Pocket Life

Deep Roots

FARMER BUILDS A LIFE ON DELTA LAND

Ron Kelley Photo by Aniko Kiezel

Ron Kelley resides in the Pocket, but his roots run deep in the Sacramento delta. Kelley is a fourth-generation farmer and operates R. Kelley Farms on 60 acres near Scribner Bend Vineyards.

For more than 30 years, R. Kelley Farms has supplied local restaurants with seasonal produce. He’s open to the public and you can harvest food straight from the fi elds or from an onsite produce stand.

“In the summer, lots of visitors come to pick melons and summer veggies. They can tour the farm to learn more about local agriculture,” Kelley says.

Kelley worked for years as an agriculture production consultant and pest control adviser to farmers. He started his farm to become a better adviser to growers and small family farms.

The delta is known for crops such as tomatoes, peaches, pears and grapes. But few farms in Northern California grow produce specifi cally for southern cooking. So, in the early 1990s, Kelley leased 2 acres with a goal to fi ll the niche. He planted okra, black-eyed peas, melons and tomatoes.

His great-grandparents and grandparents were sharecroppers in Texas and Oklahoma. In the early 1950s, his parents moved the family from Blythe to Courtland. Kelley was 3 years old. He attended Courtland schools, participated in Boy Scouts, Little League and Future Farmers of America. He spent summers working on local farms.

“My parents raised nine kids. I’m in the middle. They instilled in us the value of sticking together as a family,”

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Kelley says. “Many of my siblings, inlaws, nieces and nephews help me run the farm.”

Not surprisingly, Kelley supports the “grow local, buy local” movement. He’s worked as a consultant with the Sacramento County Farm Bureau and served as the California State Committee Chair of the USDA Farm Service Agency. As a past president and member of 100 Black Men, he’s introduced African American youngsters to his farm, hoping to build a new generation of farmers.

I’ve visited R. Kelley Farms to pick sweet melons and chat with Kelley. You should too. “Next year will be my 30th year of farming and more than likely my last,” he says. “It’s been a great journey and a labor of love. I’ve enjoyed bringing fresh and healthy produce to our community, along with a good old country smile.”

LUNAR NEW YEAR

Lunar New Year starts Feb. 1 and runs 16 days. Unfortunately, the Omicron spread has forced Elks Lodge No. 6 to cancel a dinner and dance to welcome the Year of the Tiger.

The event would have included prizes and a Korean martial arts demonstration, but the pandemic made the popular gathering impossible.

Year of the Tiger people are born in 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 and 2022. Tigers are fi ercely independent, confi dent, optimistic and energetic.

Traditional activities feature the color red. The red fi re sign symbolizes new life and prosperity and drives away bad luck. People light off strings of red fi recrackers, wear red clothing and give red “lucky money” envelopes to single people.

Special dishes are prepared and served. A whole fi sh at the end of the meal symbolizes a wish for abundance in the coming year.

No housework is done on New Year’s Day. We always deep-cleaned our home the day before. I loved sweeping all our bad luck out the door. It was the only time of the year I enjoyed my sweeping chores!

Corky Mau can be reached at corky. sue50@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n