FVC rented this upstairs/downstairs pair of vacation apartments, two blocks from the beach.
What beach? This beach. Rio del Mar.
What's left of the old dance hall boat at the end of the fishing pier.
Kickin' back at sunset.
Friday - arrival day - draws to a close.
Taking a walk at dusk.
Our group is welcomed to the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) on the UC Santa Cruz campus. Our very knowledgeable guide was Cristof Bernau.
Cristof, the garden manager, is a veritable encyclopedia of horticulture.
Cristof
Attentive early stage farmers.
Sixteen veterans took part in the educational organic retreat.
Cristof explaining soil layers.
Getting an education.
Cristof explaining the dwart-root fruit trees.
Weather, soil moisture, compaction - the group learns about factors that affect plant development.
Fresh field about ready to plant
Kiwis have male and female plants.
Male or female kiwi? Raise your hands if you know.
Farming implements
The potato harvester
Talking about water conserving irrigation
Talking about critters, pests and predators
CASFS - a model experimental farm
CASFS sits high above Monterey Bay, seen in the distance
Talking about orchard crops
Another CASFS garden
Drip irrigation at CASFS lower gardens
CASFS state of the art greenhouses
At a private presentation by CCOF, which provides organic certification programs and trade association benefits to farms, processors, private labelers, retailers, restaurants, brokers, and supporting members including individuals, suppliers and service providers.
Lunch break on Saturday was at CCOF headquarters in Santa Cruz
Jane Baker explains the purpose of CCOF, which provides organic certification to farms
Learning the process of organic farming certification.
Josh poses a question about organic certification. Non-organic soda pop?
Veterans Phil and Ronin discuss educational opportunities and short-term plans for their farming careers.
Josh, plinking away
It's all about organic farming back at the house
Kitchen talk. Linda Speel, event organizer. Mike Porter, job development director. Michael O'Gorman, founder/director.
Jim Dunlop, meat farmer at TLC Ranch
Becky Thistlethwaite, Jim's partner, keeps the business end going at TLC Ranch.
Michael O'Gorman, FVC founder and director.
The gang discussing our agenda
After two hours of pigs and chickens at TLC Ranch
Pajaro Valley strawberry fields
Strawberry fields forever
Everyone got along like family
Jim Cochran, founder and farmer of Swanton Berry Farm - an organic fruit grower on the California coast.
Josh Anderson, farming manager at Hungry Mother Organics in Nevada, asks a question of Jim Cochran.
Michael O'Gorman describes how FVC was conceived in this very room - the Swanton Berry Farms store.
Jim tells how he started growing organically on this land.
Plastic "mulch" for weed suppression - safer than herbicides.
It's an open U-pick day in the strawberry patch.
Jim explains the complexities of organic berry production.
Jim Cochran describes how to plant and preserve water on the coast.
The nets over the bushes "slow the birds down" says Jim Cochran
Veterans guided by Jim Cochran in his ollala berry bushes.
Bee and berry flower at Swanton Berry Farm
Larry Jacobs of Jacobs Farm and Del Cabo Organics
Larry Jacobs and his wife Sandy were recipients of the 2009 "Sustie" award as “Stewards of Sustainable Agriculture”, awarded by the Ecological Farming Association’s (EcoFarm).
Perfect weather at Wilder's Ranch just off of Highway 1. Larry talks about how to build a sustainable organic farming operation.
Lunch and learning at Wilder Ranch State Park. Larry Jacobs speaking.
Larry describes the challenges of large scale organic farming.
Larry in the herb fields, backed by one of the windrows he planted.
Larry with some marjoram beds in the background
Larry talking about farming on the coast and conquering weeds without herbicide in his herb fields.
Michael O'Gorman, FVC founder and director, was for years the production manager for Del Cabo. Pacific Ocean in background.
Michael and Larry Jacobs at the edge of a well prepared field
