First I pronounced my love publicly to Santa Cruz healthy mac ‘n’ cheese start-up Goodles noodles. Not long after, they agreed to throw themselves into the arms of Big Pasta—namely Barilla Group, the noodle industry’s largest on the planet.
Somewhere Janet Jackson is singing, “That’s the Way Love Goes.”
Co-founder Jen Zeszut hasn’t replied to my request for a conversation, and her comms chief directed me to a press rep who hasn’t either, so we’re left with the candy-coated public announcement.
I can render the short version: Goodles hopes to reach as many eaters as possible, and behemoth Barilla’s the perfect ally. “I could not DREAM UP a better partner for our little brand and our beloved, hard-working team,” Zeszut says in a statement.
The companies say nothing will change, including the nutritious formula, the quirky messaging, Zeszut’s role, Surf City HQ and staff of 73.
While I’m not going as dark as a colleague/fellow fan who messaged, “Better stock up before the formula and quality change,” it all rings a little hollow, because 1) We’ve heard that sort of song before; 2) The company’s constant emphasis on how small but mighty they are, and the proud motto, “If you can’t outspend them, out weird them.”
LITTLE VICTORIES
A new law sponsored by Santa Cruz’s own state senator and perennial contender for County Mensch of the Year John Laird was signed late last month by Gov. Gavin Newsom, and—come Jan. 1—widens the number of wineries that can host tastings and sell their vino at farmers markets. Before Senate Bill 917 takes effect, winemakers are limited to selling only “estate-grown,” or on-site, grapes, excluding many small and boutique wineries that responsibly source grapes from California growers, and instructional tastings are limited to one per farmers market, regardless of market size or capacity. “California’s wineries are hurting, and SB 917 delivers real relief,” Laird says. “By cutting red tape and opening new markets, we’re giving small producers more opportunities to get their products directly to consumers,” sd17.senate.ca.gov.
PSYCHING UP
From the handy Microdose Newsletter, an independent journalism effort by the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics: A recent report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration encourages U.S. states to begin preparing for possible approval of psychedelic therapies by the Food and Drug Administration. The transition from research to clinics is moving faster than those in the field anticipated even five years ago, the report notes, and being proactive is important. “The question is not whether individuals in a particular state will use psychedelics, but whether they will do so in regulated, safe contexts or in underground networks,” the report reads. Float to themicrodose.substack.com to learn more and sign up for similar updates.
TASTEBUDDIES UNITE
Gourmet Grazing on the Green, arguably Santa Cruz County’s premier event for local food and artisan drink, has slotted Saturday, Oct. 3, for its 2026 celebration in Aptos Village Park to uplift Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group, sccbg.org…Registration is live—and early bird $150 discounts happen through September—for the 47th annual EcoFarm at the Asilomar Conference Grounds Jan. 20-23, 2027, eco-farm.org…In Shanghai, China, a Dairy Queen is now operated exclusively by humanoid robots built by AI startup Sharpa…We keep losing these paradigm-revising female heroes, but with Gloria Steinem (as with Dolly and Yayoi) there’s no undoing her lasting impact, as much as evil empires might try—so thank you Gloria for your life force and thoughts like this one, “Empathy is the most radical of human emotions.”
