BACKYARD FARMING

BY ANGELINA MARTIN

In the spring of 2019, two Turlock sisters set out to start a farm with one goal in mind: to nourish the city’s residents with goods grown right in their own hometown. Over the course of the last two years, the endeavor created and sustained by Nicole Trujillo and Kala Humphries has grown into a well-rounded system of community-based agriculture known as Nourish Farm.

The sister-owned farm, located on Trujillo’s Turlock property, operates based on a mutual commitment and understanding between the farmers and farm members known as Community Supported Agriculture. Nurture Farm’s CSA Program gives members the chance to pick up a weekly box of fresh-picked produce from the farm, providing upfront payment that in turn funds the farm’s purchase of seeds, supplies, tools and more.

While there are only a small number of local farms that offer weekly produce boxes through a CSA Program, the service is beginning to catch on in towns and cities around the country. Since offering their first CSA Program last year, Nourish Farm has grown from providing boxes to 12 families in 2019 to 20 families during the 2020 season. The farm was also able to provide an additional drop off spot for boxes in Modesto, and created a “Virtual Farmstand” during the pandemic for those looking to purchase any extra produce and herbs the farm had on hand.

“Our program filled up pretty quickly, which we were grateful for, and once the pandemic hit we had a lot of people join our waitlist,” Trujillo said.

Luckily for Nourish Farm, the operation wasn’t hit too hard by COVID-19 unlike other small businesses. The farm is family-run and everyone works outdoors, meaning Nourish Farm was able to operate despite the pandemic.

“We did make sure to let our customers and farm family know about our sanitation and cleanliness practices with picking produce and packing it. We also encouraged virtual farmstand pick up orders to not use cash, limited who touched the produce and always tried to maintain social distancing standards with customers,” Trujillo said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do any open farms events like we have in the past, which was a bummer. We did see a lot more demand for our produce, as I know most small, local farms did.”

In 2019, Trujillo, Humphries and their families all lived on the farm, meaning the sisters were able to work together to tend to the wide variety of produce — and livestock — on the property. While Humphries no longer lived at the farm this past season, the pair were still able to work together frequently, but Trujillo had to find volunteers to help keep things running during the week, from their parents and friends to old high school acquaintances and, of course, Trujillo’s husband.

“It was started as a way for our family to come together and do something good for the community,” she said. “I love how gardening and farming can bring people together; it’s brought so many new and beautiful relationships into our lives.”

Photo contributed

Sisters Nicole Trujillo (left), Kala Humphries (right) and their families work together to make Nourish Farm a vibrant place that helps feed the community.

In August, Trujillo wel- Next year, Trujillo anticicomed her second child and pates continuing Nourish is taking a break this fall to Farm’s Virtual Farmstand. prepare and rest for next Participants can sign up for year. While there would nor- weekly emails of available mally be a variety of fruits produce, herbs and flowand vegetables growing in ers at NourishFarmTurlock. the garden during the fall, com, order from home and like Napa cabbage, root veg- then pick up their selections etables, collards and Asian at the farm. The farm will greens, there’s still plenty to also host some open farmdo around the farm. Toma- stand days for the commutoes, peppers and flowers are nity, and Trujillo plans on still growing in the garden, merging her skincare line, and Nourish Farm will have Sunkissed Botanics, with the pastured lamb meat for sale farm as well. by December after harvest- CSA boxes will be availing fall lambs. able again in the future, she

“I’m in the process of added, but between caring deciding exactly how we’ll for her children and makdo things next year. I run ing sure the farm is running the farm mostly by myself smoothly, Trujillo said they since my husband works his likely won’t be available own business outside of the again until 2022. Until then, home, and now we have two she looks forward to prochildren to care for,” Trujillo viding produce to the comsaid. “So, I’m trying to make munity through other means it realistically manageable for while doing what she loves me, while not wanting to let — right in her own backdown those who are count- yard, out in the fresh air and ing on our produce again with her family. next season.” “It’s for us but it’s for othOCTOBER 2020 10 AG HARVEST

Photos contributed

A wide range of produce is grown at Nourish Farm, from radishes and turnips to carrots and garlic.

ers too. It’s a dream I’ve had for years become a reality. It’s the taste and flavors and health that I get to bring in fresh to my kitchen and feed to my family, that I know we grew with our own hands,” Trujillo said. “It’s watching my children grow up knowing where their food comes from and having a part in raising it; respecting the circle of life that is all around us.”

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