Signs of the season in Sonoma Valley

Forty years ago, a winter storm whipped through Sonoma County, dumping rain and downing trees and telephone poles.

One of the storm’s victims was a towering eucalyptus tree along Sonoma Highway just outside of Glen Ellen, its shallow roots ripped from the earth as it toppled. After the tree’s trunk was sawed off, the gnarly, upturned roots were left as a reminder of the storm’s rage and as a landmark to the entrance of Oak Hill Farm.

From the root-marker along the highway, a narrow paved road leads to the farm, which stretches along the western slope of the Mayacama Mountains. It is part of a larger 700-acre ranch owned by Anne Teller, widow of Otto Teller, a renowned conservationist who died in 1998.

The Teller s’ ranch is the founding property of the Sonoma Land Trust, permanently held under a conservation easement. Surrounded by oak and manzanita woodland, it rises 800 feet above the valley and toward the Mayacamas Ridge, where wildlife such as deer, mountain lions, bobcats and foxes roam free.

The Tellers bought the property in the 1950s and, on a florist friend’s recommendation, planted perennial greens and flowers that later evolved into a wholesale flower business. In the mid-1960s, they purchased the neighboring Johnson Ranch. This expanded property included a red barn housing 12 dairy cows. One of these animals was so full of personality, she was known throughout the Sonoma Valley.

The Tellers set about transforming the barn from a dairy and storage facility into a retail store. After completing renovations on the lower floor and clearing out vintage cars stored upstairs, the Red Barn Store was opened to the public, featuring sustainably harvested produce, cut flowers and artfully arranged bouquets.

Today the three-story, 100-year-old barn has many uses. The retail store is located at ground level along with two open bays, one for loading and a second containing a walk-in refrigerator. Dried goods are stored on the middle floor, and on the third story, produce for handcrafted wreaths such as garlic and chilies hang on drying racks.

Over 30 successful years, the Red Barn Store has become a mainstay within the local economy. The roots of the eucalyptus tree may be shallow, but the roots of this farm run ever deeper within the Sonoma County community.

Contact Healdsburg-based artist Richard ?Sheppard at theartistontheroad.com.