Local Food / Family Farms
[Also see our Farm to Home page for a list of farms and companies that provide weekly boxes of produce to homes in the Napa Valley.]
Food is so essential that we have to ensure that we have a steady supply of it. Growing your own is the best solution. Supporting a local farmer is also excellent, particularly since that farmer can probably turn out a lot more quantity and variety than you can.
It makes sense to have both home and neighborhood gardens. Your home gardening can be as simple as herbs, sprouts, and a few tomatoes—or much more if you have the time and space. Community gardening benefits you by contact with your fellow neighbors as much as it does from the actual food itself.
Support local farmers
Local farmers are a community treasure. Do everything you can to support them. Buy their produce at your local farmers’ market. (If you don’t have one, help start one.) Many local farms offers weekly delivery (or pickup) of food baskets. You can sign up for their service, paying monthly or quarterly. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) can include paying for regular food baskets or actually investing in the farm. (See our Farm to Home page).
Supermarket foods can travel an average of 1,200-1,500 miles before they reach your plate, using energy and resulting in increased air pollution. Buy food that is locally produced and in season, and you help reduce that energy requirement. Local farms are a valuable resource; your support helps to keep them alive. You also give yourself the pleasure—and health—of being able to eat very fresh, nutritious foods.
Some of this information is courtesy of the University of California, Small Farm Center. The center publishes Napa Yolano Harvest Trails—a map and directory of farms, wineries, trails, bed-and-breakfast inns, and parks in Napa, Yolo and Solano counties.
Organizations
University of California, Small Farm Center
530.752.8136
www.sfc.ucdavis.edu
Family Farm League
www.familyfarmleague.com
Grass-roots advocacy group whose sole purpose is to encourage food production in the Napa Valley.
Farms
D&S Produce
Stanley Lane Marketplace
3100 Golden Gate Drive (south of Napa off Carneros Highway)
www.ds-produce.com
Fresh produce June through October.
Forni Brown Gardens
900 Foothill Boulevard
Calistoga CA 94515
707.942.6123
Forni Brown provides vegetables to some of the country’s finest restaurants. Not open to the public, except for their annual Spring Garden Sale every April, but you can phone in advance for special orders throughout the year.
Goat’s Leap Cheese
3321 St. Helena Hwy
St Helena, CA 94574
707.963.2337
www.goatsleap.com
Guy Ritter Honey
1964 Iroquois St
Napa, CA 94559
707.257.2274
Honey is available at several North Bay farmers’ markets and at
Cash & Carry in Napa.
Harms Vineyards and Lavender Fields
3185 Dry Creek Road
Napa CA 94558
707.257.2683
www.harmsvineyardsandlavenderfields.com
Tours by appointment. Certified organic lavender (actually their lavender is not only organic, it’s biodynamic, which is even more stringently controlled.) Open house one weekend every June.
Hoffman Farm
2125 Silverado Trail
Napa CA 94558
707.226.8938
Open daily August-November.
DIRECTIONS: On the west side of the Silverado Trail, 1/4 mile north of Trancas Street.
Twenty-three acres of prunes, pears, persimmons and walnuts. You can pick yourself if you wish.
Marshall’s Farm Honey
159 Lombard Road
American Canyon CA 94503
707.556.8088, 800.624.4637
www.marshallshoney.com
Directions: From Napa go south on Highway 29 toward Vallejo. The next road after Green Island Road is Napa Junction. Turn right on Napa Junction, then take the first right onto Lombard Road. You’ll see the honey-colored buildings and the little red barn.
Natural and organic gourmet honey from over 650 beehives at 100 locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. From wildflower to eucalyptus to lavender to berry to orange blossom. Over 50 delicious varieties, depending on the season.
Napa Blueberies
1236 Hagen Rd
Napa, CA 94558
707.294.4490
medseller50@netscape.net
Omi’s Farm
4185 Silverado Trail
Napa CA 94558
707.224.0954
kniesar@napanet.net
Located on the Silverado Trail 3.5 miles north of Trancas Street. Open year-round, by appointment only. Sustainable family farm offering seasonal produce, eggs, walnuts and berries. Also sells sheep and Australian cattle dogs.
Rancho Gordo
1755 Industrial Way #26
Napa CA 94558
707.259.1935
www.ranchogordo.com
Beans. Many, many varieties of them, all heirloom. While most of their beans aren’t grown in Napa, the majority of them do come from Northern California. And Steve Sando and his Rancho Gordo are too important in the local food scene to leave out.
Rutherford Gardens
1796 South St. Helena Highway
St. Helena 94574
877.627.2645
www.longmeadowranch.com
Open Thursday through Sunday when produce is available.
Directions: Located on the east side of Highway 29 across the street from Grgich-Hills Cellar, just north of Rutherford.
The property has been producing vegetables at least since the 1930s. This 5.8-acre property is now owned by Long Meadow Ranch, renowned for its organic produce and other foods, including olive oil, wines and Scottish Highland cattle. The roadside stand currently offers a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes, sunflowers, basil, melons, figs and sweet corn. In the fall, visitors can pick a potential jack-o’-lantern from over 2.5 acres of pumpkins.
Stewart’s Farm
Silverado Trail at Deer Park Road
St. Helena CA 94574
707.967.8360
Open daily May-November.
A roadside stand that sells produce grown on the site and at nearby farms. Depending on the season, you’ll find zucchini, squash, cherries, apricots, green beans, pumpkins, tomatoes and corn.
Wild Boar Farms
707.225.5757
www.wildboarfarms.com
Heirloom tomatoes. Located just over the county line in Suisun Valley.
Other Resources
What’s in Season – Shopping and Cooking
www.omorganics.org/page.php?pageid=60
Seasonal Chart – S.F. Bay Area farm foods
www.omorganics.org/page.php?pageid=211
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
CSA farms are mutually supported by individuals and families. Through ongoing contracts, farmers deliver weekly food—usually organic—to homes. In turn, the farms receive ongoing financial support.
Local Food
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4312591.stm
Greener than organic. BBC article.
Local Harvest
www.localharvest.org
Farmers markets, family farms, CSAs, organic food.
Robyn Van En Center
Offers services to existing and new CSA farmers and shareholders, including a database of U.S. CSA farms.