Full Belly Farm

Full Belly Farm Delicious Organic Fruits and Veggies! Full Belly has been farmed using organic practices since 1985 and is certified by California Certified Organic Farmers.
(405)

Full Belly Farm is a 300-acre certified organic farm located in the beautiful Capay Valley of Northern California, an hour northwest of Sacramento. The farm owners are Andrew Brait, Paul Muller, Judith Redmond, and Dru Rivers. With help from about 45 to 55 employees, the farm produces an amazing diversity of vegetables, herbs, nuts, flowers, and fruits year-round. The farm also has a flock of chic

kens, a herd of sheep, and several cows. Full Belly's system includes: growing and marketing over 80 different crops; providing year-round employment for farm labor; using cover crops that fix nitrogen and provide organic matter for the soil; developing innovative marketing strategies; and planting habitat areas for beneficial insects and wildlife. This set of strategies allows the farm to integrate farm production with longer-term environmental goals. Full Belly products are marketed both wholesale and retail. We sell to restaurants, at farmers markets and through a Community Supported Agriculture project, or CSA. Both the CSA and the farmers markets forge a direct connection between the farm and the people who buy and eat its produce. Through the CSA, individuals can receive a weekly share of produce through the year. By belonging to the CSA, members support organic farming practices that are healthful for people and the environment. They also have the opportunity to eat the freshest, most nutritional produce available. CSA members receive boxes of fresh produce delivered to convenient neighborhood locations in the East Bay, South Bay, and San Rafael, as well as in Sacramento, Davis, Woodland, and Esparto. For a small additional fee, boxes can also be delivered right to a member's door on Tuesday and Wednesday in selected East Bay locations. Full Belly is also home to many outreach activities, including educational tours, school group visits, and the much-acclaimed annual Hoes Down Harvest Festival. The Hoes Down Festival celebrates rural life and educates the public about growing food in a sustainable manner. Through such programs to the general public, Full Belly seeks to create awareness of farm realities and to stress the importance of farms in the fabric of our society.

Happy Monday from our fuzzy friend! It is cute baby season at the farm - we are up to 75 new lambs, one cute calf, and m...
02/07/2022

Happy Monday from our fuzzy friend! It is cute baby season at the farm - we are up to 75 new lambs, one cute calf, and many more to come!

Aphids can be a pest during cold weather. Here we are planting seeds of insectary plants in our cauliflower crop. Thes...
11/23/2021

Aphids can be a pest during cold weather. Here we are planting seeds of insectary plants in our cauliflower crop. These plants supply nectar and pollen for beneficial insects. Hoping that the beneficials will help to keep the aphids under control...

You know you are in the country...
11/23/2021

You know you are in the country...

Okra is a crop that has a small but dedicated following. In years past, our main picking crews had a hard time getting ...
10/14/2021

Okra is a crop that has a small but dedicated following. In years past, our main picking crews had a hard time getting to it. Besides the lack of time for a minor crop, it can be a little bit itchy on the skin. In the last few years, our interns have grown and picked it and done a stupendous job! Here is Kouske with a packed out box that he and friends just picked.

Full Belly activities in early fall: Admiring our potato field; planning our olive harvest and planting our garlic!
10/11/2021

Full Belly activities in early fall: Admiring our potato field; planning our olive harvest and planting our garlic!

The Grateful Gala is on Saturday 10/9 at Full Belly Farm. Some of the best chefs that we know are planning a multi-cour...
09/22/2021

The Grateful Gala is on Saturday 10/9 at Full Belly Farm. Some of the best chefs that we know are planning a multi-course meal for our guests -- Ramen Shop, Zuni Café, Rich Table and Fournée Bakery for example. Matthiasson and Frogs Leap Wineries, Caledonia Spirits, Hemly Cider and Café Mam are providing the drinks. Deserts from Frog Hollow Farm and Petit Pot... It's going to be amazing. Circus Bella is coming to entertain our guests and the Farm will be sporting its Fall best. All proceeds will benefit the Ecological Farming Association. For tickets: https://eco-farm.org/grateful-harvest-gala

When visitors ask, "What is your worst pest?" I usually talk about w**d management. W**d pressure is huge on our farm a...
09/16/2021

When visitors ask, "What is your worst pest?" I usually talk about w**d management. W**d pressure is huge on our farm and we try to protect crops from w**ds, especially early in their growth. Too many w**ds will slow down the crop growth and increase competition for water and soil nutrients. Under many circumstances, we can remove w**ds with tractor implements, but we also often end up using human-power: People with hoes and knives. In this photo by Andrew Brait, three Full Belly interns are walking the field using backpack propane-powered flamers to briefly heat and kill tiny w**ds that have emerged ahead of the carrot seeds that are planted in these beds.

Here are some photos showing preparations for fall and winter. A lot of transplants are going into our carefully prepa...
09/13/2021

Here are some photos showing preparations for fall and winter. A lot of transplants are going into our carefully prepared beds -- The photos show a field of freshly transplanted cabbage seedlings and in another field we have transplanted strawberry crowns (not shown). Preparing each field for planting includes turning under any remains of the previous crop, shaping the beds and adding compost. The photo off the back of a tractor is a field that has been seeded with carrots and our fall potato crop is growing fast. Thank you to Andrew Brait for the photos.

Interns Andrew and Rowan harvesting sunflowers for orders.
08/30/2021

Interns Andrew and Rowan harvesting sunflowers for orders.

These photos illustrate some of our water conservation strategies. For example, there are carrots under the wide beds c...
08/29/2021

These photos illustrate some of our water conservation strategies. For example, there are carrots under the wide beds covered by remay. The remay will prevent the soil from baking and developing a hard crust. It allows water and light to pe*****te, but prevents the soil from drying out quickly in the heat.

We have been planting our fall greens in triple digit temperatures and setting them up to be watered with drip lines. The photos show the white poly mulch that uses 30% less water than the open beds. We will experiment with straw mulch on the open beds.

The crew has done a terrific job helping to get over 100,000 transplants into the ground -- fall greens, broccoli, cabbage and fennel.

Join us for a very special evening among the olive trees to celebrate rural living and benefit the Ecological Farming As...
08/23/2021

Join us for a very special evening among the olive trees to celebrate rural living and benefit the Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm). Legendary Bay Area chefs will prepare a seasonal multi-course dinner sourced from local farms, served at Full Belly Farm located in the scenic Capay Valley, CA. The evening will kick off with refreshing drinks and a performance by Circus Bella. Tickets ($500/person) can be reserved here:https://eco-farm.org/grateful-harvest-gala

Address

16090 County Road 43
Guinda, CA
95637

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15307962214

Website

http://www.hoesdown.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Full Belly Farm posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Full Belly Farm:

Shortcuts

Share

Category