Though it’s always hard to say goodbye to summer fruits and veggies, we are excited for the return of dates and almonds, apples, pomegranates, persimmons, and early hard squash varieties every fall at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. This month we are also excited to welcome a new vendor to our Saturday lineup—Lonely Mountain Farm, hailing from the Watsonville area.

First-generation farmer Kenny Baker started farming in his early twenties and founded Lonely Mountain Farm in 2009 at the age of 25. New to the business, he sought out advice and support from many of his friends in the Santa Cruz farming community. He later enlisted his wife, Molly, as well as his sister, Dawn, and her husband, Tim, to help build Lonely Mountain into the diverse organic farming operation it is today.

Over the past few years Lonely Mountain has made a niche for themselves selling unusual and heirloom varieties of specialty produce like husk cherries and Mexican sour gherkins. They have also expanded their farm to include pasture-raised chickens and Nigerian dwarf dairy goats. The first eggs from the chickens started popping up at their stand last month, and Dawn hopes to use the goat’s milk to create a line of soaps and body products.

Lonely Mountain first debuted at the Thursday market in May, and starting this Saturday, September 13, they’ll be giving weekend shoppers a chance to snap up their beautiful shelling beans, farm bouquets, fresh herbs, onions, hard squash, sunchokes, potatoes and leafy salad and braising greens.
Lonely Mountain will also be one of six Ferry Plaza farms to be featured on the menu at CUESA’s 12th annual Sunday Supper on October 5—a gala fundraiser that celebrates the fall bounty of the market and raises funds for our education programs like Foodwise Kids.

Stop by the Thursday and Saturday markets to visit Lonely Mountain Farm, located on the north side of the clock tower.