Twin Girls Farm

FARMLAND: 518 acres on 14 plots of land in Fresno and Tulare counties, about 200 miles from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

PEOPLE: Ignacio (Nacho) and Casamira Sanchez and daughters, Christyna, Serena, and Savannah, along with 25 full-time and 16 part-time or 8 seasonal employees

ABOUT: Nacho Sanchez graduated from Fresno State with a B.S. in agriculture. In 1989, he bought a 6-acre orchard with his wife Casamira which they farmed in their spare time. By 1993, Nacho had acquired over 150 acres and was farming full time. Nacho and Casamira feel good knowing that workers can pick fruit and customers can enjoy it without worrying about pesticide residues. Any fruit the Sanchezes don’t sell is incorporated back into their soil.

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.

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