0:15Hi, my name is Kyle Forrest Burns, this is my wife Mel, and our new daughter Rosemary. We farm

0:22at the Nye Ranch in Fort Bragg, California on the Mendocino coast about 1200 feet from the ocean.

0:29We're leasing an acre of land and farming just under an acre of it.

0:33We are extremely diverse in the crops we grow. Mel manages the cut flower side of the operation,

0:40I do all the management of the strawberries, summer and winter brassicas, heirloom tomatoes,

0:48the rest of the field crops, the roots, the lettuces, the greens... We kind of grow it all!

1:00I always loved helping my mom in the garden since I was a little kid.

1:04As I got older I always kinda wanted to start a farm. When I met Mel, we kinda started doing

1:11some research on starting a farm. It was a big gamble, I didn't have very much experience at all,

1:16and Mel had three years of flower farming experience, and we just dove right in. We

1:23sold everything we owned and we figured why not do it on some family land on the Mendocino coast. The

1:30barn was occupied at the time so we were living in a tent out on the field—in the rainy season!

1:36We tilled up some land and planted a cover crop. The cover crop only grew a couple inches

1:42over winter... Even after soil tests we realized the land didn't drain well. We thought we made a

1:50huge mistake. Why would we jump into this farming career without doing enough research. That winter

1:57we kind of were like, "What are we doing? This is a disaster! I don't think we can farm here!"

2:04Luckily in the springtime all we had to do was build some raised beds. Wasn't an easy project

2:09but a labor of love. It solved all our problems and we had an excellent first season on the farm.

2:21We're 1200 feet from the Pacific Ocean. We rarely get above 65 degrees here, and then in the winter

2:28we rarely get below 30 degrees, so it's a very mild climate that we're super lucky to grow on,

2:35but it has its own challenges... summer fog, high salty winds that just destroy plants...

2:44We're like, "Are we stupid to be trying so much diversity so close to the ocean?"

2:51We started growing heirloom tomatoes with the help of Caterpillar Tunnels and landscape

2:57fabric to heat the soil. It's not a typical climate you're going to find tomatoes thriving.

3:05We plant three different varieties for wholesale in a staggered pattern. As I'm harvesting I'm

3:12creating a mixed flat once i touch the tomato I don't have to touch it again until I deliver it.

3:20We sell primarily at two farmers markets and our farm stand,

3:24as well as some wholesale to restaurants and grocery stores in the area. However,

3:29when Covid hit, a lot of people were afraid to shop at the grocery store and restaurants were

3:34kind of put on pause, and overnight we had to think of something. So we created a CSA box and

3:40listed it online, and were able to sell out in two hours, which was so awesome!

3:47Every Wednesday we go into Fort Bragg to the farmer's market,

3:50it's the largest market in the county. It just brings me so much joy being able to

3:55go to farmer's market and people are just so thrilled to be nourished by our food!

4:05I'm the boss! We each kind of manage one side of the farm,

4:10Kyle does the vegetable production, I do cut flowers. It's really helpful in our relationship

4:15that like when I go to the vegetable side, Kyle's say kind of wins over mine,

4:20and if he's on my side, I kind of get to make the rules and so it's been really helpful that way.

4:27Normally we would be growing about a quarter acre and cut flowers,

4:31and this year, because I've been busy growing a different flower,

4:35I stepped way back. We're doing only a few varieties; Sunflowers, Dahlias, Sweet Peas,

4:42Ranunculus... keeping it simple. I love growing flowers because I love being surrounded by beauty.

4:52My wife and I work beyond full-time here on the farm, as well as one full-time employee. We do

4:59our best to have a really lean and efficient farm so that we can take Sundays and Mondays as slow

5:05days. It's given us opportunity to enjoy life off the farm, despite how much we love farming.

5:19Mel and I both have a creative background. We find that farming can be a very artistic outlet

5:24for us. In our spare time we really like to go out and take photographs of the farm. It doesn't feel

5:31like a job for us but more as an opportunity to capture the beauty that we've created,

5:36and just to find so much fulfillment from that has been really beautiful.

5:51Two months ago our daughter was born in the barn right on the farm. It can be a little difficult

5:59to get a little less sleep at night, and not have Mel out in the field with me by my side, but the

6:06added value of having Rosemary around has made our life so much brighter, so much more fulfilling.

6:15One of the things we really love to do as a family is just go for a walk along the headlands.

6:21We feel so lucky to live in such a beautiful place and lease this land.

6:49Mel and I have been leasing land here at the Nye Ranch for five years and we were looking

6:54at buying property in the area, until Covid hit. We were offered the opportunity to lease

7:00a farm in the Sierra Nevada foothills, closer to home. It's literally our dream farm. It's the

7:07farm we wanted to create ourselves. And having a newborn baby, it's kind of the best case scenario

7:13for us moving forward. A lot of people are gonna think we're crazy for leaving this farm. It's

7:18absolutely beautiful. We feel insanely lucky to be able to have spent five years of our life here.

7:26But we're extremely excited to be continuing our farming journey in Nevada City at River Hill Farm!

7:41I love market farming. Every day is different, every task is different.

7:46Constantly trying new and different crops. I love being outside in the sun and weather and I love

7:53being in the dirt. It just feels right to me, it feels like home. I think it's never really been a

8:01more exciting time to start a farm! People really want to know where their food is coming from now

8:06and the desire to know your farmer has never been so strong. There's so many challenges but you just

8:13have to be determined, and work through them, and ask for help when you need it, and ask for advice.

8:20We tried certain methods that we saw working on other farms and they totally didn't work for us

8:25here. And adapting to that and trying new things is really what will make you a success. I feel

8:32so lucky to be able to work with the soil every day and to do something I'm passionate about!

8:51Hi guys I'm Jonathan with Farmers Friend. If you enjoyed this video,

8:54hit the LIKE button and SUBSCRIBE to see more inspiring stories like this! To learn

8:58more about our innovative small farm tools and supplies like easy to assemble greenhouse kits,

9:02flame weeders, and a lot more, check out our website at farmersfriend.com!