The 2018 EcoFarm Bus Tour promises a diverse and informative all-day field trip, visiting four organic farms. The Hollister plain and surrounding foothills feature a great range of crops suited to the climate and fertile coastal soils, as demonstrated by the range of farms we will tour. Lunch will be catered by acclaimed chef Jim Denevan, of Outstanding In The Field in Santa Cruz, with many ingredients provided by farms we visit.
Tour stops will include:
1) Evergreen Acres Dairy - Jane and Mike Hulme operate is a Class A goat dairy producing raw milk, hard and soft cheeses, yogurt, kefir and more, milking California’s only Guernsey goat herd, and utilizing Maremma guard dogs for protection. Five acres of pasture cater to ducks who produce eggs for market. We will taste some of their products and you can purchase from their on-farm store.
2) Pinnacle Organic Produce - Phil and Katherine Foster grow 60 top quality vegetable and fruit crops on nearly three hundred organic acres. They produce high quality compost and grow many cover crops as their primary fertility, utilizing biological insect control, hedgerows and nutrition for pest management. Solar power and biodiesel create energy for the farm and delivery vehicles. They sell at 10 farmers markets, a popular farm stand, and wholesale throughout Northern California.
3) Coke Farm - Dale and Christine Coke of began farming on 1/4 acre of organic strawberries in 1981. Today, they grow a huge array of organic vegetables, fruit and grain, and market for more than 60 Central Coast organic growers via wholesale, restaurants and farmers markets.
4) Morris Grassfed - Julie and Joe Morris will lead us on an adventure at Morris Grassfed, where they, their kids and crew, produce direct marketed, high quality grass fed beef, using advanced practices that improve soil, plant and animal health on dryland pasture that has been in the family since the late 1800's. Now in their 25th year, the Morris' are renowned for their commitment to sustainability and quality beef.
Facilitators: Amigo Bob Cantisano of Organic Ag Advisors, Sam Earnshaw of Hedgerows Unlimited, and Karminder Aulakh Brown of San Benito Working Landscapes Group will lead the tour.
Registration: $90* (Catered lunch included)
*Eligible for a 7% discount with early registration
Don't wait - This usually sells out early!
Buses depart from Asilomar Conference Grounds at 8 AM, with a second meeting place at 8:45 AM in San Juan Bautista. Registrants will be notified of the San Juan Bautista location by email.
Bus Tour locations are subject to change.
Register here
