Dennis & Sandy Dierks - Paradise Valley Produce

Dennis and Sandy Dierks, of Paradise Valley Produce, have been farming in Bolinas for over 30 years. Sandy facilitates MALT’s school to farm tours and teaches environmental education at Bolinas Stinson School.

Why did you become a farmer?

Dennis: I had some gardening experience when I first moved to Bolinas in 1968. I was a commercial artist at the time, working in San Francisco. But when I moved to Paradise Valley in 1972, I didn’t want to leave. This was where I wanted to live and work. It took me a long time to call myself a farmer; still I’ve never given art up. I tell myself I just changed palettes. I’m working with soil and plants and it’s sort of the same creative process as painting, but instead of creating pictures, I’m growing food and filling produce pallets.

Sandy: Basically we looked at our front yard and said “ Hey let’s try something.” We didn’t have experience, but we learned quickly. We’re learning new things all the time. That’s the beauty of farming. And I liked his farmer’s tan.

Describe your farming practices and philosophies.

Dennis: Our main focus has always been keeping our soil alive and active. There are so many farms that ship in their compost and nutrients for their soil from out of state. Our goal is to create all of our nutrients within five miles of our farm. We collect seaweed from the beach and we’re doing a fermentation extract to get seaweed emulsion. My son is a commercial fisherman so we’re turning his fish by-product into fish emulsion. We harvest wild nettles and make nettle tea for the plants. We collect microbes from the root system of the forest and mix them in with our compost to enable the plants to absorb more nutrients. It’s a truly sustainable way to farm. We’re always learning new ways of growing really nutrient-dense food. I didn’t go to Ag school, I went to art school, so I approached farming with a whole different perspective.

Sandy: It’s a holistic perspective, but simple too; healthy soil makes healthy plants, which make healthy people. It’s kind of interesting that the buzz is local food systems and it’s something we’ve been practicing here for 30 some years.

What will it take to make that buzz a reality?

Dennis: We all need to take responsibility for our lives. Everybody is connected and it’s time that we realize that what we eat, the way we shop, how we use resources, and what we invest our money in all has an effect that’s bigger than our own satisfaction. It has an effect on the environment. So making good choices is critical to making this whole thing work. It goes from the bottom up, and it will take everybody’s commitment to do it.

You don’t seem in a hurry. What’s your secret?

Dennis: I might be working ten to twelve hours a day but I’m out in the field and when I stand up and look out on the ridge I’m just awed by my surroundings and the power of nature. At the end of the day we feel really good about everything we’ve done and why we’re doing it. We work really hard, but we feel fulfilled and complete. When I was commuting four hours and working with paper all day, my accomplishment was a pile of papers. It didn’t feed my soul.

Sandy: We’re not that different from other people. I think everyone wants to feel a sense of fulfillment. Dennis and I made the choice to value our quality of life more than material things. For example, it’s been such a joy to raise our four children on the farm. They have a very rich understanding of nature and an incredible value system from growing up here.

What can people do to slow down?

Dennis: Go to the farmers market with your family and your friends. Explore what’s in season. Cook together. Eat together. Talk to each other and take the time to look at what is around you and appreciate it. At a supermarket you may have one conversation. At a farmers market, you can have ten to twenty conversations. People thrive on it.Farmers Markets are giving people a place to enjoy themselves and get in touch with their food, and the culture of growing, preparing, and eating food. We’re putting the culture back in agriculture.

If I hadn’t slowed down I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to be present for my kids or gaze at my beautiful wife. I highly recommend it.