Partner Spotlight: Spade & Plow
Golden Roots Kitchen community welcomes 2021. What a roller coaster ride getting through 2020! It has left us feeling more inspired than ever to serve our beloved Santa Cruz with nourishing meals. GRK was born out of the belief that food is the foundation of a strong community. We truly cherish the support we continuously receive from all of YOU. We are honored to partner with amazing local, small businesses that share our same food philosophies.
Today we spotlight Spade & Plow, a certified organic, family owned farm located in San Martin, California. We have had the pleasure of working with Sam Thorp, who originated Spade & Plow in 2015 alongside his brother, Nick and father, Mike.
The vision for Spade & Plow was conceived by their desire to connect the consumer directly with the farmer. Their intent is to grow the most nutrient rich, tasteful organic fruits and vegetables, producing locally raised food for their community.
The Thorp family has many years of experience in agriculture, giving each member a unique perspective. Mike has life long experience in production, Sam, a strong sales and marketing perspective, and Nick, post harvesting, safety and mechanical expertise, all equally important in running a sustainable farming business. The partners became exhausted with corporate agriculture and believed in a better way of doing things. This belief brought life to Spade & Plow.
San Martin, located in Santa Clara County, is known as the “valley of hearts delight.” This area was once famous for its rich soil, perfect for grapevines, citrus, nuts, cherry trees and fruits of all kinds. In the past San Martin was home to many small family farms. Development and commercial projects have caused this abundant area to lose thousands of acres, moving further away from being a farming community.
Sam and his family believe in continuing the traditions of the “valley of hearts delight.” They are dedicated to preserving the land by utilizing practices such as growing a high diversity of crops, crop rotation, preserving animal habitats and maintaining beehives for natural pollination. They will soon be transitioning to a larger plot of land where they can expand even more on their vision.
The Thorps are very excited about their new farm. The property has been cared for with great love and attention to detail. The soil is fertile, rich in mycorrhizal nutrients and contains high organic matter which is great for soil health and plant matter. The prior owner has been growing apricots since the sixties; he is getting older and is passing the farm on to the Thorps. He wants to see his life’s hard work go to the right people who will truly care for the land and keep farming traditions alive.
The new plot will allow them to expand their crops to include potatoes, dry beans and long term fruit trees. Sam is very excited about developing their flower program in the early spring.
Connecting directly with their consumers through Farmers Markets and a CSA (community supported agriculture) program has enabled Sam, Nick and Mike to thrive by doing what they love. Sustainability, diversity, affordability and accessibility are their top priorities. Spade and Plow is certified as organic by CCOF, one of the nation's most respected certifiers.
Connect with Spade & Plow at Farmer’s Markets all over the Bay Area, including Santa Cruz County at the Aptos Cabrillo Market.
At Golden Roots Kitchen you can select a la carte options from our menu such as spring mix, mustard greens, arugula or a mystery farm box of your own. We incorporate Spade & Plow produce in many of our dishes; we highlighted their beautiful rosalba radicchio in our kohlrabi, pink lady apple salad. Sign up directly on the Spade & Plow website for your own customizable CSA farm box where you can connect to the earth’s cycles by eating with the seasons. They have an option to add pasture-raised eggs, locally roasted coffee and fresh bread. Spade & Plow also provides fresh produce to several local Santa Cruz restaurants such as Soif, Alderwood and Bad Animal. Support local farms while supporting local restaurants.
Melanie and Sam during our farm tour.
The Golden Roots Kitchen team had the pleasure of touring the Spade & Plow farm. The soil was moist and the greens were lush after a December rain. We were in awe of the patience and love their work takes. We can taste it in every bite of their harvest and we were delighted to take home an assortment of goodies, straight from the soil.
Spade and Plow will be having a transplant sale on May 5th. Pre order on their website for pickup on their new land. They will have tomatoes, peppers, herbs and flowers sold in four inch pots. This is a great way to get your summer garden started.
If you are a Golden Roots member you are already part of the modern food revolution. By supporting businesses that partner with local farms and eating with the seasons, you are helping reclaim and rebuild a sustainable food system for our community.
Wishing you wellness always, Mary and the GRK team.
Mary Smith has her Bachelor’s of Science in Nutrition and Food Science, and serves as GRK’s in-house nutrition expert and blogger.
Contributing writer, editor and photographer.
Check out the links below directly from the Spade & Plow website:
An abundance of recipes and ways to use what's in your farm box