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Home Get Involved Wonders & Wanders Sonoma |
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Four Farms and Sugarloaf Ridge State Park
Overview
A Brief History of the
Area In the early 1820s, the Mexican government ruling "Alta California" became concerned about Russian "expansionism" into Sonoma County from Fort Ross. The decision was thus made to establish a Mexican presence in the area, and in 1823, the present-day town of Sonoma was selected for a mission due to the presence of a good water supply. The missionary rule was particularly brutal, however, and in 1826 a large group of native people attacked the mission, looting and burning the buildings and forcing the priests to flee. The mission was re-established, and over 10,000 acres of surrounding lands were subsequently used to raise sheep, cattle, and crops. After the 1834 secularization of the California missions, Mexican General Vallejo essentially took over Sonoma County. Although he was supposed to re-distribute the mission lands to the native people, he instead incorporated them into his own vast landholdings that stretched from Sonoma County through Napa and into Solano County. While Vallejo led expeditions to subjugate the remaining native people in the North Bay, he also used native people to raise cattle and agricultural crops in Sonoma County, thus creating the county’s agricultural legacy that continues today. In the 1830s and 40s, Americans moved into California and the Bay Area in increasing numbers, and tensions rose between these new settlers, the Mexican government, and the remaining native people. In 1846, a group of twenty-five Americans took over the Sonoma mission in what is now known as the "Bear Flag Revolt." This action was part of an effort by American soldiers to wrest control of California away from Mexico, and after the Mexican-American War, Sonoma and the rest of California formally became part of the United States.
Sonoma's climate and terrain are so appealing that many non-farmers want to move here, threatening to crowd out the farmland that makes it so appealing in the first place. Property taxes rise, farmers get attractive offers to sell family land they may have owned for generations and then, the new residents complain about the sound of tractors! The loss of agricultural lands to sprawl—952,000 acres, or 34 percent of the Bay Area's farmland, between 1949 and 1996 alone—has been a major economic and cultural problem. The Bay Area's 7,500 farms produce more than $1.5 billion worth of crops of all kinds, including over $637 million in fruits and nuts alone. They generate a livelihood for farmers and their families, they promote economic diversity, and ensure that Californians can have a wide range of nutritious vegetables, fruit and other agricultural products on their plates just hours after they're picked. A reduction in farmlands equals a reduction in the Bay Area's overall economic strength, and the quantity and diversity of its food supply. Sonoma retains many family-owned and -operated farms, and they increasingly are going organic. This is not only healthier for the land and the people eating the produce, the cachet of a "certified organic" seal allows farmers to get more for their produce while growing in a lower-impact way. This lack of chemical aid means fundamental and sometimes complex changes in farming, such as increased crop rotation and lower planting densities to foil pests and disease, as well as the growing of non-crop plants that provide additional protection. For more information on California’s organic certification process, please check out California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). Below are descriptions of four organic (or partly organic) farms you can visit. Two are west of Highway 101 and two are east, so your visit could easily be broken into visiting first one pair, then the other. If you wanted to visit all four in one day, we'd suggest visiting Foxglove and Twin Hill first, then Grossi and Peterson as they are slightly closer to Highway. 101. Further down is a description of a hike at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, which makes a great trip during the winter months when the heat is reduced and two of the farms are closed.
Co-owner Joan Mortensson was born in the farmhouse here, and both Joan and husband Mike had always wanted to garden. One thing led to another, and now the property's 6.5 acres supports half an acre of vegetables and two of apples. Produce is normally available starting in July or August and lasts into October, depending on the weather. Foxglove substitutes people to do the work that would otherwise be done by pesticides or insecticides. In particular, Mike Mortensson says workers pull three-inch-long tomato hornworms off tomato plants and feed them to the farm's chickens. They also raise plants that attract beneficial insects. Foxglove is on land that's zoned for diverse agriculture and is surrounded by other farms. "We're such a small operation, we don't have lots of hassles," Mike Mortensson says. Asked how the farm is doing, he replies, "I'm not quitting my day job—but it does provide fresh, good-quality organic produce to a number of local people. It gives the public a chance to see a working farm, and see what goes into it." Info Getting there
Owner Ben Hurst inherited the business from his parents, and all the pies and jams are made by his sister, Darolyn. Apple season generally begins in mid-July or the beginning of August, and ends in mid-November or even December. Twin Hill also has a small seasonal pumpkin patch that kids can romp in, and between Thanksgiving and Christmas it invites 15-20 crafters to set up booths on the farm. Twin Hill Ranch grows both conventional and organic produce, and Ben
Hurst likes it that way. He says that gaining organic certification is
"not very difficult if you do it right," even through CCOF,
whose requirements he calls even stricter than the state. Asked whether there is any pressure to sell or develop Twin Hill's land,
Hurst replies with a cautious, "Not yet." Info Getting There
This farm allows visitors to pick strawberries, and also grows corn, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, melons, squash and pumpkins. While Grossi Farms grows produce organically, it also emphasizes picking fruits and vegetables when they are exactly ripe. Nothing ripens off the vine here—and luckily, strawberries are planted to ripen all through the summer. Grossi Farms has plenty of spots for family picnics and features a Halloween pumpkin patch, decorations, hay rides and corn mazes (in season). Owner Ed Grossi's growing philosophy is pretty straightforward. "We've been organic since we started 15 years ago. If we make the
ground really healthy then the plants are going to be really healthy,
and we don't need to use chemicals to grow a crop," he says. This involves growing a variety of crops and rotating them a lot. Grossi features ten varieties of squash, plus beans, cucumbers, beets, onions, garlic, radishes, potatoes and carrots. The farm also raises herbs like dill, cilantro, basil, parsley and rosemary on its 15-20 acres, (acreage under cultivation varies from season to season), and started a nursery two years ago. Formerly a hay farmer, Grossi bought the farm from other family members 20 years ago. He got into vegetables after a friend asked him to grow peppers, which went well and after three years, Grossi opened a stand on the farm. He doesn't come from a background of using chemicals: "Even in hay farming we only used 2-4-D, and sparingly. So when I started, I didn't want to use chemicals or pay the huge costs of them." Grossi Farms plants every week up to July, which lets it harvest crops
like corn until November. Some planting even takes place in the fall,
with strawberries and garlic going into the ground each October. This farm is in an area that's zoned strictly for agriculture and its lot size is frozen, insulating it from development and speculation pressures. That's not to say development doesn't encroach—Rohnert Park's city limits are just across the road from Ed Grossi's driveway—but land use on his side of the road is now strictly limited to farming. Call ahead to find out what's in season and what's not—particularly, he says, when the highly prized crane melons start to ripen each September—and the farm will even send potential visitors a flier that shows what's growing. Info Getting There
Peterson Farms features pesticide-free pumpkins, honey, persimmons,
tomatoes, fresh eggs, and other products such as dried flowers and hand-crafted
gifts. This farm is the best of those Greenbelt Alliance visited for kids
to pet and feed barnyard babies, and is friendly to school groups and
tours. The farm features beekeeping and honey-gathering, and visitors can safely
observe a display hive in one barn. This should be particularly fascinating
for kids, who may see for the first time the "waggle dance"
that foraging bees do to help others at the hive pinpoint the locations
of nectar and pollen. Info Getting There
Description/Overview A Brief History of Sugarloaf Ridge Beginning in the 1860s, Americans engaged in cattle ranching on the foothills around Sugarloaf Ridge. The State purchased the land in 1920 in order to dam Sonoma Creek to create a water supply for Sonoma State Hospital, but opposition from local property owners blocked the state’s plans. From 1930 until 1942 the land was owned by the Sonoma Development Center, and was used for camping, picnicking, and Boy Scout activities. Between 1942 and 1964, the state leased out the land for grazing and called the area Reynolds Ranch. In 1960, ranching activity ceased, and in 1964 the State Park department acquired Sugarloaf Ridge and made it a park. This park got its name from the fact that sugar used to be sold in loaves
the shape of inverted ice-cream cones. Grocers would simply break off
however much a customer wanted, and the resulting truncated shape caused
settlers to name the park's most prominent feature Sugarloaf Ridge. Info Getting there Step-by-Step Hiking Guide After you ford, continue walking upstream along Bear Creek (a tributary of the Sonoma River) as it turns north almost immediately. Notice the beautiful groves of several tree species: bay laurel, hazel, ash, fir, madrone and even redwood. And enjoy the shade while you can; while the tree canopy is fairly dense at first, it's about to thin out. Cross the wooden bridge over Bear Creek and start climbing. The
ground cover quickly starts to change to smaller bushes and trees like
coyote brush, manzanita and chamise. One-quarter mile into the hike the trail begins switching back, which is only to be expected when there's roughly 2,100 feet of elevation gain to the summit. You'll very quickly be able to look down onto Bear Creek Canyon. At 0.75 mile note that the trail levels out somewhat, and you will descend slightly. Look to the east and notice the suburbs flowing west from Sonoma through the Valley of the Moon. One mile into the hike, cross the wooden planks that ford a seasonal feeder stream. From here on, the walking will be quite exposed and hot in season. At about 1.25 miles, the trail passes beneath some power lines and reenters shaded forest, which is mostly composed of Douglas fir. At 1.5 miles you may notice some game trails that diverge from the main trail; heed the "stay on the trail" signs. At about two miles you'll enter classic rolling California grasslands and during springtime, you should be in for a show of the wildflowers that always follow winter rains. Keep walking. At 2.5 miles you'll notice that the trail changes from "steep" to "very steep." In three words, the going gets hot, dusty and slow, and if you've got a walking stick you weren't using, we highly recommend doing so at this point. You'll see some oddly stubby dwarf oak trees, but otherwise from this point on you'll be walking largely on bleached sandstone. Although it's extremely exposed, you now have most of the climbing behind you. At 3.5 miles the trail bears left and climbs a ridgetop to the first of two summits: Gunsight Rock. From here you can see all through Sonoma County and even as far as Mt. Tamalpais. If you wanted to, you could turn around and go home from here rather than continuing on to Hood Summit, as this is where you'll find the best views (particularly to the south and west). After Gunsight Rock continue on the trail, which bears left. Walk the remaining half-mile to Hood Summit. As you take in the views from these summits, think about the importance of having protected open space within easy reach of our vibrant communities. By focusing development within existing cities and towns, we can protect open spaces that serve as valuable recreational, wildlife habitat, and agricultural areas. After you've had your fill of sweeping views, you can simply head back down the Goodspeed Trail, reversing the above directions, all the way to the parking lot. Miscellaneous Trip
Notes
By using this hiking guide, you agree to our terms and conditions. |
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