Theme: farm family

News From the Farm | August 24, 2015

August 24, 2015

It was my parent’s 32nd wedding anniversary last week. To me, along with wishing them a happy day and giving them a big sloppy smooch on the cheek, this also meant working along side them on the farm on another hot summer day.

There are challenges and incredible benefits to working with my family members. As sisters, brothers, mothers and fathers, we are all joined in the valiant effort of trying to feed the souls and bellies of those who surround us. Additionally, we all try to remember to ask how weekends went, how children are, and check in with each other on a personal level. During these long summer days, it would be easy to slide into work and forget that we are family. [Read more…]

Farmers Market Crew

August 17, 2015

August 17, 2015

Our amazing Full Belly Farm Market Crew – from left to right:

Shohei, Ellen, Becca, Ben & Baron 

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News from the Farm | January 26, 2015

January 26, 2015

It feels as though there is so much to write about at this moment in time: the blooming almond trees, the 75° weather, winter/spring cooking, and our new farm babies.  We got news yesterday that our neighbors at Pasture 42 welcomed a beautiful little girl into the world.  Delphine Louise joins Arlo Alois Muller (4 months) and Teodoro Rodriguez Ochoa (3 months) in the one and under crowd here in Guinda, CA.  Since our newest little farm boys have not gotten an official Beet welcome, here they are with their ringleader, Rowan.  We are elated to introduce them to you.

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[Read more…]

News from the Farm | November 24, 2014

November 24, 2014

Thanksgiving Beet

Often people give a gasp when they inquire about the number of guests who will be at our farm home for Thanksgiving dinner and we reply casually: somewhere between fifty and sixty. The numbers have grown slowly over the years because our family, friends and farm have too and this year will be no exception. Fifty eight confirmed guests and then some more that we have surely not counted! The dinner is exemplary of everything that makes up the best parts of this little farm here in the Capay Valley: community, camaraderie and of course the blessings of the incredible food. Our community includes members of the immediate farm family — Andrew and Anna and their two towering teenage sons who could most likely eat an entire turkey themselves! Judith’s family always graces the dinner with her beautiful mother, Noné Redmond, one of the our farm’s longest and sweetest supporters and Judith’s siblings, nieces and nephews who live nearby. Our apprentices who hail from New York, Japan and parts of California will be here with a few sisters flying in to see where their big sister works on a crazy organic farm. Some of the farm crew will be with us including Inigo, the resident carpenter, Jan, our relentless and passionate farm manager and her partner Jordan. Our own family, which is now twelve including the two newest members who will be making their first appearances and may not eat much except from their loving moms.  

[Read more…]

News from the Farm | September 1, 2014

September 1, 2014

 Fall Babies!

We have a real soft spot for babies around here. We anticipate their arrival with much eagerness and give them lots of love and treats.  All of our new babies add something special to the farm, and remind us how lucky we are to have such a close connection to the cycle of life.

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Pinto Bean gave birth to a healthy baby boy calf last Friday. He is perfect – complete with a dipped white tail.  [Read more…]

Congratulations!

June 23, 2014

June 23, 2014

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Congratulations to Full Belly farm kid Hannah Muller on her graduation from the University of Oregon with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Anthropology. Hannah has returned to the farm to become our head florist and begin her career as a floral designer! You can visit her beautiful blog –  blossombellyfarm.blogspot.com  to see her work! 

News from the Farm | June 16, 2014

June 16, 2014

Raising a Family on a Farm 

There are several people more qualified than I to talk about raising kids on a farm, but I’ll offer my perspective as a (relatively) new mom. Whenever people find out that we live on a farm with a baby, their immediate reaction is “Wow! Your kid is so lucky! All that open space to run around!” This sentiment is completely true and one of the things I was most looking forward to before my baby was born, but it doesn’t begin to describe the full experience of having kids on a farm. The truth is, there are so many more blessings and challenges to raising kids on a farm than I ever imagined. Rowan is now 22 months old and has really come to love being a farm kid! 

I love watching my child interact with our crew and pick up a little Spanish. I love that he is hearing another language on a regular basis. He is so eager to be able to communicate with them. Sometimes in the afternoons we go out and help the flower crew and he will start to spout off all the Spanish words that he knows. “Buenos Dias!” “Caballo!” “Gracias!” He knows that Catalina is always good for a piece of fruit and Isobel keeps crackers and cookies up on the shelf. He has learned many of the crew member’s names, and knows which trucks they drive. He was lucky enough to be offered a ride on the farm’s biggest and newest tractor by Pancho last week, and I think it was the highlight of his year. Our crew has watched many farm children grow up, and I relish watching him delight in the crew and the crew delight in him. It is really fun to see him making so many new friends. [Read more…]

News from the Farm | March 31, 2014

March 31, 2014

A Farm Wedding! 

Last Saturday was an exciting and happy day at Full Belly Farm as farm ‘kid’ Hallie was married to her sweetheart Diego in the peach orchard. Everyone on the farm was involved – Andrew officiated the ceremony, Judith toasted the happy couple, Dru and Paul transformed the farm into a wedding wonderland, Jenna made a delicious carrot cake, Rye and Amon spit-roasted a whole Full Belly hog, guests enjoyed all the fresh farm food for dinner, and farm flowers decorated each table. It was a magical celebration of love and family. Below are a few photos from the day!

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News From the Farm | Week of June 3, 2013

June 3, 2013

This past month of May 2013 has disappeared into a place of memory and reflection, with notable events that are valuable to share with you. The Beet works to chronicle the many things that shape our farming existence, and sharing these things with you helps to bring wider understanding of our farm into your kitchen. The importance of information sharing was evident on Saturday when some 75 or so folks came out to our farm day. The tour allowed Hallie, my eldest daughter, to enthusiastically talk tomatoes, point out Magoon our new calf, and welcome our farm supporters, charging them with her love for the work and business of Full Belly. At the same time I was allowed a stage to be long-winded about soil, crops, microbes, carbon or ongoing experiments. We hope that sampling strawberries, dipping toes into Cache Creek, wandering the fields or being exposed to our farm philosophy bridged a gap about the image of a farm and its reality. Thank you to those who took the time to come up. We met some very new subscribers, non-CSA small farm supporters, lots of healthy kids as budding tractor drivers, and the long time friends of the farm who have been coming for years, offering a perspective about its growth and maturation.

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Thank You Lois!

May 20, 2013

May 20, 2013

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Palo Alto Market crew summer 2004. From the left: Laura, Lois, Jan, Dru, Tony, Catherine, Rich, Alex (Jan’s little brother who was visiting) and Ali (in front).

Full Belly Farm crew, owners and extended community were together on Sunday to celebrate and remember the life of Lois Rivers, mother to farmer Dru Rivers and grandmother to Amon, Hallie and Rye Muller, all of whom work at Full Belly. Lois has been working at our Palo Alto farmers market every Saturday for 30 years, including the market a few days before she died. Her 3 children, 9 grandchildren and 2 of her 3 great-grandchildren were there for the ceremony to tell wonderful stories about her life. Thank you Grandma Lois for all you did over the years for Full Belly Farm!  We miss you so much!

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