KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The usual cornucopia of Lake County’s food harvest crests this time of year with the likes of tomatoes, cucumbers and squash.
A group of organic growers in the Kelseyville area, though, have expanded the variety of Lake County grown food crops and pushed the county’s locally consumed food production to new heights.
Full Moon Farm, Love Farm, Bio Farm and Leonardis Organics, some of Lake County’s newest and innovative organic growers, are offering a unique variety of some old favorites, such as Leonardis’ heirloom varieties of tomatoes that present themselves as Rembrandts in color, texture and flavor; Bio Farm’s cherry-sized tomato mix that blends Sun Gold, Sweet Million and Red Pear; and Love Farm’s Sun Gold, Red Cherry and Black Cherry medley, that add a sweet splash to any summer salad.
The long-enjoyed summer favorites of cucumbers, such as lemon, are offered by Full Moon Farm and Leonardis Organics, but these growers also grow distinctive cucumber varieties such as the Chinese Suyo Long, Italian Heirloom Tortarello Abruzzese, Striped Armenian and the Japanese Satsuki Midori, which reminds the connoisseur that cucumbers are part of the melon family.
Melon season is upon these growers, too.
Bio Farm features Charentais, a French heirloom that is smaller and sweeter than the American cantaloupe and considered to be the most flavorful in the world.
Full Moon Farm offers the succulent Bella Dulce melon and Eden’s Gem, a spicy, softball-sized heirloom melon. Heirloom varieties are a favorite of all these growers as they retain complex flavors over modern day varieties and contribute to biodiversity in our food crops. Full Moon Farm saves seeds from those plants that perform well in our climate, creating a future of varieties well-suited for Lake County soils and climate.
Along with spicing up the seasonal favorites, the growers are experimenting with great success other culinary delights such as Bio Farm’s Bintje and Pink Pearl potatoes, Full Moon Farm’s Inca Gold potatoes, and Love Farm’s Russian Fingerling potatoes.
Leonardis Organics offers several Italian varieties of eggplants, Italian sweet peppers, such as Nardellos and Ruffled Pimiento, and heirloom varieties of summer squash, including the smooth tasting and tender French Ronde de Nice, which grow in variegated green, round balls.
Love Farms is becoming well known for tender and sweet lettuces long beyond the normal growing season, and the melt-in-your-mouth, sweet and juicy peach varieties that Love has planted strategically to ripen over extended periods, lengthening their availability, are reaching their peak ripeness.
Leonardis features Genovese basil, the favored basil for pesto, as well as buttery edamame (fresh soy beans) and Blue Lake and Palermo green beans. Bio Farm has an early stock of winter squash and pumpkins ripening in their fields.
All of the farms are certified organic, save Love Farm which farms organically but is not certified, and all are working together to increase local variety, extend the growing season and to find the varieties that are most prolific in Lake County, while increasing availability to local food consumers and decreasing duplication of production.
Residents and visitors can enjoy the broad variety offered by these pioneering producers through a variety of local food venues such as the weekly farmers’ markets, the Lake County Community Co-op’s online ordering system, local retail stores and featured at local restaurants.
Farmers’ market locations include Kelseyville’s Steele Winery (Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to noon through October), Lakeport’s Library Park (Wednesdays, 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.) and Clearlake’s Redbud Park (Fridays, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. through September).
On a weekly basis, residents can purchase from these producers through the Lake County Community Co-op’s (www.lakeco-op.org) newly released FOODS (facilitated online ordering and distribution system).
These farmers supply the co-op’s CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes, and now, members of the Co-op can pick and choose from the weekly plentifulness of offerings by these producers and have the products delivered to any one of 10 convenient drop points throughout the county on Thursdays.
Local stores now carrying these producers are Nature's Food Center in Lakeport and the Market at Harbin Hot Springs. Local restaurants now featuring their products include the Saw Shop in Kelseyville, Zino’s Ristorante in Soda Bay, Twin Pines Manzanita Restaurant in Middletown, and the Blue Wing in Upper Lake.
These growers welcome visitors to their farms and most will prepare orders in advance of pick up. To contact the farmers directly:
Bio Farm – Judith and Leonard Diggs, 707-695-7705, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
Full Moon Farm – Doug and Sean Mooney, 707-245-5770, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
Leonardis Organics – Jim Leonardis, 707-483-4004, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
Love Farm – Teale Love 707-349-7880, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
