Frog Hollow Farm Visit

Nothing says summer like stone fruit from our friends at Frog Hollow Farm, long featured on our Ferry Building & Farmers Market Food Tour.

Since 1976, Farmer Al Courchesne and his crew have been sharing the sweet delights of their hand-picked cherries, plums, peaches, pluots, nectarines, apricots, apriums, and more with fellow fruit lovers.

Also in the mix this summer: Mulberries are a new farm favorite. The fruit, says Farmer Al, has robust sun-ripened fig flavor notes. Eat them just as they come, or make mulberry ice cream, or add them to a galette.

Stumped for stone fruit recipe ideas? Frog Hollow suggests salads with peaches or nectarines; chocolate covered cherries with sea salt; and shrikhand with apricots and mulberries.

The sustainable 242-acre farm, which transitioned to organic practices in 1986, is located in Brentwood, about an hour east of San Francisco.

The farm is an industry leader in more ways than one: It offers housing to 15 farm-worker families who are guaranteed year-round employment.

And none of the farm’s fruit is wasted, even though only around 2% of the farm’s produce is considered perfect enough for grocery store delivery. Some is sold through its CSA and at farmers markets.

Some finds a home in the farm’s range of preserves, conserves, marmalade, jellies, jams, chutneys, and dried fruits, which is the domain of chef Becky Courchesne. Hundreds of thousands of pounds a year is donated to the Contra Costa County Food Bank. And whatever is left winds up in the farm’s compost.

Come see the farm for yourself: On Sunday morning July 28, Frog Hollow fans are invited to tour the orchards to learn more about farm life—everything from soil health and sugar content to how to pack a peach and how to market mulberries.

And, of course, there will be ample opportunity to taste the fruits of the farm’s labor.