Tara Firma Farms

In 2009, the farm was purchased by Tara and Craig Smith with a grant from the Sonoma County Agricultural and Open Space District, transforming a historical dairy farm into a rotationally grazed pasture land. Over the next seven years, the CSA grew significantly, and the Tara Firma Farms Institute was founded. In 2016, the Squire-Eldridge family took over, emphasizing holistic farming practices and following the Marin Carbon Project's advice to mimic nature and remove carbon from the atmosphere.

The farm employs holistic management and holistic planned grazing, creating closed-loop systems using organic food waste and locally sourced compost. Chickens are raised in a stress-free environment, moving from brooders to pastures, contributing to soil fertility. Hens are kept in mobile houses, providing a diverse diet and producing nutrient-rich eggs. Heritage pigs graze and wallow in pastures, rotating through paddocks seasonally. Black and Red Angus cattle are raised using low-stress stockmanship and management-intensive grazing, thriving on grass and organic alfalfa without grain or pharmaceuticals.

The farm offers free self-guided tours and guided tours by appointment, inviting the public to learn about food production, enjoy the land, and become members with 24/7 access to various activities. Food is sold directly to consumers through a store or a delivery program covering the Bay Area and beyond. The farm also hosts community events like Pumpkins on Pikes and provides an array of organic products through a network of family farms in Sonoma and Marin counties.