Auburn organic farmer develops partnership with food co-op

Three miles away from Auburn BriarPatch is a relatively small farm, just 13 acres. But what it contains feels much, much bigger. Shared Abundance Organic Farm owner Ruthanne Jahoda initially purchased the land with the intention of turning it into a safe space for young people with drug and alcohol dependencies. "My first goal was to buy land and then to create a space where these people could have good food, a good environment and loving people around them," she explained. However, once her mission began, Jahoda started to really connect with the land and the elements. She found herself more compelled to watch, wait and listen to the land. As she listened, her gut told her that another path was to be paved. So, following her intuition, Jahoda began cleaning up the land, which included a kiwi orchard that had been overgrown by blackberries due to seven years of neglect. After three years of hard work to restore the orchard and the farm, Shared Abundance was officially organic certified in 2000. Having been a hobbyist organic farmer since the age of 18, "I thought it would translate easily across. I've been a gardener, I can be a farmer." But, as she explained, the learning curve was bigger than she anticipated. "It's been one baby step after another." Today, the farm grows a plethora of foods, including kiwi, microgreens, raspberries, figs, grapes, persimmons, olives, lemons, pomegranates, plums, apples, peaches and even a beautiful crop of roses, which she sells and makes tea from. All from her 13-acre farm! The organic life Keeping the farm organic was critical. "It is my job to be part of my culture and my society, and my clean farming is where I have my activism," Jahoda explained. "It's the work that I want to do. I think it's a big statement, even though it's quiet. It's what I do because it's what I believe is my spiritual work." She leans on things like kelp and fish fertilizer, which deters pests by disrupting their sense of smell and taste, and other natural practices like companion planting. All of this equates to very little pest pressure around the farm. Diversity is a big element to Jahoda's farming, which she uses as part of her organic practices. Jahoda explained that when she took over the land, she wanted to see what would grow naturally and found it actually helped reduce pest pressure. Around the property are also owl and bat houses, which help control pests. "I feel like I'm partnering with the natural world in my farming," she said. "The natural world has its own way – through diversity – of discouraging harmful infestations." Shared Abundance is one of the local farms BriarPatch relies on for fresh produce during the winter months, including kiwis, microgreens and Meyer lemons. "Selling seasonally is so amazing for the land and the people – to have a real, true relationship with what is available in our area, and to take advantage of that," Jahoda said. A perfect partnership "When I first started (farming), I started with the kiwis because that was the thing that was neglected here that I reclaimed," said Jahoda. "I had 17,000 pounds of kiwis on that first harvest. I didn't know what to do with them, so I started calling distributors." Which turned out to be more difficult than it seemed. After receiving a less-than-warm welcome from others, and as good fortune would have it, she decided to give BriarPatch a call, asking if she could show us her kiwis. Naturally, we gave a resounding "Yes!" "It was like I was talking to a human being, not a corporation. The human being-ness behind the co-op energy has supported me throughout my entire farming experience," she explained. "I feel that you guys love me as much as I love you." Of course, she supplies other outlets with her beautiful produce, including farmers markets and other co-ops. Incredibly, Jahoda sells just as many kiwi locally as she does in the Bay Area – an average of about 30,000 pounds per location per year. That's a whole lot of kiwis! With the Auburn BriarPatch just down the road, Jahoda explained that, "I'm very grateful to BriarPatch for putting a co-op right in my neighborhood. I love being able to go pick up what I need over there." The value of local "Local growers are the local economy," stated Jahoda. "We need our food to come from our area." Not only does it reduce carbon emissions and support the local economy, it also helps people connect with their local natural rhythms. It's incongruent to bring in foods from miles and miles away, or even other countries, she stated. Jahoda went on to explain that during Covid, it was Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) that people turned to in a way that they hadn't before. "I think we need to be involved in our local area for the power individuals have to vote with their dollars, to show that small farms have the capacity to feed the world," she said. "The history of the world is that people have always been fed from the small farm. It helps the local economy thrive and it keeps the power in the communities."