about us
and so it begins ...
When I meet someone, eventually they ask me what I do for a living. Straightforward enough.
When I say I’m a farmer they look me over, pause and usually follow up with, so, where is your farm?
Here’s where it gets a little tricky because the farm has occupied a lot of spaces.
For the first 25 years after we bought the property the farm was only in my head. In my mind it was a vibrant, serene space full of life and overflowing with color and motion and taste.
Over those first couple decades my vision slowly found its way into the hearts and minds of my wife and our two boys ( gus & iggy ). We would race dirt bikes in a loop around the property or walk the dogs after work and I would say the grapes are going here, the tomatoes are going there, the Christmas trees are going along the hill, etc. In reality, only the fruit trees, grapes and Christmas trees made any progress.
Then, 5 years ago I retired after 30 years with Verizon. The family got busy. We put on our boots and gloves and hats and grabbed shovels and rakes and plows and furrowed and plowed and hoed and sweated until our dry, weed covered, lifeless soil became a fertile, irrigated urban farm in the hills of Redlands, CA.
No longer just a vision or a dream, but a farm. A tangible, working, productive plot of land that you can walk, work and wonder at.
Today it’s a beautiful, organic, pesticide and insecticide free, tomato, pepper, eggplant, grape, stone fruit, citrus and Christmas tree producing space that hosts rabbits, bees, butterflies and wiggly, crawly things.
Looks as good in real life as it did in my head.
Thanks to my wife and children for making it so.
about us continued
we did it - you can too!
teamwork makes the dream work
teamwork makes the dream work
The first step was clearing the weeds, the dead trees and debris. Then we planted a cover crop and let that add vital nutrients, life and an improved texture to the soil. Once we added irrigation and drip lines we were able to coax world class fruits and vegetables out o the ground. If you're thinking about doing it at your property I say go for it!
teamwork makes the dream work
teamwork makes the dream work
teamwork makes the dream work
There is no way the farm would be what it is without the hours of backbreaking labor that my wife and children 'volunteered'. If you've ever put a shovel in the ground in Redlands you know what a challenge it would be to run irrigation, plant fruit trees and remove unwanted foliage. Thanks again to Gus, Iggy and Cheryl.
taking the first step
teamwork makes the dream work
taking the first step
We started small it's true, but we started. Being a farmer has taught me a few things. First, you can't control the playing field. Weather fronts, birds, bugs and gophers are going to d whatever the hell they want to do. Roll with it. Second, it doesn't happen until you make it happen. There is no farm fairy to do the things you don't wan
We started small it's true, but we started. Being a farmer has taught me a few things. First, you can't control the playing field. Weather fronts, birds, bugs and gophers are going to d whatever the hell they want to do. Roll with it. Second, it doesn't happen until you make it happen. There is no farm fairy to do the things you don't want to do. Finally, address it immediately. Let nothing fester