Community Seed Saving Workshop - Burmese Tomato, Lebanese Tomato, Indian Okra
Sep
27

Community Seed Saving Workshop - Burmese Tomato, Lebanese Tomato, Indian Okra

Community Seed Saving

Join us on our seed farm this Fall as we sit in community to process and revel in the act of heritage seed saving. We hope to share our space to bring in folks of all ages to engage in seed saving as an act of self-preservation and revolution.

This year we have over 30 different varieties of heritage crops we’ll be saving and selecting seeds for. Each weekend will be highlighting a differet crop. Our September schedule is as follows:

  • Saturday, September 6th - Afghan Tomato, Oaxacan Marigolds, Pakistani Cilantro

  • Saturday, September 13th - Nepal Tomato and Long Beans

  • Saturday, September 27th - Burmese Sour Tomato, Lebanese Tomato & Indian Okra

We will likely start the morning by harvesting the various crops, getting into a circle under our new shade structure to do a seed saving demo and then spending the rest of our time processing seeds together. We will take a break for lunch around 1pm (lunch not provided, please bring a lunch or snacks!). Folks are also welcome to leave early at this time as well.

No experience with seed saving or farming necessary. Our intention for these events is to host a safe space for all to spend time with these plants, tell stories and be in community with one another.

Everyone will go home with an abundance of seeds and produce from that days’ crops.

We have a sliding scale option available for this experience. No one is turned away for lack of funds. Recommended donation of $20 helps us with the costs and time associated with hosting people on our farm and continuing our work with these heritage plants.

Kids welcome! Please “purchase” multiple tickets for each member of your family or group so we can get an understanding of how many people to expect.

You will receive a follow up email with further details and directions!

A few things to note: This is an active, working farm. There may be large equiptment nearby in use, the terrain is uneven and we have no shortage of insects, including bees and wasps. Please wear closed toed shoes, long pants, a sun hat, sunscreen and bring plenty of water.

Burmese Tomato, Lebanese Tomato, Indian Okra (Saturday, Sept 27th)
from $0.00

Saturday, September 27th at 10:30am we will gather on our seed farm to spend the morning saving seeds from our Burmese and Lebanese Tomatoes as well as Indian Okra! We will start the morning harvesting all three crops and going through our “selection” process for which crops to save seeds from. Then we will do a seed saving demo for all three crops and form smaller groups to spend the rest of the time saving the seeds.

This opportunity is being offered with no expectations. Want to visit our farm and lay in the sun? Great. Want to sit back under our shade structure and watch as the others get their hands dirty? Also great. We welcome all levels of participation and everyone will get to go home with produce and seeds regardless.

We have a sliding scale option available for this experience. Recommended donation of $20 helps us with the costs and time associated with hosting people on our farm and continuing our work with these heritage plants.

We have reserved a set number of “tickets” for each price point. If the price point is no longer available for the date you wish to attend it means we have reached our capactity for that day. Please check another day for your desired price point.

All ages are welcome! Please “purchase” multiple tickets for each member of your family or group so we can get an understanding of how many people to expect.

You will receive a follow up email with further details and directions!

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Marigold U-Pick
Oct
12

Marigold U-Pick

Marigold U-Pick

Join us for our second annual Marigold U-pick! Last year was such a joy we had to do it again. Come experience the abundance of our marigolds at the height of their season and pick the blooms straight from our farm in Petaluma, CA.

We will do a quick harvest demo to show how to properly harvest the marigold heads and then we will leave you all to it to harvest as many marigolds as you’d like (last year folks left with 300+ heads each)! This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to make fresh marigold garlands, tinctures, herbal tea blends, dye baths, etc. Basically, if you are looking for bulk fresh marigolds, this is your chance! We are keeping this group SMALL so that each person can go home with all the marigolds their hearts dream of.

This event is for harvesting marigold heads only. Perfect for garlands, not ideal for bouquets. We will also most likely be providing an abundance of veggies for you to take home with you as well. One ticket is admission for one person. Children under 12 are allowed to join for free.

Fresh marigold garlands can last for weeks before drying out. After harvesting your marigold heads we recommend storing them in a cool and dry area until you’re ready to make garlands. You can also store ready made garlands or hang them in a location out of direct sunlight and they will last for a few weeks minimum. Once marigolds have dried they will retain their color for years if kept out of direct sunlight.

For this event we will be providing snacks and refreshments.

Marigold U-Pick (October 12th)
$75.00

One ticket is admission for 1 person. Children under 12 are admitted for free.

Please note the going rate for wholesale marigold heads typically costs between $0.70-$1.00 per head. We anticipate each participant to be going home with at least 200-300 marigold heads.

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Marigold U-Pick
Oct
18

Marigold U-Pick

Marigold U-Pick

Join us for our second annual Marigold U-pick! Last year was such a joy we had to do it again. Come experience the abundance of our marigolds at the height of their season and pick the blooms straight from our farm in Petaluma, CA.

We will do a quick harvest demo to show how to properly harvest the marigold heads and then we will leave you all to it to harvest as many marigolds as you’d like (last year folks left with 300+ heads each)! This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to make fresh marigold garlands, tinctures, herbal tea blends, dye baths, etc. Basically, if you are looking for bulk fresh marigolds, this is your chance! We are keeping this group SMALL so that each person can go home with all the marigolds their hearts dream of.

This event is for harvesting marigold heads only. Perfect for garlands, not ideal for bouquets. We will also most likely be providing an abundance of veggies for you to take home with you as well. One ticket is admission for one person. Children under 12 are allowed to join for free.

Fresh marigold garlands can last for weeks before drying out. After harvesting your marigold heads we recommend storing them in a cool and dry area until you’re ready to make garlands. You can also store ready made garlands or hang them in a location out of direct sunlight and they will last for a few weeks minimum. Once marigolds have dried they will retain their color for years if kept out of direct sunlight.

For this event we will be providing snacks and refreshments.

Marigold U-Pick (October 18th)
$75.00

One ticket is admission for 1 person. Children under 12 are admitted for free.

Please note the going rate for wholesale marigold heads typically costs between $0.70-$1.00 per head. We anticipate each participant to be going home with at least 200-300 marigold heads.

View Event →
Marigold U-Pick
Oct
26

Marigold U-Pick

Marigold U-Pick

Join us for our second annual Marigold U-pick! Last year was such a joy we had to do it again. Come experience the abundance of our marigolds at the height of their season and pick the blooms straight from our farm in Petaluma, CA.

We will do a quick harvest demo to show how to properly harvest the marigold heads and then we will leave you all to it to harvest as many marigolds as you’d like (last year folks left with 300+ heads each)! This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to make fresh marigold garlands, tinctures, herbal tea blends, dye baths, etc. Basically, if you are looking for bulk fresh marigolds, this is your chance! We are keeping this group SMALL so that each person can go home with all the marigolds their hearts dream of.

This event is for harvesting marigold heads only. Perfect for garlands, not ideal for bouquets. We will also most likely be providing an abundance of veggies for you to take home with you as well. One ticket is admission for one person. Children under 12 are allowed to join for free.

Fresh marigold garlands can last for weeks before drying out. After harvesting your marigold heads we recommend storing them in a cool and dry area until you’re ready to make garlands. You can also store ready made garlands or hang them in a location out of direct sunlight and they will last for a few weeks minimum. Once marigolds have dried they will retain their color for years if kept out of direct sunlight.

For this event we will be providing snacks and refreshments.

Marigold U-Pick (October 26th)
$75.00

One ticket is admission for 1 person. Children under 12 are admitted for free.

Please note the going rate for wholesale marigold heads typically costs between $0.70-$1.00 per head. We anticipate each participant to be going home with at least 200-300 marigold heads.

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South Asian Heritage Vetegable U-Pick & Farm Tour
Oct
20

South Asian Heritage Vetegable U-Pick & Farm Tour

Vegetable U-Pick

As a farm that grows exclusively South Asian heritage vegetables for seed production, we often have way more produce on the farm than we know what to do with. We’re pleased to invite a small group out to our farm to spend the morning harvesting these vegetables and learning about our farm operation. We grow everything 100% organically using regenerative farming practices. Each participant will receive 1 harvest box they can fill up with the following Fall vegetables:

  • Ground Cherries / Rasbhari

  • Hibiscus

  • Karela (Indian Bittergourd)

  • Indian Eggplant

  • Butterfly Peas

  • Ashwaghanda

  • Peppers

    • Long Indian

    • Kashmiri

    • Hot Bhajia

    • Gunter

    • Bhut Jolokhia

    • Karahi

    • Aji Amarillo

    • Jwala

    • Plus 3 more unnamed varieties!

  • Shiso

  • Marigolds

We will do a tutorial of how to properly harvest each variety before letting you all roam our farm and harvest as you please!

A few things to note:

  • This is an active, working farm. There may be large equiptment nearby in use, the terrain is uneven and we have no shortage of insects, including bees and wasps. Please wear closed toed shoes, long pants, a sun hat, sunscreen and bring plenty of water.

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Community Tomato Tasting
Sep
7

Community Tomato Tasting

This year we are growing 3 different South Asian tomatoes and would love to get some feedback from you about what you miss in the tomatoes typical of South Asia! We can then use your feedback to determine which plants to select and save seeds from. Last year we had over 40 of you come by our nursery to taste our Desi Girl Tomatoes and provide feedback plus taste descriptors. We would love to continue to hone in on our OG quintisential tangy tomato, the Desi Girl, as well as begin the seed saving process for our two new varieties! This event is free to attend.

Tomatoes of South Asia are typical more sour than sweet, lending them perfectly to South Asian dishes which typically have notes of sour, sweet, spicy and bitter. When we save seeds from tomatoes that are slighlty more sour than others, the hope is that those seeds will then produce plants with fruit that is slightly more sour and acidic the following year. We will be labeling the fruit from different plants and asking for help to determine which, if any, are more tangy or sour, than the others. This will then allow us to determine which plants to save seeds from (we have over 50 tomato plants of each variety on the farm!)

We will have an endless supply of tomatoes for you to taste and give feedback on! If you’re not too familiar with South Asian tomatoes, you’re still more than welcome to come by and help us nail down some flavor descriptors we can then use for our seed packets and plant signs. Last year we used a “tomato flavor wheel” so folks could provide basic descriptors of the tomatoes’ sweetness, acididty, earthiness, etc. We also need help naming our new tomato varieties!! Obviously nothing will ever compare to our Desi Girl Tomato but we must try!

AND if all this tomato talk is not enough, this event will take place in our nursery where we will also have a small selection of Fall plants available. And in honor of Fall, all our CURRY LEAF TREES WILL BE 50% OFF!

Plants Available: Curry Leaf Tree, Ajwain Patta (Cuban Oregano), Henna, Tulsi ‘Krishna (in 1 gallon pots), Pakistani Mulberry Tree, Red Guava, White Guava

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Marigold U-Pick & Farm Tour
Aug
24

Marigold U-Pick & Farm Tour

Marigold U-Pick

Join us for our second Marigold U-pick and farm tour! Come experience the abundance of our marigolds at the height of their season and pick the blooms straight from our farm in Petaluma, CA (unceded Coast Miwok Land). We will gather on the land at 10am and start with a farm tour where we will briefly talk about all of our different South Asian seed crops and also share about all the other wonderful Iranian, Palestinian, Chinese and Japanese plants growing on our farm by our farm partners!

Then we will do a quick harvest demo to show how to properly harvest the marigold heads and then we will leave you all to it to harvest as many marigolds as you’d like!! This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to make fresh marigold garlands, tinctures, herbal tea blends, dye baths, etc. Basically, if you are looking for bulk fresh marigolds, this is your chance! We are keeping this group SMALL so that each person can go home with all the marigolds their hearts dream of. Based on the productivity of our marigold plants we may or may not offer this again this season.

A few things to note:

  • This is an active, working farm. There may be large equiptment nearby in use, the terrain is uneven and we have no shortage of insects, including bees and wasps. Please wear closed toed shoes, long pants, a sun hat, sunscreen and bring plenty of water.

  • This event is for harvesting marigold heads only. In the hopes of getting another flush of marigolds later this season we cannot allow any harvesting of marigold stems for bouquets. No exceptions.

Marigold U-Pick (October 12th)
$75.00

One ticket is admission for 1 person. Children under 12 are admitted for free.

Please note the going rate for wholesale marigold heads typically costs between $0.70-$1.00 per head. We anticipate each participant to be going home with at least 200-300 marigold heads.

View Event →
Marigold U-Pick & Farm Tour
Jul
28

Marigold U-Pick & Farm Tour

Marigold U-Pick

For the very first time we are opening up our seed farm to the public for a farm tour and Marigold U-pick. Come experience the abundance of our marigolds at the height of their season and pick the blooms straight from our farm in Petaluma, CA (unceded Coast Miwok Land). We will gather on the land at 10am and start with a farm tour where we will briefly talk about all of our different South Asian seed crops and also share about all the other wonderful Iranian, Palestinian, Chinese and Japanese plants growing on our farm by our farm partners!

Then we will do a quick harvest demo to show how to properly harvest the marigold heads and then we will leave you all to it to harvest as many marigolds as you’d like!! This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to make fresh marigold garlands, tinctures, herbal tea blends, dye baths, etc. Basically, if you are looking for bulk fresh marigolds, this is your chance! We are keeping this group SMALL so that each person can go home with all the marigolds their hearts dream of. Based on the productivity of our marigold plants we may or may not offer this again this season.

A few things to note:

  • This is an active, working farm. There may be large equiptment nearby in use, the terrain is uneven and we have no shortage of insects, including bees and wasps. Please wear closed toed shoes, long pants, a sun hat, sunscreen and bring plenty of water.

  • This event is for harvesting marigold heads only. In the hopes of getting another flush of marigolds later this season we cannot allow any harvesting of marigold stems for bouquets. No exceptions.

Marigold U-Pick (October 12th)
$75.00

One ticket is admission for 1 person. Children under 12 are admitted for free.

Please note the going rate for wholesale marigold heads typically costs between $0.70-$1.00 per head. We anticipate each participant to be going home with at least 200-300 marigold heads.

View Event →
Curry Leaf Masterclass (March) SOLD OUT
Mar
3

Curry Leaf Masterclass (March) SOLD OUT

Have you had trouble growing a healthy curry leaf tree? Yellowing leaves? Leaves falling off? Simply not growing?

It took many, MANY years of commercially growing these trees to figure out why they are so tricky to grow in the US. In fact, what I learned in my plant science classes at one of the most prestigious agricultural universities in the US, was the reason why my plants were failing. And probably why yours are too.

It wasn’t until I began learning from other seasoned Asian nursery owners that the reason all our potted plants are dying is because of the SOIL! Our agricultural extension offices, land grant universities, and even popular potting soil companies have it all wrong. Other seasoned nursery owners know this all too well.

Over the past year I have been deeply learning alongside my new mentors, and applied what I’ve learned towards our very favorite tree- the curry leaf tree. I’ve been experimenting with numerous soil combinations and observed ~2,000 curry leaf trees bounce back from barely surviving to thriving over the past 6 months (including through a very cold and rainy winter). I can confidently say that I’ve finally pinpointed the perfect soil recipe for your curry leaf tree. This new soil recipe will make your curry leaf tree grow faster, greener and much healthier than you’ve ever seen! You will also never have to be concerned about overwatering your plant ever again (which used to be thought as the main cause of yellowing and sad leaves).

In this virtual Zoom class, I’ll start by discussing why curry leaf trees tend to turn yellow and slowly die and how it’s all related back to the soil. Then I’ll share my custom soil blend I use to get my curry leaf trees from barely surviving to thriving. It’s a simple blend that only requires 4 ingredients. All of which you can easily buy at any home improvement store, gardening store or Amazon. Then I’ll go through my recommended fertilizer program, pruning techniques, and proper pest management. We plan on sharing a recording of the live class for 7 days after the event.

After transplanting your plant into my custom blend, I can guarantee your plants’ leaves will become greener within a week, and will grow faster and healthier than you’ve ever seen. Best of all, everything we discuss can and should be used for all your tropical plants (think mogra, moringa, tamarind, etc.) AND any other potted plants you have around the house or in the garden.

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Curry Leaf Masterclass (February 25th)
Feb
25

Curry Leaf Masterclass (February 25th)

Curry Leaf Masterclass February 25th @ 10am PST

Have you had trouble growing a healthy curry leaf tree? Yellowing leaves? Leaves falling off? Simply not growing?

It took many, MANY years of commercially growing these trees to figure out why they are so tricky to grow in the US. In fact, what I learned in my plant science classes at one of the most prestigious agricultural universities in the US, was the reason why my plants were failing. And probably why yours are too.

It wasn’t until I began learning from other seasoned Asian nursery owners that the reason all our potted plants are dying is because of the SOIL! Our agricultural extension offices, land grant universities, and even popular potting soil companies have it all wrong. Other seasoned nursery owners know this all too well.

Over the past year I have been deeply learning alongside my new mentors, and applied what I’ve learned towards our very favorite tree- the curry leaf tree. I’ve been experimenting with numerous soil combinations and observed ~2,000 curry leaf trees bounce back from barely surviving to thriving over the past 6 months (including through a very cold and rainy winter). I can confidently say that I’ve finally pinpointed the perfect soil recipe for your curry leaf tree. This new soil recipe will make your curry leaf tree grow faster, greener and much healthier than you’ve ever seen! You will also never have to be concerned about overwatering your plant ever again (which used to be thought as the main cause of yellowing and sad leaves).

In this virtual Zoom class, I’ll start by discussing why curry leaf trees tend to turn yellow and slowly die and how it’s all related back to the soil. Then I’ll share my custom soil blend I use to get my curry leaf trees from barely surviving to thriving. It’s a simple blend that only requires 4 ingredients. All of which you can easily buy at any home improvement store, gardening store or Amazon. Then I’ll go through my recommended fertilizer program, pruning techniques, and proper pest management. We plan on sharing a recording of the live session for 7 days after the event.

After transplanting your plant into my custom blend, I can guarantee your plants’ leaves will become greener within a week, and will grow faster and healthier than you’ve ever seen. Best of all, everything we discuss can and should be used for all your tropical plants (think mogra, moringa, tamarind, etc.) AND any other potted plants you have around the house or in the garden.

View Event →
Curry Leaf Masterclass (February) SOLD OUT
Feb
15

Curry Leaf Masterclass (February) SOLD OUT

Have you had trouble growing a healthy curry leaf tree? Yellowing leaves? Leaves falling off? Simply not growing?

It took many, MANY years of commercially growing these trees to figure out why they are so tricky to grow in the US. In fact, what I learned in my plant science classes at one of the most prestigious agricultural universities in the US, was the reason why my plants were failing. And probably why yours are too.

It wasn’t until I began learning from other seasoned Asian nursery owners that the reason all our potted plants are dying is because of the SOIL! Our agricultural extension offices, land grant universities, and even popular potting soil companies have it all wrong. Other seasoned nursery owners know this all too well.

Over the past year I have been deeply learning alongside my new mentors, and applied what I’ve learned towards our very favorite tree- the curry leaf tree. I’ve been experimenting with numerous soil combinations and observed ~2,000 curry leaf trees bounce back from barely surviving to thriving over the past 6 months (including through a very cold and rainy winter). I can confidently say that I’ve finally pinpointed the perfect soil recipe for your curry leaf tree. This new soil recipe will make your curry leaf tree grow faster, greener and much healthier than you’ve ever seen! You will also never have to be concerned about overwatering your plant ever again (which used to be thought as the main cause of yellowing and sad leaves).

In this virtual Zoom class, I’ll start by discussing why curry leaf trees tend to turn yellow and slowly die and how it’s all related back to the soil. Then I’ll share my custom soil blend I use to get my curry leaf trees from barely surviving to thriving. It’s a simple blend that only requires 4 ingredients. All of which you can easily buy at any home improvement store, gardening store or Amazon. Then I’ll go through my recommended fertilizer program, pruning techniques, and proper pest management.

After transplanting your plant into my custom blend, I can guarantee your plants’ leaves will become greener within a week, and will grow faster and healthier than you’ve ever seen. Best of all, everything we discuss can and should be used for all your tropical plants (think mogra, moringa, tamarind, etc.) AND any other potted plants you have around the house or in the garden.

View Event →