Coyote Family Farm’s stall at the Saturday Santa Rosa Community Farmers Market on Farmers Lane is always abuzz with customers eager for their produce and flowers. In this Vendor Highlight, Farmers Market Ambassador Elizabeth Rosnel shares Coyote’s inspiring story.
Written by Elizabeth Rosnel, Farmers Market Ambassador
A farm that is a treasure trove of produce and cut flowers, offering the best of each season. A farmers market booth abuzz with excitement.
This is the story of Coyote Family Farm, a place where every vegetable and flower tells the tale of organic beginnings and sustainable dreams.
From crisp salad mix to sweet, earthy carrots, to tender broccolini and aromatic fresh herbs, Coyote Family Farm is a testament to the bounty of the earth. At the farmers market, customers make a beeline to Coyote’s stall, eager to fill their baskets with cucumbers, tomatoes, kale, chard, spinach, hakurei turnips, melons, cauliflower, and more— a cornucopia too abundant to list all.
Nurturing the land and fostering community
Coyote Family Farm began in 2014 when Alex and Sonya moved to Sonoma County from Berkeley.
Certified organic and grown with love, the farm embraces an intensive market garden style that leaves room for wild habitats to flourish. Farm-made compost nourishes the soil, cover crops protect it, and crop rotation ensures its vitality. Flowering plants dot the landscape, a haven for beneficial insects and pollinators.
The heart of Coyote Family Farm is its community. Local folks cherish the fresh, healthy vegetables and the flowers that brighten their days. The farm’s commitment to its employees is evident in the joy and dedication they bring to their work, creating a healthy and happy environment for all.
The farm share program (CSA) is the jewel in Coyote Family Farm’s crown. The program delivers weekly produce boxes to customers in Penngrove, Petaluma, San Rafael, and Berkeley. The Penngrove Market and FEED Cooperative also carry their harvests, with the owner serving proudly on the cooperative’s board.
Thriving on variety
The journey to Coyote Family Farm began when Sonya’s passion for agriculture blossomed at the University of California, Santa Cruz. From there, she paved her own path with patience and dedication, landing at the California Farm Academy, where the seeds of confidence were sown.
The farm thrives on variety, offering a mosaic of salad greens, herbs, cooking greens, onion-family crops, and seasonal specialties. Flowers are grown not just for their beauty but for the happiness they bring to everyone who touches them.
Among the many wonders at the farm, serpent cucumbers and dahlias hold a special place. The cucumbers, with their impressive squiggles, made for a refreshing summer salad while the dahlias stand as a testament to nature’s artistry.
Farmers market and fabric of the community
Selling at farmers markets is more than a business for Coyote — it is a connection and a weekly ritual that weaves the farm into the fabric of the community. Much like cooking is a dance of flavors and textures that elevate the raw crunch of hakurei turnips and the savory warmth of slow-cooked collard greens, the farmers market experience is more than a sum of all parts.
And Coyote Family Farm is more than just a farm. It is a place where children learn the value of the earth, where the community gathers to share in the harvest, and where every meal is a celebration of life’s simple pleasures. It is a story of happiness, health, and harmony — a story that will continue to grow with each passing season.
Find a farmers market in Sonoma County that works for your schedule by visiting OurFarmersMarkets.org.