Bear Flag Farm

A Sneak Peek at a Fabulous Celebration!

2010-06-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, we had such a great time on the farm. Melissa & Ramin's nuptials were simply stunning and SUPER fun. Can't wait to see the incredible photos from Lauri Levenfeld atZoom Photography! Without a doubt ~ they'll be fantastic.

After a year of careful planning and a great deal of collaboration ~ we were thrilled with the results. Guests were enveloped by the beautiful lavender fields in full bloom for the ceremony. The most fun surprise was the ferris wheel that we brought in, much to the delight of the guests! Karl Johnson of Cutart, an absolutely remarkable silhouette artist came up from Santa Barbara and just blew everyone away with his talent.

The floral design was perfectly executed by the uber-talented Nicole Sillapere and team. From funky passing trays to vintage dairy containers ~ there were beautiful details everywhere. And the menu was fantastic ~ deliciously prepared and wonderfully presented.

Lots of yummy Hors d'ouevres flowed freely during the cocktail hour.

Harissa Infused Mini Lamb Burgers & Fries

The Farm Chicken Empanada

Dungeness Crab Salad

Ahi Tuna Poki Cones

Summer Solstice Petit Sips of Heaven

First Course! Bear Flag Farm Crisp Peach Salad

Second Course Offerings...

Black & White Sesame Crusted Blackened Tuna

or...

Frontier Buffalo Mesquite Grilled Bavette Steak

To top the evening off, guests were treated with Cakepops, passed root beer floats with vanilla malted and miniature fruit sorbet cones. Sweet ending to an unforgettable celebration.

Ferris wheel day before event....

For the Love of Nature

2010-06-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

One of the most rewarding aspects of opening our farm to a few weddings each year is the opportunity to meet really wonderful people. Courtney & John are a great example of the kindred spirits that share a love for nature and appreciation for all of the beauty that comes from embracing the environment. Their commitment to doing what they can to live sustainably and organically brought them to our farm. We are thrilled to be a part of their upcoming wedding this Fall. And we are excited to have photographer extraordinaire ~ Allyson Magda making her debut at Bear Flag Farm. She did such a fabulous job on Courtney & John's engagement shoot! I can hardly wait to see what she captures on the farm!

Hello Lucky Inspired by Bear Flag Farm!

2010-06-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

We love the folks over at Hello Lucky! The fabulous sister duo of ~ Sabrina & Eunice ~ are so lovely and just incredibly creative. There's a mutual love happening between us and as a result, they are offering a line of Bear Flag Farm inspired stationary! So... some of my "lucky" clients have received the benefit of this new line. They have taken a list of all of the yummy things we grow and produce on the farm and have introduced them into the design of these invitations. Here's a sneak peek of one of the Reply cards featuring a few of our heirloom tomatoes! Pure style.

I Think Summer Has Arrived!

2010-06-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

We've had an unusually mild and cool Spring... Which of course, throws off our field production. So - things are coming in a bit later this year. We'll have to wait a tad longer for our stone fruit and our heirloom tomatoes. In the meantime ~ we are enjoying every bit of sharing the farm with some wonderful people celebrating their nuptials. I'm still waiting for photos from the gorgeous wedding of Kate and Keith! I do, however, have some photos from yesterdays beautiful celebration of Maggi & Taylor. What a fun group! And such a lovely family.

The weather couldn't have been better! Beautiful clear skies and a light breeze really set the tone a super fun wedding ceremony followed by the quintessential farm chic celebration. Here are a few photos snapped to capture a few of the details....

Another Great Season Kicks Off!

2010-05-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like I have to pinch myself. I really am living a dream. Well, my dream anyway. Not only do I have the enormous pleasure of working my own farm and growing what I love, I get to share it with such wonderful people.

May 2nd was my first wedding of the new season. Julie and Ryan had the most beautiful, warm and fun wedding! In spite of very strange weather, which kept us on our toes... it all turned out beautifully.

I really loved the fact that Julie, who is of Korean descent, and Ryan, who is of Japanese descent, incorporated meaningful aspects from both cultures throughout the celebration. From the costume change into absolutely stunning Korean wedding attire to the Sake/Soju tasting station ~ there was clear representation that theirs was a perfect pairing. Such wonderful outward signs of respect and appreciation for their heritage! And since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll let a few images do the talking. Love you Julie & Ryan!!

A Brand New Year

2010-02-27T09:25:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's already the end of February. It's remarkable how quickly the days turn into months and before you know it, it's a new year. I feel especially excited about this season. We have 30 varieties of heirloom tomatoes and 15 varieties of sweet and hot peppers started in the greenhouse. If all goes well with Mother Nature.... we should be able to get our crops transplanted into the fields by late April. Yeah!!!

I'm also really looking forward to another season complete with a few fabulous wedding celebrations. Seriously. Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am to have such a wonderful life and job! Not only am I fortunate to be able to play in the fields and orchards cultivating delicious produce... I get to design & plan GORGEOUS wedding celebrations with absolutely delightful clientele from all over the world. It's truly a dream life. It's really gratifying to share the farm with people who have a commitment to supporting small farms and believe in the importance of sustainability. I'm reminded every day that there are a lot of really cool people out there.

So - Happy 2010. May this year be your best so far.

Wiley Valentine!

2009-11-18T08:36:00.001-08:00

I am constantly surprised & amazed at the power of the internet. It's so great to have people from an entirely different area hear about our farm and appreciate it enough to talk about it. I was delighted to discover that Bear Flag Farm was being blogged about on Wiley Valentine yesterday. Not only did they generously name us as their new favorite venue (!!) - they highlighted the importance of seasonal menus and supporting small farms!! SO ... Wiley Valentine ... thank you from the bottom of my heart for such an honor. Not only have you found us - we have now found you. Your fabulous custom stationery and invitation products are incredible. I'm telling my clients about you!

Zoom Photography

2009-11-15T12:25:00.000-08:00

How cute is this?? A beautiful & crisp Fall day and adorable little girls enjoying the sunshine! Thanks, Lauri Levenfeld/Zoom Photography for making me laugh!

Fall Day Fashion Shoot

2009-10-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

Adorable little girls out today running around the farm for a children's clothing fashion shoot.

I don't think I've ever seen so much pink in one place!

Karli & Nick Featured on Style Me Pretty!

2009-10-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

Thank you Abby Larson and team Style Me Pretty for featuring another Bear Flag Farm celebration! I'm sure they must receive tons of submissions each day! I feel really honored that we've been selected twice in the past six months! We love what we do and it's really exciting when we are recognized for an editorial!

This was a perfect Fall wedding day. The colors, beautiful flowers (Lush Floral), fabulous tabletop (Classic Party Napa) and stunning tent (Zephyr) all came together to create an unforgettable celebration. The delicious food stylings by Living Room Events completed the ultimate experience of field to table for our hungry guests. And it was all captured beautifully by Lauri Levenfeld/Zoom Photography!

Karli & Nick share a moment during their ceremony held on the Cottage Lawn.

A gorgeous willow arch cascading in seasonal colors adorns the ceremony.

Karli & Nick take a quiet stroll past the lavender fields.

A spectacular dessert spread topped off with a small cake with handmade birds.

A cozy lounge area for guests to mingle.

Warm blankets to ward off the evening chill.

A fabulous view of the vineyards & lavender fields just outside of the dining tent.

Gorgeous arrangements in a mixture of containers grace the tables.

A fun combination of wood farm tables and round tables with hemp linens!

A lovely window with flower box creates the perfect escort card display!

As the sun was setting, it created a wonderful glow just inside the tent.

A Gorgeous Day of Love in the Lavender Fields!

2009-10-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

The debut of Nicole & Mark's wedding video! Super fun couple and a spectacular day of celebrating this past June. I had such a great time designing this wedding with Nicole and her lovely mother, Jennifer. We were a force to be reckoned with! The video features some fabulous photography by Ann Hamilton and Gene Higa. The gorgeous floral design was provided by the wonderfully creative, Lush Floral Design. Check it out!

5 Star Rating on Project Wedding!

2009-10-05T09:16:00.001-07:00

I am always so grateful to the people who take the time to publicly acknowledge their appreciation of our farm and what we do. We really don't spend much on advertising and rely on recommendations and a more grass-roots effort to create awareness. It does take a little time to go through the process of writing a review. But the connection people feel through the words of those who have experienced a celebration here are priceless.

Apparently there have been many former clients and parents of clients that have written some really beautiful things about Bear Flag Farm. As a direct result of their efforts, we have been awarded a perfect 5 star rating through Project Wedding. Thank you for your support and for sharing your stories with the world. Check out the reviews!

NYC & Bear Flag Farm Connection

2009-09-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

The past several weeks have been filled with activities and events on the farm. We were very happy with our 2009 harvest and crush of the Syrah vineyards! Last year, our 2008 vintage was hit by a Spring frost that impacted our fields as well as many in Napa Valley. We lost the majority of our foliage and as a result... had to drop most of the grapes. When the lost their protection from the sun.... the became Syrah raisins. Not exactly prime for a fabulous bottle of wine...

This year turned out great! We are so pleased with amount of grapes we were able to harvest! They are still in the Macro-Bins and will most likely be transferred to barrels in the next week!

I'm in love with this photo. Lhasa is a classic beauty.

In the midst of all the farm activity, we managed to have a few stunning weddings. And I can't wait to see the photos! In the interim - I have received a few images from the super talented, Sherman Chu. This lovely NYC based couple found their way to our farm and once again, we have made an East Coast connection. I am always so excited when people choose our farm for one of the most important events of their lives. And even more thrilled when they travel 3,000 to be here. Lhasa & Adam were so lovely and so appreciative of what our farm is all about. It was a perfect match all the way around.

Such a cool invitation by Rifle

I really think Lhasa looks like an auburn-headed Audrey Hepburn.

For such an intimate sized gathering, we were able to have the ceremony in one of our orchards!

We had a lot of fun designing this event for Lhasa & Adam! Fabulous linens, just made in time for this celebraiton!

Hhhmmm....That Takes the Cake out of San Francisco... Yum.

The children LOVED the tipi filled with treasures to occupy!

Spend a Day Sailing or...Making Preserves? Hhhmmmm...

2009-08-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

So - I had this really random act of email strangeness last week. An old email from a good friend somehow resurfaced like it was just sent. That, in and of itself, isn't so bad. But - this particular email was an invitation to go sailing! I was super excited thinking we were going sailing again today. Imagine the surprise of my friend when I sent an enthusiatstic reply that OF COURSE we would be thrilled to go again! Well... long story short ~ the friend is actually in Mexico on vacation. And it's a mystery to both of us how the old emailed recirculated. So - instead of whining too much about it - I've come up with a great Plan B! Making preserves!!

I'm heading to the East Bay to spend an afternoon with Grace! We're going to be testing recipes and playing around with some great fruit!

I went out this morning and harvested two varieties of plums that are ripe and beautiful right now! The first is, Elephant Heart. It's a lovely garnet mottled skin with this amazingly vibrant red flesh! And it's soooo yummy & sweet. I can't wait to see the jewel-toned red preserve once jarred! Here's a look at the just harvested Elephant Heart Plum:

The second variety is the Green Gage Plum. This wonderfully sweet variety has a green/yellow/blush red skin with a vivid yellow flesh. I've been told by another preserve making guru in the neighborhood, that the Green Gage Plum makes a stunning preserve. Can't wait to see how this evolves!

A Small but Mighty Wedding Feast

2009-08-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

Who says your wedding day has to include a cast of hundreds? When Kevin & I got married... 8 years ago (yikes ~ time flies...) we only had 60 guests at our wedding. We decided that (since we were 30 somethings), we could get away with only inviting our immediate family & close friends. It's not an easy process when you have a lot of great people you'd love to celebrate with - but intimacy was the priority for us. We wanted the opportunity to speak with each and every person that night. And not just small talk. This was a major life changing event and we wanted to connect with our loved ones in a very authentic way. HA! As much as we tried ~ we were reeling from the surreal events of the day. And, as much as I wanted to have lengthy talks with my people... it was still a whirlwind! I guess that's what wedding days are like.

I had the wonderful occasion last Sunday to witness the nuptials of a very sweet couple, Caroline & Sean. They, like Kevin & I, opted for a very small gathering of 50 guests. Well, 52, to be exact.

I was so excited about creating an unforgettable setting for this lovely couple. And since the guest count was small.... it allowed us to utilize spaces at the farm in a unique way. I can't WAIT to see the images from this wedding. It was really a dream. Very Mid-Summer Night's Dream to be precise. Caroline's gorgeous dress looked like she had stepped out of a beautiful fairytale. Seriously fantastic. And Sean ~ he was just as handsome & dashing as a prince. In a very urban/cool way... even sporting the 5:00 shadow worked!

Caroline's ethereal dress... (until I get one with Caroline wearing.)

The food was a delicious. I know - when do you ever hear me say it's not? But - really. It was a wonderful, seasonal menu with a bounty of Bear Flag Farm grown produce throughout! And... being smack dab in the middle of summer, the heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes were a highlight! Grace Lee... owner of a wonderful little cafe/market in Oakland provided the incredible catering. I heard nothing but raves reviews from my client - and their guests. And these were people who believed the food was a VERY important element to their wedding. I couldn't agree more.

Grace Lee (the new Queen of Catering) & the Uber talented Armando Koghan

Here's a little preview of Grace Lee's culinary magic at the hands of super Chef Amy!

Bear Flag Farm heirloom & cherry tomatoes with fresh mozzarella & drizzled with basil olive oil

Rosemary skewered Sea Scallops grilled to perfection

One of the 4 entree options....grilled local lamb with summer squash

Bear Flag Farm plum & peach shortcake with creme fraiche!

We had a great staff out here on Sunday. Everyone worked really hard to give Caroline & Sean the best day of their lives. Thanks, Grace! Thrilled for your success & looking forward to many more food filled chats!

And thanks Armando, for the great photos! now... back to the kitchen!

Another Gorgeous Day!

2009-08-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday morning, at about 7:45... i just finished harvesting for a wedding we're having here at the farm today! Myriad varieties of heirloom tomatoes (of course) for their first course ~ stacked heirloom tomatoes with fresh hand pulled mozzarella. seriously - is there anything better in this world than a just picked tomato drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with a dash a sea salt? And today we'll be serving Bear Flag Farm organic olive oil! In my humble opinion... the best!

There will also be fabulous peppers from our fields sprinkled throughout the menu. And for dessert - plum & peach shortcakes!! I love the unconventional dessert option. No wedding cake - just a feast of delicious fresh fruit from the farm with creme fraiche. Really. What more can you ask for?

A Harvest for a Wedding Feast!

2009-08-06T06:53:00.000-07:00

We are really excited about this weekends wedding festivities! Julie & Dan are getting married on Saturday and we couldn't be more thrilled for them. And talk about a fabulous menu!!! Their guests are in for a real treat! Julie popped over for a quick hello yesterday and I had to get a photo of her next to some of the harvest!

We've been busy harvesting for the caterer, Living Room Events. There will be tons of our farm grown produce featured throughout the meal. Starting with a delicious specialty cocktail, Sage Rush, featuring sage harvested from the orchard. The passed hors d'oeuvres will include a plethora of heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes picked from the fields and turned into grilled freeform pizzettas with just-made mozzarella and watermelon & tomato gazpacho shooters! to name a few!!!

The dinner will start with a delicious salad of garden lettuces with Bear Flag Farm white peaches, artisanal goat cheese & almonds. YUM! This course will segue into grilled leg of lamb with a "salsa" of cherry tomatoes from the farm or a fabulous mustard honey grilled chicken with a lemon basil sauce!

But... the triumph of the evening's meal will be the incredible dessert station featuring farm-fresh blackberry crisps and peach galette topped with organic vanilla bean ice cream or whipped creme fraiche! I have a feeling this will be another unforgettable meal.

Just a few of the wonderful tomatoes that will be included in this weekend's menu!

And, of course, the delicious white peaches!

And super sweet cherry tomatoes!

Bear Flag Farm Lavender Harvest & Distillation

2009-07-31T15:22:00.000-07:00

A very big shout out to CeCe Cannavo for coming out to play and for

capturing the process of our lavender distillation! She's soooo talented!

I hope she continues to exercise her fabulous film-making genius!

Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines

2009-07-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

So... there I was checking out the grapes in the vineyards this morning... minding my own business when I hear this strange sound. Hard to describe it. Let's just say it was kind of like the sound of Darth Vader when he takes a breath. I know, I'm probably divulging my geek side. It's true. I am a scifi freak. ANYWAY... I look overhead to find the sky above filled with a dozen big beautiful hot air balloons! It really is a sight to behold. But - kind of crazy if you don't realize they're staring down at you.

We are so lucky to live in an area that's so gorgeous that people want to fly around just to check it out. And I have to say - it's pretty amazing to see acres upon acres of sunflower filled fields with orchards, tomatoes and peppers as far as the eye can see. I forget how striking the landscape is out here and I'm happy to watch others discover the beauty.

Sometimes Farmers Take a Day Off...

2009-07-20T14:22:00.001-07:00

Contrary to what many might think... especially those that know me... I do take a day off once in a while. For the past week, we've had a very special visitor. Our nephew, Michael, has come from back east to spend some time on the farm. He's 13 years old and it's his first visit sans the parental unit. We've had a great time! I think the highlight for Michael was mowing weeds with the tractor and doing his part to reduce the weed population. Especially the star thistle!

We've thoroughly enjoyed every minute with Michael and look forward to visits from other nieces and nephews in the future.

The lavender Harvest Begins!

2009-07-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

The fields are just at the perfect point to harvest for distillation. And so begins the (almost) daily task of mornings spent harvesting and afternoons spent at the still. It's really quite a process and I'm looking forward to the time I'll spend playing lab chemist!

Here are a few photos demonstrating how we harvest. The machine is a wonderful little green tea leaf harvester I had sent over from Japan. We discovered it works quite well on cutting the lavender! And it saves a TON of time. We like to get out right after the dew dries and before the bees gets too busy...

The Meticulous Maintenance at the Farm

2009-07-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

Most everyone that comes to the farm for a visit are struck by the obvious care and attention that goes into maintaining the fields & gardens. And since we are an organic farm... a lot of that maintenance requires hand tending.

We are so fortunate to have on staff (for the past few years) a very dedicated and hard working fellow by the name of Manuel. He's the one responsible for keeping everything "muy bonita!", very beautiful. He's not only an important part of our farming operation ~ he's a joy to work with!

Lavender Honey in the Making!

2009-07-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

We are super excited to have several beautiful new bee houses on the farm! And these are not just your ordinary old bee boxes... These are dolled up with copper roofs! Thanks to Gary Erwin who built them for us!

Now we are waiting for our first round of honey from the lavender fields! Can't wait!! And we've thoroughly enjoyed watching these amazing neighbors hard at work! One day after a very long day of work, I went out into the middle of one of the rows of lavender. I found a nice spot, threw down a small blanket and stretched out on the ground. As I was lying there staring up at the clouds... I was mesmerized by the zillions of bees buzzing overhead from one lavender plant to the next. They had absolutely no concern about my being there with them and welcomed me into their little world. It was the perfect way to end a day.

A Sunflower Covered Chuppah in a Field of Lavender!

2009-07-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

What a glorious day this was! I just received the fabulous photos from Livia & Sean's gorgeous wedding... beautifully photographed by the talented Anna Kuperberg!

This was such a sweet celebration. From the Ketubah signing, to the ceremony and to dancing the Hora! Every moment was filled with love and joy! And BEAUTIFUL tables playfully draped in black/ivory linens & bursting with sunflowers. Gorgeous.

Livia and Sean were a dream to work & play with. And their large contingency of family & friends from North Carolina to South Africa were thoroughly entertaining! Cheers! Gessonheld! (to your health!)

So Many Tomatoes.... Pass the Salt!

2009-07-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, I must admit. I am seriously in love with heirloom tomatoes. To me, there's nothing better than walking out into the field & pulling off a beautiful tomato and popping it in my mouth. Sometimes I'll carry a tiny salt shaker in my back pocket ~ what the heck? Truly one of life's delicious moments.

This season, I have about 30 varieties growing in my southeast block. We had to battle it out early on with the voles (& a few gophers) that were totally annihilating my tender transplants! So we did lose some of our varieties.... Oh well ~ I think we've finally reached a detente.

Farm Chic with a Modern Twist

2009-07-11T16:02:00.000-07:00

I loved designing the wedding for Alex & Andrew! They have such a great eye and willingness to play with color! Bright green & fuchsia fabric and flowers looked absolutely stunning on the farm. Modern shapes and a contemporary approach to decor made this a fresh & vibrant party!

Alex & Andrew are not only a gorgeous pair... they're sweet and gentle souls who truly belong together. So much love on the farm that day with friends coming in from San Francisco and tons of family from Texas! It was a ton of fun! And... I will always think of Alex as a living porcelain doll. Beautiful, fragile and something to treasure.

Thank you Sara Remington for Anna Kuperberg Photography!

You captured this celebration beautifully.

A Passion for Purple!

2009-07-11T13:57:00.001-07:00

One of the main attractions at Bear Flag Farm are the lavender fields in bloom. It's not only spectacular to see ~ it's incredibly aromatic and soothing. There are only a few months each season when the full-on experience is possible. And for the bride that has a passion for purple... May through June are prime time!

We had a spectacular wedding here a few weeks ago - right in the middle of June - right in the middle of the lavender fields. The bride, Nicole, and her darling (new) husband, Mark... came up from Los Angeles with 160 of their closest friends & family. And... Nicole's love of purple allowed us to play with the gorgeous backdrop of the farm in a unique and personal way. Super fun couple! Gracious, charming & authentic.

Not one detail was overlooked. From the world class violinist to the gospel choir serenading during the ceremony ~ everyone knew they were in for something unforgettable. And when the 11 member band hit the stage, it set the tone for a fantastic evening of dancing. It was non-stop great fun from the beginning until the last song was played.

Congratulations Nicole & Mark! You two are inspiring.

Thank you Gene Higa & Ann Hamilton for

awesome coverage of this beautiful celebration!

Bride, Beauty & Bluegrass!

2009-07-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been sooo long since I've updated my blog. Time flies when you're having fun!

Not sure I can recount everything that's happened the past several months... so ~ I'll just dive into what's happened lately!

The new season of heirloom tomatoes are finally rolling in! So many varieties this year! Some old favorites... Black Cherry, Berkeley Tie Dye, Mortgage Lifter (to name a few). And some new ones we're trying out this year! Aunt Gertie, Persimmon, Japanese Black Trifele... photos to come!

We are always so fortunate to have the BEST clients ever for wedding celebrations at our farm. The 2009 season is no exception. Still waiting for some photos to arrive from a few events. In the meantime... here are a few from this Spring!

Farm chic, fab food & the best Bluegrass! Sarah & Robby ~ May 24, 2009...

Thanks Cooper Carras for the beautiful photos.

Can't wait to see the rest!

Capturing the Essence of Field to Table

2008-12-19T14:21:00.000-08:00

I am so thrilled to have this new video project completed! My friend, cinematographer extraordinaire Anton Lorimer, produced this piece for us. He really helped us capture the mission of our small farm... to help people rediscover the simple pleasures that nature provides through a connection with food. I talk about it all the time and sometimes feel like a broken record... but that is our passion. Once you've tasted an heirloom tomato or a peach within a few short hours of when it was harvested... it's hard to go back. You'll find yourself becoming accutely aware of the difference between direct from the farm vs. direct from the shelf. And soon you might find yourself becoming... a foodie!!! Welcome to my world!!

We wanted to make sure our message of supporting small farms didn't get lost in the mix of the fabulous events we've had here. And while the wedding celebrations and private events have gone a long way in keeping our farm self-sustaining and diversified ~ we don't want the essence of this magical place to get lost. These events have brought thousands of people to our small farm over the course of the past 4 years. Our simple message and our presence may not be grand in scale - but it's noble nonetheless. I know we've made a difference to a lot of people who have found their way here. We've received emails and phone calls from guests who have attended wedding events here that have told us they want to do what they can back in their respective communities to support small farms. Whether it's through subscribing to a CSA or visiting their own local Farmer's Markets - it's made a differnce. And that's the end game. In a very low key/grass roots way - we want to do our part to remind people that they can be instrumental in keeping small farms alive!

Bon Appetit!

Go Sox!

2008-09-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

OK... my husband is a die-hard Red Sox fan. If we could spend part of the year in Boston ~ we would. Just so he could go to their home games. I surprised him with a ticket to the World Series last year. Big points for me... but then I had to endure weeks of "green monster" this & "Dustin Pedroia" that. OK - the Dustin thing is cool. I mean, he IS from Winters!! Anyway... it was especially fun because last year - around this time - we had about 100 people from Boston come to our farm for the wedding of Nicole & Tim!! What a lively & entertaining group! They had a blast and so did we!

Happy anniversary Nicole & Tim!!!

Sharing the Celebration

2008-09-11T16:22:00.001-07:00

Ann & Major!!!!!!! Gorgeous people & a beautiful party!

A lot of people ask me why I decided to hold private events at our farm. When we bought this property, it never occured to me that I'd have weddings here. But... soon thereafter... it became very clear to me why small farms have to be creative to survive. It's not so easy selling produce at wholesale when you're up against HUGE farms that can deal in volume. Lesson quickly learned. So ~ one day ~ some friends of ours came to visit. These friends happen to be extraordinary couture wedding gown designers in Sacramento (http://www.miosacouture.com/).

Anyway - I was talking with them about my concerns with generating sufficient revenue to keep the farm self-sustaining (while trying to ascend the huge learning curve of being a new farmer). They looked at me as if I were completely blind and quite daft and asked if I realized how unique this place really is? Well. yeah, I knew it was special - that's why we wanted to live here! But I hadn't thought about sharing it others. I mean, besides my friends that come over to drink wine with me...

And here we are - going into our 4th season of having private events. And it's been an amazing journey. It has certainly helped us towards our goal of being a self sustaining farm - but I've gotten a tremendous amount more than I ever expected. I found joy. I know it might sound a little corney, but I mean it. Every couple, without exception, has brought a smile to my heart. Each time I share in the experience of watching two families merge - I realize there's a lot more going on here than just a wedding. It's a major life event. One of the most important ones.

I am honored that most of the couples who marry here continue to have a real connection with this place and with me. I receive emails, invitations, photos of new babies and sometimes a visit!

And I love it. It's a circle of friends that grows with each season as we celebrate new weddings and life cycle events. And to share just a peak of our last wedding....

Ann & Major are big into the outdoors. Their love of white water rafting (did I mention they're professional guides in their spare time?) and the rivers of California were reflected here and there throughout the reception.

VINEYARD HARVEST 2008!

2008-09-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

We just finished our 2nd harvest of our Syrah grape vineyard. Very exciting! This was our vineyard's 4th leafing. We had originally anticipated a huge harvest... but... Mother Nature threw us a curve ball in April and we had a spring frost. This resulted in the loss of a lot of our foliage ~ which in turn caused some crop damage. Oh well... Que Sera, Sera... Atleast we'll have enough from the 2008 vintage to have a few dinner parties in 2010! In case you're interested.... here are some photos of the harvest process!

this is manuel! he is so great! i can't imagine running this farm without him. he's been so wonderful to work with!

This is Kevin! My very hard working husband... taking a few hours off of his real work as a political consultant to help with the harvest! He loves this stuff and it's fun to have him out in the vineyard! He's in charge of wine production and keeping an eye on what we have in the barrels!

this is zac... he supervised the harvest. the lack of opposable thumbs prevented him from any and all heavy lifting...

another successful harvest! our good friend robert smerling, owner of renwood winery, delivered a bunch of macro-bins for harvest. he's been at it a long time and we're the newbies.

our wonderful neighbor, peter moore, brought over his crusher/stemmer for processing. we are such lucky people to be surrounded by tons of great friends!

FIRST FEATURED WEDDING ON PROJECT WEDDING!

2008-09-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled to have been selected as the first ever "Real Wedding" featured on Project Wedding! Follow the link and check out the beautiful images from the wedding celebration of aubrey & aaron!

A Fabulous Summer!

2008-09-02T13:36:00.001-07:00

It's been a crazy summer! We've had so much going on EVERY DAY - that I've been a bit remiss in posting to my blog. For my friends who like to follow along with the happenings on the farm... I apologize for the time lapse! But... here's a brief overview!
We are now the proud owners of our own custom made essential oil distiller! It's really incredible! Talk about controlling the process! We plant it , we grow it, we harvest it and now... we distill it!! The lavender oil coming out of the distiller is fabulous. I'm loving every minute of working with this incredible machine and seeing the outcome of all the hard work! We are a certified organic grower and we are in the process of having CCOF add the processing for the essential oil to our certification! I'm really excited about it. There aren't a lot of us out there and I think it's really important to be able to demonstrate that every aspect of our production is organic.
I haven't come up with a name for the distiller yet. It has to be something grand - because it's a grand piece of equipment that produces the sweetest oils! So... we'll see as time goes on.
The heirloom tomato crop is our best ever! We've had quite a few wedding events already this season and the tomatoes have figured prominently on the menus! It's so fun (and gratifying) to harvest specifically for these important celebrations. It really makes me feel proud to see so many people enjoying the produce grown on this farm at these private events. It really is a field to table experience that has gotten rave reviews from the people who are invited as guests.
Without fail - the farm has gotten major kudos from the guests at each wedding. It makes all of our hard work soooo worthwhile. Here are a few shots of a beautiful wedding that took place here as the lavender fields were beginning to bloom!

sheep, anyone?

2008-06-07T11:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a crazy day. Marlene, Manuel & I were transplanting a bunch of new varieties of lavender out in one of the fields when I looked up from the tractor and found 60 sheep standing there looking at me. We had been concentrating on what we were doing that none of us even noticed these little ewes making their way towards my tomato & melon fields. Needless to say ~ we were quite surprised and just a little concerned.

Luckily I knew which neighbor they belonged to and how to get in contact. So ~ for the hour that I waited for them to arrive to shepard their sheep home... I sat back & watched them graze on the weeds. I decided the highest & best use of my time (until their departure) was to babysit my tomato field. They hadn't quite figured out that there was a delicious field of new tomatoes & melon just 10 yards from where they stood! And I'm really thankful that I happened to be int he right place at the right time. Otherwise - unbeknownst to me - they might have grazed their way through my tomatoes! Mischief managed...

The great news is... we planted an additional 500 lavender out in an experimental area. I'm trying something new with the transplants and hoping the results will bring a lower rate of transplant loss and labor cost. We shall see.

Really excited about the upcoming weekend. Phoebe & Jacob are getting married here and we couldn't be happier for them. Most of their menu was designed to reflect crops that are coming in off the farm. So even though the tomatoes are not quite ready... there will be a fried green tomato course! Yummy! The fabulous & creative chef, Patrick Mulvaney (seen here, in action)http://www.culinaryspecialists.com/ will also use the apricots/plums or peaches from the farm to fashion some sort of signature cocktail... plum gin fizz anyone?? And I have no doubt every course will be delicious! Billy, one of my favorite pastry chefs will hopefully be here working his magic too. He was on the Culinary Specialists team for last year Center for Land Based Learning dinner. Here he is hard at work:

From the Fields

2008-06-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

It's kind of funny... but.... when I started farming, I had literally never grown anything before. Life in Corporate America ~ and (at the time) raising a daughter alone ~ left me no time to play in the dirt. I have long since made up for that. Oddly enough though, I don't know how to do anything "small." What do I mean by that? Well ~ the first time I planted tomatoes on our farm, I put in a field of about 2 acres. All heirloom tomatoes and several varieties. As a result of my mass plantings - I have a hard time scaling back! Talk to me about field irrigation and I feel comfortable enough - but ask me about container planting or a small backyard garden & I'm mystified. Crazy, I know.

Anyway... there are a few things I've learned regarding growing tomatoes en masse! One very important ingredient is consistent moisture. Now I don't mean to the point of waterlogging your plants. Just consistent soil moisture. If you take a soil probe and extract some soil down to about 2 feet, you should be able to form ribbons with the soil. What you don't want it a big ball of dirt that sticks together! Too much water! One handy device I've implemented out in the field is a Tensiometer:

The tensiometer helps me better understand moisture content and water scheduling. I do, however, still double check with a soil probe to make sure I'm on track!

Another important part of organic farming is the incoporation of beneficial insects into our planning process. One of the steps we take at our farm is the inter-planting of Sweet Allyssum into our tomato rows:

We're always happy to see the lady bugs scattered here & there keeping the aphid population to a minimum! Which of course helps us with other field crops as well... like our beautiful basil & zucchini which are finally making a push since the weather is starting to warm up!

Bring on the Heat!

2008-05-31T09:17:00.000-07:00

We have had an incredibly mild (& cool) Spring. In spite of the fact that we were hovering around 100 degrees a few weeks ago... Nature has decided to throw another curve ball and make temperatures unseasonably cool. And while it feels wonderful to be outside working ~ it's quite confusing to the plants in the field & the fruits of the orchards! Especially the tomatoes & peppers! They just don't seem sure of themselves at the moment.

Good news on the horizon... weather patterns will shift to a more suitable heat and we should get a big push of growth in the fields! Can't wait... We planted several new varities of heirloom tomatoes this year. There are several hundred to choose from! So~the task of choosing can be a little daunting because they all sound incredible! Here's a peak at the growth stages in 1 area of the tomato field:

We decided to get the tomatoes out in the field a little later this year than last. We actually held off until almost mid-April. And it's ok. With this crazy Spring weather... there was a killing frost in early April that caused a lot of crop damage in Solano & Napa counties. So ~ I was probably spared some disappointment by waiting a bit. But now I'm so excited about what we'll have coming in! There are about 35 varieties of heirloom tomatoes out there - large, mid & cherry! Just to name a few.... Black Cherry (one of my FAVORITES), Yellow Pear, Green Grape, Marvel Stripe, Lemon Boy, Green Zebra, Mr Stripey, Berkeley Tie Dye, Ferris Wheel, Red Boar, Boxcar Willie, Pineapple, Cherokee Purple, Rosalita, Black Krim & several more!

We're also anxiously waiting the arrival of lots of peppers!... Golden Bell, Chocolate Beauty, Ivory, Purple Beauty, California Wonder, Thai Hot, Jalapeno & again... many more. I love peppers. Especially hot peppers. And eggplant! A nod to my Meditteranean heritage...

Since we are certified organic ~ we look for ways to increase the beneficial insect population. I have found that having our lavender fields near our row crop fields, orchards & vineyards has really helped to boost the bee population! I know there's a bee crises in the world right now and that can have major implications for future food production. Very scary. So - I feel incredibly grateful for the colony of bees we have buzzing around our farm. I took a few shots yeterday of a beautiful bumble bee hard at work & seemingly enjoying himself immensly in the lavender field!

CRAZY BUSY!

2008-05-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

I've been super busy since my last post. Tons going on with the farm, weather, preparing for a wedding celebration, etc. etc.

Last Sunday, we had an absolutely beautiful wedding here at our farm. There's a lot of work that goes into holding an event of this magnitude and we take it very seriously. We work very hard to make sure that the property is mowed & cleaned up as much as possible. And for a certified organic farm - this means cultivation/mowing, etc. The results look pretty spectacular.

Aubrey & Aaron are the darling couple who chose our farm for their big day. The weather ultimately cooperated and they had a stunning event. As a result of this beautiful wedding, I met some really talented & fun people! Two incredible photographers covered this celebration:

gene higa & ann hamilton! They've posted some fabulous photos on their own blogs of their coverage. Definitely worth checking out! http://www.genehiga.net/ and http://www.annhamilton.com/ We were also fortunate to have met another big talent ~ anton lorimer! http://www.lorimerworks.com/ He creates inspiring video works with the eye of a true cinematographer. And the woman responsible for making sure the bride was perfection for each photo.... Maria Chang! http://www.professionalmakeupartistry.com/ (PMA). Flawless work and a super-sweetie to boot!

The day was planned and orchestrated by Brandy Cabrahl of Bliss Event Productions http://www.blisseventproductions.com/ . It was the first time Brandy had coordinated a wedding at our farm and she did a brilliant job. She is a consummate professional and incredibly easy to work with. She did her best to make sure everything ran beautifully and smoothed over any problems that Mother Nature threw in our direction... rain? no rain. Strange weather this year...

Gorgeous flowers by http://www.lushfloral.com/ and another artfully presented and well executed menu by Rolando at http://www.alexscatering.com/ !

But what else is going on at the farm??? Well... we're transplanting some new lavender out in the field. This one is Lavandula angustifolia ‘Folgate’Lavender. Folgate is an evergreen perennial, Ht. 60 cm. Short spikes of mid purple blue flowers in summer. Grey, green, aromatic foliage. Compact habit. Medicinal and culinary, add flowers and leaves sparingly to stews, soups and salads. We will be harvesting this for the essential oil qualities as well.

Yesterday we began harvesting our Twickle Purple lavender! This is such a wonderfully aromatic lavender for essential oil, dry herb for cooking and, of course, crafts! I have quite a few friends that like to come out to help with harvesting. This is Kara - she is a huge help and a dear friend.

We hand harvest a lot of our lavender for drying bundles & fresh cut! If we're planning to harvest a particular variety for oil... we have a really cool implement that was designed to harvest green tea in Japan. we use it for lavender & have found it works brilliantly!

But... for the good old fashioned hand harvest technique... we use this little number. it's very sharp & very effective!

Waiting for the Lavender Harvest!

2008-05-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's hot today. An especially good thing for the lavender fields just starting to push color. I think it's going to be an early harvest this season! Oh... did I mention we grow lavender??

It's a fun crop! So many things to learn (as always) and so many wonderful ways to utilize the harvest!

We're just going into our 4th year of growing lavender. Right now we have several acres under way. Last year we harvested almost entirely for essential oil & hydrosol. We're getting ready to launch a new line of certified organic & hand processed lavender products. It's been in the works for a long time and I'm really excited about it.

This year - we plan to harvest for oil distillation again. But we also plan to start drying our lavender for other purposes as well as doing some fresh-cut products. Will keep you posted on that. Here are a few shots of the fields in bloom last year:

Since we are a certified organic operation ~ weed control is a big issue. Pictured below are the organic walnut shells from one of our neighboring organic walnut growers. A terrific way to utilize the by-product of walnut processing. And a nice looking solution!

A Girl & Her Tractor

2008-05-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

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!