Dig Deep Farms, a nonprofit program of the Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs’ Activities League, has been granted a five-year lease to engage in organic heritage farming at the East Bay Regional Park District’s Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont. Dig Deep will continue a farming program at Ardenwood that had been operated by J.E. Perry Farms since the mid-1980s. Perry Farms’ tenure ended when the owner retired in 2020.
“The lease is an important step to continue the historical farming at Ardenwood and provide the public, especially youngsters, an opportunity to learn about the history of science and agriculture and what life was like in the late 1800s and early 1900s, said Ayn Wieskamp, who represents Fremont on the park district’s board of directors.
“The farming operation provides the mechanical labor that produces all of the traditional heritage fruits and vegetables, all of which helps educate visitors about the history of agriculture in the region.”
Ardenwood is a 205-acre working farm owned by the city and operated by the park district. The original owner was George Patterson, a ’49er who found wealth in the farm fields instead of the gold fields. The property includes a beautiful Victorian mansion and elaborate gardens. Interpretive staff and volunteers guide visitors through the mansion, demonstrate historical farming practices and chores and bring to life the world of a prosperous, early 20th century farming estate. Ardenwood receives more than 120,000 visitors annually.
Dig Deep Farms uses traditional farming methods and has years of organic farming experience, says Alameda County Supervisor Richard Valle. Its methods minimize waste and maximize nutrient-rich soil and produce. Dig Deep is expected to begin site preparations in June, with the first crop harvest in late summer or early fall.
Ardenwood Historic Farm is now open, but entry is permitted only with advance registration. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. You can obtain more information and register up to two weeks in advance by phoning 888-327-2757, option 2 (from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays), or you can register online at ebparks.org. Each group should be from just one household, please.
While you are at the website, by all means take the district’s 2021 Community Survey. Your responses help the park district to improve and expand its services. The survey is one of the series of displays at the top left of the website home page. It’s available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Korean. To fill it out, go to ebparks.org/Survey2021.
Swimming: The swim beaches at Del Valle Regional Park south of Livermore are reopening as of Memorial Day weekend. This is the first time since 2019 that the lake is offering swimming. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the park is operating at 50% capacity with two caveats: please bring your own drinking water because the park’s water system is undergoing construction, and mosquito repellant is advisable since it’s mosquito season.
Safety tips: It looks like we are in for another extremely hot, dry summer. So here are a few safety tips:
- Be sure to carry plenty of water for yourself and your dog if you’ll have one with you. Once you’re away from the trailheads and picnic areas, there are no sources of potable water.
- Protect yourself from the sun. Apply sunscreen and wear wide-brimmed headgear. Nothing ruins a pleasant outing faster than a sunburn.
- Take along a park map. Maps can be downloaded from the park district website or obtained at trailhead information panels. Keep track of where you are so that if there’s a problem, you can tell the rangers via cell phone where to find you.
- Smoking, including vaping, is prohibited in the regional parks.
- Be extremely careful with fire. Barbecuing is allowed only in the established barbecue stands. Be sure that the coals are completely extinguished, then dispose of them only in the existing stand or pit, or the concrete receptacles designed for that purpose. Don’t dump coals in garbage cans or refuse bins. During extreme weather conditions, all open flames may be prohibited.
- The emergency number in the regional parks is 911 or 510-881-1121. For nonemergency business, call 510-881-1833.
Ned MacKay writes about East Bay Regional Park District sites and activities. Email him at nedmackay@comcast.net.
