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Jim Leap: Farm Manager, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, UCSC

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Title	Jim Leap: Farm Manager, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, UCSC
Series Title	Cultivating a Movement: An Oral History of Organic Farming and Sustainable Agriculture on California’s Central Coast. Edited by Irene Reti and Sarah Rabkin.
Creator	Leap, Jim, narrator Rabkin, Sarah, interviewer
Publisher	Santa Cruz, Calif. : University of California, Santa Cruz, University Library
Date of Publication	2010
Description/Abstract	55 pages. Since 1990, Jim Leap has managed the 25-acre farm at UC Santa Cruz—designing crop systems, overseeing production, purchasing and maintaining equipment, teaching apprentices, supervising staff, coordinating field research, helping write training manuals, and educating students and visitors about the farm. In March, 2009, he was recognized with the UC Small Farm Program’s Pedro Ilic Award for Outstanding Educator. The honor is named for an influential Fresno County small-farm advisor who was an important mentor to Leap. With California family roots reaching back to the 1850s, Leap grew up in California’s Central Valley. His father, an independent insurance agent and anti-racism activist, wrote policies for the United Farm Workers at a time when other insurers refused the organization’s business. Growing up in the 1960s, the young Leap was exposed to UFW grape boycotts, Teatro Campesino productions, and other activities connected with the farm worker movement. As a teenager, he harvested grapes in 110-degree heat—straining to keep pace with his fellow workers, and learning firsthand about the human costs of large-scale, profit-first farm practices. After graduating from Fresno High in 1973, frustrated by the circuitous and drawn-out aspects of political activism, Leap sought to challenge the agribusiness status quo in a more direct, hands-on way. He ended up founding a successful small farming operation of his own, where he emphasized sustainable methods, drawing inspiration and guidance from innovative Central Valley growers. He also worked as crop production manager for a federally funded program that trained Native American farmers, a position that enabled him to run field trials for novel production techniques. At thirty, Leap returned to school, completing an agricultural science degree at Fresno State while maintaining his farm, and graduating with honors in five years. He envisioned continuing on to a master’s degree and eventually becoming a farm advisor. Instead, at a friend’s urging, he applied for the operations-manager position at the UCSC Farm, and was offered the job, which has been more than a full-time occupation ever since. Sarah Rabkin interviewed Jim Leap in the Regional History Project offices at McHenry Library, UCSC, on June 9, 2008.
Subject.LCSH	Farmers' markets University of California, Santa Cruz. Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems United Farm Workers of America
Subject.Local	Sustainable agriculture--History Organic farming--California Organic farming--United States--History Organic farming--Research University of California, Santa Cruz -- History
Geographic Location.TGN	Santa Cruz Santa Cruz (county) California United States
Language	English
Owning Institution & Contact Info	Regional History Project, University Library, UC Santa Cruz
Owning Institution Homepage	Owning Institution homepage: http://library.ucsc.edu/regional-history-project
Copyright Statement	All uses of these manuscripts are covered by copyright agreement between the interviewees and the Regents of the University of California. Under “fair use” standards, excerpts of up to six hundred words (per interview) may be used without the Regional History Project’s permission as long as the materials are properly cited. The citation should include the title of the oral history, the name of the narrator, the date of publication, the pages of the oral history from which the excerpts come, and the fact that the oral history was produced by the Regional History Project at the University Library, UC Santa Cruz. Any excerpting beyond six hundred words requires the written permission of the University Librarian, appropriate citation, and may require a fee, especially if this is a commercial publication or production. Under certain circumstances, not-for-profit users may be granted a waiver of the fee. In all instances, the Regional History Project requests a copy of the publication for the UCSC Library’s collection. Please contact ihreti@ucsc.edu for copyright questions.