Howdy, Santa Cruz: Welcome to Soquel

These lovely young women are farmers: Kirsten and Jasmine. They have their own little parcel of land in Soquel, courtesy of Everett Family Farm (which I have seen seen called "Everett & Daughters"). I'm working on a bigger piece on the farm soon: but first a quick note. Kirsten and Jasmine want YOU to know they are both single AND straight. There are some confusing aspects to being farm partners who work the Everett family's land, and I got to the bottom of the whole business in my recent visits to the farm. Everett Family Farm (aka "Everett & Daughters Farm) is closest to my own house here in Soquel. Neither of these lady farmers is an Everett daughter, nor are they related to each other.

Theirs is as pretty a farm as I've ever visited, and Logan and I enjoyed ourselves there very very much, not only because there are chickens for him to talk to. And a "cow" to pet. Visit their farmstand on Wednesdays and Saturdays on Old San Jose Road, across from the Seventh Day Adventist campground.

Welcome to all the visitors from the Santa Cruz Sentinel today*. Nancy Redwine is a great interviewer, and I was happy to see her post links to three of my favorite blogs out there: Life Begins at 30, Heidi Swanson, and Nordljus. (I am very happy to report that Logan and I will soon be visiting some farms with Nancy ourselves. She and I met for lunch at Gabriella Cafe a week or so ago, and it turns out we are born within two days--to the hour--of each other. Yay.)

CORRECTIONS
I came to Santa Cruz in 1989 after a three-month sojourn that began in Boulder, where our daughter was born, and Mexico City (home of my in-laws then). I didn't start photographing farms until 1999; prior to that I was a graphic designer turned web designer. It was my digital camera that liberated me. I am no longer affiliated with the farm dinners at all. I am not currently a member of the Culinary Alliance of Santa Cruz County, nor have I been since December of 2004; I have no immediate plans to return.

The "friend" who changed my life when I was nineteen is Maria Nation. (This is her own photograph of Good Dogs Farm, with Luna, Lola, and Oggie Doggie pictured at left.) I knew Maria when I lived next door to her for a year in San Diego (where I was from 1977-1983). I will be writing about her, as I visited her in the Berkshires when I went back east this spring. She is a goddess incarnate, and her home is like a museum in the most beautiful park you've ever seen. It was Maria who introduced me to Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian, of Edible Communities.

Also, though my blog has been syndicated, it's not yet worked into the greater architecture of LocalHarvest.org--that will take some time and work on Guillermo's part. I am thrilled, utterly, that he asked me to partner with him, because (broken record) Local Harvest is my favorite web site ever. He's doing such good work.

That's all for now. Immediate plans include a visit to Theo's Restaurant in Soquel, where I've got a gift certificate. The idea is to taste what a gifted chef like Nicci Tripp can do with the exquisite stuff that Kirsten and Jasmine grow...he truly loves buying from his local farm.

News tidbit (is this really news?), the BBC reports "Organic farms 'best for wildlife." "The organic farms were found to contain 85% more plant species, 33% more bats, 17% more spiders and 5% more birds."

Lastly, for anyone wondering if my daughter is Logan's mother: NO. Logan is the son of my other bee-yoo-tee-ful stepdaughter, Maya. I refuse to call him my step-grandson, because that would be petty and stupid. I'm his Nana, and that's that.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "I was thirty-two when I started cooking. Until then, I just ate." —Julia Child

* Too bad about the graphic they ran in the newspaper: Nancy Redwine had nothing to do with that. The photo of Logan they were supposed to run is here.