Accomplishments & Publications

 

Awards

Received "Creative Action Heroes Award," April 27, 2006, Mendocino Community College, Ukiah, CA

Awarded "Stewards of Sustainable Agriculture Award," 24th Annual Eco Farm Conference, Ecological Farming Association, January 2002, Asilomar, CA

Nominated "Stewards of the Land Award," American Farmland Trust, 2002

Received "Gold Leaf Award," Kindergarten Forum, September 2000, Los Altos, CA

 

Conferences and Workshops

Speakers on Sustainable Agriculture Panel at the Solar Living Institute's Green Careers Conference, November 18, 2006, San Francisco, CA

Speaker with a tri-county panel of experts on local foods at Locavore event with keynote speaker,
Jessica Prentice, October 21, 2005, Mill Valley, CA

Presentation to 80–100 people about LPCF, CSA, and relationship to Peak Oil, Willits Economic LocaLization (WELL), April 11, 2005, Willits, CA

Stephen participated in 3-person solar workshop, Gloria participated of 3-person workshop on CSA,
Eco Farm Conference, January 2005, Asilomar, CA

Speaker at Mendocino Alliance for a Community-Based Economy (MACBE) Founding Member Reception featuring Joanna Macy, December 2003, Ukiah, CA

Workshop leader, Solfest 2003, August 2003, Hopland, CA

Plenary speaker and workshop leader, 2002 Biodynamic National Conference, November 2002,
Eugene, OR

Plenary speaker, Successful Organic Farmers, Eco Farm Conference, January 2002,
Asilomar, CA

Keynote speaker and workshop leader, 2001 CSA Conference, December 2001, Frost Valley Conference Center, Claryville, NY

Workshop leader, Biodynamic National Conference, November 2001, Santa Rosa, CA

Plenary speaker, Oregon Biodynamic Group, February 2001, Eugene, OR

Initiator and organizer for annual Round Valley Harvest Festival, beginning September 2000, Covelo CA. Festival was a celebration of local agricultural bounty, with children’s activities to promote appreciation of the unique agricultural qualities of Round Valley

Workshop leader, Eco Farm Conference, 1999, 1994, and 1991

Workshop leader with Greenbelt Alliance Preserving Farmland and Forging Rural/Urban Linkages, Community Food Systems Conference, October 1996, UC Davis, CA

Speaker at Gaining Ground: How CSAs Can Acquire, Hold, and Pass On Land Workshop, presented by Equity Trust, Inc., The Trust for Public Land and Wisconsin Farmland Conservancy, May 1996, Marin Headlands, Sausalito, CA

Plenary speaker and workshop presenter, 1995 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Conference for the Western Region, November 1995, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA

Planning committee member, 1995 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Conference for the Western Region, 1995, meetings in Mendocino County and the San Francisco Bay Area

Featured speaker, CSA Conference, co-sponsored by UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, the UC Small Farm Center, the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) , UC Cooperative Extension, and Fiddlers’ Green Farm, December 1993, Davis, CA

Workshop leader, Small Farm Conference, 5 years

 

Community Organizations

Current and founding member since 1987, Biodynamic Association of Northern California hosting annual fall quarterly meeting at LPCF

Founding member since 1994, Biodynamic Association of Northern California Apprentice Training Program providing seasonal apprentices with opportunities to study the principles and practices of biodynamic agriculture in several farm settings

Advisory committee member, Equity Trust, Inc., CSA Fund, since 1996

Founding member, Mendocino Alliance for a Community-Based Economy, since 2003. MACBE is a pending local chapter of Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE)

Founding member, Round Valley Agriculture Development Group, 1997-1999. Hosted 15 workshops and lectures to encourage development and self-sufficiency for cottage industry in Covelo

 

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Programs

Founded the San Francisco LPCF CSA in 1988
The San Francisco CSA, established in 1988, was one of the first CSAs in California. CSA members make a commitment to Live Power for the growing season, May through early December, and in return receive a basket of vegetables equivalent to their share of the harvest each week. The CSA requires member participation for sorting and distributing vegetables, which fosters community consciousness. In 1988, 15 families in San Francisco were members. The CSA continues strongly today, with long-term member commitment, little turnover between seasons and over 100 households. The SF LPCF CSA includes other organic family farms providing shares which have included fruit, flowers, grain, poultry and dairy.

Founded the Covelo LPCF CSA in 1989
This CSA uses a similar model as the Bay Area LPCF CSA (except members visit Live Power to pick up their baskets each week, and members can choose to purchase either a full or half share of vegetables). In 1989, 10 families were members. The CSA continues to grow today, and is an important local link with families in Covelo.

Founded the Willits/Ukiah LPCF CSA in 1990.
This CSA uses a similar model as the Bay Area LPCF CSA (except members are not required to participate in sorting and distributing vegetables). With its inception, Live Power became a CSA-only farm, whereby 100% of its crops are sold through CSAs rather than at farmers markets or stores. In 1990, 10 families were members which has now grown to over 40 families.

 

Educational Programs

Founded the Farm Stay program in 1984
Each year 5 northern California Waldorf schools, Prospect Sierra School in El Cerrito, and several local public schools participate in the Farm Stay program by sending classes to LPCF. Throughout the season more than 200 students, ages third grade through high school, stay for up to a week at the farm. The students participate in farming activities which include making compost, planting and weeding crops, shearing sheep, milking cows, plowing with horses, cooking meals and other farm related activities. The Farm Stay program has served as a model for other schools and farms as they developed similar programs.

Founded the Apprentice Training Program in 1990
Every season 5 to 8 apprentices live and work at LPCF. The apprentices learn sustainable farming skills, including field preparation, raising seedlings, planting, watering, weeding, harvesting techniques, composting, and farm maintenance, all of which are organic and biodynamic. Apprentices participate in monthly biodynamic workshops to discuss and study Rudolf Steiner’s writings and biodynamic agriculture. More experienced apprentices learn to work with draft horses, which is Live Power’s alternative to mechanized field preparation and planting. Since its inception, the Apprentice Training Program has trained over 100 future farmers in sustainable agriculture practices.

Awarded funding totaling $8,000 from Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation, 2002–2003, for educational program development and support.

 

Farm Infrastructure

Certified biodynamic farm since 1987

Created Agricultural Shared Equity model with Land Conservation Easement in 1995. Live Power Community Farm purchased 40 acres in a unique way to secure the land for agricultural use in perpetuity. In a large community effort involving CSA members and Waldorf parents, Live Power raised money for the nonagricultural value of the land, which is now held in a conservation easement by Equity Trust, Inc. Since the creation of this model, Equity Trust has worked with four other farms that have similar goals of preserving land for agriculture only. And this model has inspired and guided dozens of other farms in their pursuit of long-term land security.

Awarded grant for $15,000 from The Center for Ecoliteracy, May 2002, for a passive solar classroom utilizing natural building materials.

Awarded extensive grant from Skywards Foundation, 2002, for building a gray-water pond, recycling shed, pump house, solar shower house and water filtration system.

Completed 13-kilowatt photovoltaic solar electric system through the California Energy Commission Rebate Program. Project included rehabilitation of 100-year-old barn.

 

Publications

"Unpaved with Good Intentions," Seth Zuckerman, High Country News, September 18, 2006

"A Community Farm," Lilipoh / America: Reflections on the Destiny of the United States, Christy Korrow, editor, Spring 2005

"Live Power Community Farm, Covelo," From the Farm column, Gloria Decater, Agrarian Advocate, Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), April 2006

"Soil Voodoo," Linnea Due, Terrain Magazine, Fall 2005

"Past the Peak, How the small town of Willits plans to beat the coming energy crisis," R.V. Scheide, North Bay Bohemian, August 10-16, 2005

"Horse-Powered Farm Feeds Hundreds," Claudia Reed, The Willits News, April 12, 2005

"Draft Horse Power Covelo Organic Farm," Claudia Reed, staff writer, The Willits News, Lake County
Record Bee, April 15, 2005

"Land Trusts Ease Control of U.S. Farmland Away From Developers," Michelle Sheehan, Dollars & Sense Magazine, Spring 2005

Outstanding in their Fields: California's Women Farmers, Desmond A. Jolly, editor, Small Farm Center, University of California, 2005

to be of use — the seven seeds of meaningful work, Dave Smith, Co-founder, Smith and Hawken, New World Library, 2005

“Ripe for Change: Rethinking California’s Food Economy,” The International Society for Ecology and Culture (ISEC) Local Food Program, May 2004

“Sharing Cost of Land With Your CSA,” The Natural Farmer, Spring 2004

“Live Power Community Farm, Covelo,” Dave Smith, The Bullhorn, Volume #1, Issue #2 June–July 2003

“Farm in a Box,” Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, May 14, 2003

“Farmers and Farmland for the Future — Beyond Conservation Easements,” educational video, Equity
Trust Inc., 2003

“Harnessing the Power of Place,” Gloria and Stephen Decater, Lilipoh, Issue 29, Autumn 2002

"Community Supported Agriculture in Mendocino County," Margi Gomez, Mendocino Coast Property, real estate magazine, August 2–15, 2002, Volume 16, Number 3, Issue 393

“Local Farming Changes Food Markets,” Angela Watercutter, Associated Press, July 2002

“Giving Farming a Good Name: Three Nominees for AFT’s Steward of the Land Award Share Their Best Practices,” Robyn Miller, American Farmland, Spring 2002

“Keeping Farmland Accessible & Affordable: A Conversation with Equity Trust’s Chuck Matthei,” Beth Holtzman, LandWorks, American Farmland Trust, Volume V, Issue 2, Spring 2002

“Live Power Community Farm: Harnessing the Power of Place,” Gloria and Stephen Decater, Update, National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, February 2002

"Organic Success not Oxymoron," Ali Bay, Capital Press Agriculture Weekly, February 1, 2002

“Fed Up! Genetic Engineering, Industrial Agriculture and Sustainable Alternatives,” video documentary by Angelo Sacerdote, Wholesome Goodness Productions, San Francisco, CA, 2002

“Fresh from the Farm: Community Supported Agriculture Benefits Both Farmers and Consumers,” Dan Imhoff, Saveur, May/June 2001

The New Agrarianism: Land, Culture and the Community of Life, edited by Eric T. Freyfogle, Island Press / Shearwater Books, 2001

“A Community Harvest: Unique Land Trust — and Hard Work — Supports Organic Farm” Laura Hamburg, San Francisco Chronicle, June 28, 2000

“Biodynamics in Mendocino County, CA,” The Voice of Demeter, Newsletter of the Demeter Association, Inc. for Certification of Biodynamic Agriculture, No. 11, Winter 2000

“Working Horses on the Farm,” Michelle Callahan, American Small Farm, September 2000

"CSA Farms Bring Fresh Produce to Local Families," Jennifer Poole, Ukiah Daily Journal, May 21, 2000

“Community Supported Agriculture: Bringing the Dinner Table to the Farm,” Dan Imhoff, The Land Report, a publication of The Land Institute, Number 64, Summer 1999

Sharing the Harvest: A Guide to Community Supported Agriculture, Elizabeth Henderson with Robyn Van En, Chelsea Green Publishing Company, April 1999

“Live Power Farming, Stephen and Gloria Decater,” Beth Bosk, The New Settler Interview, Issue 111,  June/mid-July 1998

“Live Power Farm,” Stephen and Gloria Decater, Agrarian Advocate, Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), Volume 20, Number 2, Spring 1998

Farms of Tomorrow Revisited: Community Supported Farms — Farm Supported Communities, Trauger Groh and Steven McFadden, The Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, Inc., Kimberton, PA, 1997

This Land Shall Be Forever Stewarded: A Story of a Community’s Effort to Preserve the Farm Through Sharing Property Equity, Jered Lawson, Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), Davis, CA, 1997

“Sharing the Cost of Land Tenure and Stewardship,” Luanne Warnock, Sustainable Agriculture, News and Technical Reviews from the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, Vol. 8, No. 2, Spring 1996

Live Power Community Farm, self-published brochure, 1996

“Charles Matthei of Equity Trust, Inc.— On Community, Land Tenure, and the Family Farm,” The New England Trust for Public Land, Summer/Fall 1995

“Communities with a Farm at the Center,” Dan Imhoff, Farmer to Farmer, newsletter of the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), Number 11, September–October 1995

“Covelo Farm Saved,” On Saving Land, A Newsletter for California Land Trusts, Volume 4, Number 4, July/August 1995

“Community Supported Agriculture Offers Working Model for Regional Food Systems,” Jered Lawson,
The Cultivar, The Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems, University of California at Santa Cruz, Vol. 12, No. 2, Summer 1994

Articles on land tenure issues, Live Power Community Farm Newsletter, Issues #18–20, August 1993–July 1994

“Steve and Gloria Decater, Community Supported Agriculture,” David Visher, Small Farm News, Small Farm Center, July/August 1992

“Community Supported Farming Gives Consumers Ties to Land,” Veronique Mistiaen, Pacific News Service, published in Oakland Tribune, The Mountain Eagle, Chicago Tribune, June/July 1992

“The Covelo Farm School,” Joel Morrow, Biodynamics, the Journal of the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, 1988

“The Law of the Hoe,” Ken Brower, Country Journal, July 1988

 

Radio

Gloria and Stephen Decater with Linda Macelwee and Sara McCamant, The Farm and Garden Show,
KZYX, October 2, 2006

Stephen Decater on LPCF's energy sources, Alternative Energy Show, KZYX, Fall 2005

Ritual and Food, interview on biodynamic farming, The Beyond Organic Show, July 6, 2005.

Interview with Els Cooperrider on horse farming, The Party's Over radio show, KZYX radio, March 28, 2005