Suzie’s Farm in San Diego – A Perfect Family Outing

This blog post is written by guest blogger and San Diego mom, Rabecca Ranaldi.

I love Saturdays now. Ever since football season ended and we didn’t have to haul the family out of the house toting coolers and duffel bags full of stinky sweaty gear at the crack of dawn I have enjoyed the extra half-hour or two (maybe three) of cuddling and lazy cartoon watching with my three crazy munchkins.  This last Saturday we sat cuddled up in bed watching cartoons and the kids asked what fun thing were we going to do that day. Wow… I had nothing planned, but do I tell them that? Heck no.

I pulled up Facebook and scoured my favorite San Diego blog pages and found one on a local site I pop in and visit quite frequently; San Diego Bargain Mama.  Their weekend events post written by SoCal Kids San Diego listed a tour at a local San Diego vegetable farm.

PERFECT!

“Okay Kids, we’re going to a farm!”

They all cheered with excitement.  Little did I know that I should have elaborated ahead of time that sometimes a “farm” doesn’t always mean cows, horses and pigs…

A little about Suzie’s Farm: They are located 13 miles south of Downtown San Diego.  They are a USDA-certified organic farm filling 140 acres year-round with over 100 varieties of seasonal vegetables, herbs flowers and fruits.  They proudly call themselves a farm-ily that consists of 85 employees, a couple farm dogs and about 300 egg-laying hens!  The farm was created by Robin Taylor and Lucila De Alejandro whose mission since its creation in 2004 has been feeding San Diegans the “freshest and highest quality produce while creating a community of people who are passionate about organic, locally grown produce”.

I can’t help but love the fact that the farm was named after a stray Norwegian Elkhound that was found on the property in early 2004.  The first items grown at Suzie’s were edible flowers and herbs while operating next to Sun Grown Organic Distributors.  Now they grow over 100 varieties of vegetables, herbs and fruits on the beautiful farmland.  In 2010 they also began their CSA program which has quickly become a firm foundation for supporting their mission to bring high quality organic produce to the local community.

Between the many tours they offer to the local community to educate adults and children alike, the programs created which are fully functioning on the farm property itself and their reputation widespread throughout San Diego County at the local farmers markets for their quality produce… I have not seen a better ‘Farm-ily’ operated farm. The character of their employees, quality of their produce and passion within their mission stands out against all others.

My kids and I gathered up our stuff (when I say stuff I literally mean STUFF: each kid had some kind of farm related stuffed animal in hand as they climbed into the car- which they were instructed would STAY in the car once we arrived) and we had 30 minutes to get down to the farm on time. Head on over to my little blog and read about how our trip turned out!

MOM Tips:

• The “2nd Saturday Harvest Tou” costs $10/person and that covers your share of fresh take home veggies from set up at the end. These veggies lasted a week in our house! They only charged me $5 for the kids, though, since we didn’t grab any veggies for each of them – just for me.
•  It is recommended that you wear closed-toe shoes and long pants, pack a lunch/snacks and bring a reusable bag for your veggies. I heard from a previous customer that you can reserve a private tour and be able to eat your sack lunch (that you take from home) by the edge of the beautiful farm.  I’m not sure the exact cost but I believe it’s listed on the website and think it would be a wonderfully enjoyable experience. I also heard that its a good  idea to go back at all different times of year to experience their different crop seasons, which I plan to do as well!

Want to contact Suzie’s farm? Suzie’s Farm is located at 2550 Sunset Ave, 92154.

For more information, call 619.662.1780 or visit them at www.suziesfarm.com.

A LITTLE ABOUT ME:

Hi my name is Rabecca Ranaldi, a mother, wife, sister, daughter and friend. I am proudly a San Diego native; California born and bred. I began writing in Kindergarten but more memorably in high school where I learned that poetry and creative writing could be used as an emotional outlet to not only express yourself but allow others to glimpse into your world and really feel what you are going through. I usually write for my own benefit, it just so happens sometimes other people actually like it too.”

Tags: bargains, Budget-Friendly in the Kitchen, organic gardening, outdoor fun, savvy consumer, Suzie's Farm

Category: Community Connections, Food and Fun, Going Green, Guest Bloggers, Sustainable Living Blogger Rabecca