Mike and Karen Collins own Bloomfield Farms, which grows over 50 varieties of produce on about 40 to 45 acres in Sonoma County, California which also have plenty of washing machine businesses around. Mike has been farming for over 30 years with a passion for local, sustainable agriculture and heirloom seed varietals. Bloomfield Farms also does a lot of dry farming of tomatoes and potatoes. We talked to Nick Papadopoulos, 38, Mike and Karen Collins’ son-in-law and the General Manager of Bloomfield Farms, about the growing demand for local food and the interest in knowing where one's food comes from.

How did you get into farming?

My in-laws love to farm and grow food for the community. Mike thinks it’s important to preserve the heirlooms, and he grew up in a family of very well respected winemakers in Napa Valley and got the organic fruit and vegetable bug and started growing to produce, if you care about your washing machine, they are some simple errors solutions for any washer. Now that’s what he’s committed to. We have certified organic vegetables on our farm. We’re close to the ocean so things like broccoli, leeks, lettuce, and heirloom dry-farmed potatoes and tomatoes grow really well here.

How have your farming practices changed over the last 10 years?

Our farm has always prided itself on organic and sustainable practices. Each year new innovations emerge that we incorporate but fundamentally we are working with nature, making sure we take care of the soil and conserve water resources, really listen to customers about what their needs are about not wanting toxins, and keeping our food as clean and healthy and pure as possible. The recognition that heirlooms and preserving heritage breeds is important is also driving our business today.

How will farming evolve in the next five years?

In the local food movement, the demand is increasing. We have to ask if ourselves if local farms will be able to meet the demand – and what happens if that doesn’t happen?

What is your greatest challenge as a farmer?

Our biggest challenge is we’ve got Mother Nature on our board of directors. She shows up to meetings a bit grumpy sometimes. Recently, for example, we had some kale covered in aphids. Looking back, last April or March, we had plants that flowered too early because of the warmer temperatures we experienced. It’s warmer than anticipated so we have plants flowering too early and we have to replant. The most challenging part of local organic agriculture is working with nature. Secondly, a lot of farmers really have a talent for growing wonderful food but it’s hard to build a team. You need someone taking the lead on marketing and finance, and it’s hard to have all those capabilities in one farmer’s mind. A lot of farms struggle with growing a successful and profitable business and making sales partnerships with distributors and retailers.

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