Hunter Orchards
Market Days
Out for the Season
Farmland
20 acres in Grenada, about 300 miles from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.
Certification
California Certificatied Organic Farmer (CCOF) since 2003 and previously from 1986-1993.
Farm History
John and Kirsten discovered their love of gardening while starting a homestead near the Siskiyou Mountains in Northern California. After purchasing Hunter Orchards in 1989, they immediately converted the orchard (formerly farmed conventionally) to organic.
John and Kirsten are committed to consumer education through face-to-face interactions with the people that eat the food they grow. They say the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market gives them energy for their intense season of growing and marketing.
The truck that Hunter Orchards drives the long way to San Francisco from Siskiyou County is powered by biodiesel.
Pest Management
Releasing beneficial insects as well as creating the appropriate habitats for beneficials, organic pesticides, pheromone disruption, and crop rotation all help keep pest populations in check.
Soil
Sandy loam built with compost, cover crop, crop stubble, crop rotation, organic fertilizers, aged manure, and raw organic matter.
Water Use
On-site wells feed drip and T-tape sprinkler irrigation.
Weed Control
Hand weeding and machine cultivation, mulching, and flame weeding.