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May Farm Tour Photos / Farm Work Day Info

April 2, 2008

The Canal Season

An anticipated event every year is the opening of the canal. The county of Yolo has an organization that manages two canals in the county; both of these canals use the water from Clear Lake and Indian Valley Reservoir that travels down Cache Creek to the Capay Diversion Dam where it enters one of two canals destined for thirsty crops in Yolo County. One of the canals runs through the middle of our farm and for about half of the year the canal is dry and passing from one side of it to another is the simple act of walking down the 8 foot slab of concrete lining the side, across the 10 foot bottom and up the other side. Last week the process got more complicated - now the canal is filled with running water and there are only a few places to cross.

We have one bridge that people, bikes, trucks, dogs and tractors can cross. It is a huge concrete bridge about 20 feet wide. About 500 yards down stream from that bridge there is a water control structure that is used for maintaining a constant upstream water level. This structure also has a 20-inch wide wood bridge that is rather intimidating to cross because there is a small waterfall below walking surface and the thought of falling into the water and being stuck underwater by the forceful eddies is a realistic possibility. However, falling in would be hard to do while walking over this bridge, but when crossing with a bike I always get off and walk. The last option to cross from the middle field, over the canal, to the lower fields is by balancing across a telephone pole that is laid across the canal. This is fun but our dog Jersey Girl does not do it - when I take this route she barks in applause to my skills then sprints to the big bridge where she crosses then sprints back to my location on the other side of the canal.

The canal seems innocent enough, but parents have nightmares of their children falling in and never getting out. I was a child with a parent who taught me this fear and it stuck with me until I was old enough to swim and brave enough to believe I could get out before the dreaded check structures where the mini-waterfalls and large eddies of white, burbling water still scare me. During the hot summer months jumping in at the bridge and floating down and scrambling out just upstream of the check structure is lots of fun.

Last summer my brother Noah was doing this with some friends and when he had his hand running along the smooth concrete surface looking for something to grasp onto against the current before scrambling out of the canal he felt his wedding ring slip off of his finger. I can’t think of anything more gone than a wedding right in that fast moving, dark water. All of us signed the ring off as gone except for my other brother Ché, who is a trained search and rescue pilot for the Coast Guard. Everyone, especially the farm crew, thought he was crazy when he went to the spot where Noah lost the ring and tied himself to a parked vehicle and jumped in with some goggles. To us it was nothing less than a miracle when Che emerged from the canal with the ring in his hand. To Che is was business as usual: “That’s all we do in the Coast Guard, go the last place something was seen and look for it on a grid.”

Enjoy you boxes this week - Thaddeus

Watch for upcoming events !!

Our Next Farm Tour is May 3, 2008.

FFTY Events 2008

Open to all FFTY customers:

Saturday, May 3rd, 11:00 am FFTY Farm Event – Strawberry Harvest ⋅ Strawberry picking, farm walk, picnic
Saturday, August 23rd, 11:00 am FFTY Farm Event – Tomato Harvest ⋅ Tomato picking, recipe swap, farm walk, picnic
Saturday, October 11th, 11:00 am FFTY Farm Event – Picking Pumpkins ⋅ Selecting pumpkins for carving, farm walk, picnic
Saturday, December 6th, 11:00 am FFTY Farm Event – Grapevine Wreaths ⋅ Pruned grape vines will be used to make wreaths

Tickets Required (more information to come):

Saturday, July 26th, 4:00 pm Farm Fresh To You and Slow Food Yolo present an Heirloom Tomato Gala to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Kathleen Barsotti

Purchase tickets in advance; partnered with Slow Food Yolo
Tickets will be available in the beginning of April
Proceeds above expenses will go to the Kathleen Barsotti Non-Profit for Sustainable Agriculture. The specific purpose of the non-profit is to benefit the public by promoting sustainability in agriculture and life. The programs of the non-profit may include:
- Awarding scholarships to young women pursuing an education that focuses on integrating sustainable agriculture into our society
- Providing educational assistance to children of farm workers ⋅
- Educating the public about sustainable farming practices

Bring a picnic, family and friends to come out and see
the farm. Call or email the office with questions, and
we cannot wait to see you in Capay!

Farm News

April 16, 2008
Spring Heat

April 9, 2008
Farming Weeds

April 2, 2008
The Canal Season

March 26, 2008
Spring Overload

March 19, 2008
The Spring Rush

March 12, 2008
The Frog Hole

March 5, 2008
Light Brown Apple Moth

February 27, 2008
Herb Garden

February 20, 2008
Cental Valley Agriculture

February 13, 2008
Greenhouse Time