Editor's note: This post was originally published at KQED's Bay Area Bites in October 2005. I was reminded of it today when I bought some early girl tomatoes from Ella Bella. It's worth a read - their farm has such an amazing story.
Here's the amazing thing about farmers' markets: most of the farmers
have such an intriguing story when you get to talk to them. Small farms
are a rare thing in this country, and making a living farming involves
such deliberate decisions that there are not many people who farm
without a lot of soul-searching along the way. It can be an addiction
... finding out these stories.
And do I have one for you today.
I'm embarrassed to say that I first became truly aware of Ella Bella's produce this year. I have been shopping at the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market
for about five years, and I have picked up an item or two at Ella Bella
from time to time, but this is the first year that they have become a
regular stop for me -- one of the reasons I come to the market. The
item that made me stop in my tracks was Ella Bella's summer squash.
They were full of sweetness and moisture, I did nothing to these
beauties except for eat them lightly steamed and unadorned.
The next week I returned for more squash and some dry-farmed Early
Girl tomatoes and talked to one of the two elderly people at the booth.
I started talking about quality of the produce, and he beamed. It was
the beam of a proud parent -- one who is unabashedly sure that his son
walks on water.
I later found out that the parents of the farmer -- Brandon Ross --
work at the booth every week, and it was confirmed that it was
Brandon's proud dad who I had been talking to all these weeks. But
that's not the end of the story.
You see, Brandon's paternal grandfather was a mentor to Cesar
Chavez. He helped to lead the grape boycotts of the sixties, and was a
founding member of the United Farm Workers union. And his maternal
grandfather was a grape farmer. He was one of the farmers who was
boycotted by the UFW movement. In other words, sworn enemies.
Brandon's parents -- the ones who are at the booth each week -- met
in college and fell in love. Like a modern day Romeo and Juliet, they
were members of warring factions who could never be in the same room
together.
In this version, however, Romeo and Juliet lived happily ever after
and spend their Saturdays working at the booth of their organic-farmer
son.
Brandon Ross, after working at organic farms such as Swanton Berry
Farm and Cache Creek Organics, decided to start his own farm and
enlisted the help of (now wife) Michelle O'Hearn. Michelle is a chef
and prior to farming, owned her own restaurant on Kauai.
You know that these farmers are dedicated to the social spirit of
small farms when you talk to Michelle: "We want to extend our growing
season as long as possible to support our workers through as much of
the year as we can," she said on Saturday in a "Meet the Farmer" event
hosted by CUESA.
After moving to a new property last year, Brandon and Michelle are
farming on a 19 acres near Watsonville. They farm tomatoes (heirloom,
romas and dry-farmed early girls), berries, garlic, squash, broccoli,
and many other products at their diverse farm. They are also selling
some delicious canned products and sauces. Michelle says that we can
expect a return of the summer squash in the next couple weeks, as there
are some blooming in the fields this week.
You can find Ella Bella on Tuesdays and Saturdays at the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market or on Sundays at the Menlo Park Farmers' Market.
To read more about Ella Bella:
Winter at Ella Bella Farm
KQED Farmer of the month
CUESA farm profile
It's Eat Local Challenge time around here, and we have five days to go before a month of eating locally. I am going to be in Southern California for the first few days of the challenge, so will try my best to eat locally here.
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