People

Steven and Lisa Kashiwase, along with 3 full-time and 40 seasonal or part-time employees.

Farmland

190 acres in Winton, about 117 miles from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.

Farm History

Steven’s family has strong ties to the land in California’s Central Valley. His grandfather started a 20-acre vineyard in the 1920s, and his father purchased most of the current acreage of Kashiwase Farms in 1948. After studying pomology and entomology at UC Davis, Steven began farming in the 1970s and converted to organic in the 1990s.

Steven and Lisa strive to maintain the farm, both ecologically and financially, for the next generation. Marketing directly to consumers at farmers markets and planting a diversity of crops are both important to sustaining the operation.

Certification

California Certified Organic Farmer since 1997

Soil

The stone fruit orchards are not tilled; natural organic residue and supplemental compost help to fertilize the soil, retain moisture, and prevent topsoil erosion.

Water Use

To conserve water, drip emitters and mini sprinklers are used on the fruit trees, and manually operated impact sprinklers irrigate the almond orchards.

Weed Control

Hand and mechanical cultivation.

Pest Management

Pest populations are carefully monitored; beneficial organisms and/or certified organic controls are used to control insects and disease. Pheremone strips and Bt, for example, are used to minimize crop-damaging insects, and an application of copper spray is used to control peach leaf curl.