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LARSE FARMS
Vendor: Donna & John Comelli
If you’re looking for delicious strawberries, real farm-fresh eggs, or tasty raspberries, look no further than the Larse Farms stand at PAFM. Donna and John Comelli have been bringing quality berries and eggs from three neighboring farms – Larse Farms, Huezo Farms, and Glaum Egg Ranch - for over 12 years now. Originally, the stand was run by John Larse, the owner of Larse Farms. He and his mother were good friends of Margaret Carroll, the market manager at the time, who invited John to sell his Sweet Darling strawberries at the Market. John came and did the selling for a short time but then he recruited the Comellis, who worked for him at the farm. John Comelli and wife Donna have been selling at PAFM ever since. These days, they sometimes get their grandchildren to come and help out at the Market. Huezo Farms is a neighbor of Larse Farms, so the Comellis decided to bring Huezo raspberries to the Market. Then when Margaret was looking for someone to provide eggs for the Market, she asked the Comellis if they could find a good source, and they started working with Glaum Egg Ranch. Larse Farms is in Watsonville, Huezo Farms is in Aromas, and Glaum Egg Ranch is in Aptos, so they are close together geographically. John and Donna pick up everything on Friday afternoon so that they are all packed and ready to leave at 5:30am Saturday morning for the drive to Palo Alto. It’s 50 miles and takes them about an hour. Their Sweet Darling strawberries, which are grown exclusively at Larse Farms, are known for their size, color and sweet flavor. The climate in Watsonville is ideal for berries, and the farm prides itself on its agricultural practices, utilizing integrated pest management to minimize the need for pesticides and fungicides. Glaum Egg Ranch has been in the egg business since 1953. It’s a third-generation family business that is dedicated to raising healthy chickens, since that is what makes high quality eggs. The ranch is 100% cage free, so their chickens always have the luxury of roaming free, dust bathing, perching, nesting, eating and drinking. They drink fresh water daily from the ranch’s own well and are fed a natural organic and vegetarian diet without animal byproducts. The Comellis recently started bringing certified organic eggs to the Market, in addition to their free-range conventional eggs. Donna likes the Market because it’s “high class and clean.” She likes seeing the children at the Market enjoying their berries. She has also enjoyed seeing the cycle of pregnant women who then bring their babies who grow up into kids, all of whom love strawberries. Donna thinks the reason people shop at her stand is the quality of their products and the friendly (“at least most of the time”) staff. Say Donna and John, “we’re happy to be here.” We’re happy they’re here, too!
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