Abounding Harvest Mountain Farm is in the early stages of development. We plan to operate a small-scale organic farm and orchard on our 20-acre property. We are approximately 1 year away from farm production of vegetables and 2-3 years away from orchard fruit production. We are 3 years away from being certified as organic. We will sell
fruit, vegetables and
flowers to the public from a farm stand located on the property but with a separate entrance from our living quarters. Future expansion plans include a small scale
CSA and selling directly to local restaurants. Daniel will manage and oversee the farm/production aspects of the business. He completed the
CASFS apprenticeship at the UCSC farm last year. I will be responsible for the legal, financial, accounting, and marketing components. Earlier this year I took a business class in order to become more familiar with the legal aspects of starting and operating a new small business.
Our unique selling proposition is that we grow, harvest and sell locally to the surrounding mountain resident community. Customers will know where the food they eat is grown, “food with a face.” Our farm stand will be convenient with regular hours of operation and a steady supply of fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers. The target geographic market is Santa Cruz mountain residents who live between the Summit Road exit on Hwy 17 and Scott’s Valley. This niche market includes health-conscious and environmentally-mindful individuals and families. We will offer bicycle riders, hikers, walkers and joggers fresh lemonade, mint ice-water, and other beverages. Our competitive advantages are a central location, convenience, less crowds, and fewer hassles than stores. We will also have a wide variety and quality (e.g., heirloom) produce that is locally-grown, pesticide and herbicide-free. Our products will be fresh, healthy and “picked today in your neighborhood.”
The natural beauty of our location, landscaped gardens, architecturally-distinct steel silo and earth-sheltered dwelling are some of the farm attractions. We also plan to engage customers with large art installations and the art of other local artists. We envision the farm having an art garden where people can enjoy Daniel's
Metal Work. We are setting up a portfolio so that Daniel can participate in art/plant/food related events such as
Sierra Azul Nursery's Sculpture IS and the
Mountain Art Guild's Art & Wine Festival.
Future goals involve setting up a day-camp for adolescents, where we teach life skills, nutrition and awareness of natural and biological processes. The teens will be immersed in a field experience of organic farming and orchard care.
Mission: To provide nourishing food and support healthy lifestyle choices among our community members.
Personal Goals:
1. To become less dependent on large-scale, non-local agribusiness for sustenance.
2. To live by producing our own food from the beautiful mountain land.
3. To connect with our community of mountain residents.
4. To form the foundation for raising consciousness in our community.
Business Goals:
1. To achieve economic stability and profit.
2. To make a positive economic contribution to the community and neighborhood.
3. To manage a "sustainable" business from environmental and personal health perspectives.
Thanks for your interest!
Table grapes: planted today in honor of the Autumnal Equinox, my brother's birthday. Click the images above for a closer view. They are hardwood cuttings from last year's pruning, which have rooted nicely. (Notice the double layer of gopher wire around the base of each).
