Project Director: Natalia Pinzón Jiménez– Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA), California
Situation: Paul and Elizabeth Kaiser from Singing Frogs Farm own and operate an organic and diversified vegetable farm in Sebastopol, California in Sonoma County. They are mentor producers who shaped the success of this project through creating cross generational strategies for sustainable agriculture. Through the practice of intensive no-till agriculture on 2.5 acres of an 8.5-acre property, they have been able to generate $125,000 per acre – this is over 10 times the national average for vegetable farmers of their size ($11,000 per acre per year). Their practices sequester soil carbon, drastically reduce water needs and provide a bounty of ecosystem services through hedgerows which support a balanced, low-pest ecosystem. They have designed their farm based on agroecology principles which has helped them to mitigate the risks from floods, fires, extreme temperate swings and prolonged drought.
Outcomes: Their expert mentor connection helped to: 1) build a pedagogical model for online education in agricultural extension; 2) educate over 64 producers on whole-farm planning for climate change adaptation; 3) motivate producers to test risk evaluation methods for climate variability – including increasing the climate resilience of their farms through agroecology and no-till agriculture; and 4) inspire the creation of their own online course on No-Till agriculture which they will host on a newly developed Farmer Campus platform.
Impacts: As a result of Singing Frogs Farm participation and expertise, they developed a series of exceptional on-farm videos on hedgerows, agroecology and climate change, hosted participants in a Field Roundtable and provided one-on-one mentorships for 3 producers. Through this program they realized the value of online education and grew as mentors and educators in their own right. Their new online course will not only prepare the next generation of farmers and train a future of more climate resilient farmers, but it will also help to provide additional off-farm income.
“This mentor experience was the highlight of the course for us. To be put in contact with a leader in one’s field of work is perhaps the most important opportunity for expanding expertise…Thank you for this remarkable opportunity.” – Oregon Farmer
“We are transitioning to no till. We will be cutting remaining crops at ground level instead of pulling the roots out. We will be planting cover crops of Daikon Radish, Winter Rye, and Bell Beans to benefit the soil and also provide forage for our livestock.” – California Vegetable Producer
