Five old washing machines lined up outside a barn is a strange sight indeed. But when you look inside at the empty tub, you realize that these are really just oversized salad spinners for drying leafy greens just picked and washed in the field.. This is when you know you are on a different kind of farm.
Dave Cleverdon, owner of Kinnikinnick Farm, came to farming after years spent working in the rough and tumble world of Chicago politics getting outsiders elected in a machine run city. He also spent time working in the civil rights movement and did a stint on The Chicago Board of Trade. He calls himself and his workers “misfits with an incredible sense of agency” whenever he considers the kind of person who would take on the work of organic farming. +Continue Reading
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. +Continue Reading
Dave Hoyle, self titled “food geek,” has worked just about every aspect of the food cycle on his way to becoming a successful farmer in Noti, Oregon. Hoyle started his career working in kitchens, doing everything from dishwasher to busboy. After becoming a member of the local CSA, he was asked to help fill boxes when a CSA employee went missing. The CSA job turned into seven years of co-managing the farm. +Continue Reading
