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In the middle of our 143-acre organic fruit orchard, located in the heart of Brentwood’s agricultural community, lies a small, one-acre parcel of land that we have leased from a neighbor to cultivate seasonal vegetables.
Rows of deciduous fruit trees, laden with yellow nectarines and peaches getting ready for the pick at Frog Hollow Farm, lead up to our thriving acre of vegetable production where Farmer Al’s assistant Marlene — an enterprising young farmer from Illinois — is busy tending to more than 10 different varieties of exceptional tasting heirloom tomatoes and an assortment of peppers.
Earlier this year in spring, we planted a diverse mix of heirloom tomato plants that are now yielding voluptuous, juicy and tangy heirloom tomatoes, including Copia, Big Rainbow, Gezahnte, Dad Sunset and Red Brandywine. In addition to the tomatoes, we also planted a variety of pepper like Jalapeños, Poblano, Anaheim, Cayenne and Gypsy that are ripening in the garden.
This means a delightful blend of assorted heirloom tomatoes and peppers is now available to add-on to your CSA subscription. (For more information, visit: https://happychildcsa.csaware.com/store/c/fruit)
“This is the beginning of a larger initiative,” says Farmer Al. “We are grateful for the rich soil and Terroir of Brentwood for allowing us to grow legendary fruits, and now seasonally-ripe vegetables. We are looking forward to treating the soil with compost rich in nutrients to support a thriving vegetable garden,” he explained.
Marlene, who has worked with vegetable growers in Oregon and California, is looking to extend her expertise and experience to increase diversity in the vegetable garden with more seasonal and rare varieties. Her tentative line-up for winter veggies includes lettuces, broccoli, root vegetables, cauliflower and kale.
At Frog Hollow Farm, we are also using these fresh garden vegetables in our on-site kitchen to develop products highlighting these ingredients. Our tomatoes are also being used by our friends at 8fifteen Comestibles in the delicious seasonal salad offerings they have introduced at our café and marketplace in the San Francisco Ferry Building. Stop by when you’re in San Francisco next and taste what summer tastes like at Frog Hollow Farm.
