Farm Stands of SLO County

By Ruth Ann Angus

The yearly Mid-State Fair always reminds us that San Luis Obispo County is primarily an agricultural area. For those of us, like myself, who like cows and chickens and think a field of growing broccoli is the ultimate in scenic splendor, this is certainly the place to live! So this month I take you on a journey along back roads to a few places where you can enjoy the rewards of the efforts of many of the county's farmers – a visit to farm stands.

First up we head down Highway 101 to the Thompson Road exit in Arroyo Grande for a stop at Windmill Farms. Windmill Farms isn't your ordinary farmer's market. For one thing it is available every day, rain or shine. Approaching the farm you will see old fashioned western wagons and a quaint trolley car. As you walk through a vine covered archway you might feel like you are entering into a magical world especially when you glimpse your first view of the garden. Brilliant blue pottery is surrounded by potted roses of white, red, and yellow. The garden at Windmill Farms specializes in a variety of roses and succulents.

Step inside the spacious new barn to see everything this farm stand has to offer. You will find a myriad of items from the pesticide-free fruits and vegetables that they grow to an eclectic and colorful assortment of gift and culinary items. You will see beautiful gift items, crockery, natural lotions, soaps, fragrances, and oils, cards, tableware, decorative art, collectibles, and more. Specially made up gift baskets are also available. In the main part of the room are shelves stocked full of a wide variety of gourmet foods, sauces, jams, preserves, breads, and mixes.

Outside in the Critter Corral visitors can walk through and pet or feed the animals. There are goats, sheep, donkeys, pigs, turkeys, and Guinea fowl. The goats in particular strike interesting poses as they reach over the fences to beg for your attention.

Our next stop is Templeton at Happy Acres Family Farm. This is a state licensed, certified organic, dairy goat farm. More than 200 of them rest under shade trees, munch alfalfa in enclosures, or roam in the grasses with the alpacas.

Stephanie Simonin is the goat lady and her business has grown from one sweet goat named Stella, who Simonin brought in some years ago to help feed calves who had lost their moms. Stella still lives here along with an assortment of animals who share the farm. There are mini-teacup pigs, miniature horses, regular sized horses, a miniature donkey, a cow, alpacas, a goose, cats, kittens, small dogs, and really big dogs. All the animals get a name and the goats have tags on collars around their necks so you can see what those names are and be properly introduced. Simonin, her mom, Laurie, her sister, and all the kids take part in running the farm.

The farm stand contains cheese, ice cream, eggs from free-range chickens, and certified organic fresh produce. Happy Acres offers a line of skin care products made from the milk at both the stand and online. The products include moisturizer, facial cleanser, lip butter, eye cream, and soap bars. Eczema, psoriasis, and acne are helped by products like these. They also contain vitamins A, B, and K, amino acids, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorous and are paraben free.

Tours of the farm are available by appointment and consist of learning how to milk, blending your own cheese — which you get to take home, bottle feeding baby goats when they are born, and feeding peanuts to the goat herd. Tours last one and a half to two hours and cost $25 for adults and $12 for children. Happy Acres offers discounts for school groups. Call Stephanie at (805) 434-7580 for an appointment.

Moving on, but still in the Templeton area, swing over to Route 46 for a stop at Jack Creek Farms. Jack Creek Farms seems to have everything, and it's all grown without chemicals and pesticides. This is a family farm that stretches back five generations to James Barlogio, who came to America from Switzerland in the late 1800's and farmed in Harmony. His son, Miles, began farming at the Jack Creek location and the rest of the family has followed course.

They have approximately 300 heirloom variety fruit trees in the orchard and you can pick your own apples and plums. There is a peach orchard and a vineyard of table grapes. Other berries available are raspberry, ollallieberry, and blackberry. Vegetables include squash, peppers, cucumbers, sweet onions, artichokes, garlic, and 16 different varieties of heirloom tomatoes. And in the fall they have pumpkins on display. White, green, yellow, various shades of orange, and even multi-colored ones are arranged in outdoor bins with signs explaining their type. Over 20 different varieties are grown at the farm. You can choose from them for your Thanksgiving pies or even pick one fresh from the field.

Once a year, usually in September, they hold a huge celebration called the "Threshing Bee." At that time, area farmers join the Barlogios in showing off their antique farm equipment. The large McCormick Stationary Threshing Machine is the highlight of the event and wheat is cut using an Allis-Chalmers antique grain binder. Food and music round out the fun.

Over in the garden farms section of Atascadero is Blue Sky Gardens where you can get home grown zucchinis, cucumbers, onions, red beets, corn, and pumpkins in season. In October they have a haunted house and a corn maze. Proprietor Colleen Childers also raises Nubian and La Mancha dairy goats that you can feed.

No farm stand tour would be complete without a stop at the Avila Valley Barn. This is the ultimate in farm stands. There are hay rides to the fields for you to pick berries from the vines, juicy peaches and nectarines or bright red apples from the orchards, and, in fall kids get to choose their very own pumpkin and pick it right off the vine.

There is plenty to choose from at the stand, such as corn, squash, beans, onions, tomatoes, peaches, pears, apples, and nectarines. Starting in May there are cherries, ollallieberries, and raspberries. The whole family can have fun giving treats to the farm animals too. Saucy roosters strut around on the loose and you can watch the antics of the goats in their pens. There are cows, goats, ducks, geese, chickens, sheep, ponies, and peacocks.

A stop in the Sweet Shoppe is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth and you can enjoy homemade style ice cream in more than 16 flavors. Or you might pick out some of the pies from the bakery.

Starting in late July swing around up See Canyon Road to Avila Valley Barn's sister business, the Gopher Glen Apple Farm, and choose from the 69 varieties of apples.

So much to choose from and so much fun in the process!

Windmill Farms – 1275 N. Thompson Avenue, Arroyo Grande
Happy Acres Family Farm – 1955 Templeton Road, Templeton
Jack Creek Farms – Route 46 West, Templeton
Blue Sky Gardens – 19505 Walnut Avenue, Atascadero
Avila Valley Barn – 560 Avila Beach Drive, Avila Valley