I have a certain love for farms, and whenever the opportunity comes along to visit a local farm I…read moretry my best to take on that opportunity. I had the honor of visiting with Kristyn Leach and the Namu Gaji Farm several months ago. In case you're wondering about the name the Namu Gaji Farm provides fresh organic vegetables exclusively to the San Francisco restaurant Namu Gaji, but there's more to this story than that. Kristyn Leach is a native South Korean who as in infant was adopted by an Irish American family in New York. She was introduced to farming when she got involved in an urban community garden while attending college. Her interest grew and upon relocating to Washington state she began planting her own perilla. Perilla more commonly known as Japanese shiso is an essential herb in Korean cooking. When Kristyn moved to California she took on the task of managing a lettuce farm where she continued to grow her own perilla. She found work as a cook at Oakland's Camino Restaurant, and it was there where the chef introduced her to the Lee brothers of Namu Gaji. One of the brothers, David, was actively seeking a supplier of organic Korean perilla for their restaurant. Kristyn told us she had never met anyone who was so passionate about the herb. Their collaboration began there as Kristyn agreed to farm Asian vegetables for the Lee brothers. The Sunol AgPark located in Alameda County is a collaborative farm community owned by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission managed by a third party (SAGE) and shared by several farms who lease the land on an annual basis. It was there where Kristyn found an acre of available farmland to start the Namu Gaji Farm. Through her own studies she learned of traditional techniques of Korean peasant farming as well as New Age holistic farming. She combines ancient techniques as well as new ones on her farm. Unlike other farms she welcomes wildlife creating a natural habitat for birds and fosters specific insects and micro-organisms to provide nutrients in her soil. Bad insects are warded off by natural means as well. Sustainability is key on the Namu Gaji Farm. Kristyn does not till her soil and does all of her farming by hand. Her soil contains twice the organic matter as required by organic standards. She has even concocted her own fertilizer using kelp. Her annual water use is 50,000 gallons which is half of what the other farms on the Sunol AgPark use (between 100,000 to 140,000 according to a SAGE representative on our tour). Upon taking a walk through her farm everything just looked wild unlike any farm I've toured before. Because it was pouring rain on the day of our visit I kept the photo-taking to a minimum. On the farm she grows two types of peppers for Namu Gaji in addition to Korean melons, Kabocha squash, several types of radishes, burdock, Napa cabbage for kimchi and Korean soybeans. Today she grows more vegetables than the restaurant can use so she has created a CSA specifically for domestic abuse victims through the organization KACEDA (Korean American Coalition to End Domestic Abuse). She harvests her crops 3 times a week (twice for Namu Gaji and once for the CSA). At the conclusion of our tour we were treated to a delicious lunch (http://bit.ly/2bf2mVZ) cooked by Namu Gaji and incorporating perilla, soybeans, cabbage, daikon and leafy greens all grown on the farm. Interested individuals were also offered seedlings to start their own vegetable gardens.

Accidentally hit the review button and now yelp is badgering me to finish my review. I was…read moreresearching CSAs in the area for our family. I read the only other review and I was very impressed by the history of the farm and it's cultivators. I am also impressed that extra food grown is donated to a worthy cause. I you ever need a volunteer I would be interested.

Great service, so sad they are no longer doing deliveries in my area.The fresh vegies were…read moreincredible.

Wanted to try new veggies but each time it was almost the same exact combination. The flavor of the…read moreproduce was ok- I have had better from Whole Foods and it's less expensive. It was nice to try for the 4 minimum orders. Everything was always fresh and clean and pickup location was convenient. Tried it during April-May.

We love this farm!! In the summer they offer you pick for different vegetables depending on what is…read moregrowing on Saturday mornings. I went probably five times, where you can get one of their CSA boxes for 30 dollars and then pick strawberries, tomatoes, green beans, sunflowers, wild flowers. The best way to stay updated is through Facebook events. Thanks Farmer Paul! Can't wait to visit once the weather is warmer!

We look forward to their biweekly CSA deliveries! Super delicious seasonal veggies and fruits, and…read morebecause they are so fresh, they last much longer than what you'd buy in a store. Love the selection and variety! Don't hesitate to support this wonderful family farm!

Volunteered through my company at Veggielution!…read more The farm box packing event started right on time at 9:30am. I appreciated how Veggielution has posted videos showing how and where to enter the property. Staff explained the instructions thoroughly and handed out gloves. It was a hot day so I was thankful that the event was under a shed and the food packing itself was straightforward and not very strenuous. We filled the boxes with fruits and vegetables assembly line style and then stacked them all up. With our big group, we finished packing 725 produce boxes in about 90 minutes. Some of us also helped remove weeds around the shed using hands + shovels. At the end, one of the employees gave us a guided tour of the farm which was super fun! He talked about the different events they host - on Saturdays there is a Farmer's Market and youth garden for little kids. The farm is huge, so it was cool to look around and learn about their farming practices. Also learned that they offer low-cost fruits and vegetables to the community! Staff was very friendly and efficient! They provided us with all the necessary tools. There were some leftover fruits and vegetables, and volunteers were allowed to take them home which was super nice! Overall, I would definitely volunteer at Veggielution again. Their website is up to date with helpful information which makes the whole volunteer process very easy to navigate. They also host interesting community events that I would recommend checking out!

Did a volunteer event here and I absolutely fell in love with the livelihood of this cut place. The…read moreteam working there were really nice as friendly, they offered different activities too! I saw a Zumba class at the end of my volunteer shift. There's also kids garden where kids get to experience gardening. Btw, the Veggielution is in the back of the parking lot, so just keep driving to the back until you see more chickens and farm stand.

I look forward to receiving my fresh, organic produce from Greenhearts. A vibrant, abundant feast…read more Thank you, Farmer Paul, family and staff!

The answer was beet kvass all along! Our challenge: Find…read morecreative ways to enjoy and consume *100%* of the bounty that our friends at Greenhearts (and their partner organic farms) harvest from here in the greater Bay Area and deliver to our door-step week after week. No root, leaf, or berry will go uneaten. Especially the berries. We've been enjoying this delicious fresh bounty for over 5 years. Everything is amazing. The veggies are always perfect. Best I've ever had. Sweet, ripe, crispy, deliciousness. I even got my parents to sign up. I want to give a fair assessment: After 5+ years, we've received the occasional fruit that is disappointing - Cara Cara oranges are the best oranges I've ever tasted, but the strawberries picked at full ripeness sometimes only have a day or two left before spoiling, and stone-fruit like peaches, nectarines, or plums are occasionally be less juicy or sweet, probably depending on the weather that year. We still eat it all, even the kale, and the abundance of zucchini that arrives each summer. But our most difficult item has always been the beets. I love them, but my household thinks beets taste like dirt. I've tried dozens of different preparations, even my wife's grandmother's polish chocolate beet cake recipe, but to no avail. I had reverted to giving beets away to friends and neighbors because I couldn't eat them all myself. But no longer! Bring on the beets! (Lettuce Turnip the Beet!) I have a new trick up my sleeve: Beet Kvass - and I can drink it all day. Sooooo easy to make. In short: Raw, unpeeled, chopped beets go in a salt water brine, and get left in a warm dark place for about a week or two until the juice is funky, healthy, and delicious. Second stage fermentation (put the juice in a flip-top bottle) is optional and enables carbonation. Delicious! (Posting because I'm overdue for an update, but everything I said in my previous review still stands.)

Been training in different martial arts for 34 years in 4 countries and fell in love with CSA from…read morethe moment I walked it. It's a fighter's gym that is accessible to anyone; even beginners. The staff and coaches have been extremely accommodating for pugelists of all levels. For anyone looking to dive deep or just train as a weekend warrior, you'll find something you'll like. If you're looking for Globo gym type of venue: it's not for you. That said, Coach Kirian, coach Katie and all the coaches have been amazing over the last approximately 2 years that I have been training there. I would recommend it to anyone looking to train in BJJ, MuyTai, Krav Maga or Crossfit.

Nice place for blueberry u-pick. Bring tick repellent and wear proper clothes. Website doesn't…read moremention it, only an email we didn't read until on the way to site did, so I didn't have right clothes or repellent. Ended up with three ticks and one tick bite. Site doesn't offer any bug spray, but maybe should? As far as Covid safety, only thing is a reservation system which limits attendees. About 8-9 rows so plenty of space to spread out, but it's self regulated. Some parents corral their Children and others don't so you're at mercy of others, or have to speak up. We also got chased down rows by an oblivious sneezing and coughing man who prob had allergies and wore a mask... No one from farm is monitoring people once in. No questions or temp checks for admittance, though email prob asks that you mind it. Also: expensive! Expect to pay about $20-25/gallon baggie, which holds about 3-4 pounds. Blueberries are delish. Ticks are not so be prepared.

I can't tell you how delicious High Ground's produce is. I labor under the happy delusion that I am…read morea good cook because my vegetables are always so tasty. When Two Small Farms reorganized, I stuck with my usual pickup spot, which went to High Ground Organics. I was a little nervous. I'd been getting Mariquita Mystery Boxes all winter, so I knew that I liked what Mariquita alone produces. But what about High Ground? My worries were for nothing. The produce is as high quality and varied as I could have hoped.

Support your local farms!…read more I love that they always have a variety of in-season fruit, veggies, herbs and also have local bread (Midwife and Baker yum!!) and coffee (Chromatic, also yum!) options available. I pick-up at a nearby location and they're always on-time, mostly early. If there are any issues with your order (only had this happen once with eggs missing), they're super quick to resolve over email, and super friendly too. Sometimes their emails slip through into Spam, so make a note and add them to your contacts to avoid missing your weekly emails including delivery and selections! Five stars!

Wow! Can't say enough good things about them…read moreAlphonso and coworkers are at our Del Monte market every Fri! You guys ROCK I love ur Puntarelle and learning about lots of new recipes and veggies! Keep up the good work!!

Good food picked on the same day it's delivered, Freewheelin Farm brings delicious organically…read moregrown food to your door. Historically localized to Santa Cruz, they have started food share delivery services in San Francisco and Lafayette this season. Freewheelin Farm is established and delivers the goods. This is my first CSA and my first foray into seasonal cooking and I could not have been more impressed with my first delivery. Beautiful heads of baby lettuce, plump albion strawberries, rhubarb, mustard greens, spring onions and garlic and a bounty of fava beans greeted me just yesterday evening. The farmers are wonderful (I met one of them last night) and I'm especially loving the bike delivery. You can still join with pro-rated pricing. You will not be disappointed. Join me in a seasonal cooking adventure. I made an awesome rhubarb and strawberry crisp tonight. Pictures to come.

Love Freewheelin Farm CSA!!!! There are two options for getting the box. You can either have it…read moredelivered to your doorstep or pick it up. I love picking up the box at Garden for the Environment, but it is more convenient for me to have it delivered to my doorstep. I kinda don't pay attention to the weekly newsletter of what is coming in the box because I like to be surprised. This week's unexpected treat...artichokes! I can't wait to visit the farm.

Food: yummy coconut water!! So fresh ! My first time here!…read more Service: good! Nice staff! Ambiance: very casual. Off of the busy street so nothing fancy! :)

Probably the yummiest mangoes (during the season) in entire Bay Area. We come multiple times in the…read moresummer. They also stock homemade Mexican snacks.