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Farming to a Different Rhythm
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With all the warm weather and long growing days, the farm is finally starting to show signs of a more diverse abundance. With greater abundance, however, the work picks up as well. I am no classical musician, but in the fields the pace has shifted from 'andante' to 'allegro.' Allegro means a brisk, lively tempo, but may also be interpreted as happy -- which we are, as more of our favorite summer crops are maturing. Only mother nature conducts the summer crescendo, however; we the players must pay close attention to each crop's unique rhythm and manage the specific tasks and skills associated with them.

The green bean harvest started last week, which means with more than 6 successive plantings and another 8 to go, we can expect them as a weekly staple in our shares; the summer squash, now picked three times a week, is increasing in yield; the next block of red potatoes is ready for harvest, with fingerlings and yellow finns to follow in a couple of weeks; caneberries are steadily increasing their fruit load (assuming they didn't get singed by yesterday's heat); and the first cherry tomatoes should be in your shares in a couple of weeks. The variety we grow are Sungolds, a "toe-curling" experience (one of Debbie's expressions) and a sweet treat much like strawberries, in that you'll likely find them irresistible on your way home from picking up your box.

On the flip side, not only does the warm weather make the field crops grow, but it also amplifies their wilder weedy companions as well. We have been busy with weeding. Once weeds reach a certain size they are too labor intensive to remove and quickly outcompete the crop that is growing. For example, with our first spring planting of leeks, the soil didn't dry out enough between successive rains, which prevented the tractor from cultivating. As a result, weeds got the upper hand, which left me no choice but to harvest them now, bunched as baby leeks. Hand weeding is out of the question at this stage, but by harvesting them now I will at least prevent them from going to seed. The next two plantings all got cultivated on time, so they should grow to full size.

Staking and trellising is another time-consuming but critical activity. All of our tomatoes and the tall-growing raspberries have to be staked and trellised in order to support the plants, allow access for harvesting, and ensure adequate light and air flow so as to discourage diseases and promote optimal fruit development. This week you might be surprised to find some long green sweet peppers tucked away in your shares. Most of our peppers are still immature, but some of the long Italian varieties needed to be thinned, to take the load off the plants that haven't grown tall enough. Peppers  on these shorter plants are at risk of touching the soil, where they would be prone to rot.

Plants, whether crops or weeds, don't stop growing on a 4th of July holiday weekend either, so we can't afford to stop working and risk falling behind on all of the tasks at hand. Whether it's watering, cultivation, harvesting, planting, fertilizing, or caring for the animals, right now there seem to be an innumerable number of simultaneous tasks piling up.

The farm operates much like a living organism, and it is astounding to realize the community of participants involved, interconnected, all performing an incredible diversity of functions to keep the farm operating as a "living whole". I like to believe, as I have said in years past, that the food we share bonds us as a community; we celebrate our interdependence while at the same time respect our freedom to express our own unique individuality. As a farmer, my commitment to the land and its community is to listen, hear what it says, understand what it can and cannot do, and continuously improve my own shortcomings in this mutual dance. Happy "Inter-Dependence" Day!

- Tom

Below from top: weeding; harvesting arugula; Juan, the guy who never stands still, out perusing the fields; packing the boxes; one very happy helper!

New Account Feature: "Farmigo Credits" = Web Store Credits!
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We are very pleased to announce a new CSA member perk! If we ever end up crediting you for something (for a downgrade in subscription size, say, or a vacation taken), we can now set you up with "Farmigo Credits", which can be used dollar-for-dollar same as cash towards your purchases from the Web Store.

If you log into your account, currently you will see any Farmigo Credits issued entered as a line item on your History tab, along with a short description of what the credit was issued for:



When you go to place an order via the Web Store, any Farmigo Credits you have will be automatically applied towards your purchase total:


Couple things to note: this is a new feature and, as such, I believe the folks at Farmigo are still ironing out some of the details. The functionality of how credits are issued and applied is sound, however the way they're presented is not as polished. I expect over time they will tweak things to make it clearer for everyone, but in the meantime, here are a few things to be aware of:

Please do NOT confuse the box that says "Credit on Account" with "credits" you have to spend. The number in that box only represents your account "balance" -- i.e. payments received to date less deliveries made to date -- and does not include any Farmigo Credits. [I currently have a request in to the developers to change the wording in that box to "Balance on Account", and to add a separate box for displaying any Farmigo Credit balance you may have.]

At the moment, Farmigo Credits can only be spent on Web Store purchases, i.e. they cannot be applied towards additions to your share or towards future seasons. But I also have a request in for this as well, so keep your fingers crossed!

Of course as with any credit you have on your account, you always have the ability to request a refund (if you don't use the Web Store, say). In that instance, our usual $25 refund processing fee would apply.

The Amazing Blueberries from BB Hill Farm
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Blueberries are one fruit crop that Live Earth Farm does not grow, however luckily for us AND for you, they are grown literally just up Green Valley Road from us at BB Hill Farm. What's more, this farm's delicious fresh berries are going to be available to you via our Web Store the next couple weeks, so we wanted to give you the heads up. Taylor says right now they're in 6-oz containers, but soon we will offer them in 1-lb. clamshells too. These berries are very special and limited in availability due to their short harvest season, but Laurel and Lou have promised to make their fresh berries available exclusively to us and our CSA members this year (normally they only sell the jam Laurel makes from them), so don't miss this opportunity! Blueberries are easy as pie to freeze [spread on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with waxed paper, freeze, then transfer frozen berries to a ziploc bag and keep in the freezer] so stock up while you can! Here is a little info about BB Hill Farm, to whet your appetite:

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BB Hill Farm and Farmer Lou and wife Laurel
We are the 'guardians' of a petite blueberry field located about one mile north of Live Earth Farm. The term 'guardian' is appropriate because blueberry bushes live long productive lives of up to 30 years. Blueberries are chameleons while they grow. They begin with a pale green flesh, then turn reddish-purple, and finally take on their famous purple-blue hue once they are ripe. The bushes have no thorns, and depending on the variety grow anywhere from two feet to 8 feet tall. They are generous plants, yielding their fruit in stages over several weeks. Our blueberry varietals ripen from late June through early August.

Our blueberry field was planted in the mid-nineties to test the viability of growing blueberries in Santa Cruz county. The owners amended the soil to lower the pH (blueberries insist on acidic soil conditions) and planted out two acres with multiple varieties. The bushes produced delicious fruit, but the growers couldn't successfully compete with the central valley growers in the wholesale market, so they converted to organic farming practices and sold their fruit at local farmers markets for several years. In 2003 the grower retired and put his property up for sale. We purchased the 10 acre farm in 2004 with the intention of retiring from a hectic life in Silicon Valley. Wow, were we naive! Thankfully our neighbor down the road, Farmer Tom of Live Earth Farm, welcomed us to the community as only he can, and we embraced the farming life.

Now our lives move and groove with the rhythm of our precious blueberry bushes.   Laurel learned to make award-winning blueberry preserves, and since 2005 we had never offered our fresh blueberries for sale. But that's about to change, thanks to Live Earth Farm's Web Store! Our favorite blueberry varieties are the Jubilees, Georgia Gems and Ozark Blues. Yummy. And we are offering a blend of these three tasty varieties to Live Earth Farm CSA members exclusively. Only CSA members are able to purchase them fresh.  Make new memories or relive old ones while eating fresh blueberries from BB Hill Farm! 

BB Hill Farm blueberry varieties

Jubilees:  Jubilee bushes are beautiful. They have grey-green leaves that turn red in the fall. Their berries are medium-sized and have a complex, delicious flavor - after you eat a handful you want more, more, more!  They are Laurel's favorite variety. They ripen early in the season.

Georgia Gems: GG bushes are tall and stately. This is an older variety and no longer readily available for cultivation. Their berries are medium-sized and have excellent flavor that lingers on the palate. They are everyone's favorite, and make delicious desserts. They ripen mid-season.

Ozark Blues: Ozark Blue bushes are low and scrawny, but what they lack in beauty they make up for in the size and flavor of their berries. Ozark Blue berries are LARGE and juicy. They are Lou's favorite variety. They ripen late in the season.

Ozarks on the right (low and scrawny-looking) and Jubilees on the left (bushier), with Laurel and Lou's home in the background. This image was taken last December.

BB Hill Farm organic practices

Blueberries have few natural pests (other than birds and gophers), so herbicides are unnecessary. Wild predators (such as barn owls, bobcats, coyotes, weasels and gopher snakes) and our farm cat keep our gopher population in check. Sadly, even with all these predators, we still lose plants to gophers because we will not resort to non-organic methods of control. We use nets to protect most of the berries from the birds who would otherwise eagerly devour all the berries if given the opportunity. We harvest and sort our blueberries by hand. In the fall we feed our blueberry bushes an organic source of nitrogen and thoroughly mulch their roots.

How to serve blueberries 

Blueberries are one of the easiest fruit to prepare and serve. There's no peeling, pitting, coring or cutting. Blueberries will last for a week when kept covered in the refrigerator, or for up to a year if frozen.  Do not rinse blueberries until you are ready to serve them.

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(click here for cost and scheduling info)
We'll be engaging campers in creative expression among our 100 organic acres of fruits, vegetables, farm animals, and wild spaces. During the week campers will plant, harvest, and create in the kitchen and beyond; make cheese, make masks, print, paint, and sculpt with natural materials.