Thankful for Farmers

It’s a time to give thanks to the farmers and ranchers who provide great food in plenty at Thanksgiving and all through the year. From the bottom of our hearts and bellies, the North State Parent family thanks all our local farmers for bringing the harvest from their fields and pastures to the tables of families throughout the North State.

Five Marys Farms

Brian and Mary Heffernan enjoy working hard as a family at Five Marys Farms in Fort Jones, CA, with their four “free-range” daughters, all named Mary. MaryFrances, MaryMarjorie, MaryJane and MaryTeresa carry forward a tradition of strong Marys in the family—named for beloved grandmothers and aunts. The Heffernans pride themselves on raising their animals on pastures and hillsides in the fresh mountain air. Their customers receive high-quality all-natural beef shipped from the ranch to their doorsteps across the USA. In 2018, Paleo Magazine singled them out as “Best Farm” in America. With five Marys in the family, Five Marys Farms is the perfect name for this family-run ranching endeavor. fivemarysfarms.com

Red Gate Ranch

Audrey Pascone, and Kraig and Heather Austin with ranch dog Ginger (l. to r.) are the hard-working farmers of Red Gate Ranch in Red Bluff, CA. They are committed to producing high quality, nutrient-dense vegetables using regenerative farming and soil building practices. Their veggies are available at Red Bluff and Redding farmers markets and for pick-up in weekly vegetable boxes. They grow spinach, kale, eggplant, bok choy, peppers, melons, squash, radishes, cucumbers, cabbage and more from organic, non-GMO seeds. Farmer Audrey says, “We nurture our garden and raise our livestock with a deep reverence for the natural world.” In addition to all those vegetables, Red Gate also raises heritage breed pigs on pasture, and grass-fed cattle! redgateranch.us

Pyramid Farms

Lisa Carle and Matthew Martin of Pyramid Farms in Chico, CA, love the fragrance of beautiful growing things and share their organic flowers, vegetables and eggs with satisfied customers at farmers markets and by supplying restaurants in the North State. Twenty years ago, they started as a sidewalk garden and have grown into an 11-acre certified organic farm. Carrots are their favorite crop and tend to be most popular among their customers. Matthew says, “We love being at the Saturday farmers market year-round. That’s when we get to see the smiling faces of the people eating the healthy foods that we grow.” http://www.pyramidfarms.com

Capay Farms

The family-owned Capay Farms in Orland, CA, is a walnut and almond operation that includes farmland in Glenn, Butte, and Tehama counties. Fourth-generation Californian Paul Violich formed Violich Farms four decades ago, and Capay Farms was created in 2011 to manage both Violich Farms and Cumming-Violich Farms. Although they have grown into a large orchard management company heavy on the walnut hulling, they’re still small enough to be an “employee-first culture” where everyone knows each other’s names. In a rather historic industry, Capay Farms is always seeking to improve on the quality of the product—from field to table. They are strong on technological innovation and environmentally friendly practices, such as powering 80% of their irrigation system with solar power or natural gas. capayfarms.com

Duivenvoorden Farms

From Sugar to Karma, every cow at Duivenvoorden Farms in Cottonwood, CA, has a name and sweetly shares her raw milk for bottling and sale to the public. This Grade A, state-inspected, licensed dairy, and milk processing facility has been family owned and operated for over 50 years. The Duivenvoordens milk once a day; they say it keeps the cows’ stress levels down and results in richer, creamier milk. Their cows are grain-free and roam on pasture year-round. Babies get to stay with their mamas until they are big enough to be weaned and switched to a pasture diet. Ali Duivenvoorden says, “This can impact overall milk supply, but we believe in quality over quantity, and we’re happy when our cows are happy.” rawmilkdairy.com

Localicious is a monthly column celebrating food in the North State. If you would like to suggest a food-related business or organization, email us at localicious@northstateparent.com.