Headed to the desert.

We know Stephen has followed our journey across the United States visiting sustainable farms. We have his phone number and he has our address. He will arrive to meet us and take us over the border to Mexico in an hour and a half.

In the truck later that day, on the road to Mexicali.

John receives the phone call saying our host is downstairs and we take a breath and head out. Stephen is the size of a lumberjack and shakes our hands smiling and apologizing about the traffic. His German Shepherd, Max, is going berserk, barking in the back of his pickup. Stephen lets him out for a “potty break” as we climb into the truck. John’s elbow hits something as he rests it on the console, and we look down to find a small machete. We both look at each other and say, “What are we doing?”

Meet Max...

By 8:30, we smile as we listen to Stephen talk about his family and watch his face light up as he describes taking them to see the farm grounds he manages. We manage to get past the barking German shepherd in the back of his truck and the pint sized machete stuffed between the passenger seat and console. What began as an anxiety riddled car ride with a stranger, who happened to need a German shepherd for personal protection and wield a machete, has become a road trip with a hilarious friend who charms us with his dedication and openness to his profession. For the next 36 hours, we shadow Stephen as he does his job and does it well.

Turns out Max is very well trained, and a good guy to have around.

Our first stop was an 1800 acre farm near Brawley, California. Stephen is the contact for Sun Terra Produce Traders and acts as the general manager. The farm employs hundreds of people, working together to meet strict guidelines for safety and health practices set forth by the USDA. The safety manager, Greg, tells us that many of the problems bigger ag. production faces today occur not in production but how the produce is handled after it has left the farm. Regardless, Greg and his team go through meticulous detail to ensure the growing and harvesting processes are as sanitary as humanly possible. Stephen receives order for certain numbers of crops through Sun Terra and works with owners of the land to research the crop, prepare for the growing season, and raise the crop. The farm rotates the crops grown on the land so as to preserve the nutrients in the soil and maintain year-round production.

Kate walks carefully through the rows so she will not damage any of the plants. Hairnets are a must for food safety laws.

Skilled farm workers move with an efficiency that I have rarely seen. This is not "unskilled labor", they are fast and efficient.

When enough of the crop has been harvested, huge trucks cart the produce to a Sun Terra office location just a few miles away where the produce is chilled and packaged in a huge warehouse. There it sits until the delivery truck arrives shortly thereafter and brings it to locations all over the country. We visit the location on a slower day and are told that, when the harvest season is at its height, trucks are lined up for miles waiting to receive their cargo. Forklifts speed and twirl past each other with swift movements controlled by their drivers who look as though they could manage the machines blindfolded. But not today.

Someone way smarter than me invented a way to flash-cool hundreds of pounds of produce with speed and little waste. The door shut on this guy and in less than an hours lettuce is chilled and ready for shipping.

These operators could fly on forklifts the size of large trucks. I give them credit for never spilling any produce.

People safety and food safety, always in practice.

As we approach the border, Stephen regales us with stories of growing up in Brawley and his adventures over the Mexican/US border. Getting in is easy, he says. It’s getting back out that can be tricky. Like myself, there’s not much his parents let him get away with and the PG-13 jaunts in Tijuana and Mexicali usually ended up with him grounded or in trouble. That said, Mom, Dad, sorry I forgot to tell you we were going to Mexico. We had a great time!

Stephen, having made this trip many times, was familiar with a lovely hotel in a safe neighborhood frequented by American business people that would do just fine for the evening. Before visiting the greenhouse construction project Stephen had initiated, we checked into the hotel, threw our bags down, and got a bite to eat.

We shared the road with some interesting characters. This guy had NO control over where the donkey wanted to go. Stubborn as a mule!

Interestingly enough, Mexicali is known for its great Chinese food. Early in the 20^th century, many Chinese immigrated to the US and found work at the Colorado River Land Company, building railroads and irrigation systems. To date, decedents of that migration reside in Mexicali and know how to make some mean Chinese food!

The next day, we visited Rancho Del Desierto, a 2,000 acre plot of land being cultivated for crop production under Stephen’s management. This land sees everything from onions to table grapes. While Stephen met with contractors for a new project on the property, we toured the land with Jose, Stephen’s right hand man. His English was about as good as John’s Spanish and we spent around an hour talking about the land, the jobs, our families and the cultural differences between our homelands. The man was a walking agricultural encyclopedia and fascinated us with his knowledge of the property.

Natural wind breaks are planted to protect the onions from the strong winds.

A "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" view of green onions.

Skilled laborers bunch onions.

Off-season grape vines. Stephen's farm produces wine grapes and table grapes.

A splash of color in the desert.

The closer to the border we neared on the West Coast, the more people seemed to have strong opinions about the safety of travel in Mexico. John and I learned that drug cartels have made many areas in Mexico treacherous and considered whether or not we were making a smart decision by going down there. For as nervous as we were traveling to Mexico with a “stranger” we met on the internet, John and I realized that, by opening up his life and career to two traveling strangers, Stephen had taken a risk as well. And, in all that we have learned, we know that without great risk, there will be no great reward.

Letting Max go "potty".

Thanks Stephen!

Text by Kate, Photos by John & Stephen

Upon deciding to take 2012 and spend it at a farm, working with our hands and catching a glimpse into our future, John and I were brimming with excitement. We could just imagine the sense of satisfaction we would experience knowing that each day we would spend our hours learning about something we love, something we were willing to give up our old lives and careers to pursue. We chose to apply to farms that embodied our values, could teach us plenty, and those who looked like they had a good time doing so. The two of us enthusiastically retailored resumes, drafted cover letters, and filled out questionnaires, eager to get across our passion and dedication. And, with hopeful hearts and minds, we submitted them. And now we wait.

And wait.

And wait some more.

While we mused over what our time on a farm would be like, we kind of forgot about this “in-between time” where we would have to wait to find out if we would even get the jobs. I think, after spending so much time dictating how we would live, where we would go, and what we could do, we forgot what it was like to be on someone else’s schedule. Nothing has reminded us so clearly of this as the process of applying for jobs and the totally necessary element of waiting.

We’ve taken to calling this our “limbo” where we are killing time as productively as possible. We have both been keeping busy, in the meantime, working on side projects, processing the hours of photographs, notes, and video taken over the course of seven months. Additionally, John has dived into what is to be considered a culmination of all of those parts with his project Farm Marketing Solutions. Much more on that to come in the next few months. If his commitment to this project is any indication of its success, things look very bright. Until then, we are indescribably grateful to have family and friends put up with us until we hear back about our applications.

If there is anything that this trip has exemplified for me, it is that time is elastic. How many times have you thought to yourself, “That day FLEW by!” or the (sometimes miserable) opposite: “When will this day be over with?!” Coming back to the East Coast has already provided plenty of examples of both. This “limbo” period seems to exacerbate the polarity of how time goes by. And we find ourselves faced with two options: let it drive us mad as it crawls by or give it hell and use every second we have wisely to make the most of our future in agriculture.

Let’s give ‘em hell!

For those who have not heard, Kate and I are taking this year to work on an organic vegetable farm somewhere on the East Coast. Since the New Year, we have spent time in San Diego and then put ourselves on a plane with our gear to fly back to New York/Connecticut. Well, we flew, and our bikes traveled FedEx ground. Because they’re afraid of flying. Imagine that.

We are just ending a short stint in New York City, showing my Mom around town, and saying hello to a few friends and family. Thursday, we head back to Connecticut to see more friends and family, and to continue work on our various projects. We will spend our weekdays in February working much, and sleeping much less. During the weekends, we will be seeing friends and family in New York,  Connecticut, and Boston.

We have not heard a definite yes or no from any farms as of yet. We are hoping to end up somewhere in New York, but we just cannot say who will have us yet. It’s a weird limbo period for us. The farms we have applied to have had to let their application deadlines run out, giving a fair shake to anyone that wishes to work on their farms. Did I do a good enough job keeping it vague? Bottom line is that you will know when we know, and right now, we don’t know.

Working Online

Kate and I are looking forward to being in one place and having time alone to work on our bicycle trip book. It is no small feat to process all the information from the trip. It is as an exciting venture as taking the trip. It has been fun to look back on the good days and the bad, and try to put them into words others will want to read. Not to mention, I have roughly one trillion digital photos, and hours of video.

The finished product will be published much the way Alastair Humphrey published his most recent travel book, There are Other Rivers. (If you haven’t picked up your copy yet, I strongly suggest you do. It’s a great read.)

I have been working on a side project that will launch this summer. To talk in cycling metaphors, the frame is built, I am starting to put on the components, and this spring will be spent fine tuning it, so that when it launches, it will provide a smooth and enjoyable ride. It is a project to help family farmers with the business side of producing food, and quite frankly I’m pretty excited. I want it vague for now because as the saying goes “Loose Lips Sink Ships.” To ensure you are one of the first to hear about this project Like us on Facebook, or Follow us on Twitter.

Amidst farming and writing, I also plan on further developing the FoodCyclist website this year. I will finally get caught up on gear reviews, photo galleries, video, and a gift shop. This will help me enhance your experience, so that when we hit the road again in 2013, the site will be an even greater resource for those who would like to follow along. With only about 40 hours required of us at the farm, it will not be hard to find time to make the rest of it work.

Part of producing our books and materials has been becoming an expert in Social Media. Much like craft beer and organic farming, social media experts or SMEs have seen positive growth in their market place. I have been studying best practices for social media marketing, so that I may apply my knowledge to our various projects. This will be very helpful the day Kate and I start a farm of our own. I am attending several events in New York City during the global Social Media Week from February 13-17. Some events that I am most excited for are held by one of my favorite social media companies, Likeable Media, right here in NY City.

It may all seem like a lot, but it feels good to be busy. It is all very exciting, and none of it feels like work. We are very motivated, and working very hard at what we are doing. This has been a serious transition for us, and we are getting to do what we love. Believe it or not, we have kicked some other projects to the back burner to give all the above mentioned work our full attention. I used to be in the entertainment business, now I’m going to be the World’s First Adventurer/Farmer.

Working on the Blog

For this year, we will keep up the photos and Video Vignettes based on our farming experiences. I have a bunch of photos to put up from Southern California still, and those posts are in draft form right now. It has been a real whirlwind coming back East, and there is definitely some serious adjustment taking place. It has been good to see more familiar faces, and familiar places. Jet-lag is fun and great! I recommend it!

Working on the Future

Our travel days are not over yet! For those who have written in telling me, “It was just getting good. I wanted to see you struggle in some far-off land.”, do not worry. It will come. This year will allow us to gain further knowledge in agriculture before going abroad. It will also allow us to really develop the site so that the experience is even better for you when we start to travel again.

Right now, we have definite plans to leave the States January 2013. Our first stop, Indonesia. We’re going to start off on foot with just backpacks, and then travel through Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand in 2013. At some point we’ll either have our bikes sent out, or buy a couple of cheap bikes to get from place to place.

After SE Asia we head to Europe for 2014. Perhaps we’ll have a stint in India in there, or some other new and interesting place. The beautiful thing is that Kate and I can change our plans as we see fit. The steps we are taking this year will hopefully provide a mobile source of income so that we will be able to work from anywhere, and thus, go anywhere. To answer the frequently asked question, “How do you do this? Did you win the lottery?” My answer is no, it takes a LOT of hard work, and the willingness to follow your dreams, for better or worse. If we had won the lottery, we might be in another country right now.

One thing is for certain, we are not done traveling! (Much to the dismay of our mothers.) We are happy to be back on the East Coast living our dreams, and making it all happen. Just cross your fingers that we end up on a great farm this year.

This brewery has literally “bought the farm.” Rogue Ales of Newport Beach, OR has a Hopyard and Barley Farm and uses the ingredients grown there in their beer. They are taking steps to close the loop in the beer supply chain. Great example: They grow pumpkins on their farm, roast them in their kitchen, and put them in their (delicious) Pumpkin Patch Ale. They’re not the only brewery on the West Coast that has done this. Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, CA also has a farm from which they source ingredients for their beer (more on them in posts to come)!

I have a feeling we’re going to see more of this in the beer world as time goes on. Why, you ask? Brewers of craft beer go the extra mile for their sudsy creations. Naturally, they care about each ingredient that goes into the beer because it greatly effects the quality of the product. If you’re making a killing brewing your hearts desire, why wouldn’t you try your hand at producing the ingredients for the product about which you are most passionate? Craft breweries are making strides to lessen the impact they have on the earth while increasing the impact they have on our pallets. They may be the greenest businesses out there (besides family farmers! Seeing this first hand brings a proud tear to my beer-loving eye.

We started our brewery tour with a tasting. What better introduction to a great brewery then sampling some of the product the freshest you can get it?

Because we had been cycling, and we believe in responsible consumption, Rogue hooked us up with something to put in our bellies. It became immediately obvious that people who care this much about their beer also care a ton about their food. They even combine the two. That's right. You will find Rogue's beer in your chili, Reuben, Ale bread, fish & chips, pizza, cheese soup, mussels, and pita!

With our bellies full, we took a tour with brewmaster John Maier. John has been with Rogue since 1989. At the top of these stairs is where he works his magic.

John shows us the computer used in the brewing process. Former Senior Technician at Hughes Aircraft Company, John is a smart dude. It takes a real pro to produce good beer on a large scale.

Here, malted barley and hot water is combined to create "wort" or young beer. The hot water extracts the fermentable sugars that the yeast eat a little later along the process.

Once the spent grains have been removed, the wort goes to the boil kettle. The boil removes any organisms that are not water in the beer. At this point, hops are added for bittering and aroma, as well as spices (depending on the beer) for flavor.

Specific beers are aged in barrels that were once used for whiskey, bourbon, or wine. The barrels add unique flavors and complexity to the beer.

Finally, the beer is sent to the bottling line. After this, it is ready for transport to beer-fanatics across the country.

Ever the attentive brewmaster, John inspects a bottle right off the line. This is one of my favorite pictures of the trip. Imagine capturing a picture of your favorite artist in the midst of creation. Beer is an art as much as painting and photography, and John is up there with the greats.

Rogue’s Mission is one that I can get behind:

To brew the finest varietal ales in the world with an uncompromising devotion to Quality and the Art of Brewing.

To present the finished work with a touch of educational, entertaining mischief.

To be dedicated to the Rogue in each of us.

To remember it is not simply a matter of profit, but a highly personal work of art.

To build relationships, not just ales.

To be like great friends and remember it’s what’s inside that counts.

Our Rogue experience in Newport Beach was a memorable one for sure. Thanks to John for showing us around, and sharing his art.

The awesomeness does not stop there. John is an avid cyclist, and bikes to work every day. His wife, Stacey, heard about our trip though our friends at PubQuest.com and hooked us up in a huge way. Rogue has their own B&B (Bed & Beer) across the river from the brewery. The first floor is a beer bar that features Rogue’s many delicious brews. The top floor has several little apartments for those who are in town visiting Newport.

Kate & I started our day without anywhere to sleep that night. No big deal, as we had done that dozens of times before. Well, Stacey & John couldn’t stand having us continue our ride down the Pacific Coast Highway searching for a camp ground at the end of the day. They put us up in the B&B for a night. Let me tell you, for two people who go long stretches without showers, privacy, or a comfortable bed, this was heaven! Even if we had all those things and this was just a vacation spot that we drove to, it would have stood out as an experience we’d remember forever.

We spent the night drinking fresh Rogue beer, listening to the seals in the harbor right outside our window, and airing out our wet camping gear. The kindness and generosity shown to us was overwhelming. They believe in what we are doing, and they showed their appreciation in the best way possible.

With over a dozen beer locations, nationwide distribution, and a busy brewing schedule, Rogue still took the time to help out the little guys. It wasn’t the first time we had been lent a helping hand, and it wouldn’t be the last. From someone who has traveled our country extensively, in perhaps the most vulnerable way possible, I want to let you know, people are good. The frightening state of the world on the news today is mostly sensationalized to boost ratings, and, despite the contrary, it is OK to step out of your comfort-zone.

We will always look back fondly on our ride down the Pacific Coast. The power and serenity of the Pacific Ocean is both inspiring and humbling. We might not have ever seen it, if we didn't take a chance and leave comfort and routine behind.

With the wide world looming right in front of us, there have been a lot of tough decisions to make. Where should we go? What should we do? What will we see and learn when we get there? We realized, that if we are to study agriculture abroad, perhaps we should learn a little more about it first. Not to say these last 6 months have not educated us. Far from it. We have seen what American agriculture has to offer, and perhaps have a better perspective than most. However, before we go forward, Kate and I would really like the experience of living and working on a sustainable farm for an entire season. We would like to experience, from seed to harvest, just what it takes to grow our own food. That experience will better prepare us for the questions we want answered from agriculture abroad.

With that sentiment, we are officially letting everyone know our plans for 2012. As of right now, Kate and I are staying in the United States through most of 2012 to work the land and learn how to grow our own food. We still have plans to see the world and we are still holding onto our plans to travel by bicycle. We are just going to spread them out throughout our lives instead of doing it all at once. We will still keep FoodCyclist.com up to date with photos and stories of our adventures, and we hope that you will all keep in touch and experience them with us.

This trip of ours started because we wanted to follow our dreams. Those dreams change and clarify as we discover and experience more and more.  We always have our careers and future in mind. As many things that happen to us by chance, each step has been carefully thought out with our best interests in mind. These last few years leading up to our bicycling adventures and the bicycling adventures themselves have been a lot of work. We constantly feel challenged, and by over-coming those challenges, we find incredible reward. This next step will be pivotal in effecting the rest of our lives. I really do enjoy sharing such life-changing happenings with all of you.

So what does that mean for now?

For now Kate and I are 4,900 miles into our journey and going strong. We are currently in San Luis Obispo, CA, which is a couple of hundred miles North of Los Angeles. We will be in LA house sitting for a dear friend over the Christmas holiday, then heading to San Diego after the New Year to hook up with Julie from PubQuest.com. After a few weeks in San Diego (this is where our plans start to become uncertain), we will fly ourselves and our gear back to Connecticut to spend a few weeks with family and friends before starting our farm apprenticeship.

What farm are we working on?

Truth is, we have no idea. We just settled on this plan over the last week and do not know where we will be able to land an apprenticeship. We have a few areas that we are looking at including (but not limited to) New York State, Oregon, and Virginia. This next week, in addition to riding down the Coast, we will be sending out cover letters, query letters, and resumes. We have a few ideas with regard to farms we would love spend a growing season, but I’m not saying anything yet because I don’t want to jinx anything. We’ll just have to wait and see.

What about after we are done with our farm apprenticeship?

Well, how far ahead can we be expected to plan? After our farming endeavors are done, we will continue to travel for a while. There is still a lot of planet to cover and we are eager to get out and experience it. This year of farming will hone our skills and train our eyes for picking up farming techniques in other countries. My long term plan is to live like Alastair Humphreys, the professional adventurer, but with my own spin. I will be the first farmer/adventurer in history. “Can’t be done,” you say. Well, people told us we couldn’t ride our bicycles 5,000 miles across the United States. I will make it work, as I always do.

Side Note: Who is Alastair Humphreys?

You mean besides the guy with one of the best names in history? Alastair is London native who has made a life and a living from going on adventures. His books and website have been a resource and inspiration throughout our travels. His most recent book, “There Are Other Rivers”, captures the spirit of why he does what he does, and more selfishly, why I do what I do. Kate and I have both read it, and it really hits home with our feelings on our chosen lifestyle. To everyone, especially our parents (who I know are reading this thinking we’re crazy), I seriously recommend picking up a copy and reading it. Worth every penny.

Where’s our first book?

Kate and I have been writing, and writing, and writing. Until this morning, that writing was without direction. In one of those “aha” moments, we found our format. We are working on a book about our 5,000 miles across the States and the experiences we have had. We are going to edit it down to 15 of our favorite stories from the road, and each write our different perspectives for each story. The good times, the bad times, our best day, and our worst. Being happy, getting sick, being assaulted, getting “adopted”, and more. Even the two of us talking about it this morning discovered that are huge disparities as to what we thought the other person was going through. There will be a lot of stuff that has never made it to the blog, and things no one has ever heard about, including the each other. The plan is to work on it over the winter, and have it finished and published very early next spring. There is a good chance we will self-publish, especially as first time authors. Believe me, I am perfectly happy with that option.

For now…

For now, we’ll keep the farm visits and brewery visits up as we ride down to San Diego. We have a mountain of video to edit from the last six months, and a lot of plans to make for this coming year. One of the best parts about this current plan is that we will be around for Kate’s sisters’ wedding next winter. A huge congratulations to Ernie and Joe, one of the most fun couples to watch HGTV with.