Farming in Harmony at Lakeside Organic Gardens

The roots of Lakeside Organic Gardens run as deep as the rich soil of California's Pajaro Valley. Dick Peixoto spent his childhood following his father through the fields, absorbing every bit of farming wisdom he could. In 1996, Dick made a bold choice to move away from conventional farming and embrace organic farming. Guided by a vision of growing food in harmony with nature, Lakeside Organic Gardens continues to grow over 50 different varieties of vegetables, bringing fresh, organic produce to tables across the region.

The folks at Lakeside Organic know that every drop of water counts. They have pioneered smart water conservation methods by using technologies like GPS laser leveling and pressure-compensating drip irrigation. These methods have significantly reduced their water usage while ensuring their crops thrive.

Lakeside Organic embraces nature's solutions instead of conventional pesticides. Their fields buzz with life—quite literally—as they maintain dedicated pollinator habitats, use insects like ladybugs to manage crop-threatening pests, and install owl boxes and bat houses for natural pest control.

Their soil management practices are equally impressive, employing crop rotation, cover cropping, and careful composting to build healthy, living soil that produces nutritious, flavorful produce while preserving the land for future generations.

The guiding principle at Lakeside Organic Gardens is to work with nature, not against it. “Mother Nature had this figured out long before we arrived, all we have to do is help her as much as we can,” Dick says. His recognition as the Organic Grower Summit’s 2024 Grower of the Year is a reflection that caring for the land makes all the difference when growing vegetables.

How To Add Farm Stand Products to Your Delivery:

CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. Market is open from noon on Thursday until 6 pm on your cutoff date. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery.

Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood. You can even get your whole office in on the fun with our office snack packs. Find more information about our office deliveries here.

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Photos: Lakeside Organic Gardens/Facebook

Plant Therapy's Organic Castor Oil

In the world of natural beauty, sometimes the most powerful solutions come from the simplest sources. Plant Therapy's Organic Castor Oil is one such marvel. It is a pure, cold-pressed oil derived from the Ricinus communis plant and carefully processed to preserve its natural healing properties.

Castor oil is more than just another beauty product, for some folks, it represents a natural approach to skincare and hair care. Cold-pressed to maintain its integrity, the oil is packed with vitamin E, essential fatty acids, and powerful antioxidants. What makes it truly special is its versatility—from hair and eyebrow care to gentle moisturizing.

For folks looking to enhance their hair care routine, this oil offers a natural solution. A quarter-sized amount massaged into the scalp can help condition and strengthen hair. Your eyelashes and eyebrows will appreciate how a gentle nightly application can help nourish and potentially support hair growth.

Plant Therapy has thoughtfully crafted this oil to be as pure as possible. Free from alcohol, parabens, phthalates, and sulfates, it represents a clean, ethical approach to beauty. Whether you're using it as a standalone carrier oil or incorporating it into broader skin care projects, a little goes a long way.

Pro tip: If you find the oil too thick, try mixing it with lighter carrier oils like jojoba to create a more manageable consistency.

Embracing natural beauty is about nurturing yourself with ingredients that respect both your body and the environment. Plant Therapy's Organic Castor Oil embodies this philosophy, offering a simple yet powerful tool in your self-care routine.

How To Add Farm Stand Products to Your Delivery:

CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. Market is open from noon on Thursday until 6 pm on your cutoff date. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery.

Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood. You can even get your whole office in on the fun with our office snack packs. Find more information about our office deliveries here.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Mountain-Grown Sweetness at Cuyama Orchards

High in the mountains of Santa Barbara County, where crisp alpine air meets California sunshine, there's a place where some of the finest organic apples grow to perfection. At 3,300 feet in elevation, surrounded by towering peaks and National Forest land, Cuyama Orchards has been tending its apple trees with dedication and care for over three decades.

In 1992, Howard and Jean Albano took a leap of faith and plowed hay in front of their farmhouse to plant something new: Nagafu Fuji apples, which had just made their way to American soil from Japan. Little did they know this decision would grow into a thriving family operation that would help shape California's organic apple industry.

By 1997, their son Byron had joined the family business, handling sales and marketing while Howard and Jean focused on nurturing their growing orchard of Fuji and Pink Lady apples. The local community quickly fell in love with the Albanos' exceptional fruit, and word began to spread about the extraordinary apples coming from this mountain valley.

The family's commitment to quality took another step forward in 1999 when they completed their transition to certified organic production. In doing so, they created a sustainable ecosystem where their workforce, customers, and native plants and animals could all thrive together.

Cuyama Orchards continues to benefit from its unique microclimate, where warm days and cool nights allow their apples to develop the perfect balance of sweetness and crunch. From traditional favorites like Granny Smith and Gala to heritage varieties like Arkansas Black, each apple variety is harvested at peak ripeness and stored in their controlled-atmosphere facility to maintain that just-picked freshness.

The Albanos' story is one of dedication to sustainable farming, their love for the land, and their commitment to bringing the very best fruit from their mountain grove to your table. In every crisp, sweet bite of a Cuyama Orchards apple, you can taste the care that started with that first planting thirty years ago. 

How To Add Farm Stand Products to Your Delivery:

CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. Market is open from noon on Thursday until 6 pm on your cutoff date. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery.

Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood. You can even get your whole office in on the fun with our office snack packs. Find more information about our office deliveries here.

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Photos courtesy of Cuyama Orchards.

The Science of Sustainable Skincare

 

Dr. Saulius Alkaitis, often called "the Godfather of Organic Skin Care," pioneered clean beauty in the early 1990s when he discovered potentially harmful ingredients in the skincare products his wife Paula and daughter Trish were using. As a scientist with extensive plant knowledge, he developed a groundbreaking approach to skincare guided by the principle: "if you can't eat it, don't put it on your skin."

What sets Dr. Alkaitis's skin care line apart is their commitment to using only certified organic and biodynamic ingredients sourced from the world's most pristine locations. Through a process they call "Boutique Agriculture," they maintain decades-long relationships with trusted growers and wildcrafters, ensuring exceptional quality standards in every ingredient they source.

The company's innovative manufacturing process preserves the full therapeutic potential of its ingredients. Products are made without heating above body temperature, maintaining enzymatic activity and nutritional benefits. Using sophisticated extraction techniques, they work with whole plants—root, stem, leaf, and flower—to create signature complexes that act as adaptogens for the skin.

Their product line includes unique formulations like their Beautifying Mask, which features four types of powerful mushrooms, including Tremella, known for superior moisture retention and collagen production. Their award-winning Nourishing Treatment Oil, affectionately called "a miracle in a bottle" by clients, combines pristine-sourced jojoba, St. John's Wort, and rosehip oils with the adaptogenic power of Ashwaganda.

Rather than developing products for fixed skin types, Dr. Alkaitis formulated adaptogenic blends that help guide skin to its unique balanced state. All products are hand-manufactured in small batches at their California laboratory, using organic aloe vera as a base instead of water. Their commitment to sustainability extends to their ingredients, which are sourced through ethical wild-crafting and never tested on animals.

Dr. Alkaitis's daughter Trish continues his legacy, maintaining the strict formulation guidelines established by her father. The company remains true to its founding vision: creating effective "skin food" that treats skin as the living organism it is, using nature's most potent ingredients to support overall skin health and radiance. Be sure to check out the line of skin care products we offer to our farm box members.

How To Add Farm Stand Products to Your Delivery:
CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. Market is open from noon on Thursday until 6 pm on your cutoff date. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery.

Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood. You can even get your whole office in on the fun with our office snack packs. Find more information about our office deliveries here.