EVENTS AND PROGRAMS

Live Earth Farm offers a variety of educational and community outreach programs. Some programs are for our CSA members, others are open and available to the community at large. For example, we make arrangements with schools and non-profit agencies to bring students and young people to the farm for hands-on experience and learning. We feel that the farm is an ideal venue for teaching about where our food really comes from, and for learning about that vital interconnectedness between us and the Earth, between our Community and the natural world in which we live. Here are the programs we currently offer:

FARM CELEBRATIONS

Our farm celebrations are traditionally held twice a year, summer and fall. Each celebration carries its own flavor and is open to CSA members and their friends. These events are free of charge, and members pitch in to help with event set-up and organization. They are truly a community effort. The central theme of our Celebrations is food (whether still growing or cooked and served at the potluck table -- about 30 feet long and getting longer every year!), and general thankfulness to the Earth and the bounty which it provides. We always have music at our celebrations -- sometimes it is The Banana Slug String Band (a favorite of the children, and the 'Slugs' are even members of our CSA!), sometimes it is Kuzanga Marimba, an 8-piece Marimba ensemble (check out our Fall 2002 Celebration!). Years ago we had a funk-band playing into the evening with lots of dancing. Sometimes members bring instruments and we make our own music! Farm activities are plentiful too: ice cream making, apple pressing (fall), pizza and bread making and baking in our wood-fired oven, walking tours of the farm, berry picking and eating... the children especially love climbing on our huge hay-bale structure, exploring our pond (tadpoles in the spring!), and meeting and petting the farm animals.

We ask that you do not bring your dogs with you to our celebrations. Please leave them at home.

Scheduling and cost: No need to RSVP, and there is no "payment" except to bring something to share in the potluck!

See our Calendar of Events for this year's scheduled Celebrations.

The farm is always available as a resource for CSA members to explore their farm-related interests. Members are encouraged to plan and organize workshops at the farm. Our most exciting community-led workshop was the building of a wood-fired bread oven in 2001, since baptized "Toastie" for the sleeping lizard-dragon sculpted atop the oven. (Click here if you wish to read and see pictures on this event.) This oven is now famous for its seemingly unending capacity to generate warm breads and pizzas during our celebrations! We are looking forward to the next creation!

Scheduling and cost: Our Workshops are member-driven, so If you have an idea for a special workshop, simply contact us to make arrangements. This is a very flexible and customizable program! The main requirement is simply that you coordinate with us on timing around other events at the farm so there is no scheduling conflict. Cost is fully negotiable.

See our Calendar of Events for this year's scheduled Workshops.




FARM APPRENTICESHIPS

Interested in preparing yourself for a career in farming on the Central Coast?

Description: Live Earth Farm, established in 1996, is a 100 acre organic farm overlooking Green Valley in the Santa Cruz area of California.  We offer a year round CSA with over 800 members during the regular season.  Our Environmental Education programs include 1 or 2 apprenticeships per year, from February through November.  Our apprentices work on all aspects of our farm, including animal care.  You will be exposed to all of the following areas of farm operation in the first year, and be expected to gain expertise and take responsibility for at least one area if you stay on for second year:
• Farm equipment and machinery use in the field
      First Year - general practical hands-on experience including: mowing and hauling
      Second Year - specialized field experience including: disking, cultivation, and sewing;
• Field production techniques including: large scale, garden scale and year round production;
• Crop planning for a four season production cycle, including: fertility management, pest and disease control, planting techniques, perennial and orchard management, annual cropping systems;
• Harvest and post-harvest operations including: propagation, greenhouse management, storage, packing, and distribution;
• Marketing including CSA, farmer’s markets and direct sales;
• CSA and farm administration;
• Animal care including: sheep, goats, chickens, and pigs; and
• Sustainable Agriculture Education.

Qualifications: Prior experience is required and a desire to participate in all activities on the farm is a must.  This is an opportunity for those intending to pursue farming as a career path.  It is a learning experience, we expect you to arrive with a good work ethic and a positive attitude.  Please be aware that farming is hard work and we require a full season commitment, with the potential for a multi year experience.  We offer you an eye into the life of a farmer, and a solid knowledge base to pursue such interests.

Duration: We ask that you arrive on the farm in February.  This gives Farmer Tom an opportunity to work with you one-on-one before the busiest part of the season begins.  We ask that you stay through mid-November so that you have a chance to be honored at our end of harvest celebration.

Hours: An average of 45+ hrs/wk

Compensation: A private room and communal kitchen, a stipend of $400-$750 per month commensurate with experience and responsibility, and all of the fruit, vegetables, eggs, and goat’s milk you could want.

Application Procedure : To apply please download and fill out this application (word document), and then mail it along with a cover letter and resume to:
Jessica Ridgeway
Live Earth Farm
PO Box 3490
Freedom, CA 95076
LEFeducation-at-baymoon-dot-com

[Note: generally speaking, final applicant decisions are not made until after the Eco-Farm conference in January.]

For further questions, call Jessica at: (831) 728-2032



COMMUNITY FARM DAYS

Description: The intent of Community Farm Days is to increase the opportunity for members and their families to experience and enjoy a slice of "life on the farm" at different times of the year – kind of like our old Mini Camp, but for members of all ages! Each month will have a different activity focus, and will be announced in advance in our newsletter.

Duration: Community Farm Days are an all-day (9am - 4pm) Saturday event. Participants are welcome to arrive Friday evening and camp out overnight to Saturday on all Community Farm Days except on the Fridays before our Solstice or Harvest Celebration.

Scheduling and cost: We hold our Community Farm Days roughly one Saturday per month, from May through October. Please see our Calendar of Events for specific dates. There is no cost to attend, however please RSVP with the number of people attending and whether you'll be arriving Friday night or Saturday morning. Call 831.763.2448 x1 to leave a message or (preferably) email thomas@baymoon.com

If you will be camping overnight on the farm, please bring your own food for night and morning. Also, please leave your dogs at home -- thanks!