Thursday, May 27, 2010

Farm Together Now: Strawberry Time Again at Freewheelin' Farm


It was a year ago I started the Farm Together Now project and circle, circle back around... just turned in the final images to our fabulous designer Brian Scott. Time to celebrate!

It's full-on strawberry season, so I got me a case of organic red juiciness from the Swanton Berry Farm and am gorging myself and goading my family to eat more, more, more with a drippy smile on my face.

Swanton Berry Farm is a story unto themselves. They strive for the complete sustainable package, providing a living wage and health insurance for the farmworkers of their profitable, chemical-free berry business. They have a union contract with their workers, a roadside farm store that houses a museum on the history of Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers, a successful U-Pick and wholesale operation, topped by a killer view of the vast Pacific Ocean. Check them out on Highway One, south of Pescadero.

One of my favorite local farms is featured in Farm Together Now: Freewheelin' Farm down Swanton Road - Santa Cruz way. I met Amy Courtney back a few years at my first Ecological Farming Associaton conference. Her tiny acre of ocean side heaven was a stop on that year's farm tour.

At that time, she ran the operation by herself mostly, without a tractor, on land loaned by Jim Cochran, (sustainable agriculture hero and owner of Swanton Berry Farm) and delivered her farm fresh deliciousness by bicycle into Santa Cruz.

Now, Amy has two partners, Kirstin Yogg and Darryl Wong and they've added a tractor or two, 8+ acres in production, and a brand new CSA in San Francisco. Heads up San Francisco! Starting June 1... next week... they'll be delivering to your house by bike, or dropping off the goods at Garden for the Environment on 7th and Lawton for you to pick up. Sign up now. You'll love these berries!

Freewheelin' posted a gob of the photos I shot on their farm. Check them out.

Read my older post about Freewheelin' Farm's annual fundraiser art party here.

Strawberries + bikes + documentary photography + public art. Ain't nothin' finer in my field of dreams.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Farm Together Now: Endpaper scrapbook


Brian Scott of boon design is doing an amazing job of making my photos sing together now. (And "now" is the operative 'cuz we are goin' to press...soon...now.)

Yesterday, I received this mock up of the book's front and back cover endpapers. Meaning, I just found out we are including even MORE images of the inspiring folks from around the country. Thrilled? Ja mon. Sixty-four more images. Who cares about a tight deadline? I'm all over it.

Info on the book here.