CGF offers tour of Coastside farms

Disclosure: Coastsider is a media sponsor of this event.

“Outstanding in Their Fields: A Day on the Farm,” a tour highlighting the farms, farmers and what’s growing on the San Mateo coast,  will be held on Saturday, July 29th, the Committee for Green Foothills announced today.  Reservations are still available for this daylong guided tour.

The bus tour will visit four local farms between Half Moon Bay and Año Nuevo and will include a lunch and dessert prepared from local produce.  “If you ever wanted to learn more about farming on the coastside, this is the time to do it,” said Holly Van Houten, executive director for Committee for Green Foothills. “This is a special opportunity to meet some of the farmers who grow our food locally.”

The tour grew out of efforts to support the heritage and sustainability of family farming on the San Mateo county coast.  “We realized to protect open space on the coast, we needed to work closely with the local farming community to preserve their ability to farm and to help people connect to the land around them,” said Lennie Roberts, legislative advocate for the Committee.  “We’re pleased to be partnering with these farmers, the Farmer’s Market, and the San Mateo County Farm Bureau.”

The tour starts in Half Moon Bay and travels to farms where participants will get a guided tour from Erin Tormey, founder of the Coastside Farmers’ Market at Cetrella and from Tim Frahm, director of conservation and water quality for the San Mateo County Farm Bureau.  The first stop will be at Daylight Farms in Half Moon Bay to hear from Farmer John Muller about how he is adding variety to what used to be a strictly flower growing operation.

The second farm will be visited before lunch is Bolsa Point Ranch just north of Pigeon Point Lighthouse where Farmer Joe Muzzi will talk about how market forces affect his choice of crops to grow, specifically in regards to artichokes and leeks.

The lunchtime stop will be at Cascade Ranch south of Pescadero.  There we will hear from Farmer Nando Muzzi about the history of the farm which began in 1862 with earlier ranching operations during the Mission period.  Currently they farm Brussels sprouts, peas, fava beans, and pumpkins.

Lunch is being catered by Costanoa Coastal Lodge and will consist of seasonal produce from local farms served by members of the local 4-H All Star program.

During lunch, we will also hear from Jim Cochran of Coastways Ranch and Swanton Berry Farm, Jack Olsen of the San Mateo County Farm Bureau, and from Ann Le Clair of the County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

After lunch, participants can hike or take a hayride through the Rancho Siempre Verde Christmas Tree Farm over to Pie Ranch where they will hear from Farmer Jered Lawson about this effort to involve young people in the entire cycle of food production.  For dessert, participants will enjoy pies made from hand-ground wheat flour and local organically grown berries.  The tour will then return to Half Moon Bay around 4:30 pm.
“For many farmers on the San Mateo Coast, a key survival strategy is to develop direct marketing links with local customers,” said Erin Tormey of the Coastside Farmers’ Market at Cetrella.  “Farmers’ Markets, community-supported agriculture and direct farm sales can offer an abundance of locally grown vegetables, fruits, organic products, gourmet cheeses, herbs, and seafood at an excellent value to the customer, while directly supporting the people that produce them.”

This special event is a guided bus tour with limited seating.  Reservations are required and can be made by contacting Committee for Green Foothills (650) 968-7243, by emailing [email protected], or by visiting www.greenfoothills.org on the web.  A suggested donation of $25/adult and $15/child age 6 - 18 is requested.  Children under age 6 are free.  Lunch and dessert are provided.

Event Sponsor information:  Committee for Green Foothills (CGF) is a regional grassroots organization working to establish and maintain land-use policies that protect the environment throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, including supporting efforts to preserve and strength agriculture on the San Mateo coast and southern Santa Clara County.  Established in 1962, CGF is a Bay Area leader in the continuing effort to protect open space and the natural environment of our Peninsula and Coast.

Co-sponsors of the tour include the Coastside Farmers’ Market at Cetrella, Cascade Ranch Historic Farm, California State Parks, 4-H Club, Pie Ranch, Costanoa Coastal Lodge, Coastsider.com and Peninsula Open Space Trust.  This event is made possible in part by the support of the San Francisco, Peninsula Community and Packard Foundations.