Archive for Family
Visit a Farm in the Bay Area
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I got to visit a farm! A real live family owned farm right here in the Bay Area. I also got to meet a real live farmer. Her name is Tara Smith. I want to be like Tara when I grow up. She is amazing and so incredibly inspirational. Tara started her farm less than a year ago. Before being a farmer she was working in Long Term Health Care Insurance. Two years ago she read the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Tara’s farm is located in Petaluma. It was a dairy farm until the mid 1950s (which means it had never been sprayed with pesticides or fertilizers so the soil is rich with nutrients and perfect for planting).
I met Tara because of Twitter! Another Twitter friend Peggy (who I met at our Mill Valley TweetUp back in June) always talks about all the yummy food she is eating from Tara Firma Farms and I got curious.
Peggy went with me on the farm visit. When we arrived at Tara’s farm we were immediately greeted by Tara. She invited us in her home, showed us around her home a bit and then began the farm tour. We started with the baby chickens.
Tara explained to me that her chickens come in the mail in a box. Before last week I might have been surprised to hear that her chickens came in a box but I had recently read about that in the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.)
“Poultry hatchlings don’t need to eat or drink for the first 48 hours of life, as they are born with a margin of safety called the yolk sac – the yolk of the egg absorbed into the chicks belly just before hatching. This adaptation comes in handy for birds like chickens and turkeys that have to get up and walk right way, following mom around to look from something edible… Some animal-rights groups have tried to make an issue of it, but mail-order chicks from reputable hatcheries have virtually a 100% survival rate.”
Tara’s farm is not certified organic yet because she is not sure she wants to do that. Each group of animals and all of the produce need individual sets of paperwork, filled out weekly. Given that the farm is open to the public she feels that her customers can come to see for themselves and will trust that the plants are animals are grown/raised organically, sustainably and humanely.
Tara then brought me to the garden part of the farm. She explained to me that they are practicing bio intensive farming. This sounds like a very complicated practice but in the end saves a TON of water, creates 4 times more produce in the same space and they are able to farm without using any pesticides/fertilizers. She has been learning about bio intensive farming from an expert named Elijah who came from Kenya to work on her farm.
Another cool thing she learned from Elijah was how to get beetles off of her Kale plants without using any pesticides. Her Kale plants had suddenly gotten a bunch of beetles that were happily feasting on her Kale. Elijah paid close attention and noticed that the beetles were not touching the spinach plants right next to the Kale so he cut a bunch of Spinach, liquefied it and put it in a spray bottle and sprayed all the Kale plants with Spinach. Guess what? The beetles went away! How cool is that?!
After the garden tour we moved on to the full grown chickens. She introduced me to the chickens that were going to be used for food and then to the laying chickens. I also got to see her turkeys and one black duck. Notice the happy hens laying eggs coming in and out of their hen house.
I asked Tara how on earth did she figure out how to be a farmer so fast? Did she have past experience? Was she raised on a farm? No she was not raised on a farm. She had about 6 months past experience on a farm when she was in college but it was nothing like this. She learned by reading Joel Salitan’s books!
The night I came home from the farm I invited Amy (my neighbor, the professional cook) to come over and cook the pork I bought. We ended up having a small dinner party, two other friends joined us when they heard we had farm fresh pork and Amy was cooking. I asked everyone to look at my photos from the farm visit before eating. I think it is a good thing to know where your food comes from.
We had great dinner conversations about sustainable eating and my visit to the farm. I personally only ate a few nibbles of the pork off the leftover bone because I wanted to try it but to be honest I have a really hard time eating pork. Not sure if it is because I used to babysit my friend’s pot belly pig or what but eating pork is not easy for me. There is a voice inside of me that I can’t ignore that keeps telling me to be a vegetarian and especially don’t eat pork. I am not a vegetarian (yet…. again… I used to be… long story) however I think I will be again or at least be a 90/10 vegetarian (90% vegetarian). Right now I’d say I’m 80/20. However, after my visit to the farm today and reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.)
Have you ever thought about eating food that is grown or raised within 100 miles of your home? I have and it is not easy to do. I’m thinking about giving myself that challenge.
Thank you to Tara for sharing all your knowledge with me.
Thank you to Peggy for introducing me to Tara and for going to the farm with me.
To see all my pictures from the farm visit, check out my album on Flickr.
Tara encourages visitors to come by the farm. Bring your children or grab a buddy and contact Tara to schedule a visit. I learned so much from her!
Tara Firma Farms
3796 I Street
Petaluma, CA 94952
707.765.1202
www.tarafirmafarms.com
Fun Things For Kids To Do Around The Bay Area
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Marilyn LoRusso, is the Owner and Funmaster of Kids Fun on the Go. I met Marilyn a few weeks ago at my local Toastmasters Group and was fascinated by what she does. I asked her if she’d be willing to do an interview. She agreed! 
Marilyn please tell us a bit about what Kids Fun on the Go is.
Based here in Marin County I bring fun kids classes to homes in Marin, Sonoma and parts of San Francisco. A family provides the space (room in an apartment, house, office or any kid friendly space) and some of their friends. That’s when the FUN begins! There are even ways a host family can receive the entire class series for FREE!
I offer classes in Baby Sign Language, Art, Yoga, Baby & Me and Baby & Me Fitness for children 2 months to 9 years of age and are in sessions of 4-6 weeks. I am a Certified Independent Instructor with the original Baby Signs® Programs, a Certified children’s yoga instructor, an experienced arts and crafts teacher, infant play teacher and all around Funmaster! I have been a Speech and Language Pathologist, teacher and district manager at Gymboree Play and Music Centers, owned my own retail business at the Village at Corte Madera and have entertained thousands of children, as Princess Polka Dot, with magic, face painting, balloon art, songs, games and more!
So, bringing fun and joy to children and their families is my true passion!
I have created Kids Fun on the GO to answer the growing need for fun, safe, creative, interactive and affordable play options for parents and their little ones. And, to support that wonderful growing sense of community here in the Bay Area.
What do you love most about the Bay Area?
I am originally from the east coast and have been in the Bay Area for almost 30 years. This is HOME to me! I love the beauty, weather, diversity, people, wine country, openness to new ideas, quaint towns, mountains, beaches, redwoods, wildlife, abundance of activities and proximity to San Francisco and the coast. And, I met my husband Robert here in Marin County. We live amongst all the beauty in Novato with our amazing cat, Asia.
What is your favorite place to hike in the Bay Area?
I love to hike the Tennessee Valley path to the ocean. I love bringing unsuspecting out of towners on the path and keeping the ocean a surprise! It is so fun as we are winding down the path and all of a sudden a small sparkle of ocean appears on the horizon, then slowly becomes larger and larger. I never tire of that and love finding insets of rock wall to relax in with a picnic lunch or snack once at the beach. What a special place.
The Chimney Rock wildflower walk in Point Reyes during spring is sensational. It’s an easy 2 mile loop displaying amazing wildflower shows. One year I counted 27 different types of wildflowers! It ends overlooking the ocean high on a bluff. You can sometimes see whales, hawks and often see elephant seals down below sunning themselves on the small sandy beaches.
What is your favorite restaurant in the Bay Area?
I’m a big salad lover so I am always looking for tasty and fresh salads. I love the apple/fennel salad at Toast restaurant in Novato. It’s a fun, lively atmosphere and the salads are innovative and fresh. However, when I have to have my dose of Chicken Marsala, which I have tried all over Marin county, my favorite is La Toscana in San Rafael. It is not always on the menu, but you can ask the chef to make it and they are more than happy to.
What is your favorite place to get coffee?
I am a tea drinker and absolutely love Teapod Organic Tea Bar in San Anselmo. They are an innovative tea lounge serving fresh steeped teas and tea concoctions made from all organic loose teas and organic ingredients. They have amazing tea infusers which creates your drink in about a minute or you can choose to have a teapot. It is so comfortable to hang out there with friends or your laptop and hookup to their free wifi. They even have organic take away salads, drinks, desserts and often free live music events! The owners Jaimie and Chris are so warm and inviting. They have really created a modern and fun gathering place. And they just had a baby! You might see Maddox soon hanging out at the lounge greeting customers!
What is your favorite place to bike?
I hope you meant motorcycle! My husband Robert and I love to take our Stratoliner motorcycle for day trips all around the North Bay. Asia likes to stay home and sleep. We ride through Calistoga, wine country (Napa and Sonoma), Lake Sonoma, Healdsburg, Cloverdale, Ukiah, Clearlake, Blue Lakes and more. But our favorite ride is through the Russian River area – Sebastopol, Guerneville, Occidental, Monte Rio, Duncan Mills, down the coast, through Bodega Bay, Tomales and Point Reyes. We love stopping at all the quaint shops, beaches, coffee/tea shops, and parks (we take a lot of picnics!) The joy and freedom we feel is unexplainable! We truly experience the “staycation” 2-3 times a week!
Well, now you know more about me! Thank you Sally Around the Bay for including me in your fun and informative Blog!
Thanks Marilyn! Can you tell us a little bit more about the class you offer. I know with winter coming parents of young children are probably looking for some new and fun things to do with their kids. ~Sally
Of course! Have you ever wondered what babies are thinking?
The Sign, Say and Play classes (6 months – 2 years) teach babies to use simple, easy-to-do gestures for communicating with their parents and caregivers. The Baby Signs® Program helps children develop both language and cognitive skills. Studies show that babies who sign actually develop speech sooner and have larger vocabularies when they do start talking. It can also reduce tears, tantrums and frustration!
Beebo the signing bear appears. He is a 30” plush bear with sleeves I put my arms through to model the signs. The little ones love him! We sing songs, read books, have a parachute time with dancing and bubbles, have activities specialized to the theme signs of the day and more. There are 5-6 signs taught each class. Some of the class themes are mealtime, bedtime, bath time, getting dressed, pets and at the park.
In Baby & Me classes (2 – 7 months) parents and their little ones explore fun activities through sensory, auditory and visual stimulation. Parents sing songs to their infants and many new songs are introduced with accompanying tactile play. There is a tummy fun time which is often the favorite activity! There are musical games, tactile play, parent discussions and a lot of bonding activities. We even have a memorabilia/gift project at the end of each session. It’s fun to discover what all these little ones can teach us!
In Baby & Me Fitness classes (non-mobile babies) moms can relax and have fun with their friends and their newborns during this easy fitness class designed especially for new moms and their babies. We combine gentle core strengthening exercises, yoga and breathing techniques. This class incorporates the non mobile baby into easy and fun exercises.
In the Art classes (2-6 years) we help inspire children’s imaginations and self expression with fun art activities. Through painting, sculpture, drawing, collage and more, classes encourage confidence and support artistic potential. Themed art series include 2 take home projects per class, play dough fun, songs, movement activity and more!
Yoga classes (3-5 years) (5-8 years) are specifically developed and modified appropriately by level, and are taught using the method of the It’s Yoga Vinyasa System. This is a fun and dynamic system of practicing poses joined together by breath and flowing movement. All classes include warm-up, action/play, winding down and relaxation. Busy lifestyles are commonplace for today’s kids and yoga is a wonderful way to tone the body and relax the mind. Beyond the well-known benefits such as increasing strength, flexibility and concentration, yoga is non-competitive, stimulates the imagination and is fun!
Here is a fun video about what Baby Signs® is!
Become a fan of Kids Fun On The Go on Facebook.
Back to School Shopping
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It’s Back to School time! Which means Back to School Shopping!
You may have noticed I haven’t been going on too many exciting adventures lately. Instead, I’ve been posting cool things to do, or things I wish I was doing around the Bay Area. I guess the reason I haven’t been sallying around so much is because I’ve been busy with the usual Back to School madness.
One place I have been is to Ideal Stationers in Mill Valley. Ideal Stationers is a great place to buy school supplies! It is also a wonderful place to shop for gifts. I love browsing around Ideal Stationers. It’s a refreshing change from the big office supply stores. Ideal Stationers is locally owned and they have 5 locations in the Bay Area. I buy all of my office supplies there, the kids school supplies and often buy gifts there as well. I even bought a purple backpack style purse there recently. Ideal Stationers always has what I need. They have an awesome selection of pens. I love a good pen, especially if it is purple! The staff is friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.
Ideal Stationers is located in Strawberry Village in Mill Valley.
Around The Bay with Kids
Posted by: | CommentsLooking for some fun and a little eduction for our young ones? If you are visiting the Bay Area or live here and have little ones you might want to try out the Bay Area Discovery Museum. They are having a special exhibit through September 13th. The exhibit, The Children of Hangzhou will give you and your children an experience of what China is like today. Some of the activities are planting rice, writing in Chinese, cooking with grandmother, performing traditional Chinese opera. This exhibit presents China from the point of view of four young people.
Admission is free on the 1st Wednesday of each month. You can find other discounts here.
The Bay Area Discovery Museum is located at:
Fort Baker
557 McReynolds Road
Sausalito, CA 94965-2614
415. 339.3900
www.baykidsmuseum.org
