Meet a Farmer |
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Farm Name: BLOSSOM HILL FARM Contact: J.R. & Claudia Smith |
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Address:
2365 Bean Road City/Zip: Auburn 95603 Phone: Email: jncsmith@wavecable.com Website: |
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| Bio: Blossom Hill Farm began with a small watermelon plot on J.R. Smith’s 10.3 acres on Bean Road in Auburn in 1992. When he and Claudia married in 1996, they began working the farm together while continuing at their “day jobs” with Pacific Bell. For a few years they leased the farm house while living in Roseville to make Claudia’s commute to Sacramento and J.R.’s commute to Auburn equitable. By the time they retired, Claudia in 2000 and J.R. in 2001, they had been living on the farm full time for several years, and were poised to pursue their next career as organic farmers. J.R. and Claudia have always farmed using organic practices. They registered with the state as an organic farm in 2000, and when the National Organic Plan came into being in 2002 they were certified by California Certified Organic Farmers, under the direction of USDA. It’s not an easy to be organic, Claudia says, with many hours of paperwork, annual inspections and trips to Modesto every 6-8 weeks to buy organic chicken feed for their 300 laying hens. But they feel it is worth it to maintain healthy soil and nutritional quality. Melons are their number one crop, and they are continually experimenting and diversifying. They plant new varieties of melons each year, particularly the “mini melons” popular with small families and individuals. Though the seeds for some of the tiny melons they’d like to grow often are snapped up by large-scale farmers, J.R. says, they continually search out new varieties and experiment to find their favorites. Their watermelon crop this year includes Moon & Stars, an heirloom watermelon grown by Thomas Jefferson, and Mickey Lee, another “ice-box” variety. Red Ruby and Little Charlie are popular seedless red varieties, and there are also yellow and orange seedless watermelons. Several varieties of cantaloupe are available, along with white flesh melons such as Charlynne, St. Nick, Sugar Nut, Crenshaw and Canary. Taste them at the Farmers’ Market and learn to ask for them by name! | |
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