Twin Girls Farm

FARMLAND: 436 acres total; home ranch is in Reedley CA, about 213 miles to Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. 169 acres are certified organic; 136 acres are transitional; 50 acres consist of open ground.

FARM HISTORY/PHILOSOPHY: Ignacio Sanchez writes about his farm: "Farming is a way of life for me. In 1964, my parents, Jesús and Adriana, and I came to the U.S. from Dolores Hidalgo, a small town in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. My parents came looking for a better life and opportunity for themselves. We settled in Cutler, CA, a small agricultural town of 1,200 people. I was only three years old at the time. My parents were seasonal workers, harvesting most of the crops being grown in the area, such as oranges, grapes, peaches, plums, and nectarines.

"In 1989 I bought my first farm -- a 6 acre stone fruit farm. This was a great accomplishment for me. I had always dreamed of owning and farming my own land. My wife, Cassi, and I have worked hard and we have been successful farming organically. I named my farm after my twin girls, Christyna and Serena, who were born in 1991. In 1996, we were blessed with another daughter, Savannah, who now has some peach varieties named after her: Savannah Sweet and Savannah Snow."

SOIL: Crop stubble is used to build the soil.

WEED CONTROL: Hand hoeing with machete, machine discing, plowing, tilling, and mowing.

PEST MANAGEMENT: Release of beneficials (aphytis & snails) and creating a habitat for beneficials. Use of organic pesticides such as oils, sulfur, and copper for peach leaf curl. Selection of root stock that is resistant to phytophera.

WATER USE: Furrow and drip irrigation using well-water and irrigation-district water.

WORKERS: 28 (19 full time, 9 seasonal).

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION: Quality Assurance International (QAI) since June 1999