A River, A Farm, A Vision: An Interview with Cindy Lashbrook of Riverdance Farms

By Emily Neapolitan, East Merced Conservation District

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October 10th, 2025 We sat down with Cindy Lashbrook, Owner of Riverdance Farms, to talk about her decades of experience in organic agriculture, her conservation efforts along the Merced River, and how working with the East Merced Resource Conservation District has helped support her land and vision for the future.

Rooted in Nature, Grown with Purpose

Cindy’s journey to Riverdance Farms began long before the farm had a name. From a childhood spent near creeks and fields to studying plant science and ornamental horticulture at Fresno State, her connection to the land has always been personal.

"Mother Earth News got into my head and kind of set up my belief system about how things should be,” she shares.

Riverdance Farms officially began when she and her husband, Bill (a.k.a. Bug Man Bill), acquired their first 29-acre property in the late '90s, followed shortly by a 44-acre adjacent parcel. They’ve since transformed the land into a diverse organic farm with over 73 acres of almonds, cherries, blueberries, walnuts, and more.

“We named it Riverdance not just because of the show, but because the river really does dance around here.”

 Conservation, Collaboration & Community

Cindy’s commitment to wildlife-friendly farming is evident across the property — from owl boxes and riparian buffers to cover crops and pollinator habitat.

“I’d probably make more money if I didn’t care so much about the wildlife,” she laughs, “but we’ve taken out five or six acres for native plantings and a wildlife pond. It’s part of our responsibility.”

Cindy and Bill are at the heart of decision-making, but they lean heavily on longtime crew

members:

“We have two gentlemen who’ve worked with us for at least 25 years. They don’t mind weed-eating all day if that’s what’s needed.”

At peak times, especially during blueberry harvests, they once had up to 30 pickers. Now, due to market pressure, that number is much lower — often six or so. She envisions the farm becoming a collaborative agricultural hub, where aspiring growers can lease space to launch their own projects — sharing tools, knowledge, and a commitment to organic practices.

“I’d like to see people with fresh ideas sublease small organic plots, share equipment, marketing, knowledge. You deliver something and someone else adds something they grow. It’s not a typical lease, but more of a cooperative community.”

“We want to create opportunities for young farmers — especially with land so hard to access now. If we can share land and resources, everyone wins.” 

Shoreline of the Merced River as the bends dance around Riverdance Farm.

Facing Challenges Head-On

Life by the river brings beauty and adversity. From ground squirrel infestations to erosion during flood seasons, Cindy has weathered many challenges.

“We’ve lost at least an acre to the river over time. And ground squirrels they love the almonds and cherries. It’s a battle.”

Weeds especially Johnson grass pose another perennial problem. The previous landowner neglected irrigation pipes and damaged valves, limiting early weed control maneuvers. Water extremes also hit the farm:

“Three weeks after we moved into the new land in December 1996, El Niño storms came. It was crazy. The river bank was unstable. Beavers girdled trees. We lost some trees.”

“Of 73 acres total, maybe 55 are farmable. The rest is riparian habitat. We’ve also taken out 5–6 acres for native plants and a wildlife pond.”

Just three years ago, a windy day caused a deck fire that burned their house, forcing them to live in an RV while rebuilding.

Still, she remains focused on resilient, long-term solutions like planting pollinator habitat in strategic zones and inviting beneficial insects through integrated pest management (IPM) techniques. Cindy’s conservation work is a throughline in everything.

Her background as an ag consultant focused on biological control and habitat creation, so she sees pollinators and beneficial insects as extensions of the farm system.

“If I can have refugia zones for good bugs near areas of production, they’re more likely to hang out. Blueberries prefer native bees over European honey bees, so I want to foster native bee habitat.”

“I saw a large praying mantis just a couple of days ago fall’s here, and those insects are still working.”

She also hopes to bring in traditional ecological knowledge:

“I'd love to coordinate with basket weavers, people who know native uses, how to manage plants that were here historically. Maybe host a pow wow or presentations, harvest traditional plants, teach how they work in utility and culture.”

Fields of blueberries and cover crops along with california poppies.

Riverdance Farms U Pick Operations for blueberries and stone fruits.

🧺 Events, Education & U-Pick Season

Despite a tough farming year due to extreme heat, Riverdance Farms is moving forward with a lineup of fall events:

• 🎃 Fall Festival & U-Pick Kickoff – October 25th –26th

• 🎣 Fishing lessons & river walks before the season closes

• 🥣 Farmstead Skills Weekend – November 2–3 (elderberry syrup making, food preservation, nut processing)

• 🎶 Final Harvest Fest with music & kids’ activities – November 9th –10th

Campers are welcome (with a few precautions), and vendors are encouraged to join the celebrations.

Partnership with the East Merced RCD

Cindy’s collaboration with the East Merced Resource Conservation District (EMRCD) is deeply rooted. A former RCD board member herself, she understands the importance of conservation on private lands.

“The RCD helped me turn conservation into something practical and powerful on the farm from habitat planting to public education.”

She’s especially excited about upcoming pollinator habitat expansion projects and hopes to work with more traditional ecological knowledge holders in the future to support native plants and indigenous cultural practices. Cindy doesn’t sugarcoat the challenges — especially in today’s agricultural economy.

“There are more bankruptcies in farming now than ever before,” she says. “But we need to keep finding creative ways to farm cooperatively, locally, and sustainably.”

Her advice to new farmers?

“Start small. Learn from those already doing it. And fight to keep land in the hands of people who care.”

Visit Riverdance Farms This Fall

Whether you’re looking to pick fruit, learn a new skill, or just walk along the river, Riverdance Farms invites you to experience what sustainable, community-minded agriculture can look like.

📍 Location: Along the Merced River, near Livingston, CA 

📅 Events begin October 25 – Visit https://www.riverdancefarms.com/events-education for details

Have sheep? Want to farm collaboratively? Riverdance Farms is open to new partnerships. Reach out and be part of the next chapter.