What would inspire someone to become a farmer? A curiosity about gaining practical skills outside of academia? Having parents who “retired†to start a cattle ranch and homestead farm? An awareness of environmental and development issues? Moving to the Bay Area? On this half-day adventure, we’ll visit two farms on the coast just south of San Francisco, both run by young farmers who are also considered beginning farmers.
Why should you care about supporting young farmers? The USDA estimates that 500,000 US farmers (about one-quarter) will retire by 2030, leaving a large gap for the next generation to fill. In a report titled Building a Future with Farmers, the National Young Farmers’ Coalition (NYFC) surveyed 1,000 young and beginning farmers across the US and found that access to land, capital, health care, credit, and business training posed huge challenges. We’ll learn a little bit about some of those challenges and how these two sets of farmers are managing them, while checking out their flower beds, strawberry fields, plant starts, pigs, chickens, and ducks.
Graduates of the UCSC Farm & Garden program, John Vars, Mike Irving, and Teresa Kurtak founded Fifth Crow Farm on a shoestring budget in Pescadero in 2008. They pride themselves on values-driven farming based on economic viability, social justice, and ecologically sound practices. The young farmers offer a diverse array of certified organic leafy greens, root vegetables, dried beans, flowers, and more. Fifth Crow’s pop-up in the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, our introduction to them, was sponsored through CUESA’s ongoing partnership with Kitchen Table Advisors. Together CUESA and Kitchen Table Advisors are supporting the next generation of sustainable small farms by offering critical market and promotion opportunities and in-depth business and financial advising.
Root Down Farm is owned and run by Dede Boies, along with 3 part-time employees, on 62 acres in Pescadero. Gaining experience on farms from New Zeland to Hawaii, Dede eventually found her passion in raising livestock. In 2014, she decided to start her own humane and sustainable operation to do her part in combatting the negative impacts of industrial animal agriculture. Today, Root Down Farm is a diverse, pasture-based farm that raises heritage chickens, turkeys, ducks, and pigs. Dede’s mission is to humanely raise the healthiest animals possible while working within the ecosystem to responsibly steward the land. The farm focuses on the strong genetics of heritage breed livestock to ensure the animals grow at a normal rate while thriving outside on pasture.
Tickets include round trip transportation from the Ferry Building in a comfortable bus, and a farmers market snack.
Where to meet: Meet in front of the Amtrak building just south of the Ferry Building. Please arrive by 1:15 pm; we leave at 1:30 pm. Please be prompt! We cannot wait for stragglers. Street parking is extremely limited, but you should check the CUESA website for Saturday parking options, if you choose to drive to the Ferry Building.
Things to know: The weather can be unpredictable. Please dress in layers. Shoes must be appropriate for walking around the farm, closed-toe and preferably waterproof.
The tour is geared toward adults and will probably not be enjoyable for young children. Children who are likely to appreciate an adult-level tour are welcome to come with their guardians. Please call if you have questions.
Bring: A water bottle, layers, sunscreen. Optional: snacks, a camera, a book or other entertainment for the bus, and cash for purchases. We will do our best to finish by 7:00 pm, but traffic conditions can be unpredictable and we can’t guarantee an on-time arrival back at the Ferry Building.
We sincerely thank our farm tour sponsor, First National Bank of Northern California, for underwriting tour costs and Coach 21 for providing a discount on the bus charter fee.
Please note: Tickets are nonrefundable but are transferable to another guest for this tour.
A note about price: CUESA is committed to providing accessible food system education to all. If you are interested in a scholarship for one of our farm tours, please email Carrie Sullivan ([email protected]) for a scholarship application.
Photo courtesy of Federica Armstrong
show less
Why should you care about supporting young farmers? The USDA estimates that 500,000 US farmers (about one-quarter) will retire by 2030, leaving a large gap for the next generation to fill. In a report titled Building a Future with Farmers, the National Young Farmers’ Coalition (NYFC) surveyed 1,000 young and beginning farmers across the US and found that access to land, capital, health care, credit, and business training posed huge challenges. We’ll learn a little bit about some of those challenges and how these two sets of farmers are managing them, while checking out their flower beds, strawberry fields, plant starts, pigs, chickens, and ducks.
Graduates of the UCSC Farm & Garden program, John Vars, Mike Irving, and Teresa Kurtak founded Fifth Crow Farm on a shoestring budget in Pescadero in 2008. They pride themselves on values-driven farming based on economic viability, social justice, and ecologically sound practices. The young farmers offer a diverse array of certified organic leafy greens, root vegetables, dried beans, flowers, and more. Fifth Crow’s pop-up in the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, our introduction to them, was sponsored through CUESA’s ongoing partnership with Kitchen Table Advisors. Together CUESA and Kitchen Table Advisors are supporting the next generation of sustainable small farms by offering critical market and promotion opportunities and in-depth business and financial advising.
Root Down Farm is owned and run by Dede Boies, along with 3 part-time employees, on 62 acres in Pescadero. Gaining experience on farms from New Zeland to Hawaii, Dede eventually found her passion in raising livestock. In 2014, she decided to start her own humane and sustainable operation to do her part in combatting the negative impacts of industrial animal agriculture. Today, Root Down Farm is a diverse, pasture-based farm that raises heritage chickens, turkeys, ducks, and pigs. Dede’s mission is to humanely raise the healthiest animals possible while working within the ecosystem to responsibly steward the land. The farm focuses on the strong genetics of heritage breed livestock to ensure the animals grow at a normal rate while thriving outside on pasture.
Tickets include round trip transportation from the Ferry Building in a comfortable bus, and a farmers market snack.
Where to meet: Meet in front of the Amtrak building just south of the Ferry Building. Please arrive by 1:15 pm; we leave at 1:30 pm. Please be prompt! We cannot wait for stragglers. Street parking is extremely limited, but you should check the CUESA website for Saturday parking options, if you choose to drive to the Ferry Building.
Things to know: The weather can be unpredictable. Please dress in layers. Shoes must be appropriate for walking around the farm, closed-toe and preferably waterproof.
The tour is geared toward adults and will probably not be enjoyable for young children. Children who are likely to appreciate an adult-level tour are welcome to come with their guardians. Please call if you have questions.
Bring: A water bottle, layers, sunscreen. Optional: snacks, a camera, a book or other entertainment for the bus, and cash for purchases. We will do our best to finish by 7:00 pm, but traffic conditions can be unpredictable and we can’t guarantee an on-time arrival back at the Ferry Building.
We sincerely thank our farm tour sponsor, First National Bank of Northern California, for underwriting tour costs and Coach 21 for providing a discount on the bus charter fee.
Please note: Tickets are nonrefundable but are transferable to another guest for this tour.
A note about price: CUESA is committed to providing accessible food system education to all. If you are interested in a scholarship for one of our farm tours, please email Carrie Sullivan ([email protected]) for a scholarship application.
Photo courtesy of Federica Armstrong
What would inspire someone to become a farmer? A curiosity about gaining practical skills outside of academia? Having parents who “retired†to start a cattle ranch and homestead farm? An awareness of environmental and development issues? Moving to the Bay Area? On this half-day adventure, we’ll visit two farms on the coast just south of San Francisco, both run by young farmers who are also considered beginning farmers.
Why should you care about supporting young farmers? The USDA estimates that 500,000 US farmers (about one-quarter) will retire by 2030, leaving a large gap for the next generation to fill. In a report titled Building a Future with Farmers, the National Young Farmers’ Coalition (NYFC) surveyed 1,000 young and beginning farmers across the US and found that access to land, capital, health care, credit, and business training posed huge challenges. We’ll learn a little bit about some of those challenges and how these two sets of farmers are managing them, while checking out their flower beds, strawberry fields, plant starts, pigs, chickens, and ducks.
Graduates of the UCSC Farm & Garden program, John Vars, Mike Irving, and Teresa Kurtak founded Fifth Crow Farm on a shoestring budget in Pescadero in 2008. They pride themselves on values-driven farming based on economic viability, social justice, and ecologically sound practices. The young farmers offer a diverse array of certified organic leafy greens, root vegetables, dried beans, flowers, and more. Fifth Crow’s pop-up in the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, our introduction to them, was sponsored through CUESA’s ongoing partnership with Kitchen Table Advisors. Together CUESA and Kitchen Table Advisors are supporting the next generation of sustainable small farms by offering critical market and promotion opportunities and in-depth business and financial advising.
Root Down Farm is owned and run by Dede Boies, along with 3 part-time employees, on 62 acres in Pescadero. Gaining experience on farms from New Zeland to Hawaii, Dede eventually found her passion in raising livestock. In 2014, she decided to start her own humane and sustainable operation to do her part in combatting the negative impacts of industrial animal agriculture. Today, Root Down Farm is a diverse, pasture-based farm that raises heritage chickens, turkeys, ducks, and pigs. Dede’s mission is to humanely raise the healthiest animals possible while working within the ecosystem to responsibly steward the land. The farm focuses on the strong genetics of heritage breed livestock to ensure the animals grow at a normal rate while thriving outside on pasture.
Tickets include round trip transportation from the Ferry Building in a comfortable bus, and a farmers market snack.
Where to meet: Meet in front of the Amtrak building just south of the Ferry Building. Please arrive by 1:15 pm; we leave at 1:30 pm. Please be prompt! We cannot wait for stragglers. Street parking is extremely limited, but you should check the CUESA website for Saturday parking options, if you choose to drive to the Ferry Building.
Things to know: The weather can be unpredictable. Please dress in layers. Shoes must be appropriate for walking around the farm, closed-toe and preferably waterproof.
The tour is geared toward adults and will probably not be enjoyable for young children. Children who are likely to appreciate an adult-level tour are welcome to come with their guardians. Please call if you have questions.
Bring: A water bottle, layers, sunscreen. Optional: snacks, a camera, a book or other entertainment for the bus, and cash for purchases. We will do our best to finish by 7:00 pm, but traffic conditions can be unpredictable and we can’t guarantee an on-time arrival back at the Ferry Building.
We sincerely thank our farm tour sponsor, First National Bank of Northern California, for underwriting tour costs and Coach 21 for providing a discount on the bus charter fee.
Please note: Tickets are nonrefundable but are transferable to another guest for this tour.
A note about price: CUESA is committed to providing accessible food system education to all. If you are interested in a scholarship for one of our farm tours, please email Carrie Sullivan ([email protected]) for a scholarship application.
Photo courtesy of Federica Armstrong
read more
Why should you care about supporting young farmers? The USDA estimates that 500,000 US farmers (about one-quarter) will retire by 2030, leaving a large gap for the next generation to fill. In a report titled Building a Future with Farmers, the National Young Farmers’ Coalition (NYFC) surveyed 1,000 young and beginning farmers across the US and found that access to land, capital, health care, credit, and business training posed huge challenges. We’ll learn a little bit about some of those challenges and how these two sets of farmers are managing them, while checking out their flower beds, strawberry fields, plant starts, pigs, chickens, and ducks.
Graduates of the UCSC Farm & Garden program, John Vars, Mike Irving, and Teresa Kurtak founded Fifth Crow Farm on a shoestring budget in Pescadero in 2008. They pride themselves on values-driven farming based on economic viability, social justice, and ecologically sound practices. The young farmers offer a diverse array of certified organic leafy greens, root vegetables, dried beans, flowers, and more. Fifth Crow’s pop-up in the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, our introduction to them, was sponsored through CUESA’s ongoing partnership with Kitchen Table Advisors. Together CUESA and Kitchen Table Advisors are supporting the next generation of sustainable small farms by offering critical market and promotion opportunities and in-depth business and financial advising.
Root Down Farm is owned and run by Dede Boies, along with 3 part-time employees, on 62 acres in Pescadero. Gaining experience on farms from New Zeland to Hawaii, Dede eventually found her passion in raising livestock. In 2014, she decided to start her own humane and sustainable operation to do her part in combatting the negative impacts of industrial animal agriculture. Today, Root Down Farm is a diverse, pasture-based farm that raises heritage chickens, turkeys, ducks, and pigs. Dede’s mission is to humanely raise the healthiest animals possible while working within the ecosystem to responsibly steward the land. The farm focuses on the strong genetics of heritage breed livestock to ensure the animals grow at a normal rate while thriving outside on pasture.
Tickets include round trip transportation from the Ferry Building in a comfortable bus, and a farmers market snack.
Where to meet: Meet in front of the Amtrak building just south of the Ferry Building. Please arrive by 1:15 pm; we leave at 1:30 pm. Please be prompt! We cannot wait for stragglers. Street parking is extremely limited, but you should check the CUESA website for Saturday parking options, if you choose to drive to the Ferry Building.
Things to know: The weather can be unpredictable. Please dress in layers. Shoes must be appropriate for walking around the farm, closed-toe and preferably waterproof.
The tour is geared toward adults and will probably not be enjoyable for young children. Children who are likely to appreciate an adult-level tour are welcome to come with their guardians. Please call if you have questions.
Bring: A water bottle, layers, sunscreen. Optional: snacks, a camera, a book or other entertainment for the bus, and cash for purchases. We will do our best to finish by 7:00 pm, but traffic conditions can be unpredictable and we can’t guarantee an on-time arrival back at the Ferry Building.
We sincerely thank our farm tour sponsor, First National Bank of Northern California, for underwriting tour costs and Coach 21 for providing a discount on the bus charter fee.
Please note: Tickets are nonrefundable but are transferable to another guest for this tour.
A note about price: CUESA is committed to providing accessible food system education to all. If you are interested in a scholarship for one of our farm tours, please email Carrie Sullivan ([email protected]) for a scholarship application.
Photo courtesy of Federica Armstrong
show less
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