In 1976, two UC Davis graduate students, Kathy Barsotti and Martin Barnes, established a small farm plot on 20 acres of land in the Capay Valley of Yolo County. Barsotti and Barnes were committed to improving natural farming methods, providing a healthy work environment, promoting biodiversity, and growing great tasting produce; all under an umbrella of environmental and economic stability. At the same time, the two partnered with other students to establish the Davis Farmers Market as a means of providing quality produce directly to the public. The farmers market provided an opportunity for patrons to “know their farmers” and become educated on the principles of organic farming. The Barsotti/Barnes farm was only the second to be certified organic in Yolo County by the California Certified Organic Farmers.

The couple raised 4 sons on their farm known today as Capay Organic. Brothers Thaddeus, Che, Noah and Freeman inherited the farm following their mother’s untimely death in 2000. The decision to continue the family business was in honor of their mother, and to continue their parent’s legacy of sustainable farming. Che Barnes regrettably passed in 2009, during a search and rescue mission, while commissioned as a pilot in the US Coast Guard. Today, the brothers maintain their parent’s vision by practicing healthy crop rotation, maintaining a diverse ecosystem around the fields, caring for their family of employees, efficiently using local water resources, and carefully selecting produce that grows and tastes great; actively going above and beyond the standards of a certified organic farm.

One of the most successful aspects of Capay Organic is Farm Fresh to You, a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, established by Kathy in 1992, which delivers fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables to subscribers on a weekly basis. The boxes are customizable, ensuring that customers receive a box of produce that meets their individual wants and needs. Farm Fresh to You operates a packaging and distribution warehouse in West Sacramento, allowing certainty that Capay Organic’s standards and practices will be followed from seed to the customer’s front door. Farm Fresh to You now accounts for over 8,000 deliveries a week in Northern California, making it one of the most successful CSA programs in the region. In 2007 they expanded their services to the Los Angeles area and the Farm Fresh to You Store, located in San Francisco’s Ferry Building, is a full-service gourmet market that provides Bay Area residents with quality organic produce.

You can find out more about the Farm Fresh to You service at: https://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/

Capay Organic partnered with the Yolo Land Trust in 2009 when they purchased 61 acres of farmland and in 2011 when they purchased an adjacent 54 acres of farmland. The previous owner of those two parcels had conveyed a conservation easement to the Yolo Land Trust that permanently restricted the use of the land to farming, Swainson’s hawk foraging habitat, oak woodlands and maintenance of the riparian forest along Cache Creek.

After nearly 50 years of organic farming, Capay Organic grows more than 130 kinds of fruits and vegetables on 500 acres of certified organic land and sells at 15 farmer’s markets. Additionally, the farm annually donates 100,000 lbs. of organic produce to local food banks and provides 10,000 Farm Fresh to You boxes to individuals and families facing hunger; all while supporting several farm-to-school programs and health organizations. Thaddeus, Noah, and Freeman are proud to carry their family’s legacy of “beyond organics” forward and instill these principles in the third generation of Capay Organic farmers.

To learn more about Capay Organic, please visit: http://www.capayorganic.com/

Photo courtesy of Capay Organic Website.