Live Power Community Farm

Founded by Stephen and Gloria Decater, Live Power Community Farm is a solar electric and horse-powered, diversified, Demeter certified biodynamic farm. The farm began operating as a CSA in 1988, making it one of the first farms in California to initiate a Community Sustained Agriculture model demonstrating associative economic principles, and it remains 100% community rather than market based with all of its production distributed to its member community.

It is farmed with biodynamic farming practices, utilizing the biodynamic compost preparations and field sprays to culture the soil and the compost and complete the maturing and ripening processes of the crops to produce the highest nutritional quality, balance, flavor and vitality. The farm is operated as a whole living organism which generates all its needs for maintaining soil fertility and livestock feed through on farm composting of animal manures and crop residues, soil cover cropping, field rotation, and on farm feed production. Four acres of the farm are devoted on a rotating basis to an intensive vegetable garden hosting some 80 varieties of vegetables and herbs. We use a glasshouse and cold frames to propagate vegetable and flower transplants, and grow home orchard fruits and field and forage crops for hay, grain, and pasture. Animal husbandry includes draft horses, dairy and beef cows, feeder pigs, sheep, and laying hens.

Each season the farm provides agricultural and food system education and skill development opportunities for beginning farmers, three day on farm class visits for school children and adults, inter-farm and public group visits and tours, and draft horse workshops.