Everything Under the Sun

FARMLAND: 28 comprise 5 plots of land in Winters, about 80 miles from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

PEOPLE: William Crepps along with 1 full-time and 3 to 4 seasonal employees

FARM HISTORY/PHILOSOPHY: Bill began farming in 1987 after completing a graduate degree in alternative farming techniques. He has always been an environmentalist and started farming organically to put his ideas and beliefs into practice. Bill grows a wide variety of crops and encourages biological diversity on the farm.

Everything Under the Sun dries many of its products so that they can attend farmers’ markets year-round. All fruits are fully ripe before they are hand-cut and dried, and no preservatives are added. All products are sun dried throughout the summer and into fall; the rest of the year, a low temperature dehydrator is used. Everything Under the Sun also dries and sells kiwis from a nearby farm.

SOIL: Class 1 clay loam.The soil is very deep and is one of the best soils that exist. Bill uses cover crops, crop rotation, some organic compost, and minimum tillage to build up the soil.

WEED CONTROL: Hand weeding, machine cultivation, and crop rotation.

PEST MANAGEMENT: Organic insecticides such as light oil spray for aphids and sulfur for mites.They also leave some plants to flower in order to attract beneficial insects. The farm does not use any synthetic chemicals.

WATER USE: On-site wells are used to irrigate the fields and orchards using drip, sprinkler, and furrow irrigation, depending on the crop. One orchard is dry farmed.

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION: None