guide for regional buyers - community alliance with … for regional buyers a directory of local...

Guide for Regional BuyersA Directory of Local Farmers and Purchasing

Tips for the North Coast Region

Prepared by the Community Alliance with Family FarmersOctober 2014

Community Alliance with Family Farmers2

About this Directory

This directory is intended to be a useful tool for local institutional and retail buyers to identify and source local food in California’s North Coast Region. The directory was developed by CAFF in an ef-fort to highlight the bounty of our local farmers, raise awareness about the importance of buying local food and increase purchasing of local foods. Valuable information to help advance the commitment to purchase fresh, local food is included, such as: ‧ A North Coast seasonality chart highlighting the diverse fruit and vegetable crops that are produced throughout the year in this region.‧ Location, contact and crop information on nearly 60 farms that operate in the region.‧ Grown Local marketing information/tools, which is available to all North Coast CAFF members‧ Tips for purchasing from local farms and distributors.‧ A list of organizations within the North Coast region that support the environment and the local food system. A note about this 2014 edition: While we understand that this is not an exhaustive guide for our region, this directory should serve as a comprehensive listing of local farms at the time of publication. We encourage you to become a CAFF member, in order to increase your connections with CAFF’s other active Grown Local grower members. If you are interested in joining CAFF and using the Grown Local logo and marketing tools in your operation, please see the membership form on page 15.

About CAFF:CAFF is a 35 year old non-profit organization working statewide to advocate for family farmers and sustainable agriculture. We run extensive, on-the-ground programs in many regions throughout Cal-ifornia, helping farmers increase their income and sustainability while enabling community members and businesses to find and choose local food. Ultimately, our goal is to strengthen family farms, which are the cornerstone of healthy and economically viable communities. For more information about CAFF’s programs, please visit www.caff.org. CAFF North Coast Office 101 Morris St., Ste 210Sebastopol, CA [email protected]

Editors: Heather Granahan, Michelle Wyler, Diana AbelleraContributors: Heather Granahan, Susan Stover, Daniele Allion StrawnGraphic Design: Megan SabatoIcons: CC by 3.0Cover photograph: by Megan Sabato of Bloomfield Organics

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

www.caff.org 3

Table of Contents

Buyers’ Local Purchasing Directory Central Sonoma County..............................................................................page 4

Southern Sonoma County...........................................................................page 5

Eastern Sonoma County.............................................................................page 6

Western Sonoma County............................................................................page 6

Northern Sonoma County...........................................................................page 8

Other Surrounding Counties.......................................................................page 9

Buying from Local Farmers Tips...........................................................................page 10

Agreement/Contract Growing Tips........................................................................page 11

Buyer- Grower Wholesale Agreement Template...................................................page 12

Local Partners, Distributors and Resources.........................................................page 13

North Coast Seasonality Guide to Crops..............................................................page 14

CAFF Membership................................................................................................page 15

Grown Local Campaign and Tools........................................................................page 16


Buyer’s Local Purchasing DirectoryGrowers’ Guide

Central Sonoma County

Business Name Phone Number

Email Location PrimaryProducts/Notes

Production Season

Castenada Farm Rafael Castaneda

707-483-8524 n/a Santa Rosa Cucumbers, squash, peppers, corn, tomatoes; wholesale, large acreages

June - Dec

Cultivating Impact Erin Shea 707-836-3423 [email protected] Santa Rosa Apples, pears; over 100 varieties of vegetables and fruit

July - Dec

Lets Go Farm Joey Smith 707-543-6577 [email protected] Santa Rosa Small quanities; specialty items

May - Dec

Quetzal Farm KeithAbeles Kevin McGinnis

707-318-5275 707-292-4599

[email protected] [email protected]

Santa Rosa Tomatoes, chilies, onions, peppers, squash, cucum-bers and herbs; some wholesale

June - Dec

Tierra Vegetables Wayne & Lee JamesEvie Truxaw

707-837-8366 [email protected] Santa Rosa Seasonal vegeta-bles, dried beans, corn, chiles; value added products

Year-round

Darling Farms 707-775-5754 n/a Santa Rosa Seasonal vegeta-bles; will contract grow

Year-round

Valley End Farm Sharon Grossi 707-585-1123 www.valleyendfarm.com Santa Rosa Many seasonal items, tomatoes; wholesale and quantity, organic

Year-round

Work HorseOrganicAgriculture

Eddie & Wendy Gelsman

707-585-0800 [email protected] Santa Rosa Seasonal and value-added prod-ucts; non profit

Year-round

www.caff.org 5


Southern Sonoma County



Production Season

BloomfieldOrganics

Nick Papadopoulis Ticiana Moran

707-876 3261 (office)707-331-3893(cell)

[email protected]

Bloomfield Many seasonal and specialty crops; leafy greens, root vegetables, dry-farmed tomatoes, potatoes; 45 acres; wholesale

Year-round

Canvas Ranch Deborah Walton 707-766-7171 [email protected] Petaluma Leafy greens; pos-sible contracting

Seasonal

County Line Harvest

David Retskey 707-769-1802 [email protected] Petaluma/ Thermal

Euro-vegetables, salad greens, root crops; large acreages

Grows in South-ern CA in the summer; grows in Thermal during the winter

First Light Farm Jesse Pizzitola 707-637-6257 [email protected] Petaluma/ Valley Ford

Potatoes, tomatoes, greens; seasonal varieties; wholesale

Year-round

Green String Farm Bob CannardFred Cline

707-778-7500 [email protected] Petaluma Over 100 items seasonally; value-added prod-ucts; wholesale

Year-round, Aug-Oct most quantities

Little Organic Farm David Little 707-773-1338 [email protected] Petaluma Dry-farmed potatoes, broc-coli, cauliflower, onions, greens, tomatoes

Year-round

Petaluma Bounty Suzi Grady n/a [email protected] Petaluma Mixed seasonal Spring, Summer

Wayside Ranch Emma Frantz n/a [email protected] Petaluma Almonds, vege-tables

May - Dec

Westside Farm Collective

Katee Lafleur 619-972-9690 [email protected] Petaluma Seasonal vari-eties, salad mix, beets, carrots, onions; small wholesale

Arpil - Dec

Stony Point Farms Koy Siachow 510-917-0514 [email protected] Petaluma Seasonal vari-eties, salad mix, beets, carrots, onions; small wholesale

Seasonal



Eastern Sonoma County



Production Season

Oak Hill Farm 707-996-6643 [email protected] Sonoma Seasonal vegeta-bles, fruit and flow-ers; value-added products

May - Dec

Paul’s Produce 707-996-6610 paulsproduce.me Sonoma Over 100 seasonal vegetables; some wholesale

May - Dec

Sonoma Heritage Farm

Blaed Bridges 707-509-3743 [email protected]

Sonoma Over 35 varieties including toma-toes, peppers, melons, carrots

Spring,Summer,Winter

The Patch Lazaro Calderon n/a n/a Sonoma Seasonal vege-tables, tomatoes, green beans, corn, figs,onions, sweet peppers, stone fruit; 2 acres

May - Oct

Tusque Farm Ariel Russell 707-953-6150 n/a Sonoma Mixed seasonal, specialty tomatoes

Seasonal


Western Sonoma County



Production Season

Alma Tierra Ron Taylor 707-571-0293 n/a Seabastopol Baby lettuces, wholesale; small production

Year-round

Animalitos Farm Tony Sadoti 707-874-2667 [email protected] Occidental Plums, pears, Asian pears; wholesale

July - Oct

Asante Farm Tino Malisa 707-799-4841 n/a Seabastopol Mixed small crops, some fruit

Seasonal

Bella Ridge Ted Richardson 707-874-2816 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bella-Ridge-Farm/100780239964583

Occidental Apples, Asian pears, pears

July - Oct

Devoto Garden Stan DevotoHunter Wade

707-328-1149 [email protected] Seabastopol Apples, lettuce, cut flowers

Aug - Dec

www.caff.org 7


Western Sonoma County Continued



Production Season

Dierke Farm John Dierke 707-829-6697 [email protected] Seabastopol Apples, lettuce, broc-coli, corn, potatoes

Year-round

French Garden Farm

Dan Smith 707-775-7929 [email protected]

Seabastopol Wide seasonal varieties; currently all contracted

Year-round

Gabriel Farm & Olsons West

Torrey Olson 707-829-0617(office)707-477-8012(cell)

[email protected] Seabastopol Apples and Asian pears, various sizes; value added items; wholesale; 15 acres

Aug - Dec

Goldridge Organic Farm

Brook Hazen 707-775-1125 707-696-5484

[email protected] Sebatopol Antique variety ap-ples, pears, oil olives; value added products

Aug - Dec

Handlebar Farm Ian Healy 415-259-9328 [email protected] Seabastopol Mixed seasonal crops, strawberries; 2 acres

April - Nov

Kozlowski Farms Perry Kozlowski 707-823-8833 n/a Seabastopol Apples; organic and conventional; wholesale

Aug - Dec

Laguna Farm Nacho/Jennifer Branham

707-758-1929 [email protected] Seabastopol Over 100 items; value-added products; wholesale

Year-round

Lao’s Strawberry Farm

Lao Saetern n/a n/a Sebastopol/ Santa Rosa

Strawberries; 7 acres April - Nov

Los Pelicanos Marcella Lima 707-703-8608 [email protected] Seabastopol Strawberries, melons, cucumbers, apricots, eggplant, tomatoes; wholesale

May - Dec

New Family Farm Adam Davidoff / Ryan Power

707-478-5802 n/a Seabastopol Beets, celeriac, turnips, lettuce, cabbage, parsley, cilantro, potatoes; wholesale and contract

Aug - Dec

Orchard Farms Ken Orchard 707-823-6528 [email protected] Seabastopol Over 35 varieties July - Dec

Rainbow’s End Farm

Nan Koehler 707-874-2315 [email protected] Occidental Berries, other sea-sonal crops; small quantities

Seasonal

Red H Farm Caitlin Hachmyer 707-235-2596 [email protected] Seabastopol Mixed seasonal spe-cialties; 2 acres

Seasonal



Northern Sonoma County



Production Season

Redwood Hill, Green Valley Organic

Scott Bice 707-823-8250 [email protected]@redwoodhill.com

Seabasto-pol

Goat milk, yogurt, kefir, cheeses, cow milk creme fraiche, sour cream

Year-round

Shelton’s Market Garden

Susan & Ernie Shelton

707-829-6718 http://sheltonsgarden.wordpress.com/contact/

Sebastopol Lettuces, greens, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, squash, potatoes, herbs, berries

June - Oct

Three Ox Farm Steve & Bernadette Howard

707-823-8303 [email protected] Sebastopol Mixed seasonal; small crop

Seasonal


Western Sonoma County Continued



Production Season

Hector’s Honey Farm

Hector 707-579-9416 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hectors-Hon-ey/231192037026313?-fref=ts

Fulton Honey; mixed seasonal vegetables, fruits and peppers, greenhouse items

Year-round

Preston Vineyards Lou Preston 707-433-3372 www.prestonvineyards.com Healdsburg Seasonal vegetables, grains, wine grapes, artisinal bread; organic; some wholesale

Year-round

Strong Arm Farm Heidi Herrmann 707-548-6061 [email protected] Healdsburg Flowers, kale, chilies, melons, bell peppers; some wholesale

Summer,Fall

Vanoni Ranch/ Sprawling River Farm

Cal Vanoni 707-495-4312 [email protected] Geyserville South American vege-tables, potatoes, corn, shelling beans, peaches, figs, prickly pear fruit, sunchokes

May - Nov

www.caff.org 9


Other Surrounding Counties



Production Season

Gowans Oak Tree Donald Gowan 707-895-3353 [email protected] AndersonValley

Apples; wholesale; large acreage; cold storage; delivers

Aug - Dec

Johnson Family Ranch Steve Johnson 707-489-7781 [email protected] Ukiah Melons Late July - Oct

Leonardis Organics Jim Leonardis 707-483-4004 [email protected] Lake County

Mixed seasonal crops, special-ty winter and summer squash; contract growing; some deliveries

June - Nov

Mendocino Organics PaulaManalo Gaska

707-272-2711 [email protected] Mendocino Meats, tree fruit, melons, berries, vegetables; wholesale

Spring - Oct

Petit Teton Farm Nikki and Steve 707-684-4146 [email protected] Boonville Specialty; small Seasonal

Seely Farm Colleen Seely 707-972-2775 [email protected] Upper Lake

Pears, fresh and dried; wholesale

Late summer

Wildhurst Winery Megan Hoberg 707-279-4302 [email protected] Kelseville Pears, fresh and dried

Seasonal


Tip Sheet: Buying from Local Farmers

Ask for the assurances you needAsk for specifications that you need, such as organic certification, food safety accred-itation, and growing practices. Let them know your preferences, they mayaccommodate your request.

Tell a storyShare farmers’ stories and profiles with your customers so that they will be more mo-tivated to pay the price you need.

Ask for farmers’ specialtyAsk what produce items the farmer has experience growing. These will likely bethe items they have the most of each season, which are already set at a good price.Choose these items to start a relationship with a grower.

Ask how farmers like to be contactedFarmers are busy all the time. Some encourage texts and emails while others onlyuse their phones. Ask farmers about their preferred contact method.

Be ready for over-productionEven smaller farms end up with excess produce. Buy seasonal over-productionat good prices then make into sauce, bake into bread, or freeze. You could havezucchini bread, soups and sauces ready in the freezer for winter meals.

Ask for secondsTo help get a wholesale price and use otherwise wasted produce, remember that youare cutting up and shredding many items. Slightly blemished tomatoes, for instance, still make great sauce or salsa. Offer to buy oversized zucchini for a reduced price.

Ask for smaller sizesIf you are a school food service staff member ask for “child”-size portions. Smallerapples and pears are just right for serving a student. Growers might also offer theseat a lower price.

Getting startedBuying from local farmers takes a bit more thought and steps than simply ordering as usual from large distributors. Get to know your regional growers with the help of local organizations like CAFF or by attending local farmers markets. A conversation about what you use and what they grow best is a great place to start. The best way to begin local purchasing is to start simply with a single item on which you both feel confident.

Feature local in-storeRetailers can drive increased sales by featuring local farmers at the point of pur-chase. Use our Grown Local tools or farmer photos to identify the farmer and loca-tion. Do this at the deli and in the produce section. Studies and store pilots prove that consumers will pay more for locally-identified items.

Network for needsIf the farmer you are working with doesn’t grow an item you’d like to buy, ask them to connect you to other growers in their networks.

www.caff.org 11

Tip Sheet: Creating a Contract or Agreement

Having a grower-buyer agreement in place with a farmer is a good way to attain regionally produced products at competitive wholesale price. An agreement is also a good way to develop trust and es-tablish clear communication when sourcing local produce. A good agreement spells out expectations concisely and addresses concerns of both parties. While an agreement is not required, it captures simple specifications and can help avoid a breakdown in trust. Engagement and commitment is im-portant: a buyer can always find product through a distributor, while a farmer may be hard-pressed to sell a sudden surplus if a buyer changes his mind. A grower-buyer agreement template is included on the following page as a starting point (This agreement is a sample only. CAFF assumes no responsi-bilities for any contracts). Some tips include:

Plan AheadMeet with farmers in Winter and early Spring to plan for the upcoming year.

Schedule a check inInclude a commitment from the grower to check in with you two weeks prior to their anticipated harvest date.

Start on a smaller scaleStart by ordering a single produce item that you need and the farmer is experienced at growing.

Be flexibleA good agreement includes commitment from you to provide a 10-20% potential “swing” in price to account for unknown weather conditions that may affect crops. Also, be open to new methods and packaging. For example, swap items packed in clamshells for loose items to save labor and costs. Similarly, contract for a whole cow, get it processed and plan to use all the cuts. These simple acts will lower overall costs.

Clarify the payment processClarify your invoicing and payment processes. Do you need a DBA or businessname to issue checks? Do you need receipts in triplicate? Do you pay in cash? How long do you take to make payment?

Include requirements and standardsInclude delivery requirements: where, when and how. Additionally, include any food safety requests, desired certifications, and packing requirements.


This agreement made on _______ [Date] between _______________________________[Buyer] and ___________________________ [Producer] to be effective on __________[Date].Purchases Desired:A.[Buyer] requests the purchase of produce for the period of:_______. Extensions may be available for the ________and_______ periods/seasons, to be mutually agreed upon in the month of January prior to the new season.B. Item/s to be grown (e.g., Mixed/rainbow cherry tomatoes):______________________________C. Approximate volume and velocity(e.g., 10 cs/wk): ___________________________________D. Pack style agreed upon (e.g, Flats, no inner boxes): ___________________________________E. When will produce become available ? ____________________________________________Buyer acknowledges that volume and timing of produce availability may be subject to influence of weather and other factors on the farm.F. What is the agreed upon price range (e.g., $15/cs, with 20% range tolerance by buyer due to grower circumstance, provided in writ-ing to buyer)? _______________________________________________________________________________________________G. Requested considerations (e.g., Buyer requests grower to contact 1-2 weeks in advance of expected harvest whenever possible): ________________________________________________H. Food Safety Plan required?__Y___N I. Third party Food Safety Certification required?___Y___N

Delivery Requirements:________________________[Buyer] reserve the right to refuse deliveries of produce if:Cooled produce registers above 41 degrees. A scan of temperature will be made at time of delivery.Produce violates GAP/ Food Safety practices including; is encrusted with field dirt and/or plant material, insects or rodents are found within packaging, produce is not contained in clean/safe packaging at time of delivery, packaging is torn, dirty or suspect to tampering.All requirements are per HACCP regulations and must be met for acceptance of any/all deliveries made.Deliveries are to be made to:_______________________________________[Buyer] Attention: _____________________________[contact person name and information]_______________________________________ [Address)Estimated delivery dates/times should be prearranged with __________________________________[insert arrangement information]. A detailed invoice including total weight and quantity and price per pound or piece must accompany all deliveries and bear the signa-ture of the approved buyer representative.All delivery vehicles must be clean and free of farm debris. If trucks are refrigerated, temperature must register at 41 degrees or below. ________________________ [Insert any other details required by your organization]

Payments:Payments of products received to be made by __________________________ [Organization] utilizing a standard ___-day pay cycle, or terms_________. Payments will be made in the form of a check and mailed to:___________________________________________________ [Vendor or farm name]___________________________________________________ [Address]IF APPLICABLE: ____________ [Organization] is a non-for-profit institution and does not pay California state sales tax. A copy of the tax-exempt certifi-cate is available upon request.

Signed: _______________________________ _______________________________Name, Agent (Vendor and farm Organization Person Contact and Titlerepresentative)

Sample Template: Grower-Buyer Agreement (Wholesale)

www.caff.org 13

FEED Sonoma

Ceres Community Project

Farmers Guild

Ag Innovations Network

Farm Trails

UC Cooperative Extension

Sonoma County Ag Commissioner

Coastline Produce

Sonoma County Council on Aging

Sonoma County Department of Health Services

Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District

Sonoma Organics

Marin Organics

Napa Local Food Advisory Council

North Coast Opportunities

Novato Unified School District

GO LOCAL

Oliver’s Markets

Slow Food Russian River

Petaluma Bounty

School Garden Network

Santa Rosa City Schools

Sonoma Valley Union School District

(and all the school districts of Sonoma County)

Community Partners


11Tell us what you think! Win a prize: www.buylocalca.org/survey

Seas

onal

ity

Bay Area SEASONALITY

North Coast Seasonality Guide

www.caff.org 15

Name

Farm/ Business

Street

City, State, Zip

Phone Number(s)

Email

Website

❏ Annual membership $_________❏ Additional donation $_________ TOTAL $_________

❏ Check #__________ (Payable to CAFF)

❏ Credit Card: ❏ Visa ❏ MC Card # ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___Exp. Date ___ ___ / 20 ___ ___ CSC# ___ ___ ___ Signature _________________

P.O. Box 363 • Davis, CA 95617-0363 530.756.8518 (p) • 530.756.7857 (f) • [email protected] • www.caff.org

GROWING FOOD • GROWING FARMS • GROWING COMMUNITIES

When you become a member of CAFF, you are also eligible to receive Grown Local materials for free!

x_______________________________________________________________________________Sign above if you agree to the terms and conditions in the “Grown Local Guidelines,”

available at www.caff.org/support (or call the CAFF Membership Office at 530.756.8518 x 112).

❏ $50 ❏ $100❏ Other $_________

❏ $1000❏ $2000

Membership Levels

❏ $250 ❏ $500

Join CAFF today!Complete this form and mail it with payment to the P.O. Box address

below. Or sign up to become a member online at caff.org/support.


The Grown Local Marketing Program Invitation

The CAFF North Coast Region is a member of the Sonoma County GO LOCAL Cooperative. CAFF farmer and business members may choose to sign up as GO LOCAL sub-licensees under CAFF’s membership. CAFF’s GO LOCAL program is a marketing and educational program that works to increase consumer demand for, and access to, fresh local food through education, outreach, and technical assistance. Consumers recognize the GO LOCAL label and are increasingly seeking out businesses that provide fresh, local product.

JOIN CAFF AND UTILIZE OUR GROWN LOCAL BRAND!Member benefits include: ‧ Membership in a regional effort to promote local foods. ‧ Access to the regionally-recognized GO LOCAL/Grown Local logo and related campaigns. ‧ Electronic copies of the GO LOCAL logo and label for use on print materials, online marketing, sig-nage, etc. (as stipulated in the terms of agreement) ‧ A window decal to display at your farm or business. ‧ Inclusion in any local chapter campaign efforts, such as events, local food guide production, etc. ‧ A listing in the GO LOCAL searchable database on GO LOCAL’s website and in any printed local food guides.

We will promote your business and any associated events that feature local foods through CAFF’s and GO LOCAL’s website, email newsletter, and social networking presence.

Members may notify CAFF in advance of any special events or activities involving their business to enable CAFF to promote them via GO LOCAL’s networking channels. Members are also encouraged to further support marketing and educational efforts of the overall GO LOCAL campaign by participa-tion in local GO LOCAL events and opportunities, in tandem with, and independent of CAFF’s partici-pation.

Samples of the Grown Local images available for your use on products, farmers market booths, vehi-cles and at your store or restaurant:

Point of Purchase Card Grown Local Sonoma County Grown Local North Bay

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