TOMATERO FARM

Tomatero Farm has been certified organic since the beginning when Adriana and Chris started farming in 2004. Located in Watsonville just south of Santa Cruz and only 5 miles from the California coast, they wanted to grow produce that was affordable for everyone, especially their friends and family.

Watsonville, in the Pajaro Valley, has extremely fertile soil and a unique coastal environment with temperate conditions where it is never too hot or too cold.  The weather is perfect to grow Tomatero’s wide array of produce including broccoli, cabbage, collards, green and lacinato kale, chards, lettuce, fennel, red leaf butter lettuce, leeks, tomatoes and strawberries.  Adriana said she “feels very lucky to be growing here”.

Tomatero collards, curly and lacinato kale, red chard and strawberries

Adriana and Chris embrace the diversity of their organic crops and “rotate them like crazy” and let the soil rest a healthful amount of time before planting again.  “Good soil grows good vegetables”.

Strawberry season can start as early as March and can last up to December. We are starting to see the first of Tomatero strawberries being harvested. Look for production to pick up in April when the weather warms up and the spring rain subsides.

When Adriana is not busy farming, she is also on the boards for the Monterey Farmers Market Association and the Agriculture Institute of Marin.