July 2022 UCSC Farm and Garden Tour

A foggy morning in Santa Cruz was the perfect setting for a tour of the UCSC Farm. Not only was it nice and cool, but perfectly complimented Darryl Wong's explanation of why dry farmed tomatoes are a regional success story. These flavorful tomatoes are grown with a limited amount of water, and this only works because of our unique climate and the moisture provided by the fog. Darryl Wong is the Executive Director for the Center for Agroecology.  His relationship with the UCSC Farm started many years ago when he was a student in the apprenticeship program. He continued to be involved with the Farm in several capacities and is now also working on his PhD at UCSC. His research is focused on no-till farming and determining whether organic vegetable systems can produce comparable yields to tilled systems while at the same time improving soil health and sequestering carbon in the soil. Click here to read a UC News article about Darryl and the role he hopes to play as the Center for Agroecology is poised to help shape the future of global food systems. We also heard from Joji Muramoto, a longtime research associate with University of California Santa Cruz. He was hired in 2019 as the first University of California Cooperative Extension Specialist dedicated to organic agriculture. Muramoto coordinates a statewide program focusing research on organic fruit and vegetable production. He provides educational resources to producers on topics such as organic pest management and soil fertility. It was a treat to hear him talk about his research, while looking at the actual plots of land that he is working on. Esperanza Nee, volunteer docent at the Farm and UCSC retiree, completed the tour and pointed out landmarks of interest and historical notes along the way. 

            

Amaranth crop                                                  Darryl Wong, Executive Director