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Follow-up on "Inside the Beltway"
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At first glance, Washington DC -- the epicenter of political power -- is not where one feels at home voicing the hands-on needs of farmers. The history of the United Sates is enshrined in the landscape of this city, it is the backdrop of everything that takes place here. Walking among the many impressive large marble monuments and buildings, several resembling roman temples, one is struck by the concentration of power and wealth reflected in them. The wide avenues and expansive parks are peppered with memorials commemorating the people who gave their lives during the many, often violent, events that have shaped the history of this country. It takes a leap of faith to believe that here resides the government, the one that Lincoln fought for and which we elect; a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Last week I had the opportunity to glimpse the inner working of this government with a  diverse group of California farmers representing a broad spectrum of agricultural operations small and large, organic and conventional [click here for last week's story, if you missed it]. Much of our time was spent in meetings at the various institutions in charge of agriculture-related programs such as the Department of Agriculture (Trade, Natural Resource Conservation, Pest and Disease Control and Prevention, Education, Research, Crop Insurance , etc), Food & Drug Administration (Food Safety), Environmental Protection Agency (Pesticide Regulation, Water and Air Quality), and the Department of Interior (Water Supply). For me some of the highlights were the meetings we had with our elected officials in the House of Representatives. Farmers from Santa Cruz and Monterey met with our Representative, Sam Farr, and the entire California delegation also had a chance to meet with Senator Feinstein.

It quickly became very clear that the overarching issue casting a cloud of uncertainty over every program in the upcoming 2012 Farm Bill is the budget deficit, and the many spending cuts that are being proposed to address it. Already during our stay there, the House Agriculture Appropriations Committee voted on over 2 billion dollars in spending cuts that would suspend many of the hard-won sustainable agriculture and conservation programs passed in the last (2008) Farm Bill. I believe it is wrong that we are trying to balance the budget by cutting these beneficial programs while leaving large entitlement programs for commodity crops intact. I was happy to hear this same argument being made by Sam Farr, who believes that funding from commodity crops could be shifted if it was done so in a way that would address the health and nutrition issues of 40 million Americans currently on food stamps, plus the 30% of children and adolescents in the United Sates that are severely overweight. He encouraged us to work together to overcome our differences and help send a strong message to Washington to make such a shift possible.

Another pressing issue had to do with immigration. The Republican-led House is considering legislation to require all employers to use electronic verification to determine the eligibility status of prospective employees before hiring occurs. Currently no meaningful guestworker program exists to help many of the foreign-born agricultural workers aquire a visa to legally enter and exit the United States. The enforcement of such a verification system without a guestworker program could bring California's -- if not the entire country's -- food supply to its knees. Senator Feinstein is opposed to an employee verification system without a  guest worker program, and believes it would not pass in the Senate, but in the House there is a good chance that it will.

With elections in 2012, and the Farm Bill in need of being reauthorized, many challenges lay ahead to change the legislation that shapes and defines our nation's food supply. We have the opportunity to get involved individually, as families, through community organizations, through schools and churches, and via state and national organizations, to demand a healthy and sustainable food system. The experience I came away with from my trip to Washington is that citizens have the ability to change things at the local level if they are willing to organize, speak up, agitate and start a movement that will be heard by our elected officials in Washington. It is our right and responsibility to elect the officials that respond to the needs of the communities they represent. The health of this nation is based on the fact that we find resolution, recognizing our differences,  and reach out rather than face away from the challenges at hand.

- Tom

Our capitol; Farmer Tom (2nd from left) with fellow Farmers in DC; urban farm in front of Smithsonian

Community Farm Day/Strawberry U-pick this Saturday June 4th!
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This coming Saturday, June 4th, everyone is invited to come to the farm for a Strawberry U-Pick/Community Farm Day. Community Farm Days are not the same as our Summer Solstice and Fall Harvest Celebrations (which always have music and workshops and a big potluck); instead, as with all such community days that 'Farmer Tom' leads, they are about getting to know the land/the farm, and experiencing it from a more hands-on perspective. So although the theme for this farm day is "Strawberries", it will be about more than just Strawberries. We will go on a walking tour to explore the orchards and surrounding fields, and if we have time we'll visit the animals as well (of course we'll have time). So please come prepared to spend some time outdoors, bring your own snacks and drinks, and containers to carry your bounty. Strawberry U-pick will only cost $1.50/lb and we'll limit the amount to 25 lbs (depending on the available bounty on Saturday). Eating in the fields is free!!:-)

The weather may be foggy/sunny/drizzly so bring something warm and dry, as well as your own lunch. We will also have the tractor and trailer set up to help us carry our harvest, as well as anyone who might be in need of a ride.

Hope to see you all Saturday!

- Tom

Details
When: Saturday Jun 4, 10am - 4pm
Where: Enter the farm at our "New Barn" entrance at 1275 Green Valley Road (click here for directions)
Parking: Please follow the parking signs when you get here.
Cost: attendance is free to CSA members, or a $10 - $15 donation per car for non-members (donations go to our Discovery Program)
Other: We ask that you do not bring dogs to our farm; please leave them at home.
Thanks.

Return Your Jars at the Community Farm Day
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Do you have an accumulation of jars from jams and preserves you have received either via Web Store orders or past Preserve Options (winter share) that you would like to return to Happy Girl Kitchen for re-use? Bring them this Saturday when you come to the Community Farm Day! Taylor will have a place in the barn to collect them, and Happy Girl Kitchen will be thrilled to get them back!

Organic Farm Education Apprenticeship at Live Earth Farm
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Interested in spending a year or more on the Central Coast of California? We have a new opening for a Farm Education Apprenticeship and are now accepting applications.

Description:
Live Earth Farm, established in 1996, is a 100 acre diversified, organic, family farm overlooking the Pajaro Valley in the Santa Cruz area of California.  We offer a year round CSA with 800+ members during the regular season.  We grow 50 different fruits and vegetables ranging from perennial fruit trees to a wide variety of annual crops.  We sell our produce at five area farmer's markets and through our CSA program.

We are offering a Farm Educator Apprenticeship. This apprenticeship will have a unique focus on our education programs. The apprentice will spend at least 80% of their time on these activities and the other 20% on farm tasks. Education programs include, but are not limited to: a weekly visit by 7th and 8th grade Montessori students, half day farm tours for students of all ages, once monthly home schooling family visits, and a diversity of community farm days.

The position will involve leading farm tours, working with ongoing farm education programs and some office work such as scheduling farm tours, processing deposits and payments, and data entry. Farm tasks include vegetable and fruit propagation and production and marketing, animal care and greenhouse management.

Qualifications:
The right person for this position will be able to demonstrate experience and basic theoretical knowledge in organic and sustainable food production systems, as well as basic office skills. Experience working with kids in an outdoor setting is a plus. Ideally, you will have worked an entire season on a farm or garden project and be bilingual in Spanish. This is a learning experience, we expect you to arrive with a good work ethic and a positive attitude. Please be aware that farming is hard work and we require a full year commitment. This is a position for someone seriously interested in sustainable farming, food, and community education. It can serve as a stepping stone to pursuing a career as an educator and/or farmer, as we offer the opportunity to learn the ropes of a small scale organic farming operation and farm education nonprofit.

Duration:
We ask that you arrive on the farm by July 1.  This will give our Education Director and current apprentice an opportunity to work with you one on one.  We ask that you stay for a full year through June 2012 and ideally longer so that you can participate in the full school year cycle. 

Hours:
40 hrs/wk

Compensation:
$16,000/year. A private yurt and communal living area and kitchen are available for rent for $500/mo. We strongly encourage living on site, due to the nature of the work. In addition, the farm will provide produce, eggs, and goat's milk.

Application Procedure:
To apply, please fill out our application (it is a Word document, also available on our website) and send it along with a resume and a cover letter describing your interests and why you would like to be an apprentice at Live Earth Farm to:
Jessica Ridgeway
LEFeducation@baymoon.com
or call: (831) 728-2032.

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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.