in greenwood, charlotte fadipe for "california country tv." >> hello.steve mcshane from mcshane's nursery. did you know that herbs are one of the longest cultivated plants on the planet for human consumption? that's right--thousands of years. some key things that i can say about growing great herbs--build your soil. i studied soil science at cal poly for 5 years, and that's cne thing i learned, it's one thing i'm passionate about. get a good soil builder like this gold rush right here that's got a good balance of chicken manure, organic compost, well-blended, well-composted. once you get that in your soil, a few additives would help, as well. this alfalfa meal is a great source of organic nitrogen that does a lot for soil microbiology. as well, kelp meal, the same type of idea. if you feed your soil, your soil will feed your plant. now remember, herbs and vegetables require full sun. that's 6 to 8 hours minimum a day. in the addition to that, i always like to tell people t@ consider planting the two side by side. get the herbs right next to your leafy g

in napa valley, charlotte fadipe for "california country tv." >> thanks, charlotte. the cia is a great place to visit, and one more reason to visit it-- th just opened a flavor bar, where you can taste different flavors and ingredients just like a chef does. kind of cool, huh? well, coming up next, we're visiting a farm that has withstood the test of time and is stronger than ever. that's next. >> welcome back to "california country." you know, there are a lot of longtime farming families in the state, but very few of them have quite the story as our next family. here in california, the landscape is dotted with farmers that have stories of courage, dedication, and perseverance in the face of adversity. however, none have quite the history of the ikeda family, but to see how far they have come, you first have to see where they've been. in the early part of the 20th century, many of the hills above the arroyo grande area were farmed by japanese families, who planted a variety of crops each spring. together they banded together to form pove, the pismo oceano vegetable e

in sacramento, charlotte fadipe, "california country tv." >> from san diego to watsonville and dozens of places in between, the golden state is the undisputed king of this little berry that packs a huge combination of having great taste, beauty, and nutrition. did you know that california is the only state to produce strawberries all year round? which is exactly why farmers are coming up with brand-new ideas on how to use one of our vorite fruits. drive past the strawberry fields in santa maria this time of the year, and you'll be treated to the fragrance and color of fruit fit for a king. a naturally cool climate mixed with the balmy pacific winds insulate this area from getting too hot or too cold, making california one of the absolute best places in the entire world to grow strawberries--not that you have to tell daren gee that. >> how much doou need? what do you need, a boor two boxes? >> i'm just going to get a flat, at least, a flat, so. >> a flat? >> $5,000. but for you-- [laughs] >> we'll reduce the price. >> a good deal, huh? [laughs] >> daren is founder of daren's berries, a