Edible Ojai & Ventura County
Soil Sisters
Photo by Keri Oberly
Production Manager Reyna Ortega on Why I Farm: Everything is a miracle of God! When I am in the fields, I feel like Mother Earth, like I can give life. My work brings me closer to my essence, my thoughts flow with the wind, and my fatigue reminds me that everything has a start and finish. Being a farmer teaches me about love, hope and faith. Todo es un milagro de Dios! Cuando estoy en el campo me siento como la madre tierra puedo dar vida, mi trabajo me acerca a mi esencia, mis pensamientos fluyen con el viento, mi cansancio me recuerda que todo tiene un principio y fin. Ser campesina me enseña el amor, esperanza y fe.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Elizabeth Del Negro readies equipment at Rio Gozo Farm in Ojai.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Jeannette Ban on Why I Farm: Growing food keeps us tethered to the foundation of existing as living beings that need to eat. Food can be an expression of self, culture or emotion too complex for words. Growing food grounds me in this most basic element of the human experience and allows me the pleasure of seeing where the creativity of our species takes each vegetable next.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Anne Cuthbert on Why I Farm: Since childhood, I have enjoyed growing flowers and vegetables. With the vineyard, farming ~ growing came full circle…the land, the vines, the fruit, harvest and wine. Now my children enjoy spending time among the rows with me, delighting in the quiet discovery of bud break, leaf and flower. There is serenity in the vineyard…there is beauty and a kind of romance.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Danette McReynolds on Why I Farm: We must teach our young people the time, energy and sacrifice it takes to bring a meal to “The Family Table.” From veg, to dairy, to meat, everyone should play a part. Lavenderwood Farm teaches this through milk crafting. The children bond with the goats, and are responsible for their care and keeping.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Carol Wade on Why I Farm: I farm because I love it. I am endlessly fascinated by the plants and their many facets—they feed us, soothe our spirits, heal our bodies and connect us to the great cosmos. I recognize that organic agriculture, building and replenishing soil, working with natural forces and cycles, is the most basic and powerful action we can take to save the world.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Molly Chester on Why I Farm: I am concerned about the health of our environment—plants, animals and humans. I see regenerative farming as a key piece of the restoration of health for all of those things. Since spending time on my grandmothers’ land as a child, I have been drawn to blueberry bushes, grassy pastures, barns and farm animals. I relish getting to know our land in a very intimate and detailed way.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Adrianne Cruz on Why I Farm: I belong with the horse, the horse belongs with the cattle, and the cattle belong on the land.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Nitana Buczek-Calfee on Why I Farm: A wise Ojai farmer with a kaleidoscope mouth once told me that you've got to keep your hands dirty to stay clean. I trust this theory even more so now that I've experienced the wonders of the soil and would go as far as to say that I believe it's our lack of connection to our natural surroundings that is the root cause of countless blunders today.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Angela Schultz on Why I Farm: Farming teaches us to live with grace and gratitude. Growing food is co-creating with nature. When we plant seeds, we learn to anticipate miracles. As plants grow, we learn to balance the good work of our bodies with good faith in the weather and soil. When we harvest, we gather and celebrate with gratitude.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Shawn Fulbright on Why I Farm: I farm because it is nourishing. It provides my body with strength and sunlight; it stimulates my mind and excites all the senses, tuning me in to the Earth's most subtle rhythms. It enables me to be my most creative self while contributing valued sustenance at its most basic level to my friends, family and community.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Elizabeth Del Negro on Why I Farm: 1. It is in my DNA. 2. I farm because I eat. 3. I farm because I have the spirit of a gambler. 4. I farm because I love to have my hands in the soil.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Megan Hooker
Photo by Keri Oberly
Alana King and Kai Krupa on Why I Farm: We can't fight all the evil of the world, but this is a battle where we can make even the smallest difference: by thoughtfully stewarding the piece of land that's been in my family for 103 years, by learning and implementing permaculture & sustainable practices, by encouraging folks to eat locally grown food and by being conscious of the effects of our actions on the land. We also believe it's important to have visibility and expand the stereotype of "farmer" to include folks with non-binary genders. Both Kai and I identify as gender queer. We don't know any other farmers yet who are outside the gender norms, but so far the farming community has been very welcoming.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Nicole Ulibarri on Why I Farm: To continue the family business. I believe in the bees and their importance. The bees "are the voice of Mother Nature" and play a vital role in agriculture.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Emily Thacher Ayala on Why I Farm: I feel lucky to have been born into a farming family in beautiful Ventura County. I have a strong sense of belonging, to care for the land that my parents and grandparents and their employees and friends have cared for since the 1880s. I love the citrus we grow and have travelled around the world and never tasted better citrus than that from Ojai.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Erin Regan on Why I Farm: I love farming because I believe we can save our deeply troubled food system; every day I get to be a part of it. With passion and love, I tend to my animals and have high hopes of returning to a time of balance and harmony with nature, while providing my community with unadulterated, nutritious products. Hard, dirty, yet extremely rewarding work.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Erynn Smith on Why I Farm: Experiencing the wonders of the farm reminds us of who we are. We are made of ancient water and soil, bacteria, roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. We are made of the sweat, labor, and care of farmers and farm workers who toil year-round under the sun. And when we all remember we are made of all those small miracles, it positively changes how we relate to our precious Earth and resources, our farm-working community members and ourselves.
Photo by Keri Oberly
Grace Malloy on Why I Farm: Food—growing it, cooking it, eating it and learning about it with kids—is the most direct route I've found to connect on a deep level with how humans affect one another and the natural world. Food is the best lens to see a culture's value system and ethics—the details of who grows it, how and why, are the indicators of the health of a society.
