Groundswell Farm

s an eight-acre certified organic mixed vegetable farm located in Santa Cruz. One of few farms located within the city limits, they use grow along the San Lorenzo River in the flood plains where soil is rich with minerals and there is a micro climate of higher and lower temperature swings that can support a large range of crops. Using a combination of conscious management practices, organic inputs, and minimal water use, their mission is to grow high quality produce with minimal negative environmental impact.

Farm owners Heather and James Cook first started growing food for in a neighborhood along Moore Creek Preserve and benefited greatly from the bio-diversity of this semi-wild region. When Jeff Larkey and Route 1 Farms retired some years back they took over one of his ranches along the San Lorenzo bringing their acreage up to eight. It's incredible the volume and variety they grow on this small farm. A committed farm manager X, market manager Nancy, and small crew of year-round field workers have everything to do with their success and the harvest we witness at the Scotts Valley and Downtown markets where they sell.

Prior to farming, Heather received her bachelor's degree in environmental and agricultural studies and worked in landscaping. Meanwhile, ideas of farming were marinating in the background. She felt that organic produce should be accessible to all and not elitist, being that food is one of the most important things for humans. Heather was inspired to provide it in her own community. For James farming was not a radical idea, his uncle is a farmer and growing organic just made business sense. With a shared vision Heather and James approached an existing farm called Meter Street and partnered for a couple of years developing there skills in the hoe and the tractor, cultivation and farm planning. Later, they were offered the opportunity to farm the neighboring land and thus Groundswell Farm was born.

Though at this point Groundswell was a seasonal, small farm of just 2 acres, James and Heather produced a lot of food, as much as 5 tons of tomatoes each year among their other crops including pardron peppers, shallots, winter squash and onions which they sold to restaurants and at farmers' markets. This small acre farm cultivate their skills in crop rotation, dense planting and soil building as part of the strategy for production and sustainability - all still at play as they've expanded to a second ranch.

On the farm the Groundswell team uses a tractor for cultivation and drip tape irrigation for water conservation. They do all their planting manually through direct seeding or transplanting. They see an improvement in the land each year as they build the soil with cover crops, which fix nitrogen, and remain committed to growing a diversity of plants which rotate around the land encouraging a balanced ecological system.

In addition to managing Groundswell, Heather and James have three kids and run bee hives, selling honey at their markets. They'll be showing up Downtown in April and in Scotts Valley in May when that seasonal market opens.

Biodiversity, using the natural forest surrounding the farmland, gopher traps and planting techniques. Peppers, of which they grow many varieties, are not particularly vulnerable to pests.

Sandy loam and remaining gravel from previous equestrian center, the soil seems to improve each year as the build it up with cover crops, which fix nitrogen, and remain committed to growing a diversity of plants which rotate around the land encouraging a balance ecological system.

Well water and drip tape.

Mechanical extraction, planting techniques.