Thomas Farm

PRODUCTS:

FARMLAND: 11 acres in Corralitos, CA, about 86 miles from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.

PEOPLE: Josh and Kari Thomas, four farm workers (three year-round), and five market sellers.

FARM HISTORY/PHILOSOPHY: Josh Thomas’ father Jerry bought the farmland in the early 1970s, and was one of the founding members of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). Jerry Thomas retired in 2004, but the family has continued using the practices he established, like planting an incredible diversity of crops to reduce pests (the farm’s certified product list is the longest in Santa Cruz County at 10 pages), crop rotation to avoid soil depletion, andadding at least 12 tons of compost per acre every year.

The Thomases see sustainability as extending beyond farming practices.They have strong relationships with workers and pay livable wages. They also work like to reuse their tools and equipment for as long as possible, repairing items such as drip tape and floating row covers to prolong their utility.

SOIL: Sandy loam soil augmented with compost. 

WEED MANAGEMENT: Hand weeding with hoes, occasional tractor cultivation.

PEST MANAGEMEN: Cinch traps for gophers and “black fox” repeating traps for ground squirrels. All of the land is deer fenced. Insect damage is minimal due to crop biodiversity.

WATER USE: Drip irrigation with occasional supplementation from sprinklers.

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION: Global Culture

831.768.7262
thomasfarm@gmail.com