The Capay Valley Farm Shop: Building a Sense of Place

Family farms have always played an important role in America, forming the bedrock for communities across the US throughout our history. Unfortunately since 1935, the U.S. has lost 4.7 million farms; with now only one million Americans claiming farming as a primary occupation.

As with most rural communities that lie within 50 miles of growing urban centers, the Capay Valley is consistently wrestling with population and economic growth pressures which threaten to reshape our historically agricultural community. Back in 2000, with vast expansion plans unveiled by a local Casino coupled with continuing growth in surrounding urban areas,  we realized that preserving the agricultural heritage of the Capay Valley would require our active work and participation.

Through a concerted and organized effort spearheaded by the nonprofit Capay Valley Vision, we (a group of family farmers) founded Capay Valley Grown a grassroots business coalition aimed at maintaining the economic vitality of farming in our valley. At the outset, our local farms developed common marketing language and a Capay Valley Grown logo. In addition we began sharing experiences and resources and exploring new ways through which to sustain the economic vitality of our farms and communities.
 
In 2006, we started considering opening a local food market which would showcase the products of our family farms in a public market dedicated to local, artisan food. What started as a conceptual project for a local MBA student quickly transformed into a reality as 25 investor farmers, friends, and family jumped in to provide creative, skilled labor, and financial support for the project. From there, many of families and friends pitched in to develop the concept from planning to painting. As with many of our farms, the development of the Capay Valley Farm Shop has been a collaborative affair that has survived because of endless support from family members and friends who are dedicated to promoting sustainable, local agriculture.

This quaint little store is quite a unique enterprise - a test run to see if there is a market out there for family farmer-owned food markets. For all of us, direct ties to our eaters - and their delight for our products - is what has energized us to keep going over the years. Being able to visit with our customers and share with them the joys of the season's first watermelons or this year's olive oil is what makes our work so fulfilling. That being said, this shop is a "pilot project" to see if we can convert those weekly farmer's markets into a 7-day a week affair. A chance to expand our community, and create stronger ties to the urban communities that lie closest to our agricultural treasures.