CCOF Policy Day
This past Wednesday, I was up at the state capital for CCOF’s policy day. The day began with a keynote address by the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Karen Ross. She spoke about how California led the…
Tag organic
Calculating Seeds
During January most of my time is spent on the computer, making the 2015 farm plan. It starts with reviewing last year’s sales and field notes to see what did well, what had poor production, and new ideas. Based on…
Feelings of Fall
The mornings are chilly, the sun sets sooner, and the vineyards are changing color; it is fall. With fall comes the harvest of fall crops: pumpkins, winter squash, and gourds. But even with these feelings of fall, tomatoes have not…
Win Tickets to the Heirloom Expo
We are giving away a pair of 3-day passes to The 2014 National Heirloom Exposition. You have two chances to win via Facebook or Instagram. The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Sept. 5th on my weekly radio show, Sustainable Growing, 2pm to 3pm (PST) To enter on Facebook:…
Harvest For Now and Later
During this time of year the main task on the farm is harvesting. The tomatoes are ripening so fast that almost everyday some row of plants need to be harvested. Just week, I harvested over 70 pounds of cherry tomatoes. I’m…
Autumn is Coming
The winter squash vines are beginning to crowd the walkways and are taking over the field. Hidden underneath the big leaves and bright yellow flowers are beautiful baby squash, starting to take on their varieties distinct shape. With all the…
Revitalizing CCOF’s North Coast Chapter
Quarter Acre Farm is certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers, CCOF. All CCOF certified members based in California belong to a chapter based on their regional location. For my farm the region is considered the North Coast which includes…
Bugs with Benefits
In the cool of the morning I walk through the field checking in on all the plants, looking to see what needs my attention. Frequently I find myself in awe of the various insects inhabiting the farm. Pests or bad…
Land Access
This past weekend I was down in Berkeley at Our Land, a symposium on farmland access in the 21st century. The audience was full of young farmers, experienced agrarians, agricultural nonprofits, food policy, and social justice workers. It was a…
Bird in the House
Last week after a morning of starting watermelon and squash in the greenhouse I returned in the afternoon to find the soil tossed aside and each of the seeds cracked opened with only the shell left behind. At first glance…