Rubies & Pearls: Loma Vista Farm

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Loma Vista Farm

Havana meeting an Alpaca last summer.

I don't quite remember how I discovered Loma Vista Farm but when I initially heard about them I was excited to check out a different local farm. I had taken Amara up to the Tilden Farm quite a bit when she was younger. We'd go for playdates with friends, or on a weekend outing with our family. Havana has gone too but not quite as much. While I love the hills and forests of Tilden and love the opportunity for the girls to spend time outside, Tilden isn't really a farm, and we often spend more or as much time in the visitors center than with the animals .Both girls enjoy visiting with the standard farm animals that live there but something in the last few visits felt lacking to me. Maybe after so many visits, boredom set it. Or maybe I was seeking a new adventure so last summer, not too long after I found out about Loma Vista, a bunch of WestCoCo mamas and I made our first visit. And I loved it!

What I liked right away about Loma Vista is that it's a real farm. There is a large garden, a good size green house and there are the standard animals along with a few more exotic 4 legged beings. There are different species of chicken and turkey, and there is a resource room which makes it educational. It is also easy to navigate. The farm is on flat land and set up so that you can circumnavigate it fairly easily. There is also a pond, which is home to turtle, duck and a few overly friendly geese (i.e. food seekers!)

I want the girls to respect life, all life, and I want them to grow up knowing where food comes from and the hard labor it takes to sustain life. Don and I both planted these seeds in the girls at an early age with our gardens as well as showing them how food is grown commercially and informing them of the backbreaking work that raising food entails. I want the girls to grow up looking at animals as beings with a soul and personality, not just a food source. And if they choose to eat animals as they grow I want them to know that a burger is a cow and that bacon is a pig and to have experiences connecting with them as they do at places like Loma Vista and Tilden Farms. I have serious remorse that I started eating chickens and turkey when I was pregnant with Amara (after 25+ plus years of being a vegetarian) and I am slowly returning to what my heart/soul feel best with. I want the girls to make aware and informed decisions with their food choices and I want them to feel connected to the earth. Going to a place like Loma Vista helps us have a heck of a lot of fun while also gently teaching them.

Loma Vista farm is run in part by the Vallejo School District. Kids come for field trips and they even work the farm. There are gardening workshops for adults and a summer camp for kids. I am seriously considering the girls spending a week there when they are a little older. And according to their website, (http://lomavistafarm.org/) they also offer job training for folks w/ special needs, the college ready and for children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The greenhouse sells plants and vegetables and during out last visit I bought some swiss chard and zucchini which I transplanted into our garden.When I got home, I was disappointed to learn from Don (who is a farmer at heart), that it's not chard season but I planted that sweet plant in a somewhat shady spot, said a prayer, did some Reiki on her and am hoping for the best!

There are some special events held at the farm as well, like their Fall Festival. We went last October and had a great time picking pumpkins, visiting the animals and getting faces painted.

My girls love visiting with all the animals and seeing what is growing in the garden. Since we have our own garden each summer, they recognize some of the plants. I really value that they are learning these things. But the animals are the main attraction. They both get so excited as they run from pen to pen (some of the animals roam free) and they try to pet those they can reach. They are a little afraid of the geese. And of course, the picnic tables half way through means a snack break (Which is why they are afraid of the geese. They like snacks too!)

Loma Vista is about a 2 miles from Six Flags so it's an easy drive off Interstate 80. I like close and easy trips; being in the car too long or too often, is not our favorite thing. Running about, breathing in the fresh air, and soaking in the sun, while feeling Mama Earth; that's what we like best. This type of outing offers just that. Which means, this summer may see us at the farm more often than not. It's a great way to spend a couple of hours, connect with the earth and learn about farming and animals. All things I value as a mama.