Owners

Paul Holmes and Paul Underhill

Paul Holmes started the farm. Paul Underhill started working with him 15 years ago, and eventually became part owner. They began on one parcel of land. By poking around and by word of mouth, they found abandoned or forgotten orchards. The farm eventually expanded to its current size.

Chef Canales says Terra Firma is the workhorse/backbone of the Oliveto menu. They grow all the key staples for us: tomatoes, cabbage, beets, kale, eggplant, peppers, and spinach.  They supply us with some of the best green garlic in the spring, and their melons in the summer are always exceptional.

Principles

There’s nothing they would rather do, and they are happy they found a way farm and make a profit, which is difficult to do in this day and age.

Paul Underhill thinks that CSA turns people into better cooks. Customers learn to experiment with products with which are unfamiliar.

Practices

They are not afraid to learn from their experiences and experiments. They try to stay flexible, and figure out what works.

Their employees work for them year-round. Their employees are happy and experienced, and they know what they are doing.

Seasons

They grow year-round

Length of relationship with Oliveto

several years

Location

99 acres in Winters, Sacramento Valley

Crops

Tomatoes

Organizations/Certification

CCOF

Distribution

Berkeley Farmers’ Market on Thursday

Community Supported Agriculture Programs

Currently accommodate over 1,200 CSA subscribers in the Bay Area, Davis, Vacaville, Sacramento, and Winters. Learn more.

Terra Firma Farm website