Frog Hollow Farm

FARMLAND: 133 acres in Brentwood, about 55 miles from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

PEOPLE: Farmer Al Courchesne; business partner, co-owner and wife Rebecca Courchesne; and co-owner Sarah Coddington along with 20 full-time and 20 seasonal employees

FARM HISTORY/PHILOSOPHY: Al Courchesne, or "Farmer Al," as he likes to be called, grew up in the Bay Area and graduated from UC Berkeley. After a ten-year career in Hawaii as a school teacher, a friend convinced him to become a farmer. After two years of growing lettuce and tomatoes, he decided to move back to California and try his hand at farming closer to home. In 1976 he purchased 13 acres in Brentwood and planted peaches because they are his favorite fruit. From the beginning his goal was to grow great-tasting fruit and to market it locally.

In 1989 Farmer Al decided to go organic and change the farm name to Frog Hollow Farm. Over the years, Frog Hollow has expanded from its original 13- acre parcel to a thriving 130-acre farm. Farmer Al, Becky, Sarah and Sarah's partner, Michael Turner, work together for a common goal: sharing the bounty of the harvest with loyal customers in the Bay Area and around the country.

SOIL: Deep clay loam is built with compost, limestone dust, kelp, gypsum, and fish emulsion.

WEED CONTROL: Mechanical and hand cultivation.

PEST MANAGEMENT: Beneficial insects, pheromone disruption, reliance on good soil.

WATER USE: Irrigate with micro-sprinklers.

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION: CCOF since 1989