Happy Passover and Easter (and other Spring occasions!)
Summer time feels like it is in full swing, the birds are singing, the monarch caterpillars are hatching out, and of course, the strangely mythical Easter bunny has littered the ground with plastic eggs.
This week is spring break for us, and I’d like to take the opportunity to invite you to general playdates with us at either the morning events (below). I apologize for sending this email out a bit late for you advanced planners, but if you have a free spot, this week is the optimal week to see Underwood farms before the heat overwhelms everyone.
Tuesday (today): Underwood farms Moorpark (http://www.underwoodfamilyfarms.com/Easter_on_the_Farm.html)
This is the larger of the Underwood farms, and they are having an Easter special, which can turn pricey, but there are a lot of free entertainment at the park. You can pick your own strawberries here as well.
Thursday (April 17th): Underwood Farms Somis (http://www.underwoodfamilyfarms.com/pick_your_own_blueberries.html)
This is a further drive, but their blueberry bushes are netted and we had a lot of fun last year. It’s right next to the strawberry patch and I usually turn a blind eye during this day towards fruits eaten right off the bush and ground.
Neither farms are certified organic, but they use the minimum of pesticides (usually none) only when there is a real threat. They use an integrated pest management which includes composting and keeping the crops in the optimal health (since bugs/disease attack the sickly plants first) that you can read more about in:
http://www.underwoodfamilyfarms.com/Sustainable_Agriculture.html
Friday we will have our usual Garden Club! This week’s topic will be integrated pest management. This is just a fancy word for: how to get rid of bugs using a variety of things before resorting to chemical sprays. Right now you will have noticed a few aphids popping out and maybe a swarm of whiteflies hovering over, but nipping things at the bud will save 
you time and headaches in the future. And since it is so close to Easter, we can have a reverse egg hunt, where we’ll give you an egg, you can fill it up with a little bit of wheatgrass seeds and and soil. Take them home to germinate some bunny food, and then in a week you should have an egg-full of edible wheatgrass that you can nibble on.
Wendy found a great deal on groupon a family admission to the LA County Arboetum in Arcadia. We’re sadly not getting it because it’s too far from us, but if you are interested, you should collaborate to see if one of you can get it for free!
http://www.groupon.com/deals/los-angeles-county-arboretum-and-botanic-garden-5
This week’s events:
This Tuesday, April 15: 10AM Moorpark Underwood Farms–Easter festivities. Bring sun protection and cool water.
This Thursday, April 18: 10AM Somis Underwood Farms–Blueberry picking. Bring sun protection and cool water and a basket (they have little plastic containers, but those are difficult for little hands).
This Friday, April 19 : Garden Club CDI
Next week Garden club will move to Thursday, April 24th. I’ll remind you in my email next week, but here is advance warning!
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