| ABOUT LICHEN-Z-FARM | [ Move the cursor over the photo above to view entire panorama ] |
Centrally located in Southern California, Lichen-Z-Farm is a family-owned and family-operated, pesticide-free hydroponic farm. For 16 years, Tina Torres has operated Lichen-Z-Farm, supplying markets in Riverside and San Diego counties with high-quality, pesticide-free, freshly cut herbs.
Situated at 3400 feet above sea level in a small town called Aguanga (AH-WONG-GA), we grow 3 types of lavender, basil, lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, mint, tarragon, rosemary, arugula, catnip, watercress, dill and chives.
In addition to our fresh hydroponic produce, we offer a complete selection of culinary herbs, dehydrated vegetables, potpourri sachets, hand-crafted paper luminaries, 100% Kona Coffee, assorted teas, gift baskets and other specialty items.
Lichen-Z-Farm delivers fresh produce weekly to the following stores in San Diego and Riverside Counties, to include:
HISTORY OF LICHEN-Z-FARM
In the early 1990's, Tina Torres -- a self-described "beach girl" from Surfside found herself living in Aguanga, CA ... a place that even today, most people in Southern California have never heard of. Tina had 5 acres, and an incredible view -- but following a divorce, needed a business opportunity that would supplement her income as a manicurist.
One of Tina's sons, Hank, suggested capitalizing on a small, unused greenhouse he had built. In high school, Hank (now a contractor in Rancho Mirage) had done a science project on hydroponics and in his 20s tinkered with a hydroponic backyard vegetable garden.
From these humble beginnings, Lichen-Z-Farm Hydroponic Gardens was born. Now, close to seventeen years later, Lichen-Z-Farm has grown from a single 12x36-foot greenhouse to four greenhouses totaling around 2,400 square feet.
When Lichen-Z-Farm started producing and promoting its fresh produce to local markets, the response was so great that we realized we would need to continuously build more infrastructure to support the local demand.
Every year, Tina participates in the local farmers "Vendor Day" at Whole Foods -- it is always an enjoyable and informative experience.
Tina added a lavender farm in the late 90's with the original plan to provide her own lavender for her handcrafted paper, potpourri and gift baskets -- but due to increased demand, Tina has expanded her lavender crop to support retail and wholesale sales.
Lichen-Z-Farm ONLY uses lady bugs for pest control. No chemicals, no sprays, no pesticides! This is called IPM, or "Integrated Pest Management". From time to time we get invaded by aphids, white flies and leaf hoppers, but we fight them off with old fashioned pest control techniques. This is time intensive, but the end result is fresh, delicious, safe produce!
The secret to successful hydroponic gardening is to educate yourself, be consistent, methodical and most of all, stay in tune with what is going on inside your greenhouses on a daily basis. Your plants will let you know how they are growing -- so expect them to require your love and attention each and every day! There is always something changing in every natural eco-system, large or small, and your hydroponic farm is no different. Expect to be presented by nature with many challenges, and find the time to come up with alternative, green methods to handle your problems. It will set you apart from the rest of the pack, and ensure the undying loyalty of your customers and wholesalers. Your plants will be much happier too! REMEMBER, to be successful as a farmer, you must develop a passion for farming.
