October 11, 2022 – Farmer, mother, surfer, environmental steward and proud Santa Cruz resident Christiana Laughlin is getting ready to harvest her first sweet potatoes of the season at Sea to Sky Farm. The coastal fog is ruling right now, but as she steers a course for fall and all those squashes and pumpkins, they still have plenty of summer produce coming in. Bonny Doon had a pretty mild and bountiful summer, and tomatoes and eggplants are still basking in their deeply pigmented splendor. You just know anything with that much natural color has to be good for you.
Laughlin bemoans the blazing heat of the Labor Day weekend that threatened to scorch crops, but managed to get through that in time to welcome the rain. “The weather has kept us on our toes of late,” Laughlin says. “The rain was most welcome for some crops, even as it made us hustle to preserve others; these mixed blessings are a hallmark of farming.”
That said, she’s getting ready to fallow some of her coastal farmland, which is the “Sea” part of the farm. It’s time it had a rest after decades of being continuously planted. They plan to introduce some helpful cover crops, plus flowers to attract beneficial insects.
Laughlin will still harvest from the fruit and avocado trees planted at the Sea farm, but will be shifting more of her seasonal crops to the Sky farm, including so many wonderful tomatoes. This season, the farm is abundant with cherry tomatoes, and a variety of small to medium beauties she’s especially fond of called New Girl.
You can harvest these and several kinds of cherry tomatoes at the U-Pick this Saturday, October 15, from 3pm until 6pm at Sea to Sky Farm in Bonny Doon. Enjoy an afternoon in the fields surrounded by redwood, listening to musical guests Sugar By The Pound. Come and harvest your own perfect red ripe tomatoes, direct from the field.
Register online at: PickTomatoes
Laughlin is planning more educational food preservation classes at the farm over the coming months, including one October 23, featuring Jess Tunis with tips on how to can the New Girl tomatoes that are in abundance right now. JessTunisCanning
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
