Harvesting Knowledge: Our Journey at Apricot Lane Farm
During the Green Valley Project Summer Program, students had the chance to visit Apricot Lane Farm. What sets Apricot Lane Farm apart is its use of regenerative agriculture to maintain the health of their land, animals, and the environment. Throughout our visit, we gained valuable insights into how they produce high-quality products while contributing positively to the environment.
Our tour started in the garden, which featured a variety of edible flowers, vegetables, and native plants spread throughout. Our guide then shared how the founders of Apricot Lane Farm were committed to creating a farm that not only produces fruits and vegetables for people but also enhances the health of the land. One technique they use is companion planting, which helps protect vulnerable crops (i.e. strawberries, carrots, lettuce) from pests. By surrounding plants like strawberries and carrots with aromatic herbs and vegetables such as onions, mint, and garlic, they use the strong scents to deter pests. Thus protecting the crops without the need or use of pesticides!
After the garden, we were taken to the farm’s composting areas. Our guides explained the two main composting methods used on the farm: “hot” and “cold”. "Hot" composting involves placing bins at the end of crop lanes, where organic matter is broken down by heat generated from sunlight and microorganisms. “Cold” composting utilizes worms to help eat/break the scraps fed to them (i.e. old produce, coffee grounds, peels), leaving behind nutrient dense vermicast. Both forms of compost are used on the farm, in order to ensure soil health following crop planting and harvesting.
As our tour continued, we visited the various animals that call the Farm home such as: cows, pigs, sheep, a horse, and chickens. Our guide explained the farm’s practice of rotating animals between pastures. By cycling through cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens, the farm utilizes the animals' natural grazing habits to promote the health of the animals, soil, and land. This rotation allows the land and soil to regenerate and recover after each grazing period. Picture above is one of the Farm’s pigs, Itsy, who was once the runt of her litter but now weighs approximately 600 lbs!
After spending time with Itsy, our guides introduced us to the chickens and their livestock guardian, Pepper. Our guides explained the threats the chickens face: hawks, coyotes, and mountain lions. Due to chickens having limited defense mechanisms, the Farm uses livestock guardian dogs to provide round the clock protection! Pepper typically works the night shift, which is why she was taking a well-deserved break from her role as a vigilant protector!
Our final stop on the tour was the diverse array of fruit orchards. Our guides explained the key advantage of diverse orchards over monocultural ones: disease protection. In monocultural orchards, if one tree becomes infected, the entire crop is at high risk of succumbing to the disease. However, in diverse orchards, the presence of various types of trees reduces the likelihood of a single diseased tree affecting the entire orchard. This diversity helps ensure the overall health of the orchard, soil, and land.
Our visit to Apricot Lane Farm was informative and engaging. We gained insights into regenerative farming, its benefits, and how Apricot Lane is dedicated to maintaining the health of their land. Their practices, developed through years of trial and error, demonstrate a continued commitment to sustainability!
