, et cetera, it just gets very complicated.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So it's not just as easy as saying we're missing the boat, right?

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And then, then the fact of, uh, what's happening with healthcare and our nursing programs within CR and Cal Poly, the amount of arduous work

Scott Hammond: Oh boy

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … that has to be done to really have preliminary sustainability aspects built in for expansion-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … for de- extraction. I mean, we really, or detraction. We, we just, it takes a lot of planning, and I think that's the part where we don't necessarily miss the boat, we just unfortunately don't know how to capture the moment.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And it takes a lot of that planning. I think we're doing it more appropriately as I either go on Tuesdays after wholesale deliveries and, and watch our five supervisors on the dais or, you know, dial in or watch on- online. Um, I think that's happening in-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … in some ways. But I think the reality though is that, you know, they're, they're really strapped. Uh, unless we create a, an, a revenue stream or at least tap into some of these resources that we have in a more appropriate, sustainable way, we'll never have the right answers because we won't have 20% of the funds to be able to pivot when necessary. Um, and that's the, that's really the restriction that-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … we have in our community, is it-

Scott Hammond: That's it

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … it's, it's already allocated, and we need to be allocating more in other places.

Scott Hammond: So I'm hearing two things, lack of funds, which is forever-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … and being the ability to pivot quick.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Make a, make a darn decision. That's a good one.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Hmm. That's good.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I mean, we've done, you know, numerous amounts of economic surveys, and we're currently involved in one, uh, here now, and I'm, I'm pretty hopeful for the group that's doing it because it's really kind of based off of a tourism economy. Um, and it's not just because I have, you know, something that captures the tourism. I think what it is, is the opportunity to fully tell our story, uh, on Humboldt County through information, and that information exchange can happen from history. It can happen with the great red- the great redwoods themselves.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, the ocean, our maritime, our, our forestry industry, our cannabis industry, our farming industry. There's so many stories to tell.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: But where we really don't capture that energy is we have 21 different groups trying to market message-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … uh, the community appropriately.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And I think what we're working on, and people are really coming to the table too together, is discovering that we could have a unified message to share externally-

Scott Hammond: Ah

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … but more importantly, share internally.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: That we know we can get behind because we all feel it. We all see it. We all love it.

Scott Hammond: Shop local, man.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: That's right.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I mean, so the same message that we're asking people to do, buy our product here in

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Humboldt-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … it's the same message we're doing here locally. I mean, Humboldt Made, my friend, um, Nick Bound Crawford-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … uh, with the organization for two years, bringing it from a, a, a time when it wasn't, you know, feeling good times, um-

Scott Hammond: I know there's a lot of, lot of that

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … pre-pandemic, right-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … um, even was, was struggling. But what we're seeing, uh, now is this resurgence of the organization-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … um, and, uh, some leaders that are trying to really help share what we have the potential to share outside of our community.

Scott Hammond: What's the store in Ferndale that, that the journal owns?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, uh-

Scott Hammond: NCJ

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … the, yeah, the Hometown Store.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: That's kind of that a little, right?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Well, yeah. It's, it's the flavor, right? So, like, literally all of these, uh, individuals that are makers and, uh, confectioners and, um, artists, uh, they, they have the space that they can provide-

Scott Hammond: Right

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … un- under, uh, consignment, right? So it's, it's an, a local-

Scott Hammond: Steel Bank, right? It's a Bank Loleta.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. Yeah. Uh, yeah, I think it was a Bank Loleta, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, yeah, and Cody's grandmother actually worked in that bank for some time. She's worked in all sorts of different banks.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Absolutely. Whoa.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Is that it? Oh, damn.

Scott Hammond: First time my, uh, phone has ever been turned on and went off.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh.

Scott Hammond: How embarrassing. What a faux pas. If you're just joining me, it's my new friend, best friend, Thomas, from, uh, Jersey Scoops, and super h- fun having you.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Thank you.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, so-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Thanks for having me.

Scott Hammond: So, uh, segue to, uh, the quiz. Gosh, you gotta, you gotta earn that map I gave you.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So to… You know. Do I get to give you a quiz for the ice cream?

Scott Hammond: Absolutely. I'll be going first, though. My show, my rules, my quiz. So question number one, you have a-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Sure

Scott Hammond: … whole day to do whatever the heck you want in that county.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh.

Scott Hammond: And, uh-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … 9:00 AM, 9:00 PM, go. What do you do? No, money's not a object.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Nice.

Scott Hammond: And I'm gonna have a scoop of ice cream. I brought my-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Please. I don't want it to melt too much more. I mean, it's not gonna be the same-

Scott Hammond: It's bu- it's kind of bothered you.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I kind of like it when it's melted.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Did you, did you se- Well, good. Good. It's a good experience either way, I feel like, but, you know, uh, it changes on the daily. Um, I was just out in Willow Creek last week.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: My-

Scott Hammond: Oh, this is amazing.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: My husband, uh, grew up part- partially out there, um,

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: um, i- in many different places. He's grown up in the county. So he has an experience that I, I seek, uh, and, and often ask questions about 'cause I'm always up and down delivering all across the county and up into Del Norte and down into to Mendocino and over to

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Shasta.

Scott Hammond: Cody's cool, by the way. Really nice guy.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: He's, he's the best.

Scott Hammond: He's very understated, and he's just Mr.

Scott Hammond: Mellow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Like, he'd rather be that way than out doing what I do too. Um, but yeah, I would- guess what I would say is, um, I've really enjoyed, uh, Patrick's Point. I've, uh, enjoyed, uh, the redwoods up, uh, Last Chance Grade, uh, the state park up there in, uh, Jedediah. So that, that's unfortunately in Del Norte. But, you know, here we are. I can see Del Norte on your map, so I still like, I feel like I'm partially answering.

Scott Hammond: Gotcha.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, and then probably go on a walk in the, the new Bay Trail, uh, stopping in at, um, at, at the ice cream shop there, Livin' the Dream. I mean, that's the, we- that's what I, that's what we did, stop at the co-op then and, and have dinner and then, um, maybe end up back, back checking out the swallows that have just migrated back from Mexico-

Scott Hammond: Right

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … uh, in the spring, if we're talking about right now, like-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … they just came in a couple weeks.

Scott Hammond: It's about that time, right?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, they just came in a couple weeks ago.

Scott Hammond: Are they here?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: They're, yeah, built nests, completely built, eggs laid.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: They're-

Scott Hammond: Crazy.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And they do migrate.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: I guess you don't see them in the winter.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-mm. Yeah, there's a day when they just all show up.

Scott Hammond: So you're gonna do like a whole day of like travel and hiking and fun?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, and there's so much more to do. I guess that's just my, my pick 'cause I really wanna go back up to Willow Creek now. We just found out that Buckfit- Bigfoot was real. I don't know if you- Found that out, yeah

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Oh, yeah, Bigfoot's-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … been real for a while.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Well, I just found out, and I didn't know- … that a Bigfoot is-

Scott Hammond: Oh, it's-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … actually a female of the variety, which of the, uh, uh, is it-

Scott Hammond: The Bigfoot variety.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Well, yeah. What do you-

Scott Hammond: Variety of what?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Well, there's, uh, cryptids. Cryptids, of the cryptids.

Scott Hammond: Oh, really?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, I… Yes, according to the highly upgraded video footage of proof, uh-

Scott Hammond: Oh, that one.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, that one.

Scott Hammond: Everybody likes that one.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: They fully updated it, and there's some- something moving more on the-

Scott Hammond: Never thought I'd go Bigfoot on the show.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So, so there's, there's this guy that died in Hoopa, and he had these, these boots that he would wear with Bigfoot tracks.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, no way.

Scott Hammond: And on his deathbed… I think it was on the cover of the Time-Standard.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: No.

Scott Hammond: This is 20, 30 years ago. He, uh, he fessed up, Nick. He, he told the truth-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, man

Scott Hammond: … that he was

Scott Hammond: propagating-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Bigfoot

Scott Hammond: … the Bigfoot legend. But d- doesn't mean there's not a Bigfoot, right?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: No, not at all.

Scott Hammond: Could… Maybe it's both.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I was, I was hearing from, uh, from the guys up there that-

Scott Hammond: It's for real

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … y- y- I mean, they can see depressions from the back. My son is convinced at a six year old, I mean-

Scott Hammond: Hey, man

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … it's Bigfoot and Siren Head for him.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So-

Scott Hammond: Of course

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … I think we need to be out there, uh, make… We're gonna go to the museum so he can see it, he can see it.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Big-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: He hasn't seen it yet.

Scott Hammond: You heard it here first. Bigfoot's real. And I, and I have a sub sort of a scoop story that you're gonna tell me-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh

Scott Hammond: … forgive the pun, that you guys are gonna build something amazing in Loleta. I wanna hear your big dream be- when we're done here.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, you got it. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Question number two. What's your big dream?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So, you know, the big dream for us is that everything we wanna do, and it's not just on the frozen goods, uh, everything that we wanna accomplish within our own enterprises, uh, shouldn't just be for our business. Uh, and we hope to continue to work cooperatively, that everything we produce can be processed here locally. So our fiber right now with Lost Coast Spinnery at Fernbridge, we can now take from raw wool all the way to the final spun yarn

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: and soon-

Scott Hammond: Whoa

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … to be a loom and hats and socks and all-

Scott Hammond: Keep it all here

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … sorts of things. Same thing with-

Scott Hammond: Huh

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … you know, our Lost Meat, uh, USDA processing.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: There's, you know, sites been, uh, identified of multiple, you know, opportunities.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, we've applied for grant funding. There's Redwood Region Rise funding that North Coast Growers Association has applied

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: for and-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and has some funding for to do feasibility studies and, and make that possible either here or in Del Norte. There's some, um, awesome opportunities up in Del Norte as well. So that keeps it really here close and local versus the economic demise of having to transport that product everywhere and back again, which is what we're doing twice a month-

Scott Hammond: Right

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … which is challenging to go to Yreka. You get to go do a 33-hour trip for all the pickups and hauls and backdrops and-

Scott Hammond: Oh, no

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … like cross docks and everything. That's next week. Yeah, Tuesday through Friday.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh-

Scott Hammond: That's one r- That's long

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … the I-5 is fun.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: It's straight and narrow, right?

Scott Hammond: Well.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: This is… I'm convincing myself.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Tell yourself the weather will be better.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Right. Right. But yeah, I mean, so, so the dairy are, you know, a small processing. You know, I'd hope to, to grow that eventually in the future.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, but there's lots of moving parts and, you know, lots of pieces I think that we can collectively, collaboratively work on. And another example of, you know, what these big, hairy, audacious goals are is finding those resources, identifying them, and starting to work with the champions to make those things happen. I mean, I mean, literally what we use in our ice cream as an emulsifier is from brown seaweed, and I'm saying it out loud. You just ate it. You didn't realize it, but it's a naturally occurring product that we can grow and do grow-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … right here in Humboldt Bay.

Scott Hammond: In the bay.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: So why don't we have a little burner that's extracting that and, and turning that into the, to the powder that we can use not just for our product, but for-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … multiple, uh, different product applications and-

Scott Hammond: I like that

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … you know, having those small industries.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, so that's what we're hopeful for. And, and I… What I see is that people are here for it and always have been, right? That's what we've back to the land-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … uh, you know, just, just starting up farmstead kind of

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: attitude-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … from Spring Hill Farmstead, uh, you know, goat cheese that we use some of their milk for, for our ice cream. It's the lemon lavender.

Scott Hammond: Oh, wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I mean, you just name it. It's all here.

Scott Hammond: So farm to table stuff.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: We can do it, and we do it, you know, better than anyone else.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Number three, I think, in the nation as far as local food consumption at 20%.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And we're getting better.

Scott Hammond: That's pretty good.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: It's, it's really awesome and, and something that-

Scott Hammond: The nation? Not in the state.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: That's what I've been told.

Scott Hammond: That's amazing.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. I… It's just, it's something that if you see the potential and you know it's there-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and you hear it from folks like me and others that wanna repeat the good news, we can actually do this. It just takes a little bit more work and some more elbow grease-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … a lot of time.

Scott Hammond: Right. Gotta hustle.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Gotta hustle.

Scott Hammond: Gotta hustle. Question number three, and then you can quiz me.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Okay.

Scott Hammond: I can't, I can't wait. I've never been quizzed. So question number three, uh, where do you go to dinner? If you're gonna go to dinner out, uh, cook dinner in, what are you having? What are you… Where are you going?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: For sure. Cody's an amazing sh- chef, I would say.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, so we do a lot of cooking at home. We haven't done as much as the cooking that I was used to when I first moved here 10 years ago when we didn't have so much going on. We were able to-

Scott Hammond: Right

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … take weekends, et cetera, weren't working seven days a week. But so that leaves us, um, to a few options. Um, you know, we really are an Eel River Valley, uh, family, and so often what we experience is in Ferndale and across the

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: bridge. So-

Scott Hammond: So Ivanhoe is open again.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Ivanhoe is open again. Haven't been there yet.

Scott Hammond: Uh-huh.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: We will. We'll, we'll definitely visit.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: The VI, uh-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … with Lowell and Daniels-

Scott Hammond: Lowell's cool

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and Jenny Oakes.

Scott Hammond: Hey, Lowell. What's up?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: They just sold, um, so they-

Scott Hammond: Oh, wow.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, new ownership, so that's exciting to see that change.

Scott Hammond: That's a cool place.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: We go… All of our family dinners that we do, uh-

Scott Hammond: Tulia's Tacos

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … Grandpa takes us there. That's the one I was gonna get to.

Scott Hammond: Really?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah, two years-

Scott Hammond: You go to Glory?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … in the Cantina. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So you know Glory.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. Glory and Jennifer. Yep. Yeah, they're super awesome people and-

Scott Hammond: Hey, Glory

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … are making authentic product there for our community and just really creating an economic driver that wasn't there for a long time.

Scott Hammond: They have a tequila license now.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So dinner, uh, you're gonna go… You didn't really define it.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. I know.

Scott Hammond: Where are you going? What are you having?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: If, if we were to cycle through, and again, just really referencing, we go a lot of different places, a lot of, a lot of different times. We don't get off across the bridge very often. Uh, at least Cody doesn't for sure as a family. So, uh, it is Tulia's. I mean, we really just… We go there and-

Scott Hammond: So you love Tulia's.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Okay. You did say that.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. Yeah, it's, it's easy.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And, uh, they're-

Scott Hammond: And she's super-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: It's always consistent

Scott Hammond: … and she's super cool.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: They're very super cool people.

Scott Hammond: Seriously. Wow. This thing is, uh, killing me. First time it's ever went off in a podcast, and now twice.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I think I'm special.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, you are. Yeah, it's turned off.

Scott Hammond: Good. Phew. Sorry about that.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: All good.

Scott Hammond: Hey, what else you wanna talk about?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Well, how did you end up in Humboldt, Scott?

Scott Hammond: Uh, good question. So I had-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, wait, sorry.

Scott Hammond: Oh, wait. Here. Here. Question number one, how did I wind up in Humboldt?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So, uh, my friend Ph- I was just talking to Philip, a lifelong friend. He and I were roaming the streets as feral hippie children we were-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, wow

Scott Hammond: … in this rural part of San Diego called National City, lower blue collar poor. We're poor kids smoking weed on the streets, and we wound up in a career center-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Wow

Scott Hammond: … at Sweetwater High School, one of the oldest three high schools in San Diego

Scott Hammond: County.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, wow.

Scott Hammond: And this is 1977 maybe. And, uh, this very hot, um, beautiful Charmaine worked in the career center at night. So we just kinda wander in, "Hey, what's up?" We're looking at the microfiche with her, and she's amazing, and the school looks pretty cool, Humboldt.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And the school looked cool, too.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And Philip goes, "We should go. We should become, uh, rangers and drive four-wheel drives and smoke weed, and let's do it." And I'm going… And I have really long hair, longer than-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, really?

Scott Hammond: … like, like way longer than… It's hard to imagine. I was voted most beautiful hair.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Wow. Wow.

Scott Hammond: Blonde streaks, the whole nine.

Scott Hammond: I just-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Wow

Scott Hammond: … really a bag of chips.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Art school like that. Damn.

Scott Hammond: Yes. I was hardcore. And then, and then kids and drugs. I'm finished. So-

Scott Hammond: … uh, Philip wound up getting his girlfriend pregnant, and I wound up, uh, with a father that drove my butt up to Humboldt State and enrolled, and the rest is history.

Scott Hammond: Met Joni.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Wow.

Scott Hammond: Met Jesus, met sobriety, and met-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Wow

Scott Hammond: … a degree in recreation administration.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Amazing. Amazing.

Scott Hammond: All in a very short period of time.

Scott Hammond: And, um, yeah, and nine kids later, here I am, hanging out with you.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Second question.

Scott Hammond: Number two.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: If, if you were recreation, and not everybody follows their path from college, which somehow I seemingly ended up doing since nine years old, wanting to do marketing and watching the California Raisins commercial and wondering why I wanted to eat raisins all of a sudden. How did you jump from recreation to what you're doing now with insurance?

Scott Hammond: That's a good question. Uh, we got pregnant.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Beautiful child.

Scott Hammond: So Jacob Earles, who's 41 now, is, uh, he's a dad up in Medford, and, uh, there… I was working in recreation arcade at Parks and Rec up in the, in Redwood Forest, and one of the kids' moms comes up and goes, "Hey, we're hiring for a… I, I heard you're looking for work."

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Hmm.

Scott Hammond: "Uh, we're hiring for a radio rep to go sell ad time, and gotta meet Carlos. He's super cool, and, uh, we pay and medical benefits." And I go-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Wow

Scott Hammond: … "Oh, heck yeah." And went and met Carlos, and, and, uh, it was an old Gar- it was called Garcia's. It was where the, uh, Salt used to be in Arcata downstairs.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, okay. Okay.

Scott Hammond: It was Mexican. They had a place that was great. They had a, a Zapata or Zapato burrito, which w- means shoe. It was big as a shoe.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Whoa.

Scott Hammond: We had a, a burrito, and he goes, "You wanna do this?" I go, my… I got my blue corduroy sport coat, million dollar man, and I said, uh, "I think I would. I think I could do this," and, um, did very well for a year and then wound up 20 years in newspaper.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Wow.

Scott Hammond: Another 10 at Cox Cable, which is now Suddenlink.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Right. Right.

Scott Hammond: All in sales and sales management. And then, uh, 11 years ago, I drank all the red Kool-Aid I could find and started a State Farm agency at 53, which is unheard of. It's like, "We're really afraid for you. Don't… You know."

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: "We were gonna say something. You probably shouldn't… We were really freaked out, man. You're, at 53, what are you doing?"

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Wow.

Scott Hammond: And amongst my life decisions, one of the best ones I've ever made.

Scott Hammond: It's just-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Wow

Scott Hammond: … really… It's a cool thing being able to be there for people-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … and a good neighbor that empathizes and cares, and they don't care how much you know.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: They only know how much you care.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And so it's been a fit.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: That's great.

Scott Hammond: And, uh, the weird thing is my, I became my dad. My dad was an insurance agent in San Diego.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, that's funny.

Scott Hammond: And, um, at 53, I go, "Oh, sh-"

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: He had it figured out.

Scott Hammond: I go, "I don't, I don't want this DNA," but sometimes the DNA will come and get

Scott Hammond: you.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. Yeah. Well, I'm-

Scott Hammond: Sorry, kids.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. Yeah. I'm aware of it as I, you know, I start making dad sounds that I made fun of my dad for.

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah. Dad jokes.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Same, same, same.

Scott Hammond: Corny, weird.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Same, you know, just, like, looking at life a little bit differently, so.

Scott Hammond: It's, it's unavoidable.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. I mean, uh, uh, I grew up with all of my family with love and compassion, but my father foremost. I mean, really just provided that space and safety.

Scott Hammond: You're saying he was a music guy and a worship leader?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. Yeah. So, uh-

Scott Hammond: Still a music player?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Plays guitar and, uh, sings. Uh, really, really just loving person and, and as is all of my family. Um, just feel super blessed to have been, you know, raised-

Scott Hammond: That's great

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … in that environment where the, the condition of love was that y- you were loved, and there was no choice.

Scott Hammond: I had a guy that… My plumber came in today. He's a great guy. Trevor goes, "You know, we've gi- been given an easy path."

Scott Hammond: And I go, "What path have you been on?" Saw my… And I thought, "Yeah, I have a freaking easy path." There's people that are, like, blown up and broken and freaked out and tripped, and it's like, no, pretty easy path.

Scott Hammond: Thank you.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Super easy. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Thank you for that. Good word, bro.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I, and I, like, I received it. I go, "Wow, that's for me." And I go, "My path is not all that hard, really."

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I think I'll eat tonight. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have some ice cream later.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: There's… That much is for sure.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: For sure. Uh, it's, it's, uh-

Scott Hammond: I feel pretty good. It's like eating at Dick Taylor's. Like, I feel like Mr. Chatty Cathy here.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Is that it? Is that all my questions?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. Um-

Scott Hammond: Pretty good?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I think that's pretty well. I, I got you a little bit-

Scott Hammond: Okay

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and you weren't even prepared, so thanks.

Scott Hammond: It's fine. Okay. The conclusion of the podcast. So what, what do you wanna be known for and left… When you leave b- leave this earth, and we get to go to your celebration of life, and you got your tombstone and all that stuff at Loleta

Scott Hammond: Cemetery.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Hey, hey, it could be.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Really coloring it in here.

Scott Hammond: It could be. It could be.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: It's a little too graphic maybe.

Scott Hammond: Old age, please.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Old age. Uh, what do you wanna be remembered for or known for? What are we gonna, what are we gonna say at the, uh, at the event?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Hmm. Hmm. I, you know, I really

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: think Of others as best as I can first. And that's, uh, I think from my values I was raised

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: with and who I try to envelop every single day. Um, so I'd hope I'd be known for others first, you know, being a servant leader-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … um, a transformational leader-

Scott Hammond: Cool

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … and, and someone that supported others in creating what they wanna accomplish for the better.

Scott Hammond: Wow. I think you're on that path, dude.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Thanks.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Seems like Nancy's gonna help you.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. I think the entire community, when supporting us in, in all the ways that we get supported, um, we, we are so grateful to continue to be able to do the work, you know. I mean, right now I can tell you what I'm hinging on is this farm to school work that we're accomplishing. We've done it really well with R- Miano Cheese Company, being able to bring our cheese product with North Coast Growers Association back to the milk shed it comes from. Trying the same thing with, uh, with our meat, uh, getting into the schools. Uh, working with CDFA, we're a- almost done with our farm to school grant. We've been waiting since October to solidify that, and there's gonna be so many great things to come because it's our youth as you speak to

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: me.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: It's the younger… becoming my six-year-old a- and all of his classmates that-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … if, if ch- if they choose to stay and, and continue to prosper here, this is the man- land of milk and honey.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: I mean, it's, it's-

Scott Hammond: They are the future

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … an amazing place. They are the future, and I think, I think they know it.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Yeah. And I have, um, great hope in them.

Scott Hammond: Um, hey, man, thank you.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: You're welcome.

Scott Hammond: Appreciate you.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Thanks for having me.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. No.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Sorry it took me so long to

Scott Hammond: It took you a little… I gotta chase you down and tackle, tackle you.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Well, I mean, you're a celebrity, too. I mean, I shoot on this day at this time, so I mean-

Scott Hammond: I said, if you wanna be on the show-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: … Nick, Nick is pretty booked up here.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah. That's all right. It's all right. I mean, next Stephen Colbert, let's do it.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. No. Thanks for coming. So, uh, I'm gonna do my close now, make a segue to my close.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: You got it.

Scott Hammond: And then I'll shake your hand, it'll be all staged.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Okay, perfect.

Scott Hammond: Are you ready?

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So if you know anybody… Uh, actually do your shout-outs real quick.

Scott Hammond: Websites-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Oh, sure

Scott Hammond: … Google, um-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … TikTok, Sta- what… You know.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: Your brand, Instagram, whatever.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, @foggybottomsboys. You can get us on, uh, social platforms.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Um, we have, uh, foggybottomsboys.com.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: We're currently finishing up, uh, jerseyscoops.com, so that'll be the same website, different landing page, same product, uh, opportunity to check out.

Scott Hammond: Lunch only down there, or can you get-

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, lunch, we, we close up, uh, for our winter hours, uh, for sandwiches and soup at 7:00.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: But we close at 8:00. Um, so we'll be going through the, the summertime.

Scott Hammond: Late snack.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Late snack always.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Uh, and if, if you're in Loleta, you know, the market's open till 11:00 there, so you can get our ice cream there too-

Scott Hammond: Sweet

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … at the Loleta Market. We're, uh, we're in Eureka Natural Foods, the Co-op, Murphy's Markets, lots of different random corner stores for our ice cream.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: And soon, by next week, I'll have, uh, printed pint packaging

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: that's-

Scott Hammond: Sweet

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: … professional and real, and we don't have to stick labels on both sides anymore

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: by hand.

Scott Hammond: And then Whole Foods.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: The dream is big.

Scott Hammond: Hey, dream big, man. Hey, thanks for being here.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: You're so welcome.

Scott Hammond: Appreciate it. So, hey, uh, if you know f- uh, friends that wanna, uh, like our podcast, uh, love us on, gosh, on social media, on, uh, Facebook, on… I guess that's social.

Scott Hammond: Um, YouTube.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Audible.

Scott Hammond: Audible.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Podcasts.

Scott Hammond: I'm on all the, all the podcasts, so.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Uh, and we're gonna be on Access Humboldt, so you're gonna be on TV.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Heck yeah.

Scott Hammond: Heck yeah.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: That's awesome.

Scott Hammond: Heck yeah. Um, so yeah, look for us, like us, and, uh, come back next week. And Thomas, what a blessing.

Scott Hammond: Thank you.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Same to you.

Scott Hammond: Have a good one.

Thomas Nicholson Stratton: Thank you. You as well.