Earth Wise Organic Farms is a Certified California Producer (#SBEP12049 ) of the Moringa Tree We harvest the fresh leaf ,then the leaves are dried in a controlled atmosphere to preserve the nutrients, we grind the leaf of the tree and bottle it in glass preserve jars .This Glass preserve jar insures freshness, also will not allow bacterial or microbial growth.
We also harvest, the root and stem,it is also dried and ground into powder
In the spring and Summer we offer at our markets Fresh Moringa leaf.
The Moringa Tree:leaf harvesting the proses we use at our farm to insure the finest quality of moringa in America
Harvesting of shoots and leaves

About the the Moringa Leaf
farm Rep. 760-628-4328
The moringa tree has a compound leaf: one leaf is made up of multiple leaflets
What is referred to here as a leaf is precisely multiple leaflets attached to the branches which stems from the branch (see the compound leaf
Manual harvesting of shoots and leaves with a pair of shears, a sickle or a sharp knife is used to harvest all shoots cut at the desired height, . This is our preferred method on a day to day harvest. to supply the farmers markets fresh Morimga leaf
Some of our farms require Mechanical harvesters example is in the high Desert of Joshua Tree The Moringa Tree thrives in summer heat and grows 9 to 10 feet in one growing season
Mechanical harvesters is used for large-scale, intensive leaf production.is used
Harvesting early Summer also done by removing the leaves directly off the tree.base
They are easily removed at the base of the petiole.
the trees will not have benefit from a good pruning and the following growth is therefore less vigorous.
A high level of hygiene is maintained. During all phases . Produce is harvested at the coolest time of the day: early morning or late in the evening. It is important to make sure there is no dew on the produce before harvesting, especially in the morning, to avoid rot during transport.
Harvesting of seeds
In seed farms, pods are harvested as early as possible when they reach maturity,
i.e. when they turn brown and dry. Fruits open easily. Seeds are extracted, bagged, and stored in a dry place.
Drying
There are three main methods for drying moringa leaves.
Room drying our leaves
The Moringa leaves are Spread the on mesh tied on racks (mosquito net mesh used) in a well-ventilated room. This room is insect, rodent and dust proof. Air circulation improved by using ceiling and floor level vents protected with a clean filter to keep the sun and dust out. air be directly oriented towards the leaves, as it can increase contamination with germs in the air.
We turn the leaves over at least once, with sterile gloves, to improve
uniform drying. Leaves should be completely dry within a maximum of 4 days.
At our farm we recommended moisture content of less then 05 %.
Milling
At the farm we Mill dry leaves using a stainless steel personal hammer mill. The Moringa leaves are pounded in a mortar, or milled with a blender.

The Miracle Tree That Keeps On Giving .
We have reached the nutrition of this Moringa Tree and this is a brief outline of this tree of Minerals
Many plants and trees are beneficial to mankind, but few are as giving as the Moringa Oleifera tree Moringa trees have a list of medicinal, nutritive, and practical uses that are second to none. A single moringa tree can provide leaf for nutrition, oil for cooking and healthy skin, seed cake for water purification and wood to build shelter and keep you warm.
The moringa tree thrives in arid conditions, where its benefits are most valuable and most needed. Living up to its nickname as a miracle tree, moringa is the basis of many health and nutrition programs funded by various charitable organizations. Moringa leaf capsules and bulk leaf powder are an incredible nutritional supplement with more than 30% protein, all of the essential amino acids, 27 vitamins and 46 antioxidants. 
Moringa is truly a gift to the impoverished in parts of the world where life is hard and nutrition is scarce. Fortunately, healthy-minded people in the Western world are learning more about this miracle tree and what it has been doing for people in India and Africa for centuries.
Looking at pictures of Moringa trees, you will see a long, spindly plant species that grows rapidly and has modest leaf coverage. The appearance of the moringa tree is misleading.  It is hard to believe that this ungainly and stringy tree is such a nutritional powerhouse. Like many other things in this world, the unassuming moringa tree is a miracle hidden in plain sight.
In other cultures, the phrase used to identify the Moringa tree translates as the Tree of Life. This term may bring religious meaning to mind, but in truth, cultures worldwide share the symbolism of the Tree of Life as a symbol for life, growth and change. Moringa is known as a tree of life because its many gifts are life-giving. Amazingly, in addition to basic nutrition and water-purifying, moringa’s health benefits have been used in the treatment of more than 300 ailments. 
Information about the moringa tree is becoming more readily available as the moringa tree continues to grow in popularity. This is evidenced by web sites offering moringa trees for sale in the USA where it is a non-native plant. Before you take someone up in the offer of a moringa tree for sale, remember that it is a tropical plant and will need to be kept indoors.  Moringa trees grow rapidly – almost as fast as bamboo! – and need to be pruned weekly. Moringa’s vigorous growth is yet another contributing factor to its names as a tree of life moringa is king. In addition to seedlings, you can also start your own moringa tree by planting moringa seeds, which will germinate and grow rapidly for you to enjoy.
We can supply you all the Moringa that you will need until your tree is mature
The best way to consume the leaf powder is in a tea ,(cold tea ) An example 16 oz of cold water to one tea spoon of Moringa powder, We suggest the a glass jar with a good fitting lid .Shake well to dissolve .
The best to you in health.

Grand Opening of Farm Fresh Express store in Yucca Valley!

56450 Twentynine Palms Hwy
Yucca Valley, CA 92284

Hours: Mon-Fri 11am to 6pm, Sat 9am to 5pm, Sun 12 noon to 5 pm

Eartwiseorganicfarms.com has been dormant for a while.  Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience or confusion you might have experienced.  Now here’s the good news – we’re back and better than ever.  It’s been a couple of years since there’s been any updates posted, but there’s a bunch happening and we’ll be blogging about it right here.

Milissa Anderson at our farm

Did you know we’ve got a retail location?  The weather is always perfect inside our shop in Historic Old Town Yucca Valley – on the corner of Highway 62 and Pioneertown Road.

The products listed on our website were out of date at the time this article was published, although we’ll have it updated very soon.  Spring has sprung and we’ve got a kinds of organic veggies and other products ready to be uploaded to the website for your purchasing pleasure!

To contact us at the store call 760-628-4328

If you’re in town come on by our store at 55840 Twentynine Palms Highway, Yucca Valley 92284

Basin Wide Spirit, Fall 2009
By Stacy Moore

JOSHUA TREE, November 2009 – Milissa Anderson laughs as she strides down the soft dirt path, open desert on her left side and row upon row of flowering squash plants on her right.

This isn’t going to be a seedy story, is it? she asks.Yes, this is a very seedy story a leafy one, too. Anderson, who lives in Joshua Tree, is a member of the Earthwise garden project spearheaded by Robert Ellis on a former alfalfa farm off Sunfair Road in that village.

What’s growing now on the farm pumpkins and other squashes, melons, okra and, soon, garlic is sold at a weekly farmers’ market in Yucca Valley. What’s next for Ellis and his team is a community garden, where anyone can rent a 20- by 20-foot spot for a personal farm to feed one’s family or to sell at the farmers’ market or at a roadside stand.

We have 10 to 12 farmers now who are in line to get growing, Ellis says. The cost will be $10 per month, plus the price of installing irrigation for the plot. Members who want to sell at the farmers’ market will pay an extra fee for certification.

In another part of the Morongo Basin, a second group of growers is laying the early groundwork for its own community garden. Landowner Garth Bowles wants to contribute a section of his property in Rimrock, near Pioneertown, for a community garden specifically a permaculture garden, following precepts about living and farming in a way that mimics natural ecosystems.

It’s really working with the land to create what’s necessary for sustainability for land, people and animals, explains Amara Alban, the spokeswoman for the Rimrock effort. While they aren’t ready to begin turning soil quite yet, the Boulder Community Garden idea is flowering into a growing group of people who meet online and in person.

We just had a visioning meeting and put together a proper vision statement, Amara said in early September. At frequent in-person gatherings, participants discuss ideas, learn gardening techniques and share goods from their personal gardens.

This is in a very, very beginning stage, Amara says. If enough people are interested and have the energy and focus to create it, it’s wide open. Far from competing with the Earthwise garden, Amara envisions a Morongo Basin with several community gardens, each convenient to people from different parts of the region. She called on people to join the Earthwise community garden, where they should be able to start planting seeds very soon.

Ellis’ own vision for his Joshua Tree farm is to help families eat healthy meals, putting in less money and more bonding time than they do now. For people relying on restaurants and supermarkets, It is not always cheap to eat healthy, and it’s not always userfriendly to go to McDonald’s, says Ellis, who estimates a community gardener could produce up to 2,000 pounds of vegetables in a year on the size of the plots he’s planning.

To help make it easier for people on very limited incomes, the Earthwise farmers’ market accepts Electronic Benefit Transfer cards debit cards for people on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. People on food stamps can augment their menus with the community garden, Ellis enthuses.

Earthwise also is a member of Champions for Change, a California Department of Public Health initiative to encourage people to live more healthy lifestyles. Beyond the health of fresh fruits and veggies, Ellis sees a spiritual component to his farm, as well. The bonding that happens in a family that grows food, prepares it and eats it together is worth the price of seeds 10 times over, he says.

The idea behind a community garden is simple: It’s a piece of land gardened by a group of people. From that seed of an idea, several possibilities can grow. Gardeners might eat the food themselves, share with others, donate to charities or sell at farmers’ markets or roadside stands. The Morongo Basin has two community gardening groups. Earthwise Farms in Joshua Tree is much closer to renting out farm spaces. Boulder Community Garden is in the visioning process and is a kind of support and encouragement group for people interested in gardening.

Earthwise Hosts Water Canyon Farmers’ Market from 3-8 p.m. Wednesdays
Location: 55818 Twentynine Palms Highway in Yucca Valley
Information: (760) 542-9780 or info@earthwiseorganicfarms.com
Online: http://earthwiseorganicfarms.com/

Boulder Community Gardens Hosts online community with in-person gatherings
Information: Amara Alban at (760) 401-5220
Online: http://bouldercommunitygardens.ning.com

JOSHUA TREE, November 1, 2009 – Several varieties of squash were planted on a 40 acre tract in late summer 2009, and the first harvest is now underway starting in late October. Squash varieties include Kombucha, Spaghetti, Acorn, Calabaza, and Turban. The mineral rich soil did not require any amendments, and the squash were grown with non-gmo organic seed, and of course, no pesticides were used. The hearty squash plants withstood strong winds, heat, cold, rabbits and fared quite well. The hard-working farm engineers from Jaimie farms also battled with ground squirrels who were constantly chewing through the drip irrigation lines.

The squash are now served at local restaurants, including the Ricochet, which serves Kombucha soup prepared by healthy gourmet chef, Rosa. The squash are also on sale at the Water Canyon Farmers Market every Wednesday between 3-7 pm.

By Jutta Biggerstaff
For the Hi-Desert Star

Rimrock, CA, August 15, 2009 – Garth Bowles has the hands of a working man, rough and seasoned with the earth he tends. His hands tell the story of the life he has led, of hard work and passion for the land.

Garth Bowles stands on a bridge spanning a lily-covered pond on his Rimrock property. He also has geese in his menagerie.

Bowles, 65, arrived in the Morongo Basin 29 years ago on a spiritual quest. Born and raised in Riverside, he searched all over country for a place he could live simply, a place he could share with others who also sought spiritual enlightenment.

Finally, with his father’s help, he acquired 640 acres in the Rimrock area, a lovely location despite near decimation by the Sawtooth Complex Fire in 2006.

He indeed lives simply, building his own house and painstakingly landscaping his property and constructing his garden. He lives with several pets, including a cat named Chairman Meow, and occasionally hosts visitors from all over the world.

In time, Bowles’ quest evolved, and today his vision is for a community garden to help educate and feed the people of the Morongo Basin. He is prepared to donate a portion of his land for the garden, and he wants to encourage everyone to participate.

Community gardening is a concept that has been gaining ground throughout the country. The rising cost of fresh produce coupled with food safety concerns have many people, urban and rural alike, planting and growing their own vegetables.

But, according to Bowles, aside from those valid reasons there also is the sense of community, of neighbors working together, that is a satisfying component to community gardening.

Bowles’ unique house is cradled by boulders and surrounded by piñon pines, oaks, mesquites and other desert vegetation. He has created Zen-like, Japanese-style gardens with lily-covered ponds, seating areas and diverse sculptures along gentle pathways.

He has been gardening himself with some success for many years.

I wanted to make a place as an example of how to live with the land without destroying it, he said.

It turns out many other people in the area share similar feelings and some are working with Bowles to form the community garden.

Amara Alban and her husband, Thomas, were delighted to meet Bowles in early 2000 when they scouted the area for a house. He helped them move in, and a couple of years later was a witness at their small wedding. They’ve become friends.

We just fell in love with what he was doing with his land and how open he was to sharing what he knew real, grounded knowledge based in our desert environment, he said. We’ve enjoyed receiving his advice all these years and are grateful to have him for a teacher.

Acting as the communication person, Alban is soliciting charter members for the community garden who would decide how the concept would be carried out. For example, would participants pay a fee and would they work individually or collectively on the land?

Usually, in community gardens, you have your individual plot and then help each other out, share resources and coordinate so everyone is not growing zucchini, she explained.

Alban can see community gardens growing in every area of the Morongo Basin. In fact, she said, Earthwise Organic Farms of Joshua Tree is offering five acres of land for a garden in that area.

Alban and her husband have been working toward being more self-reliant for the last 12 years, and growing their own food is a big part of that goal.

She cited the use of pesticides and herbicides and the fragility of supply lines as contributing factors in their decision.

Our being responsible for our own health and nutrition is very basic to our possessing personal power and truly knowing our place on the planet, she said. It’s really about finding our sense of place where we live being more fully here and aware.

Community gardening is a rewarding experience on a fundamental level, she said, and sharing it with others gives it that much more depth.

Bowles practices permaculture gardening, an ancient system that has been rediscovered recently. Permaculture is a contraction of the words permanent agriculture and is a system that relies on efficient water use as its basis and emphasizes harmony with the environment.

I’ve been doing it here on a small scale for about 10 years, and I now have three springs, he said.

But now he wants to share his land and his knowledge with others, especially children.

My idea was to use the community garden as a resource for education for kids, he said.

Bowles’ garden vegetables include potatoes, kale, beets and chard. He’s also produced strawberries, blackberries, figs, cherries and plums. He raises some animals, and counts peacocks, chickens, pheasants and geese among his menagerie.

The Pomeranian geese came in the mail at 7 weeks old and were fuzzy little balls, he laughed.

Bowles would like the whole community to get involved with the garden, to build awareness of where our food comes from and to take control of what we eat. He wants to show people how to feed themselves, work together and become good neighbors.

Community is the key word, he said.

Anyone interested in becoming involved with the community garden can go online to:

www.bouldercommunitygardens.ning.com

Yucca Valley, CA, August 5, 2009 – After the Water Canyon Farmers Market closed down unexpectedly due to lack of sufficient business, the Earthwise co-op, which is located in a commercial space adjacent to the site of the former farmers market, remained open for business during the normal farmer’s market hours. Freshly picked produce provided by our partnership with Jaime Farms, is grown locally and does not contain pesticides, GMO or chemical fertilizers. The produce was brought in and setup inside the Earthwise co-op store. As a show of community support, the local news media, including The Hi-Desert Star and Z107.7 radio station promoted the event. The turnout was bigger than expected, and at times, the tiny co-op store was packed with standing room only and more people were waiting outside to get in and buy fresh produce. At the end of the day, hundreds of people showed up to support their local farm and most produce items were sold out. People were very happy to see that high quality produce was available at the site of the former farmer’s market, and glad to learn that the Water Canyon Farmers Market was in the process of re-opening after we obtain new permits for everything.

The tiny Earthwise co-op store in Yucca Valley, CA:

Some examples of high quality, freshly picked produce set out for purchase. Almost all of this was sold out and gone by the end of the day.

At times there were lines of people waiting to get into the co-op store!

A happy customer, selecting freshly picked heirloom tomatoes.

By Pam LaFosse
Special to The Trail

TWENTYNINE PALMS, August 5, 2009 — The Twentynine Palms Planning Commission has taken the first step toward establishing standards and criteria that would allow local growers to offer high-quality, organic produce to residents here.

After a study session Tuesday, Aug. 4 that saw several people speak in favor of amending the city’s Development Code to allow for certified farmers’ markets within the city, Chairman Bill Easter, Vice Chair Chuck Caplinger and Commissioners Carey Alderson, Dan Mintz and Rebecca Rinkes directed Community Development Director Charles LaClaire to research state and county regulations on farmers’ markets and bring a recommendation to the commission at its first meeting in October.

The study session drew an enthusiastic group of supporters to meeting, including Dr. Robert Ellis of Earthwise Organic Farms, who presented an overview of the structure and organization required for the operation of a successful farmers’ market.

According to Ellis, Earthwise has just established a new 640-acre farm on Sunfair Road in Joshua Tree and hopes to run the operation in Twentynine Palms.

Commissioners questioned Ellis at length about the technical aspects of farmers’ markets, including designating the market as certified.

“If you are using a certified farmers’ market, then only farmers that are certified by the Department of Agriculture can participate in the market,” Ellis told the panel. “We would set the market up in two divisions. One would be a certified farmers’ market, and the second part that would be off to the side would bring in other farmers and people who are involved with arts and crafts.”

The city has no deal with Ellis to manage a farmers’ market here. If the Planning Commission and City Council agree to allow farmers’ markets in the city, it would pave the way for Ellis and others to apply to run a market here.

In 2008, members of the Historic Plaza Merchants Association asked City Manager Michael Tree to meet with them and Joshua Tree Certified Farmers’ Market founder Lori Herbel to start the ball rolling on Development Code changes needed to allow such markets in the city.

Herbel did not attend Tuesday’s meeting but said Wednesday, Aug. 5 that she would attend the October meeting.

“If the city does pass having a certified farmers’ market they need to understand what that certificate looks like” so officials can ensure that the market is indeed certified, Herbel said.

Supporters of the amendment, retired university professor Vala Stultz and Homestead Inn Bed & Breakfast owner Jerri Hagman, offered to provide additional information and assistance to commissioners. Hagman also voiced concerns about the fees associated with starting up a farmers’ market, especially for conditional use permits, which LaClaire said are $3,400. LaClaire said fees would be addressed by the City Council when it considers the issue.

In other business, commissioners asked LaClaire to schedule a special meeting for Wednesday, Sept. 2 to discuss the issue of vacation home rentals.

Easter, who resigned as Planning Commission chair effective Monday, Aug. 17 so he can return to college to further his education, agreed to delay his departure until his replacement is appointed.

Application forms and a statement of duties for the Planning Commission are available at City Hall, 6136 Adobe Road, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Deadline for submission of applications is 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28.

A City Council task force will review applications, interview candidates and recommend an appointee in September. For more information, call City Hall at (760) 367-6799.

By Jimmy Biggerstaff
Hi-Desert Star

Yucca Valley, CA, August 5, 2009 — Notwithstanding its loss of permits and insurance to operate as a certified farmers market, the recently established market in Old Town will be open for business this afternoon.

“Despite enthusiastic responses from produce shoppers who visited the market during its first three weeks of operations, the turnout did not meet expectations,” wrote Liz Mediavilla in a news release.

Eric Mueller’s vacant lot west of Water Canyon Coffee Company had hosted the market.

“As anyone knows, it’s a challenge to launch a new business of any sort, especially during the summer,” Mueller said. “It takes time and we’re hoping the community will now realize how important it is to support these markets, both here and in Joshua Tree.”

Mueller said vendors will provide a “sampling from the new farmers market” from 3 to 8 p.m. today at Earthwise offices, 55818 Twentynine Palms Highway.

Permits are in the works, Mueller added, to bring the “full” farmers market out Aug. 12.

The Water Canyon Certified Farmers Market officially closed July 29, according to proprietor Lori Herbel.

“All permits and insurance have been withdrawn from the San Bernardino County Agriculture Department, the San Bernardino County Environmental Health Department and the Town of Yucca Valley,” Herbel said.

“In order for a certified farmers market to continue at the same location, the new proprietor will need to obtain proper permits.”

There are stringent regulations governing certified farmers markets, Herbel explained. “These regulations are in place to protect the integrity of the certified farmers markets and to protect the interests of the farmers (certified producers) and consumers.”

Herbel contacted the county agriculture department regarding certified farmers market certificates issued in the county. Officials informed Herbel they have not received a new application for a certified farmers market at the Water Canyon site; however, an inquiry was made to apply for an uncertified farmers market.

Herbel said in order to qualify for a certified farmers market certificate, the applicant must qualify either as a certified producer, municipality or nonprofit specifically formed to run certified farmers markets.

“It is important to know that without certified farmers markets, small farmers would become a distant memory,” Herbel said. “As a longtime small farmer and now market manager, I know first-hand how important it is to maintain the integrity of certified farmers markets for the future survival of small farmers.”

Hi Desert Star: Weekly market to re-open in Old Town Yucca