Precious window for an early start
The last two weeks of dry weather offer a welcome window of opportunity to get some early field work done. Seeds are not only being sown in the greenhouse but directly into the soil in a number of well drained fields, dry enough for the tractors to get in and prepare some planting beds. Sowing now means we can enjoy an earlier harvest to coincide with the start of the regular CSA season in early April. The crops being sown now are carrots (Early Nantes), beets (golden, red and striped), japanese turnips (white and red), sugar snap peas, cilantro, arugula, and asian greens. Most of them can withstand some frost and germinate under cool and moist conditions. It’s also good timing to transplant all the chard, kale, lettuce and broccoli seedlings sown in the greenhouse last December. Being cramped in little plug trays they are all “eager” to grow in real soil, outdoors.
Answers to questions from our members:
Why are the Brussels sprouts in the CSA boxes packaged off the stalk?
It is true that often stores will sell Brussels sprouts (usually conventionally grown) on a stalk, however that method of harvest means that the entire plant is harvested in one swoop. We like to let the plant grow and have an extended harvest, which can last 2 – 3 months. It is more challenging to grow Brussels sprouts organically, especially with regards to aphid control since these little critters like to hang out in the numerous crevices the plant and sprout have to offer, so harvesting the individual sprouts gives us a little more control over the quality/damage of the crop. Typically Brussels will keep growing, we let them until about March, by then the little sprouts will want to bolt into flowers.
Why don’t we get preserves every week?
Some members asked why there aren’t preserves in every weekly share like there used to be in previous winter seasons. Both the upfront cost of making the preserves as well as a more limited fruit/produce supply from the past summer season played a role in having a reduced supply of preserves this winter. Instead of the weekly preserves, we decided to source with other farms to provide a more diverse selection of fresh winter grown produce. So for example, this week the celeriac is from Lakeside Organics, and the Bearss limes are from Steve Marsilisi. Look for mushrooms and more citrus in future shares. In total, we allocated 3 preserves for the winter season (one more left). Thanks for your understanding, and I apologize for the confusion.
We welcome everyone’s comments and questions. Your feedback is important to us and we will respond either through the newsletter or in-person as soon as we can. We also welcome any written contributions to our newsletter that may be of interest to the rest of our community, please contact me, Farmer Tom, directly at thomas@baymoon.com.
Inspirational Moments at Live Earth Farm this week
The last 7 days we have enjoyed the visit of a group of 8 Williams College students who, together with their teacher, have been exploring California’s Central Coast foodshed to learn about food and farming issues as part of a 4 week-long winter course. With the weather being so nice, they had a chance to prune Quince trees, dig and prepare beds for spring planting in the Discovery Garden, mulch the kids’ strawberry patch, help sow seeds in the greenhouse, participate in the weekly harvest for farmer’s markets, and help Laura trim the hooves of our small goat herd. While on the farm, the group used the farm’s produce to prepare their own meals, and they got to fire up the cob-oven to make pizzas and enjoyed fresh apple cider using the farm’s apple press. We’ve enjoyed sharing our Live Earth Farm experience with them, and wish them well on their continued academic journey and pursuit of their personal goals and diverse interests in life.
Another inspirational event took place just yesterday as we hosted the visit of 90 participants of the International CSA Conference, held in conjunction with this year’s 33rd annual Ecofarm Conference. It was inspiring for me to witness a gathering of like minded people from around the world and from across this country who are all involved in the CSA movement. A movement which has grown from just a few hundred farms to several thousand if not ten thousands here in this country and around the world. It felt a little like belonging to an extended family that shares the same values and passions of stewarding the land, growing healthy communities and nurturing them with sustainably grown food. As is now customary, several of us from the farm will attend this year’s Ecological Farm Conference. Some of my inspiration to start Live Earth Farm in 1996 has roots in this inspirational gathering of people, all actively engaged in advancing ecologically based food systems. Attending this event not only leaves me inspired, but also recharged before the regular season starts up again in April. It’s a time to network with others ‘in our field’, and to learn about practical and economically viable practices in organic agriculture. It promotes and develops strategies to inform consumers and policy-makers about ecological growing practices and their direct impact on our health, the health of our communities and the larger natural environment we live in.
Grateful to Continue On
Happy New Year to All!!! 2013 is the beginning of our 19th Growing Season, and all of us here at the Farm recognize our resilience is built upon and supported by a diverse and interconnected community of people, plants, and animals. We are grateful that we have been able to nourish and rely on this fabric of mutually supportive relationships to continue growing healthy tasty food that gives pleasure to prepare, eat, share, and celebrate as a community.
With the beginning of the Year I also want to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has already signed up for the 2013 season, and for those who haven’t yet or are pondering whether to sign up, it may still seem early but now is a good time to do so since the 2% Early Registration discount will end January 31st.
I want to reassure everyone that behind the pleasure of receiving a weekly box of Live Earth Farm freshly grown fruits and vegetables, you are directly participating in a local food community, and supporting the health of the food-shed we all live in. The food you receive nourishes not only your personal health but is also connected to the health of the land, the farmers, and the entire local food economy. Your participation further supports the farm’s thriving educational efforts to bring children and young adults to the farm to experience, hands-on, how food is grown sustainably and inspire them to adopt healthier eating habits. As Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members, the farm is a resource for you to enjoy and we encourage you to visit and participate in many of the farm’s activities and monthly community events held throughout the year.
Now is the time we like to spread the word about the farm’s CSA Program to meet our seasonal membership goals. Please help us reach out among your community of friends, family, and co-workers. We’d be happy to send you an outreach materials package, talk to interested people or organizations in your community to set up a CSA drop off site, supply you with fliers, brochures, or an e-mail write up. We always welcome your ideas on how to expand and continue building a strong farm community, so please contact me (Farmer Tom) at thomas@baymoon.com or Taylor Brady at liveearthfarmshop@gmail.com to help you get the word out.
Thank you to all our friends and members who support Live Earth Farm. We really appreciate it!
It’s Been a Good Year
With Winter upon us I welcome this period in the farming cycle to take some time to reflect upon this past year’s accomplishments, challenges, and learning opportunities. The germinating cover crops blanketing the moist dark soil feel peaceful… almost comforting. Where only a few weeks ago we were still busy harvesting crops, now the fields are resting and being renewed. During the winter season it slows down just enough for the farm to become a blank canvas upon which we are invited to compose next season’s tapestry of crops. With new seed catalogs landing in my mailbox almost daily, I start browsing through them to create the 2013 crop plan; our roadmap to ensuring we have a timely, diverse, and nourishing supply of tasty fruits and vegetables over the year. Even after 17 seasons of farming I still marvel at how a handful of seeds can blossom into a thriving productive field. Just imagine… less than an ounce of tomato seeds can grow enough plants to cover an acre of land. With some diligent attention, hard work (and of course good weather) we were rewarded with abundance. Between August and October, literally thousands of pounds of flavorful dry-farmed tomatoes were picked every week — whether it was during our u-pick events, for our CSA members, farmers markets, local stores, restaurants or even wholesale markets. This is just one crop among the dozens of others we grow. For most of the Summer and Fall the farm was buzzing on weekends with dozens of people shopping at our new farm-stand or picking on their own of whatever was abundantly available at the moment, whether it was berries, peppers, pumpkins, apples or tomatoes.
We have been successful in our mission to build community and contribute to a healthier food system. This year, together with the Live Earth Farm Discovery Program, the farm hosted over 2000 people through farm tours, hands-on classes, workshops, farm camps, monthly community events, seasonal celebrations, and u-pick days. I like that our farm gives people the opportunity to really connect with nature and experience how food is grown. Hiking the farm trails, one can see first-hand our farming practices; see how the crops are growing right next to the more untamed native oak and redwood landscape surrounding the fields. More importantly, we actively welcome people to engage directly with the farm themselves; getting their hands dirty either sowing, planting, weeding, or harvesting. Nothing is more satisfying than munching on a carrot freshly pulled out of the soil, or biting into a vine ripened juicy dry-farmed tomato, a sweet sun warmed berry, or a crunchy crisp apple picked right off the tree. Next year we plan on expanding our farm-stand by keeping it open more days of the week; we also plan to continue organizing community events, u-pick days, farm dinners, celebrations, and hands-on workshops. So stay tuned — we hope you’ll join us for another eventful, fun, and nourishing season in 2013.
Lastly, we are so thankful for your support over the years, and encourage your continued participation in the farm’s CSA. Right now (or before January 20th) is a good time to join — we offer up to 4% discount on both shares and options. Remember, it is your membership which allows us to continue to build these nourishing relationships between the soil and the food on our plates. On this continuing journey, towards an earth-friendly and truly sustainable food system, we extend our warmest and most heartfelt gratitude to all who participate in the support of this farm.
From the entire Live Earth Farm Family, we wish you a happy Winter Solstice and a joyful Holiday Season.
– Tom
Welcome to another Winter Season
Eating locally grown, in-season vegetables and fruits takes on a whole new meaning in the winter. One becomes aware that crops we took for granted as plentiful a mere few weeks ago — tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, strawberries, spinach, even lettuce and arugula — are now out of season, and that if you find them on store shelves, they have been shipped from further afield (usually the desert southwest, or Mexico). Our shorter days (we are only a few weeks away from the winter solstice) and colder temperatures have slowed the lives of our important allies, the soil microorganisms, and as a consequence slowed plants’ uptake of nutrients.
With the start of our Winter shares, we will be dancing to the rhythm of more challenging weather conditions. A Pacific storm coming our way this week is the first of several we hope to enjoy this winter, however they often bring flooding, freezing temperatures, strong winds, power outages, equipment breakdowns as well — all sorts of things that can contribute to difficult harvest and field conditions, which in turn translate into more variability and uncertainty in quantity and diversity of the crops in your shares. We have planned ahead though; most of our winter crops were purposefully planted on a staggered schedule, so as to mature at different times. On my field walk today I took a few photos to give you a snapshot of crops currently growing in the field (see below). Since we are expecting several inches of rain, besides harvesting we are busy turning our compost piles one last time before covering them up for the winter, pulling the last tomato stakes, making sure all the drainage ditches are in place along the edges of fields, orchards and roads, finishing a late planting of cauliflower, mulching the strawberries… the list is never-ending, since there is always something more to do. Generally, rain in California throws people off; we are surprised when it happens, worried when it doesn’t. Transitioning the farm into winter mode takes time — sort of like turning an ocean liner around.
Food is always center stage here at the farm, and as is customary at the end of every season, the entire Live Earth Farm family celebrated with a feast of traditional Mexican dishes. 
In honor of the occasion we traded several of our goats for a 200-pound pig, which Juanillo and Alejandro expertly prepared into delicious “carnitas” accompanied by Maria Elena’s popular pozole, a rich stew made with parts of the pig and hominy. Big steaming bowls of black beans, rice, and stacks of warm tortillas complimented the entrees while Angeles’ spiced fruit punch was so popular that one large pot was not enough and more had to be made.
With the holiday season upon us, cooking with the hardier winter crops will hopefully remind us to slow down and enjoy the warming flavors of a soup, stew, or pie made from the winter squash, potatoes, leeks, cauliflower or kale in your share. By being so connected to your food the way you are in a CSA, I like to believe that the act of eating becomes an act of caring — for our bodies, our families bodies, and the body of the earth from which we partake.
– Tom
Thank You for your Commitment to Live Earth Farm
On Saturday morning the first frost of the season blanketed the landscape, a drastic change from the blistering 90 degrees we had earlier in the week. As we come to the end of our regular season it is time to transition once again; to surrender to the inevitable ebb and flow of the seasonal cycles. Walking underneath the trellised apple orchard I see the cover crop starting to germinate, and a calm silence has settled in after the season’s hard work. The colorful foliage blanketing the ground is nature’s sign that it’s time for a rest. We are all looking forward to taking a short break before the winter season, with its scaled down CSA program, starts up on Thursday, November 29th.
If you haven’t made up your mind whether to sign up for the winter share, let me entice you! We still have about 40 shares left. And we have a stellar lineup of winter veggies including rotations of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, red and golden beets, newly dug potatoes, lettuces, and our fabulous Brussels sprouts. Of course leeks and onions from Pinnacle Organic plus the ever-trusty cooking greens like chard, collards and kale (kale gets especially sweet and wonderful in winter!) will be regular staples. Cabbages, winter squashes (butternut, acorn, kabocha, sweet dumpling, hubbard) and root veggies like parsnips, celeriac, rutabagas and turnips will be abundant as well, and late in February we’ll have our early green garlic. Although the fruit selection is less diverse, all the shares will enjoy Meyer lemons and a generous selection of Gala, Fuji and Pippin Apples. To round out the shares we will regularly add mushrooms from Far West Fungi, early artichokes from Swanton Berry Farm, and jars of summer preserves made by Happy Girl Kitchen. Wow, this is over 20 different items we’ll be able choose from throughout the winter to put together some wonderful shares for you! We will of course continue to offer the Bread Option from Companion Bakeshop, as well as the Preserves Option from Happy Girl Kitchen, plus of course our popular Pasture-raised Eggs Option. So, join us now for a winter season that will ensure an abundance of healthy, earthly treats.
I wasn’t raised on a farm, but I am certain that my love for food and my journey as a farmer started in my mother’s kitchen. If your kitchen is anything like ours, much of our family time is spent around the kitchen table, preparing, sharing and enjoying food. It’s a place where food is more than just food — it is sustenance for our bodies and our souls; it is where we feel connected and alive. The Live Earth Farm team has worked tirelessly to care for and nurture this land in order to collect her abundant and healthy gifts. Every week you receive a sampling of our effort in the form of food which in turn becomes a part of your kitchen table and family meals throughout the season. I am filled with thankfulness for all who contributed to making this another nourishing and successful season. It is inspiring to know that the seeds we plant are supported by a living network of everything from minute soil organisms to the diverse human community of fellow farmers, farm employees, farm suppliers, CSA members, farmers market customers, artisan food producers, cooks, teachers, students, and friends.
We are grateful for your commitment to share in this bounty, and hope to continue celebrating these mutually supportive relationships for many more harvest seasons to come. Happy Thanksgiving!
Memorable Barn Celebration at Live Earth Farm
Most barns have multiple functions; our redwood barn is no exception. Always abuzz with activity, it is the hub of the farm, where daily harvests are brought in from the fields to be sorted, washed, packed and cooled. It is where all our CSA shares, market loads, webstore and wholesale orders are packed, organized, and loaded for delivery. New this year, the barn now hosts a farmstand where folks in our community can pick up farm fresh produce on weekends. It is a place to store dry goods and farm supplies, where people gather for work, and a point from which visitors embark to explore the farm. And as was the case last Saturday — the barn even transforms into a destination: a host venue for community celebrations. So on Friday after a very busy work week, everyone pitched in to give the barn a thorough cleaning in order to welcome “Edible Monterey” for its 1st year anniversary celebration. Edible Monterey, a locally owned and managed magazine, is part of the Edible Communities Publications found throughout North America, and does a wonderful job of featuring our region’s (San Benito, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties) food culture. Each quarterly publication reflects the seasonal highlights of our unique and very diverse Monterey Bay foodshed. Every article is captivatingly informative, with amazing pictures, telling the stories of food artisans, farmers, fishermen, chefs, and community based food producers. The magazine helps raise awareness of where our food comes from, and shares Live Earth Farm’s values of promoting affordable, fresh, healthful food, while building community and nourishing relationships within the region.
Brad Briske, the chef at Carmel’s Casanova Restaurant and an expert on all the locally grown ingredients available here on the Central Coast, had a mouth watering 5 course menu. Brad enjoyed the unique support of four local organizations that offer vocational training in sustainable agriculture and culinary arts to at-risk youth: Food What?!, Lightfoot Industries, Pie Ranch, and the Santa Cruz Regional Occupational Program. They all played an instrumental role helping him. They prepared desserts and appetizers, served guests, and did the cleaning and breaking down after the event was over. Other producers and farms who contributed to the event were Heller Estate Organic Vineyards, Equinox Champagne Cellars, Storrs Winery, 3 of a Kind, Baker’s Bacon, Fogline Farm, Live Earth Farm and Serendipity Farms. And adding a subtle, magical touch to the entire event was the music provided by husband and wife duo Anne and Pete Sibley, winners of the Great American Duet Sing-off on “A Prairie Home Companion,” — they delighted us with their folk and bluegrass tunes accompanied by guitar and banjo.
I love this beautiful barn, a gathering place for honoring the many relationships nurtured by the land we are fortunate to steward. Whenever you visit the farm, be sure to visit our Barn! Maybe a good time would be this Saturday, as we invite you to join us for the last celebration of a busy harvest season.
– Tom
It’s Signup Time!
This Friday October 5th we will begin taking signups for both our 2012-13 Winter and 2013 Regular CSA Season.
With preparations for late Fall and early Winter underway we are well into planning for next year’s 2013 growing season. This is the time when we “plant the seeds” to ensure that the life-cycle of our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program continues healthy, vibrant and abundant. Your financial commitment as a CSA member is a “seed” we count on in order to continue to plant our crops and operate our farm. Your participation is directly woven into the life of our land, its people, plants, animals, and soil. The Live Earth Farm CSA is a partnership with you, our members, and a journey through the growing seasons, where we commit to sharing both the risk and bounty inherent in growing your food.
Many have begun asking about when they can sign up for a Winter Share, and how to sign up for next spring. I am glad there is so much interest and I invite everyone to renew their CSA partnership with us. So here is an overview before we start the Signup on Friday, October 5th.
When you sign-up the first thing you’ll notice is that we have a new website. It is still a work in progress but should be easy to navigate.
Shares will be available in all three sizes (Large, Medium, Small) for both:
2012-13 Winter Season (10 weeks during Dec – Feb)
***and***
2013 Regular Season (33 weeks during April – Nov).
NEW! Full-Season subscription. Want to subscribe to both our Winter and Regular Seasons at the same time? Well, now you can do just that. Yay! Please note: these subscriptions are limited by the number of Winter subscriptions available, so subscribe early if you want to take advantage of this new “full season” offering.
Winter Season is always very popular, so be sure to subscribe early because we offer only half as many subscriptions for Winter as we do for our normal Regular Season. The Winter Shares are a wonderful way to stay connected to the growing cycles of the farm and to experience the rich, hardy, flavorful and very nutritious produce that is abundant during what is commonly the “off-season” for most farms. To ensure abundance and diversity in the shares we supplement with crops from other local organic farms if needed and will continue to include a bit of ‘Summer in a Jar’ from Happy Girl Kitchen Co., who has been busy putting up our tomatoes and other summer fruit and veggies to enjoy this winter. We’ll continue to offer our bread share from Companion Bakers, as well as a limited number of pasture-raised egg shares (we recommend you sign up early to get your egg share).
2013 Regular Season – Very important to the livelihood of the farm is your commitment for the 2013 Regular season. It is your financial commitment to 2013 during the slower winter months which is critical to helping us maintain a sustainable level of income for our workers, and also helps cover the costs of essential and early season purchases.
To make this financial commitment for 2013 easier for all our members, we again offer what we hope are helpful price saving and payment options:
Early Registration discount of 2% off your entire subscription (Regular and Full-season only). This discount is only available until January 31st, so if you know you want to be subscribed to the 2013 Regular Season, we highly encourage you to take advantage of it now!
PAYMENT OPTIONS AND DISCOUNTS (Regular and Full-season only)
Payment-in-full for your subscription is a major commitment to the Farm, and we honor this by offering a 2% discount off your entire subscription for choosing this payment option. (In the past the discount applied only to the the shares but now it includes the additional options, i.e. bread, fruit, and eggs as well.) This discount is separate from the Early Registration discount, so pay in full before January 31st and take advantage of a combined 4% discount!
Return of the Two-Payment Plan! – Unable to make payment-in-full yet still want to demonstrate your extra commitment to the Farm and receive a 1% discount off your subscription, too? Choose the Two-Payment Plan and make the first of two equal payments upon placement of your subscription, and have the second one automatically scheduled for April 1st, 2013. Register before January 31st to also take advantage of the Early Registration discount to get a combined 3% off.
Installment Payment Plan – Equal payments over the months from when you sign up to the end of the season. By spreading the total cost over many months, each payment will be less, and very regular, so you can manage your monthly expenditures a lot easier. You will still get the 2% discount if you sign up early.
Please note: if you are subscribing only for the Winter Season, since there are only 10 deliveries, there are no discounts and we ask that you make payment-in-full.
– Tom
Third Annual Community Wheat Harvest this Saturday July 28th
This Saturday, July 28th from 10-3, join us for our Third Annual Community Wheat Harvest! Experience the full circle from field to mouth: together we will gather our wheat crop, thresh the grain, mill it into flour, and then bake delicious crusty pizzas in the farm’s cob oven. If you’re not sure how much fun this will be, here are some pictures from last year’s event, to convince you; once we’ve got you hooked, read on for details about how to attend.
Above: wheat being harvested and winnowed; below — pizza making!
We’ll harvest fresh ripe tomatoes, peppers, basil or other crops straight from the fields to add as toppings, and if we have enough milk we’ll even make goat cheese to add as well.
For the event itself, we request a donation of $10/car, so carpool with friends and family. Save a couple bucks and burn less hydrocarbons! Please use the Litchfield Lane entrance to the farm and follow signs for parking. Directions are on our website. Please wear clothes you don’t mind getting some “dirt” on, sturdy shoes (sneakers are fine, sandals not so much), and layers of clothing: a sweater to keep you warm for when it is cool and foggy in the morning, and a t-shirt, hat and sunscreen for when the sun comes out. Friends and family are welcome, so spread the word if you like. Look forward to seeing you on Saturday!!
If you have any questions please contact our Farm Office: 831-763-2448 farmers@cruzio.com