In the Fields, March 5, 2026

AI-generated image: A medium shot captures a few strawberry bushes in a field of red berries with hills in the background on a bright, slightly cloudy day.

Hundreds of new lavender plants are being planted on Black Mountain, expanding this summer’s harvest season. Two varieties—English and Provence—are favored by Deanna Schaefer of Point Reyes Lavender Company, who air-dries and steam-distills the organic blossoms for their therapeutic properties. By planting on the contours of the mountain, she can take advantage of the sun and excellent drainage of the exposed rocky soil, using only a natural spring for irrigation. “Lavender doesn’t like to have its feet wet,” she said. Her team is also planting more calendula, an aromatic flower in the daisy family that is popular for its anti-inflammatory properties.

The lush pastures of Giacomini Dairy on the eastern shores of Tomales Bay have soaked up the recent storms, a timely feast for the farm’s Holsteins. The 450 milk cows are on the move, rotating through pastures to give the grass some rest. That’s important because in early May, the rye grass will be cut and turned into silage, a fermented fodder that supplies a quarter of the feed needed during the dry days of summer. The dairy, which provides milk for Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, has almost finished installing rooftop solar panels on its office, supplementing the power generated by its methane digesters. 

Blue Marble Acres is waiting for soil to start drying out before it breaks ground on newly expanded strawberry fields on a half-acre that was once part of the Spaletta family’s Cypress Lane Ranch. Bare root plants will go in the ground in early April; berries are expected in May. It’s especially hard work because the former dairy has never been cultivated, said Edgar Cox, who oversees planting. Greenhouse-grown artichokes, cauliflower, broccoli, onions and shallots will be ready to transplant in three weeks. Located along Point Reyes-Petaluma Road, the farm’s yellow mustard fields are dazzling. But mustard is invasive, and sheep provided by Jenna Coughlin of Shepherds of the Coast will soon be grazing it.

By Lisa Krieger

Original article published on March 4, 2026

https://www.ptreyeslight.com/features/in-the-fields-march-5-2026/