Star Route Farms
Location: Bolinas, CA
Ceritification: Marin Organic Certified Agriculture (MOCA) since 2001; Salmon Safe certified since 2007
People
Annabelle Lenderink and co-manager Nick Civetz, along with 5 full-time and 20 part-time or seasonal workers.
Farmland
100 in Bolinas (only one-third of the land is cultivated; it also includes a perennial creek, wildlands, and housing for nearly all farm workers), 25 miles to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market; and 20 in Thermal, about 515 miles to the farmers market.
Farm History
Warren Weber grew up in Missouri and Connecticut, taking summer farm jobs from the age of 15. After receiving an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Economics and a PhD in English Literature, Warren began farming organically in Bolinas in 1974. Star Route Farms is the oldest continuously certified organic farm in California. The farm is known for its innovativeness and commitment to implementing economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable practices. In 1990, the farm acquired a plot of land in the Coachella Valley, on which they now grow a range of crops to provide a continuous supply of produce in the winter.
An organic pioneer, Weber served as President of California Certified Organic Farmers from 1985-88 and co-founded the Organic Farming Research Foundation in 1991. He has served on many boards in the organic farming community, and was instrumental in the creation of Marin Organic Certified Agriculture (MOCA), one of the first county government certifiers in the country.
In 2017, Star Route was purchased by the University of San Francisco (USF) to provide educational and academic opportunities on a working farm. It currently is c0-managed by Annabelle and Nick.
Certification
Marin Organic Certified Agriculture (MOCA) since 2001; Salmon Safe certified since 2007
Soil
The farm’s silty clay loam is built with compost, cover crops, and crop stubble. Certified organic fertilizers, raw organic matter, and compost add essential nutrients to the soil.
Water Use
Sprinkler and drip irrigation from direct source and groundwater.
Weed Control
By hand and machine, cover cropping, flaming of weed seedlings.
Pest Management
Population monitoring, crop rotation, selection of resistant varieties, application of certified organic pesticides.
FUN FACT
Over 80 species of birds have been documented on Star Route Farms’ Bolinas plot in just one day!
-CUESA