2016 Spring Farm Tour

Our annual spring farm tour for the general public is Sunday, May 22nd, starting at 10:30am.  Please see the columns below for details on times, directions, and pricing.  Here's  what to expect on the tour:

On the main farm (near Elkhorn Slough) we'll visit the baby chicks, broiler chickens on pasture, pigs, and rabbits.  The baby chicks are always a favorite with kids.   Our tours focus a lot on education and tend to be very information-dense.  We discuss the specifics of "organic," "free range," and other value-added labeling terms; humane handling/slaughter; and how pasture condition and animal breeds affect the quality of our meat and eggs.  By about noon, folks who need to leave can do so, and everyone else will follow us to visit the laying hens on their pasture in Corralitos, about a 25 minute drive north.

There is a lot of walking on the tour, some of it uphill and some of it through tall grass.  Some stations involve long stops in direct sunlight, especially if there are lots of questions.  There are bathrooms and a place to fill water bottles on the main farm; there are no such facilities in Corralitos.  On the main farm we have a rest spot for parents with young kids and nursing moms (kids are welcome and encouraged!), but there are no amenities for picnicking, etc.  Pets are not allowed.

You may have visited other farms that cater to agri-tourists and have lovely landscaping, picnic areas, animals to pet, berries to pick, etc.  These places offer a great way to relax in a rural environment.  So that  you are not disappointed after driving all the way out to our farm for a tour, please take note that our farm is more focused on food production, and our tours more focused on education.  We don't have much in the way of landscaping or amusements.  

When:

10:30 am: Tour begins.  Please arrive 10-15 minutes early to allow time for parking, restrooms, etc.

12:00 pm: Tour of the main farm (Elkhorn area) ends.  Caravan departs for optional tour of laying hen pasture (Corralitos; drive time approx. 25 minutes).

1:30 pm: Tour of laying hen pasture ends. 

Price:

Tour price is $8 per adult or $15 per passenger car (up to 4 adults).  Kids are free.

Payment can be made by cash or check at the time of the tour (sorry, we can't take credit cards).  You can also pay in advance at the farmer's market or by sending a check (or cashier's check/money order) in the mail to:

Fiesta Farm
PO Box 1922
Watsonville, CA 95077

What to wear/bring:

All tour participants should wear sturdy closed-toe shoes.  Hiking boots and long pants are encouraged, as mesh-top sneakers will pick up hitchhikers and bare legs will get scratched in tall grass.   

Please bring a water bottle and any snacks that you or your kids will need.  Folks attending the second part of the tour in Corralitos are especially encouraged to bring something to eat in between.

There is a bathroom and place to wash hands and fill water bottles at the main farm.  There are no bathrooms and no drinking water in Corralitos.

Pets:

No outside animals are allowed on the farm.   Our livestock guardian dogs' only goal in life is to keep other animals off the property, so even well-behaved pets on a leash create a disturbance.  Most of the parking spots are not shaded, so leaving a pet in your vehicle is also not an option.

Where (Directions):

Tour begins at the main farm, located near the Elkhorn Slough just south of Watsonville. 

From 101 (coming from either the north or the south): Exit the highway at San Miguel Canyon Rd.  Take San Miguel Cyn past the Prunedale shopping center and stoplights and continue up the hill for a few miles.  

From Hwy 1 (coming from either north or south):
Exit the highway at Salinas Rd.  Take Salinas Rd. to the east and shortly after the golf course you'll need to veer right and downhill onto Werner Rd.  From the stop sign at the bottom of Werner Rd turn right onto Hall Rd, and then right again at the fire station onto Elkhorn Rd.  (If you get to the "Las Lomas Market" you've gone too far.)  

Getting Home: If you're leaving from the main farm property, simply retrace your route to get home.  If departing from the Corralitos pasture, you'll enter Highway 1 from the Freedom Blvd exit and can head north or south from there.  Allow 5-10  minutes drive time from the pasture to Highway 1.  The Corralitos pasture is leased, not owned by our farm.  Pasture access is shared with a private residence (not ours) so we cannot publicly post the address.

IMPORTANT:  Contact info for the day of the tour is 831-331-9051.  Cell reception on the farm is poor, so text messages are much more likely to reach us and receive a speedy response.  We will not be able to respond to emails on the day of the tour.

Kids:

Kids are always welcome on our tours, and they love to meet and interact with the animals.  There is also space designated for parents with kids who need to take a break from the tour, and nursing moms.

That said, our farm is oriented more towards producing food and less towards agritourism.  We are not a petting zoo, children's museum, or picnic destination.  The tour involves a lot of walking, including up-hill and in tall grass.  

Kids should wear close-toed shoes and long pants.  Please bring your own water bottle and snacks.