Green Gulch Farm Tour
CUESA volunteers toured Green Gulch Farm during a volunteer appreciation picnic in September 2008.
Green Gulch Farm is part of the San Francisco Zen Center. The grounds are open to the public every day except during meditation retreats.
Sarah Tashker is the farm manager at Green Gulch. Several staff people, apprentices, and volunteers also work on the farm.
The small beds are the hand cultivated kitchen garden; the farm's long rows are worked with a tractor.
Green Gulch sells its vegetables primarily to Greens Restaurant and at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.
Rows of veggies.
The water level of the pond, which they use for irrigation, is lower this year than in the recent past. Sarah spoke about how water will increasingly become an issue for California farmers as the climate warms.
Green Gulch starts its plants from seed in greenhouses.
Tractor attachments sit near the creek.
Green Gulch composts food scraps from its own kitchen as well as from Greens Restaurant and the San Francisco Zen Center.
The tool shed, built with cob (a mix of earth and straw) and straw bales, is a place of beauty.
Quan Yin statue in the tool shed.
A member of the Green Gulch zen center community tends the beehives.
Diversity in the field.
Rows of dinosaur kale and winter squash.
Green Gulch's garden has espaliered apple trees that were created as a demonstration for urban gardeners. Espalier is a technique of pruning and training apple trees to grow along a plane, forming a sort of living fence. This method works well in small urban backyards, and it also allows for easy picking without ladders.
Green Gulch also has a lovely garden meticulously maintained by volunteers. It was a great spot for our picnic!
Sunflowers, roses, apple trees, golden hills.
Color in the garden.
Green Gulch Farm is a short walk from Muir Beach. The coastal climate limits what can be successfully grown on the farm. They are famous for their lettuces and other greens, but you will never see tomatoes, peppers, or eggplant at their stand.
The farm.
Cob/strawbale tool shed.
Boots.
Inside the shed.
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About CUESA
CUESA (Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture) is dedicated to cultivating a sustainable food system through the operation of farmers markets and educational programs. Learn More »