In 1976 our parents, Kathleen Barsotti and Martin Barnes, graduate students at UC Davis, borrowed money from their parents to buy 20 acres of property in Capay Valley. Today, we continue to grow our family on the farm, encouraging strong roots for a better food and agriculture system for all.

 

Family Owned

Thaddeus Barsotti

Born on the farm in Capay, Thaddeus showed an early proficiency in the machine shop and is responsible for designing some of the custom tractor modifications and tools used on the farm today. In 2004, Thaddeus graduated with a degree in Agriculture Engineering from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and moved to San Francisco to start the company’s first retail store and pursue his appreciation for the art of real food and cuisine at culinary school. In 2005, Thaddeus felt driven to continue his connection to the family farm and took on the role as farm manager, actively focusing on selecting, growing and testing specialty produce varieties – chosen for taste not transportability. Today, Thaddeus continues his work of growing a better food system through our own farm and our connection to our farm partners. As a well-spoken and passionate advocate for local and sustainable food systems, he shares his farm experiences with our CSA members in a weekly farm news, leads classes for future farmers, participates in panels/conferences and speaks with the media as an industry expert on the progressive change in our food system. Thaddeus and Moyra, who also works in the family company, have two children, Lola and Lucca.

Freeman Barsotti

Freeman got an early entrepreneurial start on the farm by growing and selling lilacs and wildflowers at farmers markets as a young child. Graduating in 2005 with a degree in Bio-Resource and Agricultural Engineering from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, his senior project was a highly uniform and efficient irrigation system designed for orchard and row crops on the farm. In 2006, he devoted complete attention to opening and managing the Farm Fresh To You store in the San Francisco Ferry Building, bringing organic fruits and vegetables and specialty artisan foods to Bay Area commuters and visitors. With his work on the farm and in the retail store, he quickly gained a proficiency in finance and business operations and created the first complex routing system for Farm Fresh To You deliveries. Today, Freeman continues his commitment to building a strong financial model for farmers to connect produce directly to consumers by strategically managing our current programs and expanding the convenience and service we can offer to our CSA members and our farm partners. Freeman and Carol, who also works in the family company, have two children, Imogen and Ainsley.