06/01/2026
It looks we have quite a few followers to the farm lately .
I’ve met so many people just this last week .
I’ve answered lots of questions so thought I’d share with our new followers .
#1 Do you have tomatoes ?
Not typically till July .
We start our seeds in the greenhouse but they are outside growing in the ground along with cucumbers, green beans , peppers , spaghetti squash, butterbush squash, pumpkins, zucchini and squash .
Squash and zucchini are ready, green beans will be next along with cucumbers .
Dill, spinach and kale are being picked onions will be next .
Apples , figs and pears will be later in the season .
How long have you been farming ?
Pretty much my whole life since I was a kid .
My parents owned and operated a dairy farm raising Jerseys in the Arcata Bottoms .
My parents grew and canned everything .
My mama learned from my dad’s mom .
They were from Terceira Azores and farming was in their blood .
My grandpa was a dairy farmer too .
We drank raw milk , ate from the garden and we raised and harvested our own meat and chickens .
My parents worked hard and that was instilled in me .
Moving to Redding was a pretty big heads up 🤣
It was hot here and the dirt was not brown but red and rocky .
But the good thing is it’s where I met my husband .
Now he was a surfer boy from Southern California and I’m not sure if he knew what he was getting into 🤣
We’ve been here in Happy Valley for over 35 years .
We raised two boys here which have grown up and our granddaughter has spent a lot of time here raised on homemade baby food just like her dad was .
When we bought this old farm and farmhouse most everything was dead or dying and the house needed lots of work.
It had set vacant for months during the harsh heat .
But I saw a vision .
It had flat land perfect for cattle and goats , a place to keep chickens , it had a barn too.
A big ole garden was planted .
Over 200 trees were planted both fruit and shade .
I decided to be a stay at home mom to my boys when they were little and that’s when I started a larger garden to help me bring in enough money to pay the water bill and help pay the other bills we had without my income .
We hosted field trips for free from the local schools to share how important farm water is to grow food .
Some weeks saw us hosting up to 200 kids sometimes whole school classes to visit .
We also hosted “Farmer for a day” .
It was a hands on experience to share our way of life with people from town .
We shared how to milk goats , make corn husk dolls and such .
I also served on the board of directors of our local water district bringing a farmer to the fight for our water and community.
Dealing with the bureau of reclamation and even our district is a job for sure and I served our community for quite a few years .
To this day I fight for farmer rights .
It’s in my blood .
No farms no food .
No farm water no farms no food .
I also try to share the love of farming .
Even with a deck or porch you can grow food and also help pollinators thrive .
I also try to share how to make things with the food grown so you can make things from local fruit and produce that don’t have added unsafe ingredients.
Pasta sauce, apple pie filling, yogurt , these are things you can do yourself and I will teach you as much as I can .
Our goals are to provide good un-fooled around with food to our community.
We try to keep our prices low so people can afford it .
Everything we sell here is grown here .
We don’t spray or use chemicals or unsafe products .
We also use natural fertilizers and compost .
We support other farms locally .
We’ve got to look out for each other .
Unfortunately farms face lots of uncertainty these days .
Obtaining water is a big one .
In my hometown at one time there were hundreds of dairy farms , they are down to three 😢
We hope to always share the importance of farms and farm water .
If the farms are gone where will the food come from ?
We appreciate any and all support from our community and we thank each and every one of you . ❤️
