About Us

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Welcome to Live Earth Farm!

Thomas Broz (aka "Farmer Tom"), his wife Constance, their children David and Elisa, along with a committed crew of helpers, invite you to join their farm and connect with the land and the people who grow your food.

Live Earth Farm is a small family farm where our commitment is to grow the most delicious, beautiful, high quality organic fruit and vegetables the earth is able to offer. We've always farmed organically. Organic, for us, does not mean simply refraining from the use of synthetic chemicals. We treat our farm as a living organism, and believe in developing a deeper connection with the earth, the community, and environment around us.(Growing The Crops)

The farm is nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, (Directions) near Watsonville, overlooking the beautiful Pajaro Valley. The coastal climate in this area allows us to grow a large variety of produce almost year round.(Harvest Schedule)

By joining our Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA), you can receive a box of freshly harvested delicacies every week during our season. (Becoming A Member)

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

One of the most rewarding and satistifying aspects of farming is getting to know the people who eat the wonderful food we grow. From the very beginning, the heart of our operation focused on developing a Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA).

CSA creates a direct relationship between you and our farm – a partnership, if you will. In essence, it is a mutually beneficial arrangement, where in exchange for your commitment to buy a share in our farm's harvest, we commit to grow exceptionally high quality vegetables, herbs and fruit, and deliver a bountiful portion of it to you every week of the season. Become a member of our CSA program and every week you will receive a share of fresh, organically grown, in-season produce delivered to a convenient location in your neighborhood (Pickup Locations).

Why join our CSA?

Fresh and locally grown
Most of our fruits and vegetables are harvested only hours before they are packed into your box, and then the box goes right into our cooler. By the next morning that box is out on delivery to you, so you are receiving produce that barely 24 hours earlier was growing in the field. Can't get much fresher

than that! And we're right here in Watsonville, so even our deliveries into the Bay Area or down to Monterey County are within 60 miles or so from home at the farthest. Typically the average produce in the grocery store is 7-14 days old and has traveled hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles.

Superior flavor
To ensure the best flavor and nutritional value, we pick everything at its optimum stage of ripeness.

Know where your food dollar goes
By purchasing directly from the farm, your entire food dollar goes back into the local economy and supports the farmer, local farmworker families, and sound ecological agricultural practices.

Connect to the people and the land
Get to know the land and the people who grow your food! The farm is always open for CSA members to visit. Throughout the season we organize community events and educational programs to facilitate a closer connection to the farm. (Calendar of Events) (Education and Communitiy Outreach)

100% Organic
You can be assured all produce is grown organically. We go beyond what the law requires. We want to grow food that is vibrant and alive. We nurture and grow a healthy soil, grow cover crops to rest and replenish the soil, and practice detailed crop rotations. There is no question that by "growing" a healthy soil, plants are stronger and more resistant to pests and diseases.

Weekly Farm News and Recipes
Every week with your share you will receive a newsletter filled with farm related information. Learn what's happening on 'your' farm, get recipes for preparing what's in the box, read stories about sustainable farming issues (political, spiritual, economical and ecological), events, nutrition, etc.

Growing the crops
"The Earth does not belong to man. Man belongs to the Earth. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth, befalls the sons of the Earth. Man did not weave the web of life. He is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself." - Chief Seattle

We farm organically, which for us means to work in harmony with nature. Organically grown is not just a label; we believe it is a way of farming where one honors the connection of all living beings and their dependence upon each other.

(click on thumbnail for full picture)

The key to growing nutritious fruits and vegetables is to nurture and grow a healthy soil. We build organic matter in the soil several ways, starting with growing lush winter or summer cover crops. We rest and rejuvenate every piece of land we use with a rotation of cover crops at least every two years (sometimes more often depending upon the soil type of our fields). Our winter cover crops are a mix of bell beans, vetch, peas and barley; in summer we like to use buckwheat and/or sudan grass. Cover crops also reduce potential soil erosion and in some cases, such as with sudan grass, we benefit from alleopathic properties which reduce or eliminate soil-born diseases. We also apply certified organic compost at a rate of 3-5 tons per acre on an annual basis to maintain soil fertility, improve the soil's water retention capacity, and increase soil microbial activity. We regularly add rock dust and other natural amendments such as gypsum and azomite, to improve the tilth and micronutrient levels in the soil. Depending on specific crop fertility requirements, we might add still additional certified organic fertilizers such as fish and kelp concentrates and/or pelletized bird guano.

We try to preventively control pest and diseases by selecting appropriate varieties for our growing conditions, following a detailed crop rotation scheme, using physical barriers such as row covers, and releasing beneficial insects. To minimize crop losses from insect pests we grow a large diversity of crops and create natural habitats around our fields to maintain a native beneficial insect population.

To control weeds we use mechanical and hand cultivation, flamers, and properly managed irrigation and planting techniques.

Harvest Schedule

Planting and harvesting is not an exact science, it's mostly based on our experience and seasonal weather and soil conditions. Mother Nature may at times throw us for a loop, causing a delay or the loss of a crop. Typically, however, we are blessed to enjoy her abundant generosity of tasty and beautiful fruit and vegetables.

Here is a listing of the crops we grow and the approximate months we harvest them:

Regular Season

Winter Season

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Fruit

Apples

Apricots*

Blackberries and raspberries*

Concord grapes*

Pears

Pineapple guavas*

Strawberries

Plums*

Citrus

*Extra Fruit or Fruit "Bounty" options only

Regular Season

Winter season

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Vegetables and herbs

Arugula

Basil

Beets

Bok choi

Broccoli/Broccolini/Broccoli Raab

Brussels sprouts

Cabbage (green, red, Chinese)

Carrots

Cauliflower

Cooking greens (chard, collards, kale, purslane, mustard greens, etc.)

Cucumbers (regular, lemon, Armenian)

Eggplant (globe and oriental)

Fava beans

Fennel

Garlic and green garlic

Green beans

Herbs (chives, cilantro, parsley, sometimes others!)

Leeks

Lettuces (many varieties)

Onions (spring, green, dry bulb)

Peas (English and sugar-snap)

Peppers

Potatoes

Pumpkins

Radicchio (various)

Radishes (various)

Rutabaga

Spinach

Summer squash (various)

Tomatoes (cherry, dry-farmed, heirloom)

Turnips and kohlrabi

Winter squash (various)

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

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