At any given time, there are probably five or six interns living and working on the farm. Interns commit to at least a year working here and over the farm’s history there have been at least 300 interns. While here, they do a little bit of everything, and are key members of our farmers market teams. After they leave the farm, it really depends, but some of them do start farms of their own. This past week, I caught up with three former interns to find out what they’re up to. [Read more…]
Theme: profile
News from the Farm | November 28, 2022
November 28, 2022
Grandpa Joe hands out fresh milk to a happy customer at Story Road Drive-in Dairy
Good day to you all,
A warm north wind flowed down through the valley this Thanksgiving. As a river flows between its banks, the wind wandered between mountain ranges that cradle the land we care for. Trees now shimmer orange and undo their summer leaves, helped by the wind’s gentle fingers. An early frost painted the valley with the most spectacular fall colors I can remember. Deep amber, burnt orange, sweet reds and yellows all aglow. A serene exhale. A wave, goodbye for now, and in a mere blink of an eye, the whole landscape seems to be drifting off under winter’s spell. Early rains, of whose moisture ran deep into the soil, now bear their gift: a green glimmer beneath the gray foothills and pastures. Those rains washed away the dust and whispered songs of hope to all farms across the West. As we long for more, we must give thanks for the opening remarks they’ve given on behalf of this rainy season. It wasn’t just the dust they washed away, but the urgency of summer. Immediately following the first rain and cold of the year, there is a palpable heave felt for miles. A pressure valve released. We have time! Time to release our own leaves; successes, failures, milestones…memories. Winter’s gift to us farmers is this time, and the patience to digest and put to rest all of the leaves. [Read more…]
News from the Farm | August 29, 2022
August 29, 2022
The CSA truly is a team effort, as is almost everything we do here. Everyone’s work has an impact on the many boxes we send out each week, whether they spend most of their time in the field, in the orchards, in the shop, with the animals, or on tractors. And (almost) everyone ends up packing CSA boxes at some point; even the farm kids have been helping out recently!
That being said, there are a few individuals that play a larger and more direct impact on our CSA members’ experience and we’ve had several big changes in the core CSA team this year. Judith and Becky both retired at the end of 2021, which has changed how the office operates, and not just regarding the CSA. And now we find ourselves rapidly approaching another change in the team – the departure of one of our delivery drivers, David, who will be moving to Boston for his wife’s job. [Read more…]
News from the Farm | April 18, 2022
April 18, 2022
This week’s Easter celebration involved Sunday brunch and farm walks, then an afternoon family dinner featuring my 97-year-old father, Joe Muller (in the picture above) and lots of stories of life in Switzerland in the 1930’s and 40’s, and of the journey to the states after the war to a life of farming in a wildly open and abundant California.
Ask him a question and the memories and stories are clearly recalled: walking cows into the Alps from his home in Altdorf, a journey of more than 20 miles made each spring when snow cleared and the grass turned verdant and lush, his first potato crop as a teenager, and great tales of the mischievous pranks that he and his brothers were well known for in their small Swiss town. [Read more…]
News from the Farm | November 15, 2021
November 15, 2021
Dear Gentle Readers,
On a very special shelf in the Full Belly Farm office sit almost two-dozen binders that hold the dedicated archives of this newsletter. Coined The Beet in the late nineties the binders are a treasure trove of over 1,200 articles, interviews, opinion pieces, political sentiments, children’s essays, and guest editorials. One person has been responsible for the editing, proofreading, gentle deadline reminders and 90% of the written words over those past 25 years and yet not ONE article has captured the essence of who she is and her vital role here at the farm as partner, mentor and friend. So, this article is dedicated to Judith Redmond and not a moment too soon, for she will be stepping down in a month’s time from her daily duties here at the farm and opening some exciting new doors for herself in 2022.
Judith at this fall’s Grateful Harvest Gala
News From the Farm | March 29, 2021
March 29, 2021
Flowers that Hannah made for Cheryl’s ceremony —
Spring time is absolutely wonderful in the Capay Valley – the mountains rise above us on either side, green with annual grasses, the orchards are in flower and the weather is mild. Not a day goes by on the farm without tractors preparing beds for planting and seeds going into the ground. As flowers burst forth everywhere, even our crops respond to the lengthening days and warm sunshine by rushing to flower. We call it ‘bolting’ when the carrots or cabbages abandon leafy growth and start growing flower stems, an apt term as the pace quickens in plants and humans both. [Read more…]
News From the Farm | November 9, 2020
November 9, 2020
Becky and Elaine – Full Belly CSA Team —
The success of any project here at the Farm reflects the attention to detail and hard work of staff. When CSA members place orders and request changes in their schedule we do our best to respond. Every morning we let the harvest crews know what to harvest from the fields so that they can fill the CSA boxes for the next day. We keep the web site updated and keep track of all the add-on orders. We help members who are late to pick up their boxes or who have questions about pick-up logistics. We answer many questions from the public. We are making well over 1,700 boxes every week these days and we love it! It is our goal to provide the best possible service to our CSA members in hopes that they enjoy every aspect of the CSA experience. [Read more…]
News From the Farm | October 19, 2020
October 19, 2020
Arrayed on the table are 6 butternut, 1 delicata (a squirrel ate the big one), 3 kabocha (1 other became a pie and a main course), and 19 acorn squashes. All are volunteers from Full Belly squash seeds in the compost (bin on the right) that grew when compost was strewn over the garden beds. Thank you, Full Belly, for providing us not just with winter squash, but with a Squash Dynasty! Oh, behind the table? That’s Paul, who tends the garden and never plants squash. (Story & photo by member Helen Gerken)
Shortly before Full Belly Farm became part of my life I was the Executive Director of the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF). Even after I became a co-owner of Full Belly – before I was forced to admit that the farm was pretty much a 100-percent kind of lifestyle – I tried to do both — split the week between Full Belly and then CAFF. [Read more…]
News From the Farm | July 13, 2020
July 13, 2020
Francisco Zavala Medina, Full Belly mechanic —
All of us, including bona fide analysts and researcher types are trying to figure out what our lives and the world will look like on the other side of the pandemic. An interesting report from CoBank predicts that “economic recovery may now favor rural communities for the first time in many years.” Rural areas were slower than urban to recover from the last recession but that may not be true in the case of the pandemic. For one thing, rural areas are less densely populated, which could be “vital for economic resilience in the face of COVID-19.” In addition, the job loss has not been as severe in rural counties. [Read more…]
News From the Farm | June 22, 2020
June 22, 2020
Ben driving out to the field to harvest the last planting of cabbage. –
Voices from the Fields –
No one knows this farm better than our crew members. Passionate farmers who spend their years tending Full Belly fields – every decision they make creates the high standard produce you find in your CSA box, farmers market, and local grocery store. I’m constantly inspired when I see the way Isobel, for example, who is the leader of the flower crew, picks every flower with such intention and care. It’s not just me who sees this, but others are inspired by our crew as well – including their own kids.
I first met Ben Hernandez this spring as I was interviewing new camp counselors for our summer camp program. Everyone on the farm raved about him, “Oh, everyone loves Ben,” “Wait, you’re going to hire Ben? But I want him to work with me!” I understood the stories immediately when we got together for his interview one day after work. At the time, he was a senior at Esparto High School, finishing up his last month of classes. I asked him what his plans were since school was nearly done. [Read more…]
News From the Farm | February 25, 2019
February 25, 2019
Almond Festival wood-fired pizza at the Rumsey Hall last Sunday –
I’ve been an intern at Full Belly for over one Full Belly year. Today I’m going to take this opportunity to share with you a sneak peek into what it means to be an intern at this very unique place, as I reflect on my experience and what I’ve learned.
First I’ll begin with some numbers. In my time here as an intern I’ve seen, met, lived with and/or been a part of: [Read more…]
News From the Farm | May 14, 2018
May 14, 2018
I wanted to learn what work was when I started as an official employee at Full Belly Farm eight years ago. Not work at a desk for lots of money, but work with my hands for myself. This kind of work is very romantic. To fall in love with toil. To trust in the abilities of my mind and hands, and to have faith in it all. [Read more…]
News From the Farm | March 20, 2017
March 20, 2017
March Birthdays
My Grandpa Bond was born well over a hundred years ago, on March 20 1902, a Spring baby. I often think of him as one of the people who introduced me to growing vegetables. He became an avid gardener during World War II because he lived in the industrial town of Birmingham England, and the war had disrupted the supplies of fresh fruits and vegetables. To address the shortage, my grandfather threw himself into his vegetable garden — he had access to an allotment (the English term for a plot of land rented out for growing gardens). In fact, my grandfather eventually took over several allotments with his fruit trees and vegetables and never gave them up, even when the bombs stopped falling. When he visited us in California, he and I worked together in a small garden in rocky soil, that while not producing a great harvest of vegetables, resulted in my life-long gratitude and fond memories of precious times together.
There have been many other happy birthdays to enjoy in March — the popping up of flowers, both horticultural and wild all around us, and of course the Spring Equinox which we will observe on Monday March 20th. Neighbors, friends and relatives, so many seem to have been born in March! One very special, ‘round’ birthday, the 60th, should be mentioned, that of our beloved Dru Rivers, one of Full Belly’s founders and owners, who generously shared her March birthday with her daughter Hallie, 31 years ago. This year, our goat Sweet Pea, was even inspired by the birthday energy. Our lunch on March 15th was interrupted with the momentous news that Sweet Pea had just given birth to quadruplets. Within minutes they were trying to get up onto their long legs, sniffing around their mom for milk.
–Judith Redmond
