Pasqual cheered at Farm-to-Table party at the Gizdich Ranch
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Central Coast Chapter
Before people began to show up at her ranch in Watsonville, Nita Gizdich was fretting a little that her barn might be too chilly for a mid-December party. But with the wood stove glowing under pots of hot water and cider in the corner and some 100 people circulating around the food and drink tables, the chill was moderated to a crispness that was just right.
They all came for the CAFF Central Coast Chapter's Farm to Table Celebration and Holiday Party at Gizdich Ranch, organized by Octavia Jolley, Sam Earnshaw and Reggie Knox. The hors d'oeuvres and beverage selection, donated collectively by Bittersweet Bistro, Corralitos Market and Sausage Co., New Leaf Community Market, Wolavers Organic Beer and Wine, Bonny Doon Vineyards, Gabriella's Cafe, Oswald's, Southern Exposure Bistro, Gizdich Ranch and Santa Cruz Coffee Co. were proclaimed fantastic and enthusiastically consumed by all.
The evening's entertainment included live bluegrass music, presentations by Dave Runsten and Reggie Knox on local marketing options, a silent auction and recognition of Cathy Carlson and Nick Dimarco as the chapter's Volunteers of the Year.
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Upon receiving the chapter's Organic Pioneer Farmer Award, Nick Pasqual treated his audience to a 15-minute overview of his time in California agriculture since arriving from the Philippines in 1931.
"One of the first things I did was laying raisin trays around Fresno for two cents a tray," he said. "If you were a good worker you could sometimes make two dollars a day."
Nick shifted to organic production methods after starting his own farm simply because "spraying (pesticides) made me sick." He stuck with it even though at first only two distributors would carry "unsprayed" produce.
A smile lit Pasqual's face as he recalled feeding hungry hippies who came to his farm in the 60s. "They were good kids, so I always tried to help them. They didn't hurt anything."
