Lesson learned: Never compromise on quality. Instead, make your product profitable.
By Courtney Ferguson
Empty supermarket shelves during the pandemic were an abrupt wake-up call, reminding shoppers that local farmers are a welcome alternative to standard grocery distribution channels.
CASA Farm owners Victor Estrada-Hildebrand and Michael Hildebrand-Estrada had just purchased their five-acre agricultural property outside Nevada City.
“We wanted to escape from the Sacramento suburbs and raise our own animals and produce,” Estrada-Hildebrand said. He added, “We knew what we harvested would exceed what we could use and our longer-term goal was to share our homegrown bounty.
“Much of our growing season lasts year-long. Our produce gets to market sooner and keeps it going through fall.”
Victor Estrada-Hildebrand
A vital part of their success relied on finding a way to extend their growing season. Hardworking friends helped them build a large hoop greenhouse. “Much of our growing season now lasts all year long,” Estrada-Hildebrand confirmed, “so we can get our produce to the market sooner and keep it going through the autumn.”
“This spring will mark our first foray into local farmers markets, starting with the Grass Valley one on Saturdays,” Hildebrand-Estrada said, “and we’re looking forward to building our reputation by increasing our presence.” They have seen a sharp increase in existing customers for fresh produce and special-occasion meats and poultry.
While COVID may have been the catalyst, the lessons learned have opened wider doors to new opportunities. What started as an alternative line of thinking has turned into a preference for many grocery-store shoppers.
casafarmca@gmail.com
(530) 265-9395
