Eye-opening San Mateo Coast farm tour

Since I shop at farmers' market regularly, I am always interested in seeing first-hand the farms that produce what I buy. My opportunity came this past Sunday, when I joined the non-profit Fresh Approach to tour three farms along the San Mateo coast.

We visited three very different farms:
- Iacopi Farm, a small farm in Half Moon Bay that specializes in peas and beans
- 5th Crow Farm, another small farm in Pescadero strongly committed to organic and sustainable farming practices
- Westland Nursery, a commercial specialty flower farm in Pescadero

5th Crow Farm with the tent where we would have lunch

I knew little about farming prior to the tour, so it was quite an eye-opening experience for me. I got to see different types of produce - artichokes, peas, strawberries, tomatoes - on their plants before they were picked. I wouldn't have been able to identify the plants on my own for sure. I also learned about the multitude of factors farmers grapple with on a daily basis that can affect their crops. It left me thinking despite mankind's technological advances, we are still largely subject to the unpredictable whims of nature.

Artichoke on its plant, at Iacopi Farm

Rows of lettuce on 5th Crow Farm

I was most impressed by what I saw on 5th Crow Farm. It's run by three young folks who are a couple years older than me. They are hardly your stereotypical grumpy, behind-the-times farmer. John, our articulate host and one of the owners, explained to us how they strive to make the farm self-sustaining, so everything is produced from what's on the farm (e.g. use compost as feed/fertilizers). It's easy to dismiss such efforts as hippie idealism or a PR stunt, but I have a genuine respect for them and will continue to support them and others who farm sustainably.

How about the food? The highlight of the tour was a gourmet lunch on 5th Crow Farm prepared by Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association's chefs featuring the farm's produce. The menu included potato-leek soup, onion tart, salad greens with apple-poppyseed vinaigrette topped with sliced almonds and goat cheese, grilled summer squash, and strawberry lemonade. Among all dishes, the salad greens stood out because of their literally farm-to-table freshness. But what's truly unbeatable was the setting. We ate under a tent in the middle of the farm with postcard-like scenery as the backdrop. The PBS show Endless Feast, in which local farmers, producers, and chefs got together in each episode to prepare a meal to celebrate local food at a stunning outdoor location, immediately came to mind. I felt blessed to be able to enjoy a meal like this in real life.

Gourmet lunch on 5th Crow Farm featuring its produce

Another "wow" moment of the tour happened at Iacopi Farm, when owner Louie invited us to pick his fresh peas and taste them on the spot. They were sweet, crisp, and had that refreshing smell of just being picked from the ground. In short, unbelievably good.

Really fresh peas just picked from the ground at Iacopi Farm

Given the immense amounts of time and efforts that went into producing each crop, the tour made me even more conscious of the origins of the food I eat. Eating becomes a more mindful act when you think of it as part of a dialogue with the producers. You derive more pleasure from it too.

Westland Nursery, filled with flowers in full bloom