Farms

Women Growing Change: The Class of 2022 FruitGuys Community Fund Grantees

By Pia Hinckle on May 5, 2022

A diverse group of women farmers dominate the 2022 class of grantees for The FruitGuys Community Fund, the nonprofit’s 10th year of providing grants to small farms and agricultural nonprofits that …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News, GoodWorks, The FruitLife Tagged With: 5 loaves farm, agricultural leaders, agroecology commons, BIPOC farmers, boston area gleaners, carlson's island view orchard, cooperation operation, costello urban farm, earthseed farm, farm to fight hunger, fruitguys community fund, Grants, huerta del valle, movement ground farm, over the moon farm and flowers, philly forests, red h farm, sakari farms, small family farm, small farms, Small Grants Big Impacts, songhaven farm, soul flower farm, stonefield farm, sustainability, urban food forest at brown mill community garden

Featured Farm: Fruit World

By Pia Hinckle on December 3, 2021

Fruit World is famous for its extraordinary Sky Ranch Mandarins, a clementine grown on farmer Bianca Kaprielian’s grandfather’s ranch, which sits atop one of the area’s tallest foothills and is named …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: california citrus farmers, california family farms, citrus, family farms, Farms, Fruit World, mandarins, Sky Ranch Mandarins

Winter Citrus Guide

By Pia Hinckle on December 1, 2021

Winter is the peak of the citrus season. Officially beginning on the winter solstice (December 21), the bright shades of orange, red, pink, yellow and green of citrus add brightness and light to the …

Filed Under: Diet and Health, Farms, Food, FruitGuys News, Nutrition, Produce Glossary, Recipes, The FruitLife Tagged With: beet and orange salad, blood orange vinagrette, california citrus, california citrus farmers, cara cara orange, citrus, citrus farmers, finger limes, grapefruit, heirloom oranges, how to eat mandarinquat, how to use citrus, lemons, navel oranges, Orange sale, oranges, winter citrus, winter fruit guide, winter fruit salad

Announcing The FruitGuys Community Fund 2021 Farm Grantees

By The FruitGuys on August 5, 2021

Despite funding setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, The FruitGuys Community Fund, a nonprofit founded by office fruit delivery pioneers and certified B Corp The FruitGuys, is pleased to announce …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News, GoodWorks, The FruitLife Tagged With: 2021 grantees, 4MG Farm, Petaluma Bounty, Sankofa Community Farm, small farms, Small Grants Big Impacts, The FruitGuys Community Fund, The FruitGuys GoodWorks

First Farm Visit of 2021: Rancho Charanda

By Miguel Esteban Robles on March 3, 2021

I visited Paul Rodriguez's farm, Rancho Charanda, in Redlands, CA on February 24, 2021. I had been worried about taking the time because of all of my other responsibilities in the office, but …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News, GoodWorks, The FruitLife Tagged With: farm visits, fruitguys community fund, nopales, rancho charanda, small farms, southern california farms, sustainable agrculture, xoconostle

Rebecca North Honored by EcoFarm

By Pia Hinckle on February 5, 2021

Rebecca North, The FruitGuys Senior Buyer and chief Fruit Detective, has been awarded the prestigious 2021 Golden Pliers Award from the Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm). According to …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News, GoodWorks, The FruitLife Tagged With: diversity in farming, ecofarm, ecofarm 2021, equity in farming, golden pliers award, small farms, sustainable agriculture, sustainable food systems, women in agriculture

Farm Grantees Make Progress Despite Pandemic

By The FruitGuys Community Fund on September 18, 2020

The FruitGuys Community Fund 2020 grantee farms have sent us their interim updates, and in spite of the pandemic, these farms and organizations have done some incredible work! These 15 small farms and …

Filed Under: Farms, GoodWorks, The FruitLife Tagged With: family farmers, Farms, microgrants, pollinators, small farms, support small farms, sustainable agriculture, The FruitGuys Community Fund, wind power

Bernard Ranches is in a Fight to Save its Business and its Citrus Trees

By Pia Hinckle on August 23, 2020

“I had a terrible dream one night,” says Vince Bernard, founder and farmer of Bernard Ranches, who has watched the COVID crisis cut into his sales so much that he may not be able to afford to water …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Bernard Ranches, citrus farms, COVID-19 crisis, farmers, heirloom oranges, orange trees, oranges, Valencia oranges, Vince Bernard, water

The 2020 FruitGuys Community Fund Grantees

By The FruitGuys Community Fund on May 13, 2020

During the COVID-19 crisis, small farms are showing once again just how essential they are to keeping our local communities fed, healthy, and functioning. The FruitGuys Community Fund is excited to …

The FruitGuys Response to COVID-19

By The FruitGuys on March 5, 2020

March 2020 We will get to the other side of this---together. We wish you, your employees, your vendors, your customers, and their families the best, and especially good health. Please let us know of …

Filed Under: Ask the FruitGuys, Diet and Health, Farms, Fitness, Food, FruitGuys News, GoodWorks, The FruitLife, WorkLife

Eat the Endangered Gravenstein Apple

By Pia Hinckle on August 1, 2019

“Farming is a complex math problem,” sighs Dave Hale as he looks sadly at piles of wood chips that had been Gravenstein apple trees in the lot next to his thriving Sebastopol, CA, orchard. He tended …

Filed Under: Farms, Food, GoodWorks, Recipes, The FruitLife Tagged With: dave hale, Farms, Gravenstein Apple, Gravenstein apple farmer, John Kolling, lee walker, orchards, Sebastopol farmers, slow food ark of taste, sonoma county, stan devoto

Deadly Harvest

By Elisabeth Flynn on August 15, 2018

The Farm-to-Table movement of the last decade has celebrated local farmers and their rural lifestyle. Sustainable farming is a wholesome and noble occupation that provides nutritious whole foods to an …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News

The Little Apple That Could

By Heidi Lewis on July 27, 2016

Around the small Northern California town of Sebastopol, you see bumper stickers of all kinds. From the political to the apolitical to cosmic questions such as “What if the hokeypokey is what it’s all …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News

Live from the Hedgerow

By Shannan Slevin on June 29, 2016

Embracing the dry June heat of San Joaquin County is a small price to pay when exploring the grounds of Lagier Ranches. This 120-acre family-run farm in Escalon, CA, is rich in trees and small fruits: …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Escalon, fruitguys community fund, Lagier Ranches, pollinator hedgerow, sustainable

Apples for All

By Heidi Lewis on December 16, 2015

To satisfy the sharp desire I had Of tasting those fair apples, I resolved Not to defer; hunger and thirst at once / Powerful persuaders, quicken'd at the scent Of that alluring fruit, …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: apples, diversity, judging apples, variety

Winter on the Farm

By Heidi Lewis on November 10, 2015

In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy. —William Blake Winter is finally here in drought-stricken California, and we’ve gotten a break from all that balmy, summerlike weather we’ve …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: california drought, rain, storm, winter on the farm

From Law to Lambs

By Heidi Lewis on September 18, 2015

“Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from a cornfield.” —Dwight D. Eisenhower Dick Blair and Betty Hui are second-career farmers. Blair spent 35 years …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: bear track farm, lambs, local farm

From Pastry to Plow

By The FruitGuys Community Fund on May 26, 2015

Chocolates and Tomatoes Farm in Poolesville, MD, is a four-acre farm that strives to be sustainable, colorful, and delicious. And while we didn’t choose Chocolates and Tomatoes for a 2015 The …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News

Less Time to Chill

By Pia Hinckle on April 23, 2015

Cherries are finicky trees. They don’t like it when it gets too hot, when there’s not enough rain, and when it doesn’t stay cold enough during the winter. For the last few winters, California’s …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: California, california drought, Central Valley, cherries, chill hours, chilling, drought, fruit trees, warm winters

Hungry for Farmland

By Stephanie Rosenbaum on July 31, 2014

Clear Spring Farm, PA. If you live in an eco-conscious region fighting to preserve its local family farms, chances are you’ve seen bumper stickers such as “Know your farmer, know your food.” “I …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: crops, Farms, land value, local farmers, small farms, the future of farms

Buy a Box; Save an Apple

By Miriam Wolf on July 25, 2014

Like the snowy owl and the snail darter, foods can be endangered too. If farmers stop growing your favorite variety of tomato because it’s too hard to ship or too prone to pests, we come that much …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: California, endangered, Farms, GoodWorks, gravenstein apples, sebastopol, SlowFoods, special

Perspectives on Drought Part 1: Alexis Robertson of Skyelark Ranch

By Alexis Robertson on January 29, 2014

Recently, California’s growers and water districts approached Governor Jerry Brown to declare California in a state of drought. It has been one of the driest winters on record and the state’s …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: california drought, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, drought, drought on the farm, farm animals, farm shares, skyelark ranch

Eat Fruit & Be Happy

By Alexander Scaletta on January 22, 2014

BOYERTOWN, PA -- You may think “farmer direct” and “local produce” are trendy concepts invented for the millennium, but Boyertown, Pennsylvania’s Frecon Farms has been getting their fruit directly …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: alex scaletta, apple, apple farm, apples, cider, frecon cidery, frecon farms, heritage apple varieties

Navels from the Orange Patch

By Heidi Lewis on December 19, 2013

Farmer Allen Freeman with granddaughter Emery at the Orange Patch, Mesa, AZ. Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona locals may know the Salt River for tubing fun, but it also has a serious job of watering the …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: allen freeman, arizona farm, citrus, navel oranges, orange patch, phoenix farm

10 Fun Facts About Citrus

By Alexander Scaletta on December 12, 2013

Once again, we have felt a monumental shift in the weather here in the valley. Pleasantly warm fall days have given way to frosty mornings that turn into short frigid days. Many trees have been …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: antioxidants, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, citrus, citrus in winter, facts about citrus, farm shares, frost on the fruit farm, lemons, meyer lemon, nutritional value of citrus, oranges

Animal Farm

By Kim Jordan on November 19, 2013

By Kim Jordan Snipes Farm and Education Center in Morrisville, PA, was one of five farms awarded grants in April 2013 from The FruitGuys Community Fund, established in 2012 as a fiscally sponsored …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News

Arizona’s Own Valley Farms

By FruitGuys Staff on November 11, 2013

At 4,000 feet, the Willcox area in Northern Cochise County, AZ, was known as the “Cattle Capital” in the Old West days. Situated near Dos Cabezas Mountains, Willcox is now a major producer …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Arizona, arizona farm, chris grallert, local farmers, organic farming, sustainable farming, valley farms, willcox

The Last Pixie Show

By Friend 's Ranch on October 23, 2013

Ever wonder what an Ojai Pixie does during the off-season? Well here is a little insight about the secret lives of out-of-season Pixies. Lately some friends of mine, during our usual after-school …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: california farms, citrus, fall on the farm, farms in fall, friend's ranch, ojai, ojai pixies, pixie tangerines, pixies, Tangerine, tangerine tree

Apple Farmers Benefit from Grav Box

By FruitGuys Staff on August 30, 2013

Every September, when apple season is just hitting its zenith in most of the country, the harvest is already fading in Sonoma County, CA. This area of California is where the Gravenstein Apple reigns …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News

Tales of Tomato Season

By Seth Wright on August 29, 2013

As I drive around the valley, everywhere I look, tomato plants are quickly growing larger. Watching them grow is torture because tomatoes have been on my mind since they went out of season early last …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: andrew brait, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, capay valley recipes, cherry tomato, early girls tomato, farm shares, full belly farm, heirloom tomato, Heirloom Tomatoes, heritage tomatoes, organc tomatoes, roma, slicer, Tomato, tomato season, tomatoes

Ten Tasty Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About the Peach

By Seth Wright on August 14, 2013

Peaches have been on my mind lately. They are my favorite fruit, and they grow bountifully and beautifully in the Capay Valley. Many of our farms here cultivate more than one variety, and I feel …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, farm shares, national peach month, nectarines, nutritional value of peaches, Peach, peach pits, peaches, stone fruit

Save The Gravenstein

By FruitGuys Staff on July 29, 2013

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” —Martin Luther (1483–1546, a German monk and church reformer) In a world awash with Red Delicious …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: apple cider, apple farms, apple pie, apples, artisan, cittaslow, Farms, Gravenstein, gravenstein apple fair, gravenstein farmers, heirloom fruit, lee walker, sebastapol, slow food, slow food ark of taste, sonoma county

Profile: Olson Family Farms

By Heidi Lewis on July 28, 2013

Olson Family Farms in California’s Central Valley is truly a family affair. Five generations have lived on the farmstead and worked the land since John and Anna Olson emigrated from Sweden in 1888. …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: apricots, california farms, Central Valley, nectarines, olson family farm, olsons, organic farming, peaches, plums, stone fruit

A Little Apricot History

By FruitGuys Staff on June 19, 2013

from Good Humus Produce, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop A combination of Royal and Blenheim Apricots From the Luxemburg Gardens in Paris to England’s Blenheim Palace to the imperiled orchards …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Apricot, apricots, ark of taste, blenheim apricot, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, farm shares, good humus produce, heirloom fruit, royal blenheim, stone fruit, summer

Lots of Heat Means Good Eats

By Seth Wright on June 12, 2013

By Seth Wright, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop This 2013 has been an unusually hot and dry spring here in the Capay Valley. The rain, which usually occurs from January until the end March, …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, farm shares, figs, melons, stone fruit, summer harvest, summer on the farm, warm weather

New Family Farm

By Heidi Lewis on May 23, 2013

New Family Farm of Sebastopol, California, was one of six farms awarded grants in April 2013 from The FruitGuys Community Fund, a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives. An outgrowth of …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: California, draft horses, family farm, farm horses, fruitguys community fund, horsepower, horses on a farm, new family farm, organic farming, sebastopol, sonoma county, sustainable farming

In Our Spring

By Jeff Main on May 8, 2013

by Jeff Main of Good Humus Farm, Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Image courtesy of Good Humus Produce With the passing of the 2013 equinox a few weeks ago, and all the warmth and wetness …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: apricot blosoms, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, cherry blossoms, equinox, farm shares, good humus farm, hawks, jeff main, spring, spring flowers, spring on a farm, summer, tulips

Farmers on Food Safety

By FruitGuys Staff on April 10, 2013

By Judith Redmond of Full Belly Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop When I first heard the term “food safety” I knew that even the term itself was a problem, representing an approach to …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: CAFF, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, e coli, family farms, FDA, food safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, full belly farm, organic farming, sustainability

Voices From The Field

By FruitGuys Staff on April 3, 2013

From Full Belly Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop In April of 2013, we wanted to let folks learn a little bit more about the people who work at Full Belly Farm, so we interviewed one of the …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, farm irrigation, farm shares, farm workers, full belly farm

Durst Organic Growers

By Heidi Lewis on March 23, 2013

Farming with Heart By Heidi Lewis The main ingredient in good vegetables, says farmer Jim Durst, is soil: “Feed the soil, and the soil will feed the plants." Jim and his wife, Deborah, have been …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: deb durst, deborah durst, durst family farm, durst organic growers, family farm, Farms, jim durst, organic farming

Ruesch Century Farm

By FruitGuys Staff on January 16, 2013

Have you ever been browsing in an antique store and found a wooden box with rakish teeth on it? It could be a hand cranberry rake, a farm implement of yore. Possibly the same kind that farmer Brian …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: cranberry farm, fresh, harvesting, organic, rake, ruesch century farm

Hale’s Apple Farm

By FruitGuys Staff on November 13, 2012

In Fall, you can’t miss the explosion of roadside color that is Hale’s Apple Farm as you drive along Route 116 just north of Sebastopol, CA. The riot of piles of brilliant gourds can cause the unwary …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: david hale, hale's apple farm, sebastopol, sonoma county

The Fall Finish Line

By FruitGuys Staff on October 25, 2012

Image courtesy of Good Humus Produce, Capay CA by Jeff Main of Good Humus Produce, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop OK. Can we finally stop and say summer is finished? We have crossed what …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, end of summer, fall on the farm, farm shares, good humus produce, jeff main

Marty’s Angels!

By The FruitGuys on September 6, 2012

No, it’s not a new TV series—Marty’s “angels” are Angelcots, a special variety of apricots grown exclusively by Marty Maggiore and his family in Brentwood (Contra Costa County), CA. Every year, at …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Angelcot, angelcot farm, angelcot farmer, Angelcots, Apricot, marty maggiore, white apricot

August Field Notes from Riverdog Farm

By FruitGuys Staff on September 6, 2012

Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop 8/6/12 The mystery white peach orchard was so prolific – both high yielding by the sheer number of fruit but also by size – this year that we are sun-drying …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: august crops, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, csa boxes, farm shares, green houses, hot summer on the farm, perseid meteor shower, riverdog farm, star gazing, white peach orchard, wildland fire

Ode to a Grav Grower

By Pia Hinckle on August 14, 2012

Lee Walker has been farming with his family in their Graton, CA, apple orchard his whole life, except for a tour in the army and a few years playing pro baseball. Lee has kept growing Gravenstein …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: apple orchard, California, graton, Gravenstein, Gravenstein Apple Presidia, gravenstein apples, gravenstein box, gravenstein orchard, gravs, lee walker, slow food russian river, sonoma county, walker apples, walker family

The Peach Party

By Jeff Main on August 9, 2012

By Jeff Main of Good Humus Produce, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop In August of 2012, we had the Peach Party, our midsummer thanksgiving to all the bounty that comes our way, year after year. …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, farm shares, good humus produce, jeff main, O'Henry Peach, Pleasure of the Peach, The Peach Party

July Field Notes from Riverdog Farm

By FruitGuys Staff on August 2, 2012

From Riverdog Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop July 2, 2012 Summer crops are beginning to fill the fields and coolers; pallets of beets and greens are sharing space with summer squash and …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, fall greens, farm shares, greenhouse, guinda, riverdog farm, squash harvest, summer crops, white peaches

Lifelong Farm Romance

By Paul Muller on June 28, 2012

Image courtesy of Full Belly Farm, Guinda CA By Paul Muller of Full Belly Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Sunday Mornings start the week in a relatively quiet and reflective time here …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: agrarian economies, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, chickens, cows, farm chores, farm shares, farm tasks, full belly farm, lifelong farm romance, Paul Muller, rural producers, small farmers, stewardship, wendell berry

The Royal Blenheim

By FruitGuys Staff on June 13, 2012

From Good Humus Produce, courtesy of Capay Valley Farmshop From the Luxemburg Gardens in Paris to England’s Blenheim Palace to the imperiled orchards of Brentwood and Gilroy, California’s …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, farm shares

This Week at Good Humus Produce

By FruitGuys Staff on June 6, 2012

by Annie Main, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Image courtesy of Good Humus Farm, Capay CA When I am unsure what to write about I always take a walk around the farm-it is an easy place to …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Annie Main, bumper citrus crop, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, cherry crop, farm shares, farm transition, late rains, late spring, This Week at Good Humus Produce, western spotted fruit fly, wet spring

May Notes from the Field

By FruitGuys Staff on May 31, 2012

From Riverdog Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Image courtesy of Riverdog Farm, Guinda, CA May 7, 2012 Mild weather and sunshine have boosted crop growth in the field and in the …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, farm shares, May Notes from the Field

Summer In May

By FruitGuys Staff on May 24, 2012

Judith Redmond of Full Belly Farm, Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Resting in a prominent corner of our farm, under a native black walnut tree, there’s an enormous Allis Chalmers crawler …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Allis Chalmers, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, chicken coop, chickens, farm in may, farm irrigation, farm shares, fresh strawberries, full belly farm, Judith Redmond, melon field, Rye Muller, spring on the farm, warm spring, Watermelon

Research, Education & Farming

By Judith Redmond on May 16, 2012

By Judith Redmond of Full Belly Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Years ago, when I was studying at the University of California, I noticed that there was research being done on “organic” …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: agricultural research, Agriculture, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, changing climate, cooperative extension, Education & Farming, farm shares, fertilizers, food and water watch, full belly farm, herbicides, hot spring, Judith Redmond, organic farming, organic farms, pesticides, Research

April Field Notes

By FruitGuys Staff on April 26, 2012

From Riverdog Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop 4/2/12 It’s getting close to tomato transplanting time. The plants, all 80,000 (about 9 acres) of the first seeding, have been ready to go from …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: april, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, riverdog farm, spring, spring fields, spring frost

Farm Hands: Lessons of a Farm Intern

By Becca von Trapp on March 22, 2012

By Becca von Trapp of Full Belly Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Well, folks, the rain has finally come. Here at the farm, we are heaving a collective sigh of relief as we are finally able …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: becca von trapp, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, farm hand, Farm Hands: Lessons of a Farm Intern, farm shares, full belly farm, interning at a farm, rainy season

Mick Klug Farm, Saint Joseph, MI

By Heidi Lewis on March 8, 2012

By Heidi Lewis The USDA classifies family farms as “any farm organized as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or family corporation.” But a cold definition is never the whole story, is it? Mick …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News

A Full Belly Crew Member

By Alexander Scaletta on March 7, 2012

Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop In March 2012, Nolan O’Brian, one of the Full Belly Farm interns interviewed orchard manager, Jesus Jacobo Garcia. Where were you born? My hometown is called …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News

The Almond Festival Arrives In The Valley

By FruitGuys Staff on February 29, 2012

By Dru Rivers of Full Belly Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Almond blossoms are everywhere at the moment on Full Belly Farm – filling the air with honey scented smells and brightly …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: almond blossom festival, almond queen, Brooks, capay, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, capay valley recipes, Esparto, farm shares, full belly farm, guinda, Rumsey, rumsey town hall

The One Percent

By Thomas Nelson on February 10, 2012

By Thomas Nelson, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Farmers, seed and equipment suppliers, food distributors and retailers, NGOs and community members from across the country, came together last …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: blue heron farm hand crafted gourds, bonny scott, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, carl rosato, deborah koons garcia, eco farmers, edofarm conference, farm shares, food aggregation hubs, full belly farm, good humus produce, hilary hodge, multi-farm csa's, orangewood farm, paul cultera, sacramento natural foods coop, stewards of sustainable agriculture award, susties, symphony of the soil, the last crop, the one percent, woodleaf farm

Sustainability, Resources, Food Safety are Hot Topics

By Heidi Lewis on February 7, 2012

Winter Farm Conferences By Heidi Lewis The Monterey Peninsula is one of the most beautiful spots in the world, but it wasn't just the sparkly ocean breeze dancing through the pines that brought a …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Agriculture, eco farm, eco farm conference, ecofarm, ecological farming, family farms, farm conferences, organic farming, small farms

February on a California Farm

By Paul Muller on February 3, 2012

By Paul Muller of Full Belly Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop It is a fine Sunday morning. The sun is shining on a windless, cloudless blue sky. The light frost last night kissed crops …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, dry winter, farm shares, february on dry farm, full belly farm, low rainfall, orange crop, rainfall deficit, winter crops

The Lemon Lady

By FruitGuys Staff on February 2, 2012

Karen Morss is called the Lemon Lady. She started her suburban Emerald Hills, CA (San Mateo County), an organic citrus farm, Lemon Ladies Orchard, in 2004. She has done her part breaking glass …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: California, farm, farming, karen morss, ladies, Lemon Ladies, Lemon Ladies Orchard, lemon orchard, meyer lemons, organic, organic farming, organic grower, organic growing, organic lemons, women

From Bacon Broccoli Bites

By FruitGuys Staff on December 7, 2011

Capay Valley FarmShares Member Jay Edwards on Why He Loves His FarmShare I love my Farmshare because it’s turned me from being mostly carnivorous to a solid omnivore, even dabbling in …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Capay Valley, capay valley farmshares, farm share, farmshare

What Does a Farmer Do in December?

By Judith Redmond on December 1, 2011

By Judith Redmond of Full Belly Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Each season on the farm has its own tempo. The harvest overwhelms everyone’s attention for most of the year. The lambing …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Capay Valley, farming in winter, full belly farm, perennials, seed catalogs, seeds, winter, winter on the farm

Bear Track Farm

By FruitGuys Staff on November 19, 2011

Betty Hui is powered by fruit. She has to be, she has a busy life. As The FruitGuys Retentions Specialist, she zips up, down, and around the San Francisco Bay Area visiting customers and keeping …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News

Reflecting on Summer”¦

By Jeff Main on October 26, 2011

By Jeff Main of Good Humus Produce, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop It seems like a long time since I’ve had a chance to touch bases with all of you, as a matter of fact, it has been a long …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: aging, autumn, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, fall, good humus, good humus produce, growing older, harvest, local, nature, older farmers, organic farming, summer, sustainable, young farmers

Steamboat Acres Historic Pear Farm

By Pia Hinckle on October 14, 2011

The Sacramento River Delta was at the center of the California Gold Rush. The northern California town that would be the future state’s capital was the gateway to the goldfields in the Sierra Nevada …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: courtland pear fair, laura neuharth, organic pear farm, organic pears, pear fair, pear farm, pear farming, pear orchard, steamboat acres, tim neuharth

A Day in The Country

By Judith Redmond on September 14, 2011

courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Top chefs and food purveyors, representing 27 of northern California’s most innovative and creative restaurants, 13 wineries and 8 farms with tastings of their …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: a day in the country, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farmshares, full belly farm, winters, yolo county, yolo land trust

Coco Ranch

By Pia Hinckle on September 7, 2011

Coco Ranch in Davis, California is a labor of love for the House Family. Jennifer and Greg House met at the University of California Davis where they were both studying agriculture. Their certified …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: coco ranch, family farming, global warming, organic apple farm, tomato farm, Weather, young farmers

The Grav-ity of Change

By Chris Mittelstaedt on August 14, 2011

Change has come slowly but steadily to the foods we’ve eaten over the last 70 years. While there has been no acute onset to clearly demonstrate the difference between the food of today and yesterday, …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: apples, California, fall, Gravenstein, gravenstein apples, gravenstein history, sonoma county

Great Gravenstein! This Heirloom Apple has a Story to Tell

By FruitGuys Staff on August 13, 2011

Joe has his hands in his pockets, rocking heel to toe gazing into a crate of Gravenstein apples. Barbara Walker, who operates the Walker Apples’ booth, listens to Joe with full attention whilst her …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Gravenstein, Gravenstein Apple, gravensteins, lee walker, sebastopol, sonoma county

Hartland Cherries: Kauffman’s Fruit Farm

By Heidi Lewis on June 24, 2011

By Heidi Lewis How many people say “worth two in the bush!” when they enter the town limits of Bird-in-Hand in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania? We don’t know, but FruitGuys buyer Jessica says …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News

Whole Earth CSA—Waddell, Arizona

By FruitGuys Staff on June 22, 2011

“In the hierarchy of healthy vegetables, heirlooms are at the top,” says Shyryn Joy. She explains this statement by adding that “they’re closest to their natural order and have the most integrity.” …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News

Health Per Acre

By Judith Redmond on June 8, 2011

By Judith Redmond of Full Belly Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Despite heavy rain, a surprisingly large group of people turned out for the Full Belly Open Farm Day. While we couldn’t …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, full belly farm, health per acre, navdanya, organic farming, organic farming in india, rain, spring, sustainability, sustainable farming

Old Style Custom Meat Market

By Reed Adam on June 1, 2011

By Reed Adam, Capay Valley Farm Shop At first glance, the almost-completed Manas Ranch Old Style Custom Meat Market, located on Highway 16 just east of Esparto, appears identical to the packing …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: capay, Capay Valley, capay valley farm shop, custom meat market, esparto california, manas ranch, manas ranch meats, manas ranch old style custom meat market, small meat farms, sustainable meat, yolo county

News From Good Humus Produce

By Annie Main on May 11, 2011

By Annie Main of Good Humus Produce I went for a bicycle ride to Esparto on Sunday, Jeff and I had breakfast at Zach and Nicole’s house. I took my camera and stopped for some photos. I took …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: capay valley farm shares, capay valley farms, cover crops, fertilizer, good humus, good humus produce, mustard, soil, spring, wheat

The Importance of Pollinators

By FruitGuys Staff on April 11, 2011

On Saturday, March 12, 2011, a small contingent of FruitGuys joined Cub Scouts from Santa Rosa and participants from the Volunteer Center for Sonoma County at Gabriel Farm in Sebastopol, CA (Sonoma …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News

How Broccoli Will Save Strawberries: Organic Farming Practices Leave Pesticides Aside

By FruitGuys Staff on April 8, 2011

Broccoli Shortcake. Mmmm, can you picture it? Golden cake, florets of green broccoli, and a cloud of sweet whipped cream... What? Doesn’t sound appealing? Do you prefer Strawberry Shortcake? But …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: crop rotation, harmful pesticides, integrated pest management, iodide

Almond Queen: Visioning Capay’s Future

By FruitGuys Staff on March 16, 2011

By Hallie Muller of Full Belly Farm In March of 2011, our small community celebrated a 96-year old tradition: the official crowning of the Almond Queen. In a valley rich with history, this is a …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: almond blossom festival, almond orchard, almond queen, capay valley farms, capay valley vision, esparto high school, full belly farm, future farmers of america, grange, hallie muller, hoes down festival

Capay Valley FarmShares: Collaboration Brings Small Farms to City Tables

By Heidi Lewis on February 7, 2011

From a satellite view, Northern California’s Capay Valley looks like a green quilt caught between the folds of the Coast Range. This makes it good for farming with plenty of clean water from Cache …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Capay Valley, capay valley crate, capay valley farm shop, capay valley farms, terroir

Three Sisters Garden

By Heidi Lewis on January 7, 2011

Farmers Tracey Vowell and Kathe Roybal came to farming after careers in the restaurant world. Tracey was managing chef at Frontera, a Rick Bayless restaurant in downtown Chicago, where she helped …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: beans, corn, huitlacoche, illinois, kankakee river, popcorn, squash, Three Sisters Garden

Winter Work: How Farmers Finish up the Year

By Heidi Lewis on November 29, 2010

What does winter weather mean for you? A change in work wardrobe from grey to black? From seersucker to faux fur? Maybe a change in your bike commute? We contacted two of the farmers we work with to …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: Agriculture, farms in winter, Weather, winter on a farm, winter on the farm

How Do I Love Bee?

By Heidi Lewis on October 7, 2010

Farmer-Beekeepers Count the Ways Honey from bees is quite the miracle. Why does it taste so good? And why does it have so many healing properties? Many scientists have studied the organization of …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: article, bee hives, bee pollen, beekeepers, beekeeping, beekind, bees, gabriel farm, honey, honey bees, royal jelly

It Takes a Village: California Town Saves Heirloom Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on August 13, 2010

The Gravenstein Apple is dear to many apple lovers for its tart taste and superior juice, sauce, and pie abilities, but it is especially dear to the residents of Sebastopol, CA (Sonoma County) where …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: ark of taste, article, Gravenstein Apple, gravenstein apple fair, Gravenstein Apple Presidia, Presidia, sebastopol, slow food russian river

Swords into Ploughs

By Heidi Lewis on April 20, 2010

It’s quiet at Kokopelli organic berry farm except for the occasional proud exultation of a laying hen. Farmer Dr. Shepherd Bliss loves it that way; the quiet gives him peace after his own …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: agropsychology, agrotherapy, article, california farm link, ecotherapy, farmer veteran coalition, farming therapy, farms not arms, fvc, healing, kokopelli, Shepherd Bliss, swords to ploughshares, veterans

Profile: Chaffin Family Orchards

By Heidi Lewis on January 22, 2010

Oroville, CA - Oroville is a gold rush town in Butte County, CA. Oro means gold in Spanish, and during the Gold Rush prospectors stampeded over the area in a greedy frenzy. When Del Chaffin came to …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: article, avocado, Chaffin Family Farm, chaffin family orchard, cherries, chickens, citrus, cows, eggs, figs, fruit trees, heirloom fruit, jam, land management, lemons, mandarins, olives, Peach, peaches, persimmon, pesticides, pests, Satsuma, satsuma trees, sheep, symbiosis, table mountain, wool

Lifetime Contribution to Sonoma County Agriculture

By FruitGuys Staff on November 20, 2009

Congratulations to longtime friend and farmer Lee Walker. Lee is being awarded the “Lifetime Contribution to Sonoma County Agriculture” by the 2008 Sonoma Harvest Fair. The Harvest Fair is an annual …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: apple farm, apple farmer, lee walker, sebastopol

Profile: Johnson Orchards, Ukiah (Mendocino County) CA

By Heidi Lewis on November 18, 2009

Nestled in the Ukiah Valley, sandwiched between the famous Napa Valley and the redwoods of Mendocino County, is Johnson Orchards, a family farm for more than a century and home to some of the tastiest …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: article, family farming, Johnson Orchards, Ukiah Valley

Farm Profile: Lehman’s Orchard (Michigan)

By Heidi Lewis on November 18, 2009

Steve Lecklider wasn't always a farmer. He was a professional clarinet musician playing classical music in South Bend, Indiana. Now he runs Lehman's Orchard with his parents, both retired teachers. …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News

Sonoma County Unique August 28, 2006

By Chris Mittelstaedt on August 29, 2006

This time of year, I like to write about Lee Walker and his family farm. Lee's grandfather (Arthur Upp) planted the first Gravenstein apple orchard on the property in 1912, and the apples we have in …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: archive

Finding the Good Stuff, August 15, 2005

By FruitGuys Staff on September 19, 2005

A majority of the fruit grown in the U.S. comes from California. Much of that is within 300 miles of the Bay Area. If you are willing to dig a bit, some of the most exciting and unique small farms …

Filed Under: Farms, FruitGuys News Tagged With: archive