33rd Eco Farm conference, Pacific Grove tour to nearby Pescadero

Sustainable farming could feed people locally, when a city has land and good soil conditions.

The Daily Journal (San Mateo), Samantha Weigel, 1/26/13.  "Coastal farms offer taste of sustainability."

More than 100 health-conscious students, enthusiasts, locals and farmers convened in Pescadero this week to learn more about sustainable farming practices as part of the 33rd annual EcoFarm conference in Pacific Grove. A guided tour of several coastal farms was the first in a line of seminars and events that kicked off Wednesday and ends Saturday.

Jacobs Farm, "Del Cabo" Certified Organic

The Ecological Farming Association is responsible for the event that encourages education and advocacy toward creating locally sustainable food practices. The first stop on the tour was the organic Jacobs Farm; it’s hidden in the lush valley on the outskirts of Pescadero and yields some of the country’s finest culinary herbs. More than 60 varieties of herbs and edible flowers are grown on the large farm diligently maintained with the help of its residents.

The surrounding area dates back to the late 1800s when a boom in flax seed production started the success found today. A wide array of edibles were once grown on the prosperous land; including wheat, potatoes, peas, corn, carrots, broccoli and cattle. In the 1930s Gerber contracted with the area’s property owners to create their now famous baby food products, said farm owner Larry Jacobs.The farms’ tasty organic herbs were once only known in the Bay Area.“When we started the market was really really tiny; we could satisfy the San Francisco market out of a little Honda,” Jacobs said. Years later, Jacobs Farm as been approached by large food chains such as Safeway, and their herbs are now shipped across the country. Read article.

 Harley Farms Goat Dairy.

Related article  -  San Mateo County Times/Aaron Kinney, 1/26/13.  "Harley Farms in Pescadero highlighted by sustainable farming conference." "For Dee Harley, succeeding as a small farmer has involved much more than farming. Her herd of 200 or so goats produces several award-winning cheeses, but Harley realized long ago that expanding her business to include other products and reaching out to potential customers through agri-tourism were essential to the survival of her dairy. ....  About 140 people made the trip to tiny Pescadero to explore Harley Farms and three other operations that exemplify the area's status as a haven for small organic farms: Jacobs Farm, a grower of herbs and edible flowers; TomKat Ranch grass-fed beef; and Fifth Crow Farm, whose products include eggs and vegetables."

Reference -  Ecological Farming Association,  33rd Annual Eco Farm Conference, Pacific Grove, CA, January 23-26, 2013. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh