12 lagunabeachindy . com FEBRUARY 9 , 2024

GUEST OPINION : RANDOM GUY NOTICES STUFF

1935 . Regular Scout activities continue , leapfrogging back over years of neglect .

I met Leo when he was on a panel of experts at a screening of the sustainable farming documentary “ Common Ground .” This article resulted from an extended interview and tour of Leo ’ s creation .

Situated on the north side of Aliso Creek , next to a stand of eucalyptus that provides perches for hawks and owls watching for mice and gophers , visitors are welcomed by 50-foot standard beds of luscious veggies . Multiple blue tubs of organic kitchen waste arrive daily from the kitchen , along with shredded paper ( for aeration ), from The Ranch offices . This is transformed over three to four months into the rich compost that is the garden ’ s sole fertilizer . The now rich , dark , soft soil is “ no-till .”

“ As a farmer , my real role is to improve the soil ,” Farmer Leo says . These are primary features of regenerative farming , increasing the soil ’ s carbon content .

Leo rotates cover crops to replace lost nitrogen ( peas and beans ), break up clods ( oats ) and create “ green manure ” ( hairy vetch ), which undergo “ chop and drop ,” to provide additional nutrients and mulch cover . His frugality shows in that the cover crops also serve as salad greens .

Leo coordinates regularly with the Harvest restaurant Executive Chef , Kyle St . John , who is game for “ anything , anytime .” Leo provides around 100 pounds per month of seasonal , delicate , textured , colorful , and “ lofty ” varieties for salad mixes , where freshness is crucial . Leo also grows flowers ( some edible , for soups , salads and cocktails ) to supplement his use of the canyon ’ s natural flowering plants to grace the restaurant ’ s tables . He brings the waitstaff out to help them tell diners about it and learn from them what customers are asking .

I was tasting as we went along , of course , to verify the freshness .

Past a row of classic wood picnic tables for events is the coop of 25 chickens ( these turn the garden into a farm ). This is the source of the eggs used at Harvest for pasta dough .

Past the compost line is the greenhouse , where seedlings are grown . Two seeds go into each cell of soil in the sprouting trays . When they have two sets of leaves and are about three inches tall , Leo keeps just one sprout per cell , transplants them into the garden , and covers the soil with a loose “ pick-up sticks ” layer of straw to suppress weeds and retain moisture provided by a drip irrigation system . Leo is so water-conscious that he recycles the rinse water from preparing the crops for the kitchen .

Are the methods Leo uses practical for the average backyard gardener ? “ Yeah … it ’ s definitely applicable .”

Leo said that failures happen “ every year … it ’ s a constant gamble .” Leo had to learn the hard way that freezing air overflows the creek into the low-lying section of the garden . He swears it is “ the coldest spot in Laguna .”

Leo hosts the Laguna Beach High School environmental group FLOW ( Fire , Land , Ocean , Water ) for a two-day farming experience twice a year , the Mission Viejo Garden Club has an upcoming visit , and a marine biology group , as well . ( Hint : Are you listening , Laguna Beach Garden Club ?)

STEWART , PAGE 17

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