IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE ON THE WAITING LIST, PLEASE EMAIL JULIE@CUESA.ORG WITH YOUR EMAIL AND PHONE NUMBER.

CUESA has organized a very special all-day experience with Happy Girl Kitchen Co., known for their organic pickles and preserves. Pick tomatoes in the morning, and pickle them in the afternoon!

Our harvest will take place at Live Earth Farm, a small organic family farm near Watsonville that grows a wide variety of produce and delivers it weekly to its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscribers.  For these farmers, organic does not mean simply refraining from the use of synthetic chemicals. They say, “We treat our farm as a living organism, and believe in developing a deeper connection with the earth, the community, and environment around us.” They also run a nonprofit organization that leads hands-on farm programs focused on the value of local, organic, and sustainable food systems.

We’ll tour the farm and learn about how they incorporate sustainability into every aspect of the operation. Then we’ll harvest dry-farmed Early Girl tomatoes from the field to bring to our afternoon canning class at the Happy Girl Kitchen café in Pacific Grove.

We’ll enjoy a soup and sandwich lunch made at the cafe. Owner Todd Champagne will tell us the story of his business and teach us some basics about preserving; then we’ll get to work pickling the tomatoes with garlic, basil, and peppercorns. Each attendee will go home with a jar of tomatoes, a recipe, and instructions.

Happy Girl Kitchen Co. and Live Earth Farm have a longstanding symbiotic relationship. Happy Girl sources many ingredients from the farm and offers classes there. Live Earth includes Happy Girl pickles in their CSA boxes in the winter.

The tour leaves from and returns to the Ferry Building in a comfortable bus. The price includes snacks, lunch, and a jar of tomatoes to take home.

The tour and class are geared toward adults. Young people who are interested in attending with their parents and who are likely to enjoy the tour and class without causing disruption are welcome. Please use your discretion and call if you have questions.

Where to meet: In front of the Ferry Building, south end, near Market Bar. Be there by 8:45; we leave at 9 am sharp. Please be prompt! We cannot wait for stragglers.

What to bring: water bottle, sun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves), layered clothing, Also consider bringing snacks, a camera, a book or other entertainment for the bus (it’s going to be a long ride), cash for purchases

Notes: The weather could be very dry and hot, or it could be cool. The bus is air conditioned. The tour will involve a fair amount of walking on uneven and muddy ground, so be prepared with sturdy shoes that can get dirty. We will do our best to return by 6:00 pm, but traffic conditions can be unpredictable and we can't guarantee punctual arrival.

This tour is organized by CUESA, the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture, as part of our mission to cultivate a sustainable food system. CUESA organizes 5-6 tours each year to Ferry Plaza Farmers Market farms and artisan food businesses in order to give eaters a first-hand look at where their food comes from and how it is produced. For more information or to sign up for our weekly email newsletter, visit www.cuesa.org.

We sincerely thank our farm tour sponsor, First National Bank of Northern California, for underwriting tour costs and Coach 21 for providing a discount on the bus charter fee.