Farm provides 'vital' produce

Allen Cunningham, owner and operator of Vital Zuman Sustainable Organic Farm, said he wants his farm to become more than just a family tradition. He said he hopes to involve the Malibu community in the small Malibu farm that his parents started as a hobby 55 years ago.

"The sky is the limit when it comes ... to growing food [and] integrating the community," Cunningham said.

Through Vital Zuman, Cunningham said he helps the community by supplying local organic food options. He said one of Vital Zuman's goals is to teach people how they can take advantage of food growing right on their property.

"Sometimes [people] buy houses out here and don't realize how much food they have growing in their backyard," Cunningham said.

Although the farm is located just 10 minutes North of Pepperdine on Pacific Coast Highway near Zuma Beach, Cunningham says many Malibu residents have not heard of Vital Zuman. The farm is certified as both state and federal organic, and according to Cunningham, it is the oldest running organic food stand in California.

To qualify as organic, farms must meet strict standards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. In addition to other organic requirements, farmers use crop rotation to promote fertile soil and refrain from growing genetically modified crops, using most pesticides and routinely dosing farm animals with drugs.

Cunningham said he hopes to expand the farm's volunteer program and especially welcomes members of the Pepperdine community to take a visit to Vital Zuman to learn about sustainable agriculture. Volunteer work includes planting, harvesting, peeling onions and jarring honey.

Pepperdine's GreenTeam, a new club that promotes environmentally friendly and healthy living, is considering becoming involved in Vital Zuman, and was planning to have meeting at the farm Wednesday, Feb. 18, to talk about involvement opportunities although it was cancelled.

Paige Dunn, vice president of the GreenTeam Activities Committee is excited about all the opportunities Vital Zuman presents.

"It's awesome that we are getting the opportunity to reach out and connect with the community," Dunn said. "It's exciting that the farm…[is] allowing students to come and get experience at the farm."

GreenTeam President Emily Reeder agrees and believes it can turn into something big in the next few years.

"I see people reconnecting with the soil as soon as we start getting bigger groups out there … that experience is what we need for people to understand where their food comes from and realizes that it is real," Reeder said.

Cunningham also said he is eager to let people know that his farm is available to help the community, allowing locals to trade, donate or sell their fruit. Vital Zuman will send workers to local homes to harvest fruit. Any unwanted harvest goes to the farm, where it is then sold.

Cunningham is already looking ahead to the future of the farm. He said he eventually hopes to turn it over to the community so that local volunteers can take responsibility for the upkeep.

"Private schools could be funding for the farm," Cunningham said. "Even an institution like Pepperdine might be interested in buying it [someday]."

Even when he eventually turns it over to the community, Cunningham said his desire for the land is to keep it an agricultural farm.

"[I believe] the highest and best use for a suburban farm is agriculture, especially in this day and age when people are in need of good local food sources," he said.

To better educate the community about organic farming, Cunningham said he will hold four festivals, the first of which occurs the weekend of March 20th in honor of the spring equinox.