Farm Adventures: Full Belly Farm

When I joined the SFGH Natural Foods Access Team, I had little sense of how exciting a project it would be. In the past week since I began as an intern, I have been more inspired than I could have ever imagined. It was my mother, Cynthia Wiseman-Kelly, who encouraged me to get involved in the hospital community. She has been a social worker at SFGH for the past sixteen years and she is passionate about her work. When she mentioned the Natural Foods internship to me, I was certain the opportunity was too good to be true. For the past several years I have had a strong interest in nutrition and sustainable agriculture. SFGH is taking remarkable initiative to promote the consumption of natural and local foods, and I am thrilled to be a part of such an endeavor.

Last Wednesday’s trip to Full Belly Farm is a great example of one of the many perks of this project. Laura Critchfield, Kimberley and Corinne Grant, and I, spent the holiday visiting a farm in the beautiful Capay Valley. Full Belly Farm is one of nearly twenty in the Farm Shop network, and it is an impressive site to say the least. The 200 acres of abundant crops were a wonder to behold, and the farmers who tended to them were compassionate and insightful. What we predicted to be a quick tour of the land, turned into hours of exploring, learning, and socializing at the incredible farm.

We were fortunate enough to meet Judith Redmond, one of the owners of Full Belly Farm. She guided us past the pen of sheep and through the fields of broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, basil, and countless other thriving crops. She pointed out, and explained the importance of hedgerows when we passed the Marigolds and trekked through the field of peach, plum, apricot, and nectarine trees. Judith gave us each a sample of celery root – a vegetable I had never even heard of, but I am eager to have it again. One of the greatest things that Judith did was introduce us to a few farm laborers. We were especially pleased to meet Joaquina and her son, Edgar. Juaquina moved to the Capay Valley Region from Sinaloa and she has worked at Full Belly Farm for the past fifteen years. She gladly answered our questions about the farm, and told us how much she enjoys working there. Edgar was just as gracious as his mother – he shared with us about his classes at Sacramento State University and a project he’s doing for a lit class on comparing people’s experiences with CSAs and conventional groceries.

By the end of the visit, we were questioning our current occupations and considering a shift to farming! The amount that we learned about the land, the crops, and the farmers made the trip well worthwhile. My experience at Full Belly Farm was truly enjoyable and I hope to visit again soon.  Please come along!!

                 

- Morgan Kelly