Hello to our friends! Hello hello! Are you taking care of yourself in the midst of everything you’re juggling? We’re trying… Of course, it wouldn’t be springtime on the farm if we weren’t busier than worker bees. We have so much going on, we figured it was time for a little update. Ready?
What’s Growing On?
One year ago we started out with a very sandy slope, where only the hardy horehound would grow. After working alongside many of you to build check-log terraces, put down many truckloads of compost and mulch, and plant cover crop, we’re pleased to report that our first vegetable crops are thriving! We planted our first round of donated starts back in March — a variety of greens and cruciferous vegetables (lettuces, arugula, kales, broccoli, cabbage, collards, parsley, cilantro, etc.) — and have been enjoying sharing the fruits of our harvest with dedicated volunteers. We are currently prepping the beds for a round of seed-planting that will be tomato and root vegetable heavy, with some watermelon and summer squash too! This is our first season, and an exciting opportunity to experiment with a wide range of vegetables to see what does well while we continue to build up our topsoil. Eventually, we hope to offer this fresh, organic produce to you through a farm stand, and through our new CSA! Our fledgling pollinator garden is blooming beautifully, and our baby food forest fruit trees have fragrant blossoms too, in case you were wondering! If you’re interested in volunteering on the farm, get in touch! It’s always a good time: info@terracultura.org.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Time is Now!
(And this is very exciting) – – May 19th is the first pick-up day for a new Aromas-based CSA program, and the pick up point is right here at Terra Cultura! You probably know the deal, but this is an opportunity for farmers to sell directly to their market. Customers sign on to receive a weekly share of fresh, seasonal, local, organic produce that they pay for at the start of each season, allowing the farmers the upfront funds to re-invest in their crops. This particular CSA is a unique model because you’re not only supporting your local small-scale farmer and feeding yourself amazing, healthy food, but a portion of each share also goes to support Terra Cultura’s educational programming in agroecology, sustainable living, and the arts. We have a few shares left, at $25 a week/$275 for the season (May-July), so email info@terracultura.org soon to get in on our very first CSA season!
Sign up for Acupuncture at Terra Cultura on May 18th!
We’re honored to host our very dear friend, licensed Acupuncturist and specialist in Chinese herbs, nutrition, and lifestyle advice, Heather Cochran, LAc, of Sol Acupuncture. She’ll be offering sessions to the community all day on May 18th, right here on site in Terra Cultura’s cozy yurt. Sessions are offered on a sliding scale, starting at $40, and a portion of the proceeds will go to support Terra Cultura. There are a limited number of sessions available, so get in touch with Heather soon to reserve your session: info@sol-acu.com.
Whimsical Wind Chimes at Open Farm Day at JSM Organics
Terra Cultura had a lot of fun hosting a kids eco-arts project at JSM Organic’s ‘Spring on the Farm’ Day on May 4th. Over 50 kids and their families joined us to make wind chimes from found and recycled materials. The results were very cool, and the discussions around creative re-using and recycling were inspiring. Thanks to all who participated and to JSM Organics for inviting us!
Coming Soon…
And then there are all the other projects in the works that we hope you’ll check back in on soon. What are they you may ask? Well ok, a sneak peak:
All-Access: Thanks to some funding from the Lush Charitable Giving Program, we’re working on the construction of some all-access raised garden beds and associated accessible infrastructure. Soon, people of all ages and physical abilities will be more than able to participate in our agroecology and environmental stewardship education program!
Collaborative Community Public Art: Terra Cultura, along with several other amazing community groups, has been working to facilitate the painting of an ecologically themed mural on a 500-foot bridge over the nearby Pajaro River. We’ll dedicate a whole article to this ambitious community project soon. But we’re thrilled that the painting is underway! To volunteer to paint or sponsor a painted fish for $50, shoot us an email: info@terracultura.org.
And workshops coming soon! So make sure you’re on our mailing list for updates on all the happenings! You can sign up here on our website or email info@terracultura.org. We know it can be exhausting to balance everything. There is so much work to be done on so many fronts. We’re with you. With our shared hope, energy, hands, and hearts, we know we can do the work to build a better world. We look forward to doing that work joyfully beside you.
Thank you for your friendship and support along the way.
It is truly amazing that you have created all that Terra Cultura has become in one year. I CANNOT wiat to see what happens between now and next year!