Slow Life with Real Food

Earth to Table is a 3 1/2 acre farm located in the valley of Arroyo Grande. It is a very small operation, lovingly built by Cheryl Price, a woman ahead of her time in her community. Cheryl biodynamically grows heirloom varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Her method of gardening focuses on cultivating healthy soil,  rather than focusing primarily on the plant, by mimicking what nature does 'naturally' (i.e. composting, aerating the soil without turning it over).

Guillermo and I learned a lot from Cheryl, about farming practices, immigration laws, and biodynamic growing methods, but mostly we learned that a small farm's success directly depends on the demands and support of the local community. Cheryl was practically in tears (and so was I), when she informed us that it is likely that Earth to Table will no longer be in business after this new year. The competition from non-local farms selling at the local farmer's market, the lack of community support and demand for local produce, and the encroaching wine industry, has all made operating a small farm in Arroyo Grande practically impossible for Cheryl. The rancher that she leases her land from is aware of how valuable certified organic land has become, and since competition for the land from organic wineries is high, has raised the price of rent for the tiny plot that  Cheryl has kept organic during the last 6 years.  In the Arroyo Grande Valley, the demand for organic grapes for wine is greater than the demand for organic food, so vineyards can afford to pay the land owner the rent money they are asking for, on the land that Cheryl worked so hard to keep organic.

As Guillermo and I were leaving Earth to Table, I felt saddened by this loss. Here is a person that has given so much love to her craft, so much patience and care, nurturing the soil that feeds the plants that come to nurture our bodies, and is now finding it impossible to maintain her passion for farming. We hope that she will find a way to make her farm successful again.

See photos of our visit to Earth to Table Farm