Potrero Nuevo Celebrates Growing Organic, Giving Back

Dust off those boots and pumpkin pie recipes: Potrero Nuevo Farm is holding their again this weekend.

On Sunday, the organic farm is welcoming the public to their Half Moon Bay location for a day of educational and recreational activities for both children and adults to enjoy.

While children can have their fun playing Pin the Tail on the Alpaca, carve pumpkins and get their face painted, adults can enjoy homemade beer made from the farm's hops.

The whole family can get a behind-the-scenes look at the farm during a tour from owners Bill Laven and Christine Pielenz.

In addition to the farm tours and children's activities, the picnic will feature a potluck lunch, pumpkin pie contest and a scavenger hunt.

The farm grows more than 50 varieties of fruits and vegetables. A fragrant collection of culinary herbs and lavender are grown in the garden.

Goats and chickens are also afoot. This year, farm managers Jay and Suzie Trexler are making available their Tunitas Creek Organic Eggs for sale in December from a flock of 190 pastured heritage hens.

Potrero Nuevo is unique in that members of the farm's (CSA) program harvest their own produce each week — including ornamental flowers, culinary herbs and lavender.

Nearly 4,000 pounds a year of the farm's surplus produce is given to local residents in Half Moon Bay via the .  distributes the surplus from Potrero Nuevo to their participant residents who live in Pescadero and surrounding South Coast communities.

This year, the farm plans to make available a greater percentage of their produce to Coastside residents in need than ever before.

“Christine and I have been very fortunate and wanted to find a way to give back to local communities," Laven said. "What better way than with nutritious, healthy food straight from the farm?"

Those wishing to compete in the pumpkin pie contest are advised to deliver their pies for judging by 11 a.m.

Picnic Schedule for Sunday, Oct. 23 (Rain Date: Oct. 30)

10:00 a.m. Open House begins; children’s game area open

10:30 a.m. (onwards) Scavenger Hunt

11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Farm Tour

11:30 a.m. Deadline for entering pumpkin pie for contest

12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Potluck Lunch – please bring a dish of your choice and serving utensils. Oven and grill available. Homemade beer using hops from the farm and homemade pizza from the farm's cob oven will also be served.

1:15 p.m. Pumpkin Pie Contest winners announced

2:00 p.m. End

The picnic is free of charge. 

Potrero Nuevo Farm is eight miles south of Half Moon Bay and one mile east of Highway 1 (Cabrillo Highway) at 1045 Tunitas Creek Road. 

For more information about quarterly subscriptions for Tunitas Creek Organic Eggs ($7/dozen), email eggs@potreronuevofarm.org. Subscribers can also donate eggs to the Kelly Ave. Catholic Worker or Puente.

Some produce will be available for the public to purchase at the picnic.

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