I had the pleasure of not only visiting Apricot Lane Farms in Moorpark, CA last week, I spent 2 hours working in their amazing vegetable garden. It was the kind of experience that gives one hope for a brighter future.
Apricot Lane Farms is 130 acres of glorious symbiosis. Established in 2011, this new biodynamic farm is taking sustainability to the highest level. And <<inner child squealing with glee>> they have Hairy Coos (Scottish Highland long-haired cows–AKA walking teddy bears with horns).
They have ducks, chickens, guinea fowl, horses, sheep, cows, and a host of other critters to maintain balance on the farm. The one acre vegetable garden is beautiful to behold.
They have a large strawberry patch (background of the photo above) and orchards of citrus and avocados, but mostly I saw lush pasture for the animals to graze.
I was there with several volunteers and one of 25 employees. We harvested potatoes over good conversation and talked about the farm. Each year Apricot Lane Farms houses WWOOFers who come to help for free in exchange for room, board, and hands-on learning experience. Ever wanted to run away to the circus? This is where I would run away.
On my way out, I stopped to photograph the sheep and chickens. If you’ve never experienced 50 chickens running toward you all at once, it’s really a thrill. They thought I had something for them. Wish I did.
You can volunteer on the farm or come to one of their events. Visit their Facebook page to keep up on the details. As a parting thought, be sure to watch these videos on their website, which gives a nice tour of the farm and talks about the importance of failure.
I would love to volunteer to work in the garden!
How do I sign up?
If you click on their website and click on “Get Involved” you’ll find info about how to volunteer there.