Knoll Farms

FARMLAND: 18 acres in Brentwood (about 60 miles from our market).

PEOPLE: Rick and Kristie Knoll along with 1 part-time and 14 full-time employees

FARM HISTORY/PHILOSOPHY: In 1979, Rick and Kristie Knoll purchased a weedy 10-acre alfalfa field. Twenty-three years later, it is a thriving, productive entity that grows some of the most outstanding produce in the Bay Area. This small piece of land in the middle of a growing suburb is a wonderful example of what a small family farm can achieve. In 2003, they were gifted an additional 8 acres.

Along with a great variety of produce, plants and weeds, they raise 20 free-range chickens, a pot-bellied pig, two cats, one dog, and a host of beneficial birds and insects. Everyone and everything on this farm is integral to creating its thriving, biodynamic ecosystem. In addition to selling at our market, Rick and Kristie have a loyal following among some of the best restaurants in the area.

SOIL: The clay soil is amended with raw and composted organic matter, cover crops, and crop stubble. Crop-animal rotations, earthworm castings, and biodynamic preparations add nutrients to the soil.

WEED CONTROL: Hand and machine cultivation, inter-crop rotation and mulch.

PEST MANAGEMENT: Maintenance of habitat for beneficial insects, crop rotation, biodynamic preparations, and agroforestry.

WATER USE: Water is sourced from onsite wells and the local irrigation district.

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION: None. Knoll Farm was certified organic for many years, but Rick and Kristie no longer want to be associated with that label because they feel it is being taken over by industrial agriculture. They continue to farm using biodynamic practices and have created their own label, "Tairwa," as an alternative to the organic label.