If there was a farming gold standard that recognized exceptional growing, sort of an Oscar or an Emmy Award equivalent, I think it would go to Tierra Vegetables.
Brother and sister team Wayne and Lee James have been farming here since 1976, and running Tierra Vegetables on Airport Boulevard adjacent to 101 for the past 15 years. With Pennsylvania Quaker roots, it was natural. (My son went to a Quaker school, so this is dear to my heart). They were part of the opening of many Certified Farmers’ Markets in our area — Ukiah, Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Marin, Ferry Plaza and others. They and their farm are vital to Sonoma County and this community.
What makes them so unique? Walk the center aisle of their 16-acre farm and you will see what and how they grow. Feel the soil; it wasn’t always like this. This open space land had been prunes, hay and then ran fallow for years before Tierra landed. Though it has Yolo silt loam as the base, it was neglected and required a lot of work, and to this day they are constantly adding organic matter.
Enter the historic 100+ year-old barn (they saved and moved it from Mark West Springs Road) that houses the farm stand; there is always a mix of just-picked vegetables direct from the field, sometimes fruit. You may find bins for the subscription-based Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, and people picking up their weekly supply. One side of the stand has processed products like chile jams, dried peppers, chile powder, hot sauce, masa, frozen soups and more — all made from what they grow on the farm, and produced in their commercial kitchen.
Years ago they gained renown for their 50 varieties of chiles, especially the chipotle, now a name hard to miss. They grow 20 varieties of unique and heirloom beans. Fans swear by their carrots and root vegetables, tomatoes, squash, garlic and their strawberries are out of this world. Some of their produce is beautiful, some has visual character, but nothing compares to the taste, and taste is plentiful in everything they grow.
Now, heirloom corn is a focus. Not just the type you cook and eat, but grain corn for masa, corn meal, flour, you name it. Of course, Wayne worked with a corn scientist to determine varieties ideally suited to this environment and ones that taste best, like the Peruvian Purple. He also found the leading stone mill maker in Los Angeles — so try Tierra’s masa, make your own tortillas, taste how different it can be.
The Farm Stand is open year-round Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Days and times adjust in the winter starting in January, so check their website. You can also find them at the Ferry Plaza on Saturdays, Marin on Sundays and at the Certified Santa Rosa Market on Wednesdays. Of course, you can sign up for the CSA too!
We (Dry Creek Peach) were fortunate to be next to Tierra Vegetables when we started at the Healdsburg Farmers’ Market in 2001. We went to the first Slow Food Tierra Madre gathering with them in Turin in 2004. We have been fans since. They are optimistic about the future too. When they started farming here in the late 1970s, there were very few farms. Now, look around, there are farms and farmer’s cropping up all around Sonoma County.
Here’s a winter recipe using Tierra Vegetable’s carrots. We spent one Thanksgiving away from home with friends in London, and they served this soup, and we’ve been making it ever since. I hope you enjoy it on a cold winter night, or a hot summer day.
Carrot Dill Soup, adapted from “New Basics Cookbook”
4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, diced
2.5 pounds of carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, leaves included, diced
8 cups chicken stock
¼ cup fresh dill, save some extra for garnish
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
Melt butter in a soup kettle. Add onion and cook over low heat until translucent, 10 minutes or so.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer covered for about 30 minutes or until carrots of very soft. Allow to cool.
Blend or puree soup in batches. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with a sprig or two of fresh dill, a drizzle of excellent olive oil or maybe even a little crab meat. So delicious!
Next Month: Citrus
