Eco-Farm 07 Conference Schedule

Bus Tour 2008 Kicks Off Eco-Farm Conference
Organic Farming in the Pajaro Valley
Wednesday, January 23, 2008, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

This all-day field trip will visit four organic farms in the fertile Pajaro Valley near Watsonville. This area of cool, foggy summers, sunny springs and falls, and mild wet winters features a great range of crops suited to the climate and fertile soils. Tour stops include: Fuentes Berry Farm. Roy Fuentes grows 18 acres of organic blackberries. He also grows 58 acres of organic strawberries in the Salinas Valley, marketing through Driscoll Berries. His beneficial insectary hedgerow will be featured on the visit. Bruce Rider and Sons. Partner Jim Rider will give a tour of some of their 75 acres of organic apple orchards. They have pioneered the growing of organic apples and cultivate many popular varieties. If we are lucky there will still be some to taste. The Riders operate one of the last two remaining packing houses in the Pajaro Valley, an area once teeming with independent packers. Their fruit is marketed under the Tierra Viva label. Live Earth Farm. Tom and Constance Broz produce a wide variety of organic vegetables, berries and fruits on 50 acres, marketed to a 600-member CSA, farmers’ markets, bakeries, and restaurants. They also host a weekly farm school program with the Santa Cruz Waldorf Middle School. Crystal Bay Farm. Jeff and Lori Fiorovich grow and direct-market three acres of organic strawberries, raspberries, pumpkins, and heirloom squash. They have a roadside farm stand, U-Pick berries and a pumpkin patch popular with local school groups. They also host numerous summer day camps for kids.Amigo Cantisano of Organic Ag Advisors, Sam Earnshaw of CAFF, and Richard Smith of UC Cooperative Extension lead the tour. Lunch will be a hearty natural foods meal prepared from organically grown and local ingredients by noted chef Jim Denevan of Outstanding In The Field in Santa Cruz. Morning coffee, tea and snacks will be provided. Every year the bus tour is a sellout, usually by the early registration deadline. Participant comments: “The best farm tour I’ve been on,” “Excellent presentations by the growers,” “Highly informative and fun.” Sign up on the registration form or call for further details at (831) 763-2111. Please note that the bus tour departs from Asilomar. We have rooms booked for those needing accommodations at Asilomar on the night before the tour (Tuesday the 22nd). Or contact us for a list of motels in the area. Please don't wait to register, the bus tour sells out early! All Aboard!Please note - In order to attend the Eco-Farm Bus Tour, you must be registered for at least 1/2 day of the main conference.

School Garden Bus Tour - 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Monterey Bay Area is home to some of the most impressive school garden programs in the state. This year’s School Gardens Tour will focus on Farm-to-School Programs. We’ll visit three thriving school projects serving grades pre-school through middle school whose students are involved in cooking and nutrition, organic gardening, ornithology, science, and more! Ideas for creating and sustaining your school garden or farm-to-school program will be shared throughout the day. Lunch will be served at Earthbound Farm’s certified organic kitchen, where we will enjoy a tour of their educational farm. Joining the tour and sharing their experiences in the Farm-to-School Movement will be Tim Galarneau from the UCSC Food Systems Working Group, Kathryn Spencer from the Monterey County Farm-to-School Partnership and Ildi Carlisle-Cummings from the Community Alliance with Family Farmers Farm-to-School Program. The tour will be led by John Fisher, of Life Lab Science Program. John directs the California Department of Education’s Monterey Bay Area Garden Resource Center and brings much enthusiasm and a desire to share his experiences with others involved in garden-based education. More details on this bus tour are posted at www.lifelab.org/bustour.html.