A Girl & Her Tractor

I've been asked sooo many times to describe what my days are like as a farmer. I have attempted over the past five years to keep notes or journal entries of my daily life, but alas, i find the practice a little cumbersome. The art of putting pen to paper has given way to blogging. Since I do actually sit at my computer periodically - i thought I'd just put it out there.

So... how did I become a farmer? I'm going into year five and I'm still amazed at my life change.

Believe me, I didn't grow up imaging that I'd be driving a tractor. But I love it! I remember the first year I learned to disk a field on my new (used) Kubota M9000 tractor (nicknamed...Niko)... A few of my far more experienced farmer neighbors saw me out in one of my fields dragging a disk and basically hacking at the soil. Then one of them decided to stop by and give me a lesson in the proper technique of field disking. I'll never forget it. He actually had me riding on the tractor while he drove along (at a pretty fast clip) so I could really understand the multiple nuances involved in getting the right RPM's (speed engine), disk depth and gear to coax the soil into a decent loft. I don't want to bore you with the micro details - but - I felt like I'd never get it. Five years later, I'm happy to report that I kind of get it and know how to do some pretty nice field prep.

My relationship with my tractor has brought about many opportunities for embracing humility. You see, it's not just a tractor. There are lots of other implements/tools for maintaining the fields and orchards. And since I'm a certified organic farmer... I rely pretty heavily on cultivation practices to keep the weeds under control. I used to say that i hate the weeds, but now, I think I've learned to coexist with these "misplaced plants." Here's a photo of me (taken by fabulous LA photographer & friend, Marc Weisberg www.mwphoto.net) on my beloved tractor, Niko, mowing the vineyards.

I feel very fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of Northen California. We have the most fantastic soil (Class 1 Loamy) for growing incredible produce. One of my absolute favorite crops to grow are heirloom tomatoes! This year I have about 30 varieties in the ground and I'm anxiously awaiting that first yummy tomato of the 2008 season! Here's a photo of one of my mixed heirloom boxes all ready for market from last year.

Nothing says, "Summer is here!" like a peach. We grow several varieties in our stonefruit orchard along with scrumptious nectarines. There is such an abundance of gorgeous fruit on our farm! Here are some other great photos to get you in the mood for summer!