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Balance
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In a balanced food web, being eaten is as important as eating. Food is the common thread linking all living creatures; how to ensure that both eaters and the eaten flourish is the fundamental balancing act we engage in here on the farm.

Where this balance works well is in our strawberries, where we release small populations of tiny almost invisible red mites to control the damage caused by its slower and smaller "cousin" the two-spotted spider mite. (At left, the red mites are the dust on the strawberry; the vermiculite is just the transporting agent.) The two-spotted spider mite occurs naturally and disperses with dust particles (now you know why should always drive slowly on a farm road), and thrives by feeding on the sap of young leaves, causing serious stunting and damage to both fruit and plants. The red mite - (Persimilis), which we have to purchase and release at a rate of 30,000-40,000 per acre once or twice over the course of of the season - is a specialized predator of the two-spotted mite, feeding voraciously on both the adults and their eggs.

We put a lot of effort into creating hedgerows (pics below) and otherwise protecting or enhancing our existing wild and native habitats, in order to encourage a year-round diverse population of beneficial insects in and around our fields. We also regularly plant flowering plants such as alyssum right in among the crops (especially among the brassicas and cucurbits) to lure beneficials, and to get a better handle on aphids which is one of our more difficult insect pests to control (aphids like the alyssum more than the crops).


I think I know where Hollywood found inspiration for some of its more gruesome science fiction scenes (remember Alien?). Tachnid flies, for example, are a beneficial attracted by the sweet smell of the alyssum, and will control aphids by laying eggs on their body, which in turn develop into larvae and then parasitize the host insect by feeding within the body, sucking its body fluids until the aphid dies. (I hope no one minds the graphic description of how feeding takes place by some fellow creatures further down the food chain from us). :-)


[closeup of beneficials going after the dreaded aphid; top: soldier beetles; bottom: ladybug and nymph]

The health and vitality of a balanced food system and all its participating organisms is always dependent on a healthy soil. So often we dismiss soil as something inert that clings to our shoes and gets under our fingernails. However, dirt is at the heart of growing healthy and nourishing food. Soil scientists now recognize that the microorganisms in the soil - most of which are invisible to the naked eye - have intricate and fine-tuned relationships that, over the course of millions of years, have created the environment on which all plants and animals now exist. Worms, ants, termites, springtails, protozoa, fungi and bacteria ranging from the visible to the unimaginably minute perform important functions which drive most of the activity in the soil, most specifically the transfer of nutrients to plants. Here on the farm the way we feed and build these living soils is by making our own compost and applying it very generously at 15-20 tons per acre every season. In addition we grow cover crops, maintain an elaborate rotation of crops and cultivation practices, as well as apply soil amendments to improve tilth, replenish important micronutrients, and balance the soil pH. David Suzuki gives one of my favorite and most vivid descriptions of soil in his book Sacred Balance: "Imagine a giant tomato with a diameter of 70 meters (210 feet) but skin no thicker than that of an ordinary tomato. That thin outer layer corresponds to the fine wrapping of soil that covers the surface of our immense planet. The constant renewal of life on Earth occurs in that thin layer. We, like all other terrestrial life forms, depend on it, directly or indirectly, for our food."

Of course there are also frustrations that come with growing food among a diverse population of healthy organisms. It is especially frustrating when those creatures who, just like us, have carved out their niche on top of the food chain, and who like to pick and choose the tastiest food around. Last weekend "Chella" our young Maremma, the dog we purchased to guard our livestock (mostly the sheep), decided to explore the chicken area. Her instinct to 'guard' was suddenly overwhelmed by the excitement to play chase and catch. Unfortunately she ending up devouring two of our egg-laying chickens.

I admire Jim from TLC Ranch for his dedication to pasture raise his chickens; we are fortunate to get his eggs.  Raising chickens outdoors on open fields takes a lot of experience and requires a relentless attention to keep predators away. It doesn't matter whether they are wild or domesticated - all seem to favor chicken on their menu.

What I like about my job, though, is listening to what the land has to say, understanding what it can and cannot do, and continuously improving my own shortcomings by honoring the many visible (and even more abundant invisible) relationships within this food web from which we partake and are nourished.

- Tom

The Joys of CSA Seasonality or What Fava Beans Mean to Me
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by member Mary Hall

The weekend before last I helped 'table' for Live Earth Farm at Willow Glen's "Earth Day on the Avenue", and pretty much spent my time talking up the farm and spreading the good word on CSAs in general.  It was a lot of fun talking food, organic gardening, and baby goats with whomever happened to wander by. I was surprised at how the experience reminded me how much I appreciate being a part of Live Earth Farm.  It was particularly funny how so many conversations kept circling me back to my new best friends: fava beans.
 
It started with the reporter from a local community newspaper, the Willow Glen Times.  After getting the nuts and bolts details out of the way, he asked, "Why do you do this?  Why do you bother?"  On the display table was a typical springtime share. The quality of the produce was obvious, and I added the standard spiel about how it's cheaper than what one would have to pay in a high-ish end grocery store, and that it typically lasts much longer, and how taking care of the earth takes care of us all, etc.  Besides, I've learned about veggies that I'd never tried before.  "Like what for instance?" the reporter asked.
 
Well, like fava beans, for instance.  I had never had them before I joined Live Earth Farm, and now they've become one of my very favorite things. Besides being so delicious, they signify the beginning of spring, as well as the beginning of the CSA season. I like that they're not readily available at most supermarkets (Cosentino's being an obvious exception.)  I even like the fact that they're only available for a short time during the year; it makes them seem just that much more special.
 
That last bit set me off on another tangent about the cyclical nature of life, holidays, and eating with the seasons. (That poor reporter!) I pointed out that what he saw was more or less what we were eating this month, but how in a couple weeks, we'll be getting different veggies, then the plums will start showing up, and then come the end of July and early August - it's tomato time!  It hit me as I was talking with him that being part of a CSA is like having a holiday every month or two, to wit: "Fava beans are better than Christmas!" (Yes, I really did say that! The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.) 
 
I love being able to look forward to delicious things coming my way throughout the year, reveling in them while they're here, being sad to see them go, but not too sad though, because I know that before too long there will be another delicious something wonderful coming right around the corner...
 
While the reporter was still there, another passerby stopped to chat.  She shared that she is a member of a different CSA, and her pickup site is in Santa Clara.  It was her second year doing this, so I asked her what she liked best about it.  Know what she said?  "I'm so glad I discovered fava beans!  I love them!  And I never would have known about them if I hadn't joined the CSA!" Yes!!  Proof that I'm not the only fava bean freak out there!
 
What do I do with my lovely favas? I typically just shell, peel, then braise them into a puree that goes on pasta or crostini (from Alice Waters' "Chez Panisse Vegetables"). This week though, a friend scored a bunch more from another farm, so last night we grilled them on the barbecue (olive oil, salt & pepper, then grilled over med-high until charred and the pods begin to open).  The leftover grilled favas are going on barbecued pizza with goat cheese for tonight's supper (and to drink, we haven't yet decided: sauvignon blanc or chardonnay?)
 
Anyway, to Farmer Tom and rest of the gang, I just want to say thanks. What a gift these monthly 'holidays' have become for me.  And many thanks to you, Debbie, for giving me the opportunity to reflect on all this (and for all the cool recipes!).

- Mary

The little engine that could
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All you parents out there will appreciate this note sent in last week by member Colleen English...

"This morning as I was returning to Scotts Valley after dropping my daughter off for school and I saw your truck headed over the hill.  It reminded me of The Little Engine That Could "She was a happy little train for she had such a jolly load to carry. Her cars were filled full of good things for boys and girls." I read the story a lot as it is one of Claire's favorites. Now when I see your truck I think of it as a female, anyway, just made me smile and I thought I would share. Happy day to you! Colleen"

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