This year, we are going to the 32nd Annual EcoFarm Conference at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, February 1-4. It’s the one sustainable agriculture conference that at least one of us tries to attend each year. Even though it’s gray and often wet, right by the ocean, the Asilomar Conference Grounds is beautiful. If you’re lucky, you can do a bit of whale watching in between sessions. Every other year there is a talent show (Pam Riccetti totally should have won with her opera singing in 2008!), and there’s a seed swap, documentary films, and top-notch speakers. This year, Adam will be presenting at a session all about Livestock Guardian Dogs. He’s putting together a nice PowerPoint full of fluffy white dogs and the bucolic livestock they protect at our farm. A couple other Redwood Valley farmers slated to speak at EcoFarm sessions are Charlie Barra and Matthew Frey. Check out the conference webpage here: http://www.ecofarmconference.org/

All across the country, sustainable farming conferences and workshops are taking place – when the days are shorter and there’s less to take care of on the farm. All the NOFA conferences, MOSES, EcoFarm, and Acres USA are just a few of the annual events where sustainable agtivists, farmers, educators, and concerned consumers come together to learn from each other. Going to EcoFarm or any of these conferences can be expensive, but we view it as an investment in furthering our training and education, an opportunity to make new business connections, and experiencing community with other farmers like us. We’re looking forward to seeing friends and acquaintances we rarely see otherwise.

The first time Adam went to EcoFarm, he was working for a landscaping company, and he got the idea that maybe he could farm food for a living. When Paula first went to EcoFarm as a full-time farmer, she learned how to keep good financial records so that the business met its tax obligations. Winter conferences like EcoFarm are educational and inspiring. And like any other animal, farmers need the winter to reflect, refuel, and renew ourselves for the season to come. We will let you know how EcoFarm is this year!

livestock guardian puppies!

Farm Fact for the Week

Livestock guardian dogs (aka LGDs) have been used for centuries in Europe and Asia to protect livestock from predators. On our farm, the dogs primarily protect our chickens and sheep. Protecting means barking a lot at anything moving or making a noise. Sometimes they are naughty and wander to the vegetable field and protect the vegetables, too. But our LGDs can’t help wandering around – they’re on patrol, guarding their territory, doing perimeter checks.

“You want to try a new eggplant variety? Look at this one – it’s marbled”

“We’re not growing that one variety of cucumber that was s**t last year. F**k that.”

“This greenhouse tomato is resistant to all these diseases. And this other variety comes in organic.”

“Oh, good, we still have a lot of that seed from last year so we don’t have to buy any.”

“Well, if we grow two rows of cucumbers and two rows of tomatoes in the greenhouse, let’s do basil in the fifth row.”

That’s what the office conversation is full of when we’re preparing our annual giant seed order. With seed catalogs, lists, calculators, pens, and papers around us, sitting on the floor, we get to envision our fields and future harvests. It’s rather exciting. Some farmers and gardeners compare seed catalogs to porn. Leafing through the pages of colorful produce, herbs and flowers, you can’t help salivate over the contentment of a bountiful harvest in the growing season to come. Agronomic info and variety descriptions only enhance the flavor of this vision.

Our hand-drawn maps may be out of proportion on pieces of scrap paper, but with accurate calculations, feedback from CSA members, and mostly experience, we’re able to figure out what seed we need to buy. We’re a bit anxious because cash flow is almost stagnant this time of year, and we know that popular varieties, particularly organic ones, sometimes sell out quickly. We have to act fast and just get the order in. A late catalog in the mail or “seed crop failure” of a favorite variety can be a source of consternation.

After about a month of pouring over our maps, thinking about how we want to rotate our crops, looking at field histories, checking remaining seed inventory, thinking about our different markets and potential new markets  - with catalogs in hand, we were able to list out our vegetable seed order. We’ve put in our largest seed order to one vendor, and when we are more flush, we’ll put in the next two. For now, until those spring seeds come in and we start seedlings in the greenhouse or direct sow in the new high tunnel, we’ll keep flipping through the colorful catalogs and carrying the vision of a good growing season.

Farm Fact for the Week:

As organic vegetable producers, we have to use organic seed. We’re only allowed to use non-organic seed if it’s organic equivalent is not commercially available. If we use non-organic seed, we have to provide documentation that we searched at least three sources for its organic equivalent. So, not only do we have to keep good records of our seed orders/searches for our own bookkeeping and future reference, but also for our organic certification.

One of those is a high tunnel for which we are receiving cost-share assistance from the USDA NRCS. The financial assistance works like a reimbursement. It’s less than 25% of the total cost of the project, but every little bit helps. This season-extension structure will allow us to grow early spring greens, early tomatoes and cucumbers, and provide a nice shelter on rainy days (if it ever rains!). Plus, with it’s height, we can get the tractor in there to cultivate, spread compost, etc.

Normally, this time of year is when we service our tractors, too. Everything is going to get checked so that we can get them in the field and going when we need to. Timing of cultivation, planting, etc. is so crucial in organic farming.

Another big project for us the next few weeks is to put up about 2 miles of rangeland fencing. With assistance from our landlord at Heart Arrow Ranch, over the next couple years, we are fencing off more pasture areas for our sheep and cows and for our landlord’s horses. Ideally, the ground would be easier to dig from the rain, but we have to get it done now anyway.

The sunny weather has made awesome working conditions for these projects, not to mention for our lettuce. At the same time, we welcome precipitation. There are some indoor-activities we need to catch up on, like wedding planning and gutting our new house, and we like to save those for rainy days – then we have an excuse to not be outside working on the farm!

As we enter a new year with new beginnings, we are excited to offer more healthy, flavorful food in 2012. While we will be scaling back our chicken CSA, our pork and vegetable CSA offerings will increase, so check back to get involved. Wishing you a Happy New Year!!

For community-supported agriculture & an agriculture-supported community,

Adam & Paula

Did you hear? Our sheep are back at Heart Arrow Ranch! They had a lovely summer pasturing in Potter Valley, but were ready to spend the winter back in the rangeland and give birth to their lambs at home. The home ranch feels a little more complete when the sheep are here. The guardian dogs are also very happy to roam the hills with the sheep.

As of Saturday, we have two dozen new lambs. Lambing season is always fun. We love watching the ewes fawn over their babies, and we’re always amazed with how hardy the newborns are in the early morning frost. The sunny days have been a great help!

Adam checking on newborn twin lambs.

Does anyone else find him/herself eating a lot more now that the cool season is here? Storing up for winter and enjoying heavier comfort foods like sausage and pie? The short days and cold nights are doing that to us farmers. With the main season behind us, we’re in the kitchen a lot more and enjoying it! We hope you are too

(By the way, we just delivered more of our heritage sausage to Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op. You can find it in the frozen meat section.)

The Ukiah Saturday market is from 9:30am – 12 noon at Alex Thomas Plaza. See you at the market this December! P.S. Don’t forget to pick up a package of our exclusive Heritage Sausage – that’s our Dexter beef with Berkshire pork, yum!

Lacinato Kale, aka Dino or Tuscan Kale

Broccoli

Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

With gratitude,

Adam & Paula

If you’re looking for an in-depth apprenticeship or short-term work trade, here are some places you can search. Good luck!

• North American Biodynamic Apprenticeship Program
• Growfood.org
• WWOOF.org
• NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Project
• SOIL Apprenticeships
• CRAFT Ontario