Biodiversity is the key ecological principle on sustainable farms. In establishing an effective rotation of many different plants, O’o Farm seeks to maintain the virtues of harmony and balance that are found in nature- thus facilitating health and self- regulation.

At any given time, some varieties may be absent in the gardens due to seasonality or rotation.

GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES

LETTUCE: a constantly evolving selection that will include red and green leaf varieties, red and green oak, romaine, butter, mesclun, and radicchio.
CABBAGE: Chinese (won bok), bok choi, pak choi, and the gourmet tat soi. Like all Brassica’s, these serve as “indicator species” in the gardens.
SPINACH: a buttery type of Bloomsdale known as Melody that is reliable and prolific and used extensively on the restaurant’s menu. 
ARUGULA: also called Rocket or Roquette, easy to grow and indeterminate, another restaurant staple either fresh or cooked.
CHARD: the colorful rainbow swiss chard, versatile use of both stem and leaves. The chefs love anything with color.

MORE VEGGIES: ALL VEGETABLES ARE FRUITING PLANTS

BEANS: purple and green pole, yellow Eureka, but the chefs prefer the Haricot Verts. Seasonal.
PEAS: sugar and snow varieties, which are used primarily in stir-fry.
FENNEL: the delectable Zeta Fino bulb variety.
ASPARAGUS: seasonal June through September.
CUCUMBERS: Japanese, Sweet Marketmore, and Lemon varieties. Seasonal.
TOMATOES: Garden peach, Yellow Perfection, and Tigerrella: all heirlooms.
PEPPERS: Ancho/Poblano, Anaheim, Thai Dragons, Serrano, and Hot Lemon.
SQUASH: Yellow Crooknecks, small round French, and Scallopini. Seasonal
EGGPLANT: long Japanese, round white Rosa Bianca, and Crescent Moon.
CORN: White Platinum, which the pheasants and wild jungle fowl covet.
TOMATILLOS: Toma Verde variety, which is very prolific and self- propagating.

HERBS AND FLOWERS

LEMONGRASS: perennial favorite that doubles as a border, very easy to grow.
KAFFIR LIME: the leaves are used extensively in the restaurant’s many Asian inspired dishes
CILANTRO: good all purpose use and easy to grow.
BASIL: Pesto Perpetuo, standard Italian, Thai, Lime, and Purple varieties now grown in the greenhouse for year round production.
PARSLEY: the Italian flat leaf variety, it grows wild and is self- propagating.
ROSEMARY: standard type that doubles as an ornamental and permanent ground cover.
THYME: Silver, Lemon, and standard variety, they serve as permanent ground covers and are self- propagating. 
SAGE: standard and tri- colored varieties.
OREGANO: Italian and Greek varieties.
TERRAGON: standard French variety, one of the more finicky items, hard to grow. Seasonal.
MINT: Chocolate, Apple, Pineapple, and Spearmint, doubles as a groundcover.
SHISO: another finicky variety but a prized selection when successful.
SWEET LEAF STEVIA: 30 times sweeter than sugar used as a novel substitute.
WILD FLOWERS: the wild and ubiquitous alyssum, hydrangeas, sunflowers and snapdragons, all serve as ornamental borders and insectories.
MARIGOLDS: prolific border crop.
NASTURGIUM: delicate and pungent flowers are used as an edible garnish.
ANISE FLOWER: grows wild providing compact, bright yellow, licorice- flavored flower heads.
ROSES: Ballerina, Purple Tiger, Starry Night, and the awe inspiring Tuscan Sun variety.

FRUITS

CITRUS: numerous varieties of lemon, lime, orange, and tangerine. 
STONEFRUITS: numerous varieties of apricot, peaches, plum, and pear.
APPLE: numerous varieties that would include Pomme Anna, Einsemer, Dorcett Golden, and Fuji.
FIG: California Mission
CHERRY: Surinam
LOQUAT: delicious creamy orange fruit available in winter months.
CHERMOYA: also known as a custard apple
AVOCADO: Haas, and Fuerte
STRAWBERRY: Eversweet
WILD RASPBERRY: small, dark purple berries are favored by the local birds. 
WILD POHA BERRY: a local favorite, great if you can get em before the birds.
GRAPES: predominantly Zinfandel, some Chardonnay, Merlot, and Muscat.

Organic farming seeks to emulate nature’s virtue of balance, harmony, and self- regulation in the gardens and on the farm. Practices and techniques are low impact and unobtrusive to the farm environment and incorporate an integrated system of building soil fertility, effective crop rotation and irrigation, biological pest controls, border crops and buffering zones, and composting and cover cropping. Future amendments will treat each technique separately and in more detail as it relates to our particular farm. Direct observation and intuitive awareness are among the best tools a farmer has. Simply paying close attention and making connections will reveal much as the land speaks, but silently so.

Biodynamic farming seeks to bring the gardens and farm into harmony with natures cyclical rhythms and broadens our perspectives in a holistic approach that views the land as a living life force that is sensitive and responsive to other life forces in and around it.

By attaining a thorough understanding of the relationship between plants, soil, insects, animals, and humankind, we can begin to understand the deeper relationships we all have in the web of life. This is the way ancient farmers did it: by relying on nature’s method of maintaining balance.