Producer

Grounded in a values-based approach to land stewardship, Fifth Crow Farm is a dynamic and diversified organic farm in Pescadero, CA. Founded in 2008 with a shoestring budget, a supportive local community, and ambitious dreams, we strive to bring eaters the highest quality, best tasting, and most nutritious food possible. We are situated in the Cloverdale Valley, 45 miles from San Francisco and 35 miles from Santa Cruz.
Primarily a market farm selling to farmers’ markets and restaurants in San Francisco and San Mateo County, we also have a nearly 700 member CSA. We operate on 150 acres: 30 acres of row crops, a 24-variety apple orchard, a young pear orchard, and a pastured egg operation consisting of 2 flocks of about 350 beautiful ladies – all heritage breeds.

Diversity and respect underpin our land stewardship practices and methods. We are committed to sustainable production methods and are certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and Real Organic. We do not use synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides and rather manage fertility with compost, cover crops, and organic fertilizers. We control pests and diseases with crop rotation, exclusion, beneficial insects, and only use organically approved sprays as a last resort. We grow a great diversity of crops, not only to serve our customers but because we feel it is a better practice than mono-cropping.
We have partnered with the NRCS (FDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service) to establish native hedgerow plantings to provide habitat and travel corridors for beneficial insects and pollinators as well as installed irrigation systems that conserve both energy and water. By raising our chickens in a mobile chicken coops, not only do we have a happy flock, we gradually spread fertility on the field, control weeds, and disrupt the life cycles of plant pathogens and pests, thus enhancing the future growing conditions for row crops that later replace the pasture.