John Givens

John Givens has been growing Organic Vegetables, Strawberries and Melons in the fertile Goleta Valley in Santa Barbara since 1980. The excellent climate here allows us to farm 12 months a year, that's 52 productive weeks of Organic Farming! We have a 'shotgun' approach to planting - not too deep in any one item, but we have a broad availability all year 'round. We grow many types of leafy greens during the cooler months - beets, chards, kales, lettuces, endive, escarole, frisee, dandelions, mustard, bunching greens like parsley, cilantro, mizuna, other herbs like fennel, arugula, baby spinach, basil, leeks, onions, collards. Also Nantes carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, cabbages, radish, peas and beans, In the spring and summer we add summer and winter squash, cucumbers, Strawberries, tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, romas, bell peppers - green and colored, then Ambrosia canteloupe, canary melon, galia, honeydew, orange honeydew, orange sherbet, and sharlyn. In 2008 we started our CSA. We're trying now to expand membership to make our CSA more financially viable for the farm. If you live in the Santa Barbara area, please go to our website and read about our CSA. Joining a CSA gives you the opportunity to eat high quality, local Organic vegetables WITHOUT the giant carbon footprint usually attributed to the transportation of vegetables. In addition, it gives members the opportunity to invest in local agriculture to preserve this great opportunity for their families and for future generations as well as keeping local agriculture and organic farming alive.