Missing the Shed already

Upon hearing about the closing of Shed, I took it in without a strong feeling of what it meant to me, our family and our farm. But now that Shed is closing, its significance has settled in. I feel a great loss.
Shed consistently confirmed the importance of local. Each week we knew that Shed’s chefs would peruse our product list and those of other local farmers and create their menu based on what was growing seasonally. If potato leek soup was on the menu, it was because potatoes and leeks were growing close by. If there were peach shrubs in the fermentation bar, or peach ice cream next to the coffee bar, it was because beautifully blushed peaches grown at Home Farm were in. When a customer purchased a vegetable, a menu item or refreshment, it was freshly harvested from within a few miles of Shed.
The survival of our farm relies on businesses like Shed. We are lucky to be farming here because many of the chefs believe that fresh, local and clean produce are important.
The commitment to that idea is one of the reasons behind the beauty of Sonoma County. The rural character and pastoral rolling hills is what makes it so gorgeous. Without vibrant diverse farms and consumers who appreciate good food, our environment would be much different.
There would be houses where there are now farms.
I will miss Shed. I will miss the spontaneous beauty of sitting with friends and fellow farmers at the picnic tables outside, enjoying a delicious salad or sandwich from the kitchen and a wonderful fermented beverage. This was often a routine for me after selling vegetables at the farmers market on Saturday.
I will miss Monday mornings at Shed, sitting on the high stools at the coffee bar with my grandchild, Jules, sharing a steamed milk and a delicious egg tartine after dropping his brother off at preschool. I will miss stopping in after running errands in the afternoon for a sweet from the coffee bar.
I will miss the dedicated chefs, and the warm greeting of Meg the floor manager, who has worked there since the opening. I’ll miss Jen who has helped produce many of the enjoyable events and movies I have attended.
But most of all I will miss Doug and Cindy because they were the heart of it all.
Yael Bernier
Bernier Farms
Geyserville