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Sharon Baldwin with Towani Organic Farm. |
CommentsThe Farmer Introduces His Friends
By Gary RomanoPublished: July 19, 2010
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Hey… summer is finally here! It took long enough! As I mentioned last month, this summer I’m going to feature a few of the local farmers you can meet at our farmers markets. July means all the markets and CSA programs are in full swing. As the heat settles into the Sacramento Valley and foothills, you will see all the hot season crops start to flow in, like squash, cucumbers, eggplant, corn, and tomatoes, not to mention all the great peaches, pluots, and plums as well as blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
If you are still unsure where to catch your favorite farmer, Tahoe City holds a market Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Commons Beach. Truckee’s market is Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Truckee Regional Park and Truckee Thursday nights from 4 to 8 p.m. Reno’s best market is Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the intersection of Keystone and California, and Sierra Valley Farms in Beckwourth hosts a market Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. If you are still dragging your feet on joining a CSA, check with the Pour House or Moody’s Bistro and Lounge in Truckee, or contact farms directly. The Natural Trading Company, Del Rio Farms, and Mountain Bounty all offer programs for Tahoe residents. Without further adieu, let me introduce the featured farmers for July:
Guy and Sharon Baldwin, Towani Organic Farms
Sharon and Guy were some of the first organic farmers I met over 10 years ago, when my wife and I first started our farm. They have a beautiful organic farm about 30 minutes above Oroville. Sharon started out as a passionate gardener, and her passion then attracted Guy and led to their organic certification in the late 1980s. They have a beautiful rainbow of organic vegetables from lettuces, herbs, vegetable starts, heirloom melons, and tomatoes to beets, radishes, potatoes, squash, eggplant, onions, and many more, even prickly pear cactus! They also have some old grove olive trees on their farm that they harvest and press to make a wonderful olive oil. They direct market most of their products, and can be found year-round at markets in Davis, Chico, Truckee, and Tahoe City. One-hundred percent of their income comes from the farm. Sharon and Guy consider markets to be a direct link to the consumer, which helps them educate their public on the benefits of organic farming.
They were attracted to farming because of their love for plants, nature, and a passion for the land. Sharon states that her main challenges are “to keep overhead down, increase efficiency, manage pests, and be better stewards of the land.” They feel the future of organic farmers is wide open, because the public is paying attention to fresh, local, organic food, and the potential is endless. The Baldwins encourage young people to pursue their dreams in organic farming, but say “it’s not for everyone.”
When asked what they like most about farming Sharon said, “the food I eat off of the farm … picking and reaping the harvest.” Locally, Guy can be found Tuesdays at the Truckee market, while Sharon can be seen Thursdays at the Tahoe City market.
Bryan Kaminsky, the Natural Trading Company
I met Bryan six or seven years ago when he was a young inspiring farmer. A true businessman with great vision, Bryan had been cultivating a 2.5-acre property in Penryn, Calif., along with a 10-acre property on a neighboring farm. In 2007 he then bought and certified organic 40 acres. Bryan saw a niche in growing sprouts and wheatgrass, and built a beautiful greenhouse to stabilize his production. Bryan’s innovation and farming diversity has brought recognition by Placer County, as he was named the 2010 Farmer of the Year by PlacerGROWN. It doesn’t get any better than that! Over the last five years alone the Natural Trading Company has grown to service over 100 CSA members, and Bryan attends most of the farmers markets in the Auburn/Roseville area. NTC crops include: organic vegetables, flowers, and free-range organic chicken fryers. Bryan’s philosophy is to be “hands-on and at ease with the earth. A connection to the heart and soul of a full holistic program.” Bryan takes pride in his integrity as an organic farmer, and you can see that in his presentation. His challenges are weeds and labor costs like most organic farmers, and that “bottom line.” Bryan feels the future for small farmers is very bright, especially with the importance of buying local. His marketing strategy is diversity, and working with the seasons. “My office is the outdoors … and being a part of feeding a community … it doesn’t get much better than that!” Bryan, Carrie, or Shawn can be found at both the Truckee and Tahoe City markets.
Bryan Roccucci, manager of Thompson Valley Beef
Bryan and I hit it off immediately when we met about 10 years ago at the Quincy farmers market. Bryan manages over 1,000 acres between Clear Lake and Quincy, and processes over 60 cattle per year. There are absolutely no hormones or antibiotics used in the operation, and Thompson Valley Beef raises only Angus cattle in its natural grass-fed beef program. All cattle are born and raised being 100 percent grass-fed, never confined to feed lots of any kind. The beef is then dry-aged in refrigeration for a full 21 days to insure tenderness and to bring out the full flavor. Thompson Valley began operations to try to get some stability into its family ranch and wanted to share “the pride of their beef with the local community.” Bryan takes pride in keeping their cattle out to pasture longer than most grass-fed operations, to insure more marbling of the meat, more fat, and to give a better flavor. They market most of their beef through natural food stores, restaurants, CSAs, and farmers markets in Quincy, Tahoe City, and Truckee. Bryan’s constant challenge is to become more efficient and lower overhead costs. What the six-foot-six-inch paisano likes about ranching is that every day is an adventure saying, “You really never know what this day will bring… it’s a spice of life!” When Bryan isn’t ranching, he’s spending most of his time at Bucks Lake or Eagle Lake on his charter boat “Big Daddy’s Guide Service.” Catch Bryan at the Truckee and Tahoe City markets.
Let me leave you with this thought for July: “Give fools their gold, and knaves their power, let fortune’s bubbles rise and fall; who sows a field, or trains a flower, or plants a tree, is more than all.” ~ John Greenleaf Whittier
~ Gary Romano owns Sierra Valley Farms, which sits on some of his family’s original 3,600-acre ranch in Beckwourth, Calif. Visit sierravalleyfarms.com.
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