Theme: Andrew Brait

News From the Farm | April 27, 2020

April 27, 2020

Artist in Residence, Anna Martinek Brait with an armload of citrus blossoms collected by her husband Andrew while mowing  —  

I’m sitting at our patio picnic table looking out across a cover crop field that was recently mowed and has already dried down in the last couple of hot days.  As I was sitting down to write in the Full Belly office, the power went out, the second time it has done so during the Shelter in Place.  Somehow, when there is so much emphasis on keeping everything clean, it seems cruel for the power to go out because it means no water for awhile out here where we rely on pumps to keep the water flowing.  Hopefully the battery in my computer will carry me through for this writing. [Read more…]

News From the Farm | August 13, 2018

August 13, 2018

Rest in Peace John Ceteras

This past Saturday, family, friends and neighbors from our Capay Valley and beyond came together to celebrate the life of our friend and neighbor, farmer John Ceteras. John recently passed away after a long, concerted and very private battle with cancer. He was 74 years old and is survived by his wife and artist, farm partner, Gretchen, son Noah and grandson, Jack. With Gretchen, John farmed Blue Heron Farm, a 20-acre certified organic farm in Rumsey. As an elder, his passing leaves a void in our community, but his legacy inspires seasoned and beginning farmers alike. [Read more…]

News From the Farm | April 9, 2018

April 9, 2018

The Water Information report from our local Water District says that Indian Valley Reservoir received just over 11-inches of rain this year, compared to almost 31 last year.  This includes runoff from last week’s storm, which added a precious 3-inches for the two surface water sources (Clear Lake and Indian Valley Reservoir) that provide irrigation water at Full Belly Farm.  Word is that despite the very low water year overall there will be enough water in Cache Creek for our summer irrigation season.

Spring rain creates a forceful motivator on the farm when there is a long list of projects to complete.  Not only is there a daily deadline when the sun goes down, but the promise of rain on the way means that all field activities will have to stop when the rain arrives.  Last week, tractors were still out in the fields as the first drops fell.  [Read more…]

News From the Farm | February 26, 2018

February 26, 2018

I love my woodstove. Every cold night in winter, I fall more and more in love with the glow of fire, its warmth, comfort, and protection. So as I sit by the wood stove, penning this note, stoking another evening log into the firebox, I can’t help but wonder how the young and emerging seedlings out in the greenhouse are faring on this rapidly freezing night. With so many young plants, most of which are very cold sensitive, checking in on them like I did with my own children sleeping in the night, is pure instinct. After a week of substantially low temperatures and freezing weather, the safe haven of the greenhouses have been nearly breached, as heavy frost has encased the poly sheathed hoop houses and fatal cold has endangered plants closest to the outside walls. In the past, I have woken up to “frozen and fried plants” many times over the years, so I know that growing plants in a greenhouse is a 24/7 responsibility. Tonight, on this especially cold evening, I will check the greenhouse one more time before I go to bed.

[Read more…]

News From the Farm | January 4, 2016

January 4, 2016

New Year Resolutions

Ahh… January. The time to reflect on the past year and think about what we want to do differently or better next year. Here are some resolutions and reflections for 2016 collected from around Full Belly Farm:

“I resolve to do more pruning – making time to cut out more of my deadwood, looking to trim back diseased branches and snip here and there to stimulate growth and renewal. I also resolve to help all at Full Belly practice the words of collaboration; the spirit of cooperation; the language that reduces tension – while listening more carefully to hear and acknowledge what others are saying. Also to exercise more by playing more – doing it early and often …” 

— Paul Muller, Owner and Best Grandpa [Read more…]

News From the Farm | July 27, 2015

July 27, 2015

The Heirloom Tomato

Many of the tomatoes that we call ‘heirlooms’ today were developed in home gardens in the 19th century.  Without refrigerated transport or large-scale farming, tomatoes were grown according to the characteristics of each region, and eaten vine ripened.  Although the majority of the tomato varieties grown in the U.S. before the Civil War have long since disappeared, a small number of gardeners in many different regions kept growing the varieties they knew, whether green or orange, bumpy or freckly, pulpy or crisp.  

In the1930s and ‘40s, agriculture turned away from this wide array of open-pollinated crops and towards a narrow range of hybrid crops. As this occurred, there was a substantial increase in the scale of farming, the widespread application of synthetic fertilizers, and the growth of agribusiness.  The tomato changed radically.  The long reign of the uniformly bright red, round tomato had begun.  Standard sizes and shapes were easier to distribute, and were considered more attractive on grocery-store shelves. For decades it was nearly impossible to buy an ‘heirloom’ tomato, and gardeners had to search far and wide to find the seeds. [Read more…]

News From the Farm | March 30, 2015

March 30, 2015

One of the things that we have been committed to experimenting with in the last few years is reduced tillage on our farm – in other words, fewer tractor passes through our fields and less turnover of the soil. Among other things, we normally use tractors to cultivate out weeds, turn under our cover crops and make beds ready for planting after we have disked a field. There are two ways that we are thinking about reducing the use of tractors and soil turnover.  One is using black poly mulch on our beds and the other is using our cover crops as mulch. The former has proven itself to have been an interim success, while the latter is our ultimate hope and long-term strategy.  

The use of poly mulch on the surface of our beds started about three or four years ago, despite our immense dislike of plastic.  We trialed it in our early tomato plantings, and what we quickly realized was that the plastic cover significantly reduced our energy and water use.  Petroleum comes in many different forms, plastic is one, but diesel fuel is another.  Even after the first time we used the plastic, it was clear to us that we were seeing several big benefits with regard to energy, water and soil/plant health. [Read more…]

Farm Partners

November 17, 2014

November 17, 2014

about-us_slide1

 It’s unusual to get these four farm owners together in one place at the same time: left to right, Judith, Andrew, Dru and Paul.

Photo by Paolo Vescia.

News from the Farm | October 27, 2014

October 27, 2014

I had the honor this week to serve on a University of California Cooperative Extension hiring committee.  Cooperative Extension plays an important role in fostering the university’s applied research for the direct benefit of agriculture.  Cooperative Extension dates back 100 years as a federally mandated agricultural extension service administered through individual state land grant colleges and universities.  Coop Extension, in one capacity or another serves every county and every state in the country.  With a mandate to address the practical needs of agriculture, extension agents or advisors are essentially university field agents providing scientific information for the needs of agriculture.  Small farmers in our area, with our distinct issues have been under-recognized and underserved. 

I am thrilled to report that for the first time ever, a Small Farms Advisor will serve Yolo, Solano and Sacramento Counties.  Forty-seven candidates from more than 4 countries, 10 states and territories and numerous parts of California applied for this position. We interviewed 6 highly qualified individuals with advanced academic backgrounds, extensive small farming experience, and proficient outreach skills, intent on finding someone to fit a very broad and demanding list of qualifications. As is much the case in farming, this person must be a “Jack/Jane of all trades”, fielding a wide spectrum of small farming issues: agronomic, horticultural, entomological, business, marketing, etc. Unlike most extension posts, which are specialist positions, the small farm advisor wears more of an umbrella than a hat.  [Read more…]

News from the Farm | May 19, 2014

May 19, 2014

May Madness

I woke up this morning with a bee in my bonnet.  What I mean is, I have a lot of ‘must do today items’ on my brain.  It is that time of year, when I spend my dream sleep thinking about loose ends.  This begins to describe the tempo of May, as I pen this note on a torn page of loose leaf paper while simultaneously trying to coordinate more than a couple dozen concurrent activities.  As I write, the farm moves, or should I say swirls, about me, moving in divergent directions at a pace that demands one to ‘walk fast and look nervous.‘   It is not out of fear that we appear frantic or nervous but out of demand.  Nature has set the pace.  

The most wondrous part of farming for me is that at certain times of the year the farm takes on a life entirely of its own.  It is in those times when it is no longer one’s creation but a teeming, feeding, breeding organism that lives independent of its stewards, at times leaving them in its wake.  At this time we merely try to keep it afloat and within bounds.   Or maybe we are just hanging on and enjoying the ride.  This week feels like a little bit of both.   [Read more…]

News From the Farm | Week of January 20, 2014

January 20, 2014

Strike up the band! And put your hands together for a big round of applause! Dru, Paul, Judith, and I are pleased and proud to announce the addition of Amon and Jenna Muller to Full Belly Farm’s ownership group.  January 1 marked this pivotal and thrilling foundational change at Full Belly Farm.  Besides their important roles in farm production and marketing, Amon and Jenna are spearheading the building and management of our new kitchen and event center.

 It is fair to say that farming is perpetually steeped in a dynamic process of biological growth and development. Generally we think of communities of plants, animals, microorganisms, fungi, etc. as the whole of the farm’s biology.  But most significantly, this biology extends to the relationships of farmers’ lives, to place, activity and succession.  It is in this respect that we are so excited to welcome and embrace members of the next generation in helping to lead the farm into the future.   [Read more…]