Q:  What sort of opportunities and challenges has this world crisis presented to you as a farmer?

A. We’ve been able to find ways to direct market as well as collaborate with current CSA and farm boxes (both locally and in the LA area). Through direct marketing we are able to get a better price point per unit, which is awesome for the farm, but there’s also been a lot of backend busy work that is new and has taken some time to get used to.  Outside of the sales, we’ve been constantly trying to plant seed and cultivate our crops. While growth has been easy in some areas, it’s been tough to maintain growth in others.  At a farm (or in any small business) all components need to grow equally. If sales grow, so needs to grow the backend, and visa versa. Overall, it’s been a real pleasure to connect even more directly with our customers and bond over organic food and overall well-being. We feel honored to offer not only an essential service to our community, but also an opportunity to maintain some normalcy.

Q: How are you adapting or keeping up with all these challenges?

A.Honestly, it took a little time to adjust, but after really thinking about it I feel grateful for the opportunity to learn.  A really big lesson that farming has taught me is that a new challenge is inevitable.  Every time we’ve been confronted with a challenge, we’ve been able to problem solve and through that process gain confidence. That confidence allows us to push forward and continue to pursue new challenges. A new challenge is just a drop in the bucket at a farm.  The farm has been an arena for learning and growth.  

Q:    How can you make sure you and your employees stay safe and provide safe/clean food?

A. Even before COVID-19, we always harvested produce with gloves on.  Honestly, when you harvest produce all day (as well as do other work on the farm) your hands get really beat up if you’re not wearing some type of glove.  That being said, the safety precautions have been, upped and we are following CDC guidelines to ensure the safety of our employees and customers.  While attending farmers markets we’ve been wearing all the appropriate protective equipment, and we’ve reduced our farmers market presence even still.  We’ve been offering farm boxes in the Los Angeles area that we drop off at specific drop off points a couple days a week. Through this process we are able to provide a pre-packaged alternative to consumers. All the customers have been really good about maintaining social distancing and other precautions.  On Wednesdays, we’ve also opened up a stand on location at the farm. It’s from 10am to 2pm and is open to the public. This is our 4th week and we’ve had a really awesome turnout so far.  Again, it’s been really fun to connect with customers on a more personal level while simultaneously creating a safe outdoor environment to purchase produce in.  It’s been really cool to see all the different avenues there are to provide produce to the consumer that we hadn’t even considered before now.  I feel like that’s something we can all take away from this as an opportunity to adjust our perspectives and potentially co-create better systems and opportunities for everyone.

Q:    How will you continue to move forward with all the uncertainty?

A: We will continue to roll with the punches; adaptation is always key in farming as it is in life.  It is in fact one of the things that makes us human.  We will continue to listen to our customers and adapt to the situation as it progresses. In the end, our goal will always be of service by providing steady work for our employees while simultaneously offering organic fruits and vegetables to our community, however the method or mode. 

Q: Lastly, as a farmer what’s your biggest take away from this world crisis so far?

A. I’m grateful to do what I do, and I’m honored to be an essential member of multiple communities.