While cultivating in the field with the old "International" a couple of weeks ago my cellphone fell off the tractor, disappearing under the running blades of a rototiller. The sophistication and complexity of my shredded cellphone pails in comparison, though, to the slower-paced, biological network that stores the evolutionary, life-renewing intelligence of an unimaginably large and sophisticated network of living organisms. Every cubic inch of organic soil teems with billions of microorganisms that play many different parts in the soil's cycle of fertility. These interacting organisms, ranging from the visible to the unimaginably minute, perform important functions which drive the transfer of nutrients to the plants we grow.   Continue reading on our web site

Rebecca Mastoris is a chef/teacher at Bauman College, and a partner with Karen Haralson in Vibrant Foods Catering. Both Karen and Rebecca teach cooking classes at the Farm, in town locally (at Let's Cook! Santa Cruz), and the last Sunday of each month at Williams Sonoma in Los Gatos. Go to VibrantFoodsCatering.com for more information and to register.

Want to learn how to make cheese, pickles, jams, and other preserves?  Happy Girl Kitchen, the wonderful folks who preserve the summer goodness from the farm for us to enjoy during the winter season, holds monthly workshops at the farm.  Check them out by clicking on the links below