Live Power

There are times when you meet someone who changes your world. Visiting Live Power CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture)in Covello CA and meeting Steve and Gloria was that time for me. Steve a product of the 70's inspired me by his commitment and desire to keep the world "real". He runs the oldest CSA in California and was a pioneer in biodynamic gardening working with the famous Alan Chadwick at UC Santa Cruz back in the 70's. I highly recommend anyone living in San Francisco or Northern California to look up his farm and sign up for his program to get local organic produce delivered to you.

His farm is called Live Power because all the work is done by human or animal power. He owns several Belgian Horses which look like Clysdales and uses the old International Harvesters from the early 1900's to plow and cultivate his farm. He demonstrated how the horses work. It was mesmerizing. With a few commands the horses in a slow trot don't disturb the rows or plants but pull the machinery to pull the weeds or harvest the potatoes. As a group we helped harvest the garlic. I think we pulled over 5000 heads of garlic. After they dry, they will be distributed throughout the fall to his members. We also got a lesson on biodynamic compost building. Rudolph Steiner, the father of biodynamics, requires certain preps be added to the compost piles to make them breakdown appropriately. So after shoveling cow and horse poop to be layered with the waste straw, we applied the preps to the piles. Another chapter to file in my compost notebook.

After a full's day work we headed back to the SLI. Despite its remoteness in Covelo, Live Power has a spirit unto itself you don't miss the city. I think we have figured out Plan B!!!!