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The cool, gray days of a California Fall are perfect for heading out and finding that perfect pumpkin for Halloween. Unfortunately, in Los Angeles, this usually means heading down to the nearest vacant lot and picking a pumpkin out of a fenced-in yard surrounded by traffic. Not exactly my ideal, having grown up in rural Ohio where you walked out into the fields to pick your pumpkin…sometimes ones that you had grown yourself. We got lucky this year, though and re-started a tradition we had set up years ago when we first moved to California.

Faulkner Farms at the Hansen Agricultural Learning Center

Many years ago, in search of an old-fashioned pumpkin field, we headed northwest of Los Angeles, into Ventura County, where agriculture and roadside produce stands still exist in abundance. There we came across Faulkner Farms with its big red barn, hayrides pulled by ponies, horses in the corral and acres and acres of pumpkins.

We visited the farm every year after that, but eventually heard that they were shutting down operations--a sad fact of life around here where land is worth more for housing than for hoeing. We were pleasantly surprised to see an advertisement in the Los Angeles Times announcing that the farm was, once again, open for business. Yesterday, we loaded up the Jeep and headed northwest just like before, only this time we had 2 1/2 year-old Joe in the back seat.

Seeing sights through a child's eyes helps to open your own and this trip was no exception. As we walked through the entrance to the farm Joe's eyes immediately lit up. There were pumpkins as far as the eye could see of all different shapes, sizes and colors (yes, there are white "Ghost" pumpkins and other, even more colorful gourds). He took off to run through the field, stopping occasionally to move one aside and say "This pumpkin moves!" He then spotted the towers constructed of straw bales and climbed to the very top for the view.

We had a full day of climbing on tractors, watching a blacksmith and yarn spinners, petting animals and walking through a sunflower forest that towered over all of our heads. We were all very happy to see the farm operating again and it was especially nice to be able to share some farm experiences with my all-to-urban son.

I was even happier when I found out how the farm was able to start receiving guests again. It seems the University of California and the Hansen Trust, a non-profit organization arranged to purchase and operate the property as an agricultural and outdoor learning center for the area schoolchildren. There has been a developing interest over the last few years in educating people about the role that agriculture plays in our lives. Too many children grow up not knowing where milk, eggs, and grain are raised and grown when all they see are sub-division after sub-division over-taking the hillsides.

On a political front, this interest in agriculture has lead to the adoption of SOAR (Save Open and Agricultural Resources) initiatives which seek to give people a greater voice in how agricultural land is used in the future. In Ventura County, where the farm is located, such an initiative was passed 2 years ago. There are similar initiatives for preserving ranchlands and wild areas in other states, as well, and also Rural Heritage initiatives.

While it is impossible (and unwise) to stop all development, increased attention on balancing development with other needs, such as agriculture and green space is one of my growing interests. We need to help those around us reconnect with what was once a major part of our ancestors' lives. While we don't all need to become farmers, we lose something when we don't carry an understanding of what it means to be a farmer. I hope that the little spot of green that I cultivate at my house is one way of showing people that there can be more to life than a huge house on a tiny lot.

Do you have similar farms or programs in your area to help keep both children and adults alike in touch with outdoor and agricultural issues? Share the information with the AGN Mailing List.

Keep farming!

Douglas

What was happening a year ago (or more) in my garden? October 10, 1999 Munch, Munch, Munch September, 1996 Fighting The Scorching Sun and Opossom Links

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