Live Earth Farm

Thomas Broz (aka "Farmer Tom"), his wife Constance, their children David and Elisa, along with a committed crew of helpers, invite you to join their farm and connect with the land and the people who grow your food.

Live Earth Farm is a small family farm committed to growing the most delicious, beautiful, high quality organic fruit and vegetables the earth is able to offer.

Live Earth has always farmed organically. Organic, for them, does not mean simply refraining from the use of synthetic chemicals. They treat the farm as a living organism, and believe in developing a deeper connection with the earth, the community, and environment.
The farm is nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains near Watsonville, overlooking the beautiful Pajaro Valley. The coastal climate here allows them to grow a large variety of produce almost year round. We deliver boxes of our fruits, vegetables and artisanal foods to locations from the Mid-Peninsula south to the Carmel Valley.

Live Earth tries to prevent pests and diseases by selecting appropriate varieties for the growing conditions, following a detailed crop rotation scheme, using physical barriers such as row covers, and releasing beneficial insects. To minimize crop losses from insect pests they grow a large diversity of crops and create natural habitats around the fields to maintain a native beneficial insect population.

The key to growing nutritious (and tasty!) fruits and vegetables is to nurture and grow a healthy soil. They build organic matter in the soil several ways, starting with growing lush winter or summer cover crops. They rest and rejuvenate every piece of land used with a rotation of cover crops at least every two years (sometimes more depending on the soil type). Their winter cover crops are a mix of bell beans, vetch, peas and barley; in summer they like to use buckwheat and/or sudan grass. Cover crops also reduce potential soil erosion and in some cases, such as with sudan grass, they benefit from alleopathic properties which reduce or eliminate soil-born diseases.
Live Earth also applies certified organic compost at a rate of 3-5 tons per acre on an annual basis to maintain soil fertility, improve the soil's water retention capacity, and increase soil microbial activity. They regularly add rock dust and other natural amendments such as gypsum and azomite, to improve the tilth and micronutrient levels in the soil. Depending on specific crop fertility requirements, they might add still additional certified organic fertilizers such as fish and kelp concentrates and/or pelletized bird guano.

To control weeds we use mechanical and hand cultivation, flamers, and properly managed irrigation and planting techniques.