All across the country – as the craft and farm-to-table movement continues to grow – people are flocking to community farms, ranches, wineries, breweries and even aquaculture farms. This movement, in the form of agritourism, is creating stronger connections between the community and farmers, promoting healthier eating habits via locally produced foods, and spurring economic development in both rural and urban centers.
One of these thriving centers is Vista, Calif., home to a vibrant mix of craft breweries, wineries and distilleries, as well as sustainable farms. One of the newest members of Vista’s farming community is Sand n’ Straw Community Farm, which is owned and run by April and Rich Viles, along with their two sons Jonathan and Stephen.
Sand n’ Straw, which utilizes organic and regenerative agricultural practices to grow seasonal produce, officially opened in June 2019 and also has more than 150 fruit trees on its nearly six-acre property, as well as a roadside farm stand open on Wednesdays and Saturdays. In October, Sand n’ Straw launched a CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) program with boxes available for pick up at the farm stand. CSA members can also assemble their own boxes from produce at the farm stand.
Besides fresh, organic, locally-grown food, Sand n’ Straw plans to add a stronger sense of community to Vista as well as boost agritourism. The Viles family, who purchased the property in August 2018, also inherited the farm animals – goats, pigs, sheep, ducks, chickens, and rabbits – which add a fun and interactive experience for visitors. “The kids love to come see and feed the animals,” April Viles said. “We sell animal feed for $2 a bag and kids and adults are welcome to feed the animals old produce we put by the animal area.
Bringing more locals and visitors to the farm is at the top of the couple’s list. In fact, Sand n’ Straw is hosting its 1st Annual Fall Harvest Farm-to-Table Dinner event October 26. Chef Jason Baker of Flavor Affinity will be preparing a four-course dinner and will be pairing seafood with produce harvested fresh from Sand n’ Straw. The farm-to-table event will be sponsored by Vista’s Helia Brewing Co. and include wine from Vista-based 2Plank Vineyards, as well as feature Oceanside musician DevvLov.
Proceeds from the farm dinner will help fund Sand n’ Straw’s school field trip and educational programs.
“We really want to reach the schools without strong parent support and be able to serve them,” Viles said. “A teacher from a Vista school recently stopped by the farm stand and said it costs over $1,000 for the school bus to take one kindergarten class out a (bigger neighboring farm), plus they need to pay the farm, which they just can’t afford. She wanted to see if we could host their class; being only a few miles away, the cost would be drastically less. There are many, many schools that don’t have strong PTA support and just can’t afford to take field trips. We hope to bridge the gap and get kids who wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to visit the farm.”
Sand n’ Straw is boosting its agritourism and farming education by providing gardening classes, workshops, and farm tours. The Viles’ are also working on hosting a future BBQ day at the farm, as well as partnering with the owners of Vista’s new Town Hall Public House (formerly Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen) for future events and produce options.
“Our hope is to make connections with many more establishments in Vista,” Viles said. “We are also hoping to bring more agritourism to Vista through tours, classes, and community meals. We plan to have at least quarterly farm-to-table dinners with additional afternoon type events. We would eventually like to do farm tours, and have participants select produce with a chef onsite to prepare a meal. We plan on hosting school field trips and we are in talks with several teachers. We are working with scout troops and have a few coming this Fall for service projects.”
Sand n’ Straw is definitely onto something. In fact, the global agritourism market size will grow by almost $54.63 billion during 2019-to-2023, at a CAGR of nearly 18%, according to Technavio, a leading global technology research and advisory company.
San Diego County – which is quickly becoming a destination for culinary travel and agritourism – is contributing to that figure. The latest figures (from 2015) from the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program at UC Davis’ Agricultural Sustainability Institute list 87 agritourism operations across San Diego County, along with 71 wineries.
Overall, San Diego ranks in the top 10 agriculture counties in California. Agriculture contributes $1.77 billion annually to the region’s economy, according to the Farm Bureau of San Diego County. And, in celebration of woman-owned business month, San Diego ranks No. 2 in the nation in farms with women as the principal operator.
In general, agricultural tourism has substantial economic impacts on local economies and provides opportunities for diversification and economic incentives for growers, promotes economic development, and helps educate the public about the important contributions of agriculture to a region’s economy and quality of life. Through agritourism, farmers add invaluable ways to further connect their community to their food sources while adding another revenue stream to their profitability.
Besides agritourism, Viles said Sand n’ Straw contributes to the region’s craft food/drinks industry.
“Farms are key to the entire craft food/drink movement. The quality of your produce can make or break your craft,” she said. “Without quality hops, the quality of your beer will not be as good. Without the right coffee beans, you can’t achieve a quality cup of coffee. There is a huge difference in getting produce straight from the farm compared to produce found in the stores and/or through distributors. Come to Sand ‘n Straw and pick up produce harvested that morning left on the vine to completely ripen – the taste is incredible and the nutrition level is where it should be as it was allowed to properly mature. People have been amazed by the difference in quality.”
Sand n’ Straw has visitors from all over the county, who, in turn, also frequent local restaurants, breweries and shops.
“We have people come to the farm stand from San Diego as they have heard about us and then want to know what restaurant to go to or what brewery to go fill up their growler at before heading home,” Viles said.
Kevin Ham, Vista’s Economic Development Director, said Sand n’ Straw is a welcomed addition to Vista’s growing and thriving creative craft culture.
“We are happy to add Sand n’ Straw to the list of sustainable farms in Vista and look forward to the farm bringing in more visitors to our city, as well as more collaborations between the farm and our successful craft industry,” he said. “The San Diego region is all about startups and the craft culture. And people who want to live here and enjoy the environment want to do something that is not just ordinary – they want extraordinary. We believe they can experience that in Vista.”
Viles and her husband first came up with the concept of Sand n’ Straw after seeing a crisis in the food system and they wanted to do something about it.
“We spent a few years getting educated, turned our Encinitas home into a homestead, using it as our practice ground and ran out of room,” she said. “We chose Vista because we wanted the farm to be close enough that people could frequent and not have it be a chore. We wanted it on a main street for passerby traffic. We are 20 minutes from Encinitas and Escondido, and 10 minutes from Carlsbad, Oceanside, and San Marcos. We are right off the freeway with very easy access for all of North County, yet when you arrive you feel like you are deep in the country. We learned more about Vista and its craft breweries after exploring downtown and getting to know the area.”
In terms of the community farm’s name, Viles explained that “Sand” is for the beach life and “Straw” symbolizes the farm. “I grew up in Encinitas and Rich grew up in Pacific Beach, and we raised our kids in Encinitas. We are only 20 minutes away from Encinitas, but it feels like a lifetime away,” she said.
In order to reduce its carbon footprint and be more sustainable, Sand n’ Straw uses regenerative agriculture practices.
“We are using a low-tilt method adding organic matter as the beds are forked to build soil and thus provide more nutrients for the produce. In a sense it’s a way of getting back to how farming used to be before the introduction of machinery and huge mono-crop farms,” Viles said. “We invite nature in to balance out harmful pests instead of using chemicals.
There are components of permaculture utilized in the farm and we will be adding more features to capture and utilize rainwater and incorporate dry farming into certain areas.”
In terms of running her first farm, Viles, who also has her own tax practice, enjoys being the “farm stand girl, although I have to admit I have never operated a cash register in my life – I am getting quicker, but sometimes there is a line.”
Meanwhile, her husband Rich, who grew up in Pacific Beach, worked for AT&T both as an employee and contractor until he quit his job at 50 and went to farm school. “Rich definitely has a green thumb and was meant to be a farmer,” Viles said. “Once you try the produce, I think you will agree.”
The couple – who put all four kids through college, had planned on traveling, but, Viles said, “We bought a farm instead.”
In a fast food society, Viles sees a critical need to educate the community on their food choices. “Our goal is to serve our community by providing fresh quality produce and help educate young and old alike on the importance of where their food comes from while having fun building connections in the community.”
Economic Development contact for the City of Vista:
Kevin Ham
Economic Development Director
kham@cityofvista.com
