UPFRONT PLACES | PERSPECTIVES | HAPPENINGS |
Q + A |
Cultivating the Land FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS , THE OWNERS OF BLUEBIRD CANYON FARMS HAVE UTILIZED THEIR PROPERTY AS A RESEARCH CENTER FOR ECOLOGICAL PRACTICES .
By SHARAEL KOLBERG
Bluebird Canyon Farms
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Scott Tenney and Mariella Simon , owners of Bluebird Canyon Farms |
S cott Tenney and his wife , Mariella Simon , owners of Bluebird Canyon Farms , have been working to cultivate local land since 2010 , using agricultural practices that are ecologically focused on their 13-acre plot . The family-owned and -operated urban farm , in the Bluebird Canyon neighborhood of Laguna Beach , serves as a hands-on model of sustainability , environmental education , homesteading and mentorship . The property consists of an organic , biodynamic farmstead with market gardens that produce seasonal produce ; a poultry flock ; an aviary with honeybees ; a demonstration aquaponics system ; and several restored historical structures , as well as on-site conservation and restoration efforts focused on removing non-native and invasive species , reintroducing endemic chaparral species and reducing vegetative fuel loads in certain critical areas of the site . LAGUNA BEACH MAGAZINE : What sets Bluebird Canyon apart from other farms ? SCOTT TENNEY : The setting — a hillside farm overlooking the Pacific Ocean . Also , our agricultural practices are ecologically focused , with no mineral fertilizers , and we
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practice soil husbandry for cropping . We design and maintain spaces that allow beneficial insects to have a habitat . Bird and animal life allow the property to exist in a balanced ecological framework . Our agricultural philosophy and approach is to take exceptional care of the soil and promote microbiological consortium in the soil — no synthetic pest control regimens or mineral fertilizers , and no pesticides or herbicides .
LBM : What will you be harvesting this season ? ST : We prepare crops twice a year with a seasonal cropping plan . In the spring and summer , we will be growing things like fruit , edible flowers , greens , squash , tomatoes , cucumbers , chiles , culinary / medicinal herbs , and cut flowers . The “ Seed Vault ” is our seed conservation project . We collect fruiting and vegetative varieties , desiccate , catalog and store them under controlled conditions . Mariella also offers limited amounts of certain varieties for sale to the public .
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TOP : COURTESY OF BLUEBIRD CANYON FARMS ; BOTTOM LEFT AND OPPOSITE PAGE : MARY HURLBUT |
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