The Future of Food is local, seasonal, organic, and regenerative! At our Organic Garden Club meeting, Mike Roberts, owner of Baby Root Farm, a part of McGrath Family Farmers, and Farmivore, an organic food hub, told us about his adventures in learning every part of farming. He started growing and producing crops in his Baby…
Apple Grafting at Local High Schools
Past President of Organic Gardening Club of Ventura County, Bill Brandt, led apple grafting workshops at five high schools in early March. He went to Ventura High School, Santa Paula High School, Fillmore High School, and Camarillo High School in Ventura County, and Carpinteria High School in Santa Barbara county. Bill had previously delivered 100…
Dr. David White – Living Compost
Dr. David White, the Soil Doctor from Ojai, talked to the Organic Garden Club about soil care, composting, compost extracts and actively aerated compost teas. He said to use microscopy to test the quality of compost. Healthy soil should look like chocolate cottage cheese. Rich organic garden soil is alive with microorganisms, mycorrhizae, worms, and…
Grow Real Organic Food in Living Soil
We had an amazing meeting in January with Norma Ritchie, who talked about Growing Real Organic Food in Living Soil in the ground and in containers. We learned how microbes can purify our soil of toxic chemicals. She’s a Certified Soil Advisor and works with closed loop organic systems. She started at the Venice Community…
Oxnard Native Plant Fest
The Oxnard Native Plant Fest was a great event with the Theodore Payne Foundation, Growing Works, Birdwatching, Lenny Kaufer’s Herb talk, the Wishtoyo Chumash Foundantion, and had lots of booths of local art, crafts, plant shops, and garden accessories. At the Oxnard Native Plant Fest, we visited the Santa Monica Mountain Fund booth. Rancho Sierra…
Pomegranate Taste Test
Organic Garden Club Members had a blast mingling during Paul Talley’s Pomegranate Taste Testing! We tried six different varieties, going from sweetest to more astringent: Sogdiana, Sirenevyi, Parfianka, Karakalinski, Syunt, Ariana. Every variety was delicious and rich in heart, brain, and digestive health properties. Many of our members are growing pomegranates in their backyards! Paul…
Farm Day 2024
On Farm Day, the Organic Garden Club members were so happy to celebrate our local farmers who grow our food! The beautiful shirts of our Organic Garden Club members were much appreciated at Farm Day and got people talking about eating and growing organic foods! It’s time to go Organic! We started the day at…
Organic Regenerative Agriculture in Camarillo
We had a fabulous Organic Garden Club meeting! Longtime local farmer, Phil McGrath, told us the history of his family and their 150 year old farms in Ventura County. They originally came from Ireland and started farming on the Oxnard Plain in 1871. They started out as sheep farmers. Phil’s great-grandfather had fourteen children. Around 1920,…
A Celebration of Heirloom Foods
Last week, September 10 – 12, 2024, was a celebration of Heirloom Foods at the National Heirloom Exposition, sponsored by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in Ventura, CA. Table after table filled with gorgeous displays of hundreds of unique varieties of veggies and seeds. Showing just a few: Paul with his Greek Red Butternut Squash, petite…
Adamson’s Garden at Malibu Lagoon
Organic Garden Club members enjoyed the ambiance of Malibu Lagoon and Surfrider’s Beach on the Adamson’s garden and house tour. Cool ocean breezes charged with antioxidant electricity that increases serotonin, relieving stress, and boosting energy. Suzanne, our docent, told us fascinating botanical and human history about this property, where the Chumash people lived for thousands…
Organic Garden Club of Ventura County 