Central Coast Grown

As if I didn't have enough to do -- and you can tell by how bad I've been at updating this blog! -- I have started volunteering for the Central Coast Ag Network's renewed website with photos and articles.

Here's the first one about Windrose Farm, a beautiful farm in Creston run by Barbara and Bill, a former studio musician and her husband. 

When I arrived to see their operation and interview them, Bill was making bread while a tiny baby lamb wobbled around the kitchen. What a precious moment! (On a bit of a tangent: why are baby animals so much cuter than baby humans? Or is that just me?)

For the last several decades, almost all of my professional writing has been for the Japanese press. It's great to be able to do this in English, again. And unlike this blog, because there is a specific length to these articles, I must be a better editor, too. Which is difficult because there was so much more I wanted to include in the article! Like, how in order to supply restaurants, they need to make sure the veggies are super clean. Or the somewhat discouraging politics and hierarchy of farmers' markets.  How real farmers are not just people who grow food but are healers, providing us with "medicine" for the body and soul. How they are also activists fighting under the banner of food sufficiency and independence. As well as philanthropists because you have to have love -- for the community and humankind -- to be doing this to begin with. How Bill is also a philosopher and Barbara is an artist -- you can tell by the artistic way she plants things!

Tomorrow, I go out to Pozo to see Juanell of Nick Ranch, a multi-generational cattle ranch. It should be another highly educational visit.