Animal Tamed by James Birch

Sitting at 1,500 feet above sea level with a view of the Sierra Nevada peaks that reach 13,000 feet is James and Dawn Birch’s Flora Bella Farm. The farm is located in the small town of Three Rivers, California (named for the forks of the Kaweah River–the middle, north, and south which feed James his fresh, untouched, snow-melted water), just outside of Sequoia National Forest. The rivers, the soil, and the cool evenings make for what chefs John Shook and Vinny Dotolo at Animal in Los Angeles call “the best arugula anywhere” as well as great kale, collard greens, and about 60 other varieties of fruits and vegetables.

The land is also home to wild greens like lambs-quarters, purslane, and stinging nettles, which Nancy Silverton of Osteria Mozza loves for her pizzas. He James also has a strong following at the Santa Monica and Hollywood farmer’s markets, two of the most well stocked in the country. He makes the 450-mile round trip twice a week to get his produce to his chef-clients and to his farmer’s market regulars. “On the days I think I don’t want to do this again, I go to the market and get so energized by my customers that I leave thinking ‘what do I want to plant next?’.”

The energy that James receives goes back into the community when he and Dawn take their farm to inner-city classrooms in Los Angeles to educate children about nutrition and the energy that goes into the food they grow. The Birchs’ also work with Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles (SEE-LA), which has built The Farmer’s Kitchen, a community teaching and retail kitchen that also delivers farm-fresh products to the community.

One conversation with James Birch will have us all eating out of his palm.