Organic Farm System: Phil Foster Ranches
Detailed whole-farm case study covering farm philosophy, soil management, insect pest management, and disease management systems, developed with Western SARE support.
Phil Foster — Hedgerows at Foster Ranch
Profile of hedgerow/insectary plantings for biodiversity and pest control, plus carbon-sequestration benefits; includes an embedded video featuring Dr. Tara Pisani Gareau (Boston College).
Farmer Climate Leader: Phil Foster
Profile of Foster as a “Farmer Climate Leader,” covering soil carbon building, drip irrigation, non-synthetic pest control, and on-farm solar/biodiesel energy.
Phil Foster — CSU Chico Center for Regenerative Agriculture demo page
In-depth written case study covering Foster’s reduced-tillage NRCS CIG project, compost operation, cover-cropping strategy, hedgerows, and specific equipment used.
Phil Foster’s Introduces Regenerative Practices He Uses on His Farm
Phil Foster walks through the regenerative techniques used at his ranches, tied to his NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant reduced-tillage project.
Meet Vineyard Owner Brook Williams
A 2018 wine blog interview with Brook Williams, owner of Duvarita Vineyard and Slide Hill Vineyard in Lompoc/Edna Valley, CA (operating under the J. Dirt Wines brand). Published prior to his Soil Health Academy training and Kiss the Ground partnership, the article covers Williams’ unconventional path into viticulture (coming from an accounting/winery management background), his […]
Duvarita Vineyard – Kiss the Ground Farmer Feature
A Kiss the Ground farmer feature article (published May 27, 2022) profiling Brook Williams, owner of Duvarita Vineyard in Lompoc, CA. Covers Williams’ background as a 30-year winery professional who transitioned to vineyard ownership in 2012, his adoption of biodynamic practices beginning in 2014 (certified biodynamic 2017), and how his participation in Kiss the Ground’s […]
CDFA Healthy Soils Program Demonstration Project – Chorro Creek Ranch
A project page from the Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District (CSLRCD) describing a CDFA Healthy Soils Program Demonstration trial launched in 2020 at Cal Poly’s Chorro Creek Ranch. The project, conducted in partnership with Cal Poly State University, is a replicated field trial testing four combinations of compost application and tillage intensity (conventional vs. […]
Introduction to Permaculture with David Shaw
A YouTube video (posted January 5, 2018) of a talk given by David Shaw, Santa Cruz Permaculture’s Director and Lead Designer, at a workshop hosted by Sustainable Solano in Fairfield, CA in August 2017. Shaw introduces the ethics and principles of permaculture and illustrates them with examples drawn from the permaculture flower framework — covering […]
Local Farmer and Educator David Shaw on Building Connections Through Permaculture and the Right Livelihood Center
A 55-minute podcast episode from KSQD 90.7 FM’s Talk of the Bay program (recorded June 20, 2024) featuring an interview with David Shaw, founder of Santa Cruz Permaculture and co-founder of the UCSC Right Livelihood Center. Shaw discusses his work as a whole systems designer, naturalist, farmer, and educator; the philosophy and practice of permaculture; […]