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An eventful week
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The biological dynamic of farming, by its very nature, requires a state of preemptive, sometimes even spontaneous adaptability in order to cope with diverse and always-changing circumstances. Last week was a good example. This year's summer season was on course to becoming one of the coolest ever on record -- until last week, when we got slammed with a scorching heat wave. Monday morning, the cool drizzly fog which has been blanketing the coast for most of the summer was nowhere to be seen; skies were clear and temperatures were already in their sixties... that's warm, considering the sun hadn't yet crested the Santa Cruz Mountains. By mid-day last Monday, temperatures reached the low to mid 90's, which is hot for us, considering how we're used to farming in the mid 60's to maybe low 80's. By Tuesday it felt as if we were working in a furnace: the thermometer reached 102 degrees. At those extreme temperatures, no matter how much one tries to water to keep things hydrated and cooled, some crops will inevitably suffer heat damage. The first priority was to beat the heat and get the bulk of the harvest in for the weekly CSA shares. We were all up at the crack of dawn -- as soon as there was enough light enough to see, we started by harvesting the most heat sensitive crops, the greens and berries. On hot days, we try to be done in the fields and have lunch around 1 o'clock, when the heat is the most intense. The afternoon can then be spent washing, prepping and packing the shares in the shade of the barn.

Not only are plants, animals and people affected by heatwaves... so is equipment. This time it was one of our walk-in coolers. The coolers are indispensable for refrigerating all our perishable produce. Our main cooler failed in the heat. Luckily we have another, much smaller cooler (the first one we purchased many years ago), and that got us by until the main cooler was fixed. Another indispensable piece of field equipment which should never fail during the height of the season is a well pump. As luck would have it though, in addition to our big cooler, one of our main irrigation pumps decided to stop working on Tuesday, the 102 degree day. I counted my blessings though, because once again there was a "golden" back up: in this case, I was able to switch over to receive water from a large gravity-fed holding tank sitting 150 feet above the fields.

On Wednesday when the worst was over, I walked the fields to assess the damage. The worst affected were the raspberries and blackberries. A lot of fruit was growing on the tips of the canes (the most exposed to the direct sun) and in the intense heat, got sunburned. I became concerned about the people coming for Saturday's Community Farm day, who were expecting to pick raspberries and tomatoes.  The dry-farmed and heirloom tomato patches I was planning to open for community picking were also, after closer inspection, not in good shape. The ripe fruit which normally would have been picked before the heatwave I had purposefully left on the plants for Saturday's event. The heat accelerated their ripening, however, and by Saturday they had turned too soft. So I quickly decided to change the location of the tomato u-pick to another field, one which was a short driving distance from the farm. This was a logistical challenge, but in the end the right choice to make, since everyone got to pick their own fabulous tasting tomatoes and even the raspberry patch (a different one) had recovered just in time for everyone to pick and enjoy a "yummy" sampling.

Of course the crowning glory of unexpected "excitement" happened during Community Farm Day itself when, during the tractor trailer ride around the fields, I hit an irrigation valve (don't try this at home). The water line, which was actively under pressure for irrigation purposes, created an impressive water gusher. Although not on the day's agenda, everyone got to experience a classic farm "emergency".  Since the main shut off valve was on the other side of the field, everyone got to see how fast a farmer can run a 1000-foot dash in boots.  The water remaining in the main supply line was still draining out of the broken valve when I returned, so a few people in the group were scrambling trying find something to shove into the 1-inch broken pipe; first carrots and apples were tried (unsuccessfully), then someone found the right size stick -- a piece of a broken apple branch -- which managed to stem the flow (no pun intended). After touring the fields, picking sunflowers and stopping by the barn, we ended at the straw bale fort on top of the hill, and then visited the animals and baked pizzas with tomato slices and fresh goat cheese.  I believe in the end, the farm day was a success, in that everyone had their fill of tomatoes and a fresh taste of raspberries by day's end. Thank you all for coming; the community day was a wonderful way of finishing a hectic, hot, and eventful week.

- Tom

Discovery Program Update
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On a crisp Sunday it is easy to start imagining the coming fall season. The Discovery Program has a lot to look forward to. Besides tasting the long awaited first apples, I have been busy scheduling our fall tours and planning for our recurring groups, Wavecrest Middle School, E. A. Hall Middle School, and the Blue Mountain Group. This winter we will be working on a grant with the Wild Farm Alliance to teach kids about the connections between agriculture and water quality.  So, we will spend some time this fall preparing for that.  I look forward to the return of the students to the farm.  There is a new energy brought to our efforts with each new person who joins in the fun and discovery.

There are also some events and things coming up for the greater CSA membership to get involved in.  The September 25th Taste of the Fields event you have already heard about.  Besides making a donation to that event, the Santa Cruz Whole Foods between Water Street and Soquel Drive is featuring LEFDP in their Nickels for Nonprofits program, July through September.  That means every time you bring a bag with you when you shop, you will have an opportunity to donate to our program.  We also are looking forward to support from two local breweries.  On September 30th we will be featured at Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing's "Thank You Thursday".  A dollar will be donated to us for every beer consumed all day long.  So please join everyone from the farm for a beer that day.  Does sitting down for a beer with Farmer Tom sound appealing?  Last but not least, Tied House Brewery and Cafe has donated a keg for our Harvest Celebration on October 23rd.  So this year we will celebrate with an Oktoberfest theme, including three-legged races, potato sack races and beer, for those of us who are of age.

Our hopes in all of these small endeavors are to build a sustaining program that will educate local youth about the value of local, organic food systems for our communities, our families and our own bodies.  Participating in any or all of these events will help to support those goals.  We are so lucky to be doing this work in such a great community.  So thank you!

Jessica Ridgeway, director
Live Earth Farm Discovery Program

Medicinal Herb Walk classes on the farm
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Hidden in amongst the veges, lurking below the fruit trees, at home in the oak woodlands, and planted in the hedgerows, Live Earth is chock-full of medicinal plants. With literally hundreds of plants useful for treating common maladies and maintaining vital health LEF is an incredible place to go for an herbal adventure. Come join herbalist Darren Huckle L.Ac for a fun, informative, and applicable tour. We will identify, taste and learn how to safely and effectively use medicinal plants common in Northern California.  This is a stand alone class or a great entry to the monthly herbal series being planned for the 2011 season.  Bring a sun hat, water bottle, notebook and your questions for this fun filled class.

Live Earth Farm is a paradise for medicinal plants.  In between the vegetables and fruit trees, medicinal weeds thrive on the rich soil, regular water and bare soils.  Purslane, amaranth, yellow dock, stinging nettle etc all have a long history of use as both food and medicine.  One of my favorite "weeds" on the farm is plantain, an extremely useful plant for a number of common maladies.   It can be used to heal wounds when crushed and applied as a poultice.  Internally it can be drunk as a tea to soothe the digestive, urinary and respiratory systems.

In the hedgerows, Live Earth Farm has been planting a number of native species that are great medicinals including; elderberry, fremontia, California coast sage, yarrow and black sage.  One of my favorite native plants found on the farm and in the hedgerows is California Poppy.  I use gallons of the tincture every year in my clinical practice to support patients experiencing anxiety and insomnia.  This plant has a long history of use both in California and of all places Germany, where fields of it are grown and processed into medicine.  In fact California Poppy extracts were once paid for by state medical insurance plans in Germany.

To some, the use of local plants to heal common maladies seems strange or dangerous.  It is important to remember that all of our ancestors used plant medicines and it is only recently that we have become so disconnected from the use of plants as medicine. Herbs are like strong foods, and like most foods most herbs tend to be quite safe and nourishing. That said, it is important to positively identify the plants you are going to use and to learn the strength of each before you use it.  It is also important to start with small amounts to be sure that the new herb feels comfortable to the body. 

Herbal Medicine, like organic farming, goes back thousands of years.  Both traditions attempt to support and sustain the entire organism (body or farm) while respecting the web of interactions they exist in. The side effects of non-holistic ways of farming and medicine are also parallel.  For example, non organic farms can contribute to pollution of our waterways with nitrate fertilizers, pesticides etc.  Just as these chemicals are present in a majority of our waters in this country so too are pharmaceutical medicines. The drugs that we ingest eventually make their way to our waste treatment plants and eventually back into our water systems.

Herbal medicines surround us in our farms and gardens and await our rediscovery of their healing virtues.  For those of us concerned with the health of our environment they also represent a safe and effective option for many of our medical needs that is in harmony with our environment.

Darren Huckle L.Ac, Herbalist

Darren will be leading a medicinal herb walk at Live Earth Farm on Saturday October 9th from 10:30 am -3:00 pm. Cost: $45 per person.

In the spring of 2011, he will begin teaching a series of workshops (here on the farm) on identifying, preparing, and using herbal medicines.

For more information or to RSVP to the October herb walk, please contact Darren at rootsofwellness@gmail.com or 831.334.5177

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