A Delightful Day in the Dirt at Lisa's Farm

If you see three emus, you are almost there.

I’m not talking about a zoo. I’m talking about something amazing in the land just north of the US-Mexican border: ranches and farm land.

Over the weekend I worked at Lisa’s farm for half a day. I found Lisa through the Craigslist ad she posted to find locals who want to volunteer at her farm.

My gardening passion is growing and has become a fascination with farms. Lisa’s need for help and my interest in learning about farming came together on a clear, sunny morning.

Lisa’s is the fourth farm I’ve visited and the second farm where I’ve volunteered my help (I will blog about helping on the other farm soon).

Lisa’s South Bay farm is one-quarter of an acre. The farm sits on land that is part of the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park, which includes a huge community garden, the largest in the county. The handful of farm plots like Lisa’s were designated in 2018 as an experiment overseen by RCD (Resource Conservation District). The farms may be relatively new but the 201 garden plots on the land date back decades. Each garden plot is 30’ x 30’ and the effect is a beautiful patchwork quilt of green wonderland. As I drove toward the farm, I noticed the variety in each garden plot. Some have hand-painted art or signs, many have garden sheds and bird feeders and one has a French door as the entrance. I saw sugarcane, flowers, berries, sweet peas, sunflowers, dragon fruit, banana trees, tomatoes, gourds, roses and lots of vines in the garden plots near Lisa’s farm.

Once I arrived, Lisa showed me around and I asked her if I could write about the farm in my blog. Milliseconds after she agreed, the questions began, and we talked while I worked. I helped at Lisa’s farm for four hours, creating garden beds along her fence line. I shoveled approximately twenty wheelbarrow loads of horse manure compost and dumped it into long, two-foot wide beds before raking it smooth. By the time I finished I had a very good upper and lower body workout and I’d enjoyed hours of peaceful time outdoors. As I told Lisa, it feels good to work my muscles, and I like falling into bed at night knowing that I worked hard. I also like seeing evidence of my effort, and seeing a garden bed that wasn’t there before is satisfying.

Not the most scenic photo ever taken, but these are some my my compost hauls.
I'm not some china doll, watching from the sidelines. I'm there to make a difference! 

The farm is within earshot of ranches, so we heard horses whinnying and a rooster crowing. We saw an egret on the hunt, and a ruby-throated hummingbird whizzing toward Lisa’s bird feeder again and again.

As I shoveled I asked Lisa whether she came from a family of farmers and why she moved to San Diego. Here are a few of my questions and her answers:

Sarah: When did you start farming on this land? 

Lisa: I started this project six months ago, in July of 2019. By this coming July, this will be a jungle!

Sarah: What’s your vision for the farm? 

Lisa: I have ten foot by four foot garden beds, and I envision vining produce growing eight feet tall. There will be eighteen circular garden "rooms" around the perimeter of the farm. Each room will be twelve feet across and will have curved walls, with produce growing up the walls and onto the chicken wire ceiling. You will be able to walk through each room to the next one. 
Each room will have its own mix of produce. 

Sarah: What are you growing right now?

Lisa: Presently there are tomatoes, spaghetti squash, artichokes, red chard, kale, papaya, parsley, oregano, thyme, chives, tarragon and guavas growing.

Sarah: You’re retired, but you’re not interested in slowing down. What made you decide to gear up for a really full future, including building a farm from scratch?

Lisa: This is a not-for-profit CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm. People are invited to experience the farm with field trips, picnics, cooking demonstrations and volunteering to maintain the farm. I want to feed people who are struggling due to food shortages in San Diego County. I want to provide them with high-nutrient foods so that they can be healthy and build a positive future. The walkways I have marked throughout the farm are wide, and so people using wheelchairs can come into the farm and experience it, too.

Sarah: What are some of the reasons people have given for wanting to come volunteer on your farm?

Lisa: They all just like to help. Many want to learn about farming. Some do it to get some fresh air and exercise. At least two volunteers were new to town and wanted to connect with others.

Sarah: Your farm is still in the beginning stages, but it already has such a creative and personal feel to it. Among other things, you’ve created a patio “room” in the middle, bordered by potted trees and plants of all kinds.

Lisa: Yes, I wanted to create a private area to sit and the trees help with privacy. My walls include potted Norfolk Island Pines, which I brought with me when I moved from Seattle years ago. Surrounding the garden “room” I have ornamental plants.  

Sarah: This farm is not large but it still is a lot of land to nurture. It takes courage to do this.

Lisa: Well, I come from a very entrepreneurial family. I was born in upstate New York, where my family had a horse and Christmas tree farm. My dad was a professional artist and when I was two years old we moved to Cape Cod, where my parents opened the largest art gallery on Cape Cod.

Sarah: One common thread in your family’s endeavors is risk. Being a farmer is risky. There’s a lot that is out of your hands. Being an artist is hard. Opening a gallery was another chance your parents took. They were not afraid to try something others would label as too uncertain. I like that you absorbed from your family that taking a chance was allowed. I think it led you to where you are now, dreaming big, rather than counting reasons not to build this farm.

Lisa: My family always had a garden. Many years ago, I decided to move to San Diego. My son was leaving for college and I was ready for a change. San Diego is the ideal place to live, year-round. I like this farm. I love watching all the birds fly overhead. This area has a huge variety of birds because it is adjacent to the Tijuana River Estuary, a protected wetland where migratory and wintering birds make their homes.

Sarah: Can I come back in a few months and see how the farm has continued to change and grow?

Lisa: Yes. There is going to be a lot of growth in the coming months. I’m excited about the future of this farm: growing food, sharing with others and eventually bringing the community together for events at the farm.