I recently made my way down to Escondido to check out our CSA farm for their 6th annual event. I had decided on the first date available because I was really excited to finally get the chance to check out a farm. This is our second CSA and we never had the chance to visit the one we were a part of in Berkeley, so you can imagine how excited I was.
In case you didn't already know, CSA stands for community supported agriculture. Getting a CSA box is a great way to support local farmers, get surprisingly affordable fruits and veggies, get you to eat healthier, and they can on occasion get you to try new foods you would never buy on your own. It's also a great way to find out what's in season, and when. All around a great deal.
So anyway, back to the farm. I apparently didn't realize that the date I picked was the only tour that was not on a Saturday, but a Wednesday, oh no! So I had to leave Dan behind on this one. It took about 2.5 hours to get there with no traffic, so lucky! The farm was on back roads which could easily be confusing. Luckily they gave a heads up and I wrote down their directions.
The farm was on a hill under the Palomar mountains. It was a gorgeous view.
I love the mountains. I have always been a mountain person over a beach person. I think one of the hardest parts of living on the coast of LA is that you rarely get to see the mountains and when you do, they are way too far away to truly enjoy, so this was a great refresher.
The event started with a nice snack of strawberries and oranges, of course grown on the farm. They were delish and much needed after the long drive. It was a hot day. Once the majority of people arrived we started by listening to Farmer Joe talk about how he became an organic farmer and a basic rundown of what that means.
When he was younger, his father was farming traditionally, with chemicals and pesticides. He noticed that he, along with other farm hands were getting sick from what he figured was from the spraying of pesticides. He talked about how he had to wear a gas mask when spraying the plants and felt this was unnecessary to get healthy, delicious foods. And he was right. He studied organic farming and his dad gave him a small plot of land to try out his theories. After a while, his father gave him more and more land, eventually getting the farm completely organic! Hence, where we are today.
We moved on to a tour of the grounds, about 90 acres if I remember correctly. Some plots were bare, some green, and some blooming. We then went into the seedling area where they grow some of the plants past their seed phase in a hot tent to ensure their proper growth. Their 'greenhouse' was just a covered area and the cover worked to keep the heat in on the seedlings. Believe you me, it was hot in there. Although some of the vegetables were hard to determine what they were, some were obvious, like the kale and carrots. Yum. I'm starting to make myself hungry now.
Our next stop was the best part for most people (especially the kids). We went to pick strawberries! Once people knew where we were going they picked up the pace.
Everyone got a green basket and were set loose on the strawberry fields to gather as much as they could carry. I wandered around a bit, making sure to get the deepest red ones I could find and ate them on the spot. Oh my goodness. There is nothing more delicious than a fresh strawberry you literally just picked. I ended up getting a basket to fill to bring home to Dan since they were so good.
After everyone was finished filling their baskets, and in some cases their bellies, we made our way back to the house for lunch. They made (just about) everything from the farm which was great. That meant that most things on the menu were vegan! I stuffed my plate, and my belly. :]
Afterward, I decided to not hang out. The event was dying down, and I wanted to make a pit stop before heading home. I was in Escondido after all. I drove a half hour out of my way, but it was totally worth it. I stopped for a beer at Stone Brewing! Huzzah. I'm not sure if I've ever been before, but I definitely plan on going back with Dan. I just sat at the bar, but it looked like there was a great outside area, and of course tours. I filled a growler so Dan wasn't totally left out and made my way back home. You know you're a beer lover when your two hour drive home turns to 3.5 because you wanted a beer. Totally worth it though.
This was a great experience and my first time getting to put a place and faces to my food. I think this is so important today since it is too easy to become detached from our food sources and forget the hard work and potential dangers attached to our food.
"If slaughter houses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian." -Sir. Paul McCartney
For those of you who are interested in CSA boxes J.R. Organics has great produce and it's always delicious. If you pick up your box at a Farmer's Market you can even switch out some of the contents if you don't like/are allergic to something.
Here are links to the CSA's I am/have been involved with. They are both great, organic, and I highly recommend them.
San Diego/Los Angeles: J.R. Organics
Oakland/Berkeley: Eatwell Farm
The farm was on a hill under the Palomar mountains. It was a gorgeous view.
 |
| See the hummingbird? |
The event started with a nice snack of strawberries and oranges, of course grown on the farm. They were delish and much needed after the long drive. It was a hot day. Once the majority of people arrived we started by listening to Farmer Joe talk about how he became an organic farmer and a basic rundown of what that means.
When he was younger, his father was farming traditionally, with chemicals and pesticides. He noticed that he, along with other farm hands were getting sick from what he figured was from the spraying of pesticides. He talked about how he had to wear a gas mask when spraying the plants and felt this was unnecessary to get healthy, delicious foods. And he was right. He studied organic farming and his dad gave him a small plot of land to try out his theories. After a while, his father gave him more and more land, eventually getting the farm completely organic! Hence, where we are today.
 |
| Seedlings |
We moved on to a tour of the grounds, about 90 acres if I remember correctly. Some plots were bare, some green, and some blooming. We then went into the seedling area where they grow some of the plants past their seed phase in a hot tent to ensure their proper growth. Their 'greenhouse' was just a covered area and the cover worked to keep the heat in on the seedlings. Believe you me, it was hot in there. Although some of the vegetables were hard to determine what they were, some were obvious, like the kale and carrots. Yum. I'm starting to make myself hungry now.
Our next stop was the best part for most people (especially the kids). We went to pick strawberries! Once people knew where we were going they picked up the pace.
 |
| Farmer Joe leading the horde. |
After everyone was finished filling their baskets, and in some cases their bellies, we made our way back to the house for lunch. They made (just about) everything from the farm which was great. That meant that most things on the menu were vegan! I stuffed my plate, and my belly. :]
Afterward, I decided to not hang out. The event was dying down, and I wanted to make a pit stop before heading home. I was in Escondido after all. I drove a half hour out of my way, but it was totally worth it. I stopped for a beer at Stone Brewing! Huzzah. I'm not sure if I've ever been before, but I definitely plan on going back with Dan. I just sat at the bar, but it looked like there was a great outside area, and of course tours. I filled a growler so Dan wasn't totally left out and made my way back home. You know you're a beer lover when your two hour drive home turns to 3.5 because you wanted a beer. Totally worth it though.
This was a great experience and my first time getting to put a place and faces to my food. I think this is so important today since it is too easy to become detached from our food sources and forget the hard work and potential dangers attached to our food."If slaughter houses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian." -Sir. Paul McCartney
For those of you who are interested in CSA boxes J.R. Organics has great produce and it's always delicious. If you pick up your box at a Farmer's Market you can even switch out some of the contents if you don't like/are allergic to something.
Here are links to the CSA's I am/have been involved with. They are both great, organic, and I highly recommend them.
San Diego/Los Angeles: J.R. Organics
Oakland/Berkeley: Eatwell Farm
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