Sonoma County’s small farm operators selling more foods directly to consumers

After a year weathering the coronavirus pandemic, small family farmers in Sonoma County have learned an important lesson: they need to have more control over how they get their products to consumers.

Their biggest shock last year came from the steep drop of sales to restaurants that were shuttered indoors much of last year. Wholesale business, such as providing for events and large corporate accounts, also suffered notable declines.

Many small farmers, especially those producing vegetables and meats, found to survive and grow their enterprises they had to sell directly to the consumer.

To that end, FEED Sonoma, a wholesale distributor for local farmers, is in the process of shifting from a private business to a grower cooperative. That gives farmers a greater stake in bringing their food products to customers, who now number almost 1,000 in the region.

Ranchers have formed the Bay Area Ranchers Co-op. The group bought a mobile slaughterhouse, after distributor Marin Sun Farms in Petaluma in January 2020 switched to butchering only its own livestock.

“They needed to take control of the marketplace,” Duskie Estes, co-owner of Black Pig Meat Co. and a cooperative board member, said of the ranchers joining forces. “Finally, now they will be able to be in charge.”

The pandemic-forced transition for small farmers to sell directly to consumers represents the latest example of the changing nature of agribusiness in Sonoma County.

The local ag industry generates about $960 million a year, with wine grapes yielding $654 million, the largest share of the sector. They are followed in annual values by milk production, $127 million, and livestock and poultry, $74 million. Vegetables bring in $9 million a year, while apples yield $4 million.

Decades ago, the county was known for its hops and pears, before they gave way to the ubiquitous vineyards that produce some of the nation’s finest premium wines. More changes are afoot, with cannabis emerging as a popular legal crop. Some agricultural industry experts think marijuana could eventually become the largest cash crop here based on financial value.

Even amid the challenging economic times, an estimated 75 small family farmers, primarily raising livestock or growing fruits and vegetables, are still trying to make a go of it in Sonoma County, said Tim Page, co-founder of FEED Sonoma.

Before the pandemic, the farming organization generated almost all of its business from wholesale accounts with stores, restaurants and corporate kitchens. During the public health crisis, FEED Sonoma transitioned to delivering food boxes directly to consumers, who order online and now account for 75% of the group’s revenue. The cooperative gets meat and produce from up to 85 local farms.

“Considering what has happened in the last year and all the challenges of being a farmer in this area, the fact that we have had 12 months of the (food box) program under our belts, we have about as good a foundation as you could have,” Page said.

He also conceded “we have such a long way to go,” since most farmers are disadvantaged in this county due to the high cost of land and living in the North Bay compared to other parts of California.

Roughly 35 local farmers are expected to become members of the cooperative, Page said. Peter Buckley, owner of Front Porch Farm in Healdsburg, is one of the newest to join FEED Sonoma.

Front Porch’s business with restaurants and some of its corporate accounts in San Francisco collapsed in the pandemic. But its direct-to-consumer sales increased 50% at area farmers markets where Buckley sells vegetables, flowers and wine produced from grapes on his property. With no wholesale costs, overall revenue for the farm operation jumped 15% last year, he said.

“Our business shifted quite a bit. But it has shifted in ways that have worked out well,” Buckley said.

His 110-acre organic farm includes an array of fresh food from summer squash to spring cherries. It also grows blueberries in Oregon.

Front Porch got a boost last year when consumers flocked to farmers markets because they liked shopping outside for health reasons. And they bought bigger quantities of produce since they were typically staying at home.

In the coronavirus era, local shoppers also have rediscovered a newfound appreciation for how they source their food. Buckley thinks factor, which plays into the lands of local farmers, will continue after the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Foggy River Farm in Healdsburg recently scaled back operations, focusing more on selling plants and ramping up its pumpkin patch.

The patch was so popular last fall that the farm sold all of its pumpkins well before Halloween. This year Foggy River is planning a much larger pumpkin crop.

“I think what has been evident to a lot of people in farming during the pandemic is the reminder of diversification,” said Emmett Hopkins, the husband of Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “Not only diversification of crop, but diversification of market in times of emergency.”

Diversification was key for Kelley Parsons of Parsons Homegrown of Fulton. Her tomato business was so busy last year that she had to add two part-time employees to help get her products to locally owned grocery stores.

The brisk tomato sales helped offset Parsons financial losses from her 8-acre pinot noir grape vineyard. Her grapes suffered smoke damage from wildfires last summer and fall. “Thank God we learned to buy crop insurance,” she said.

While Parsons, Hopkins and Buckley are examples of small farmers with success stories despite the pandemic, many others have struggled or folded.

Consider that at least 10 North Bay ranching families left the business after Marin Sun no longer would slaughter their livestock, Estes said, noting the only other viable slaughterhouse is about 250 miles away.

“What the pandemic did was shine a bright light on how centralized ag is not good for anyone,” said the co-owner of Black Pig Meat Co. “The great thing about the local food system is that you know the story behind the farmer or rancher and how they treat both the environment and the animals.”

With that in mind, local small farmers hope pivoting to reach customers directly, bypassing wholesalers, can put the local food supply chain back in balance and allow them to stay financially viable for the future.

Despite innovations to operate through the ongoing pandemic, “it’s important to note that the small farmers we have in our community, they are all still hanging on by their fingernails,” said Page of FEED Sonoma.

You can reach Staff Writer Bill Swindell at 707-521-5233 or bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @BillSwindell.