December 17, 2023
Shared Passion for Bees
Busy Bees Honey Farm
From the moment John Ballis met his wife Lynette Ballis, they connected with their shared passion for bees. After more than four decodes of beekeeping together, they continue this passion with their local honey farm in Sanger, just outside of Clovis.
​
Busy Bees Honey Farm is known for their local artisian honey that comes in small batches and truly captures the local flavors with the changing seasons. Their honey is available at the year-round Saturday morning Farmers Market in Old Town Clovis.
​
"Looking in a beehive is like watching a campfire," said John Ballis, co-owner of Busy Bees Honey Farm." "It is filled with natural complexities and detail that is simply facinating."
​
A lot of people think beekeeping doesn’t take much effort - just put out the hive and you get honey. But, as John Ballis explained, it takes a lot of work and care, moving the bee hives multiple times a year for pollination. This allows for a variety of delicious raw honey flavors, such as their Spring Citrus Blossom Honey and the Sunnyside Autumn Wildflower blend.
Spending any amount of time with John and Lynette, it quickly becomes evident that local community is important to them. They are very involved in the Central Valley Beekeeping Association, which supports local beekeeping. The club includes a hands-on beginner’s beekeeping class that they help teach.
October 10, 2022
Connecting to their Roots
Mao's Family Farm
Photo: Mao Thao during harvest on her family farm.
From weekend Farmers Markets to daily chores on the farm, farming is more than a way of life for Mao's Family Farm; it is a way of connecting the family to its roots.
Mao's Family Farm began in 1991 when Mao Thao and her husband came to the United State as refugees from Laos. While raising nine children (7 girls and 2 boys) and starting with nothing, the Thao's built up their farm and in 2001 began selling produce at the Vineyard's Farmer Market, where they still sell produce to this day.
"We want everyone to enjoy what Fresno and Clovis has - the best produce - and we want to inspire people to shop locally," said See Thao, 2nd generation at Mao's Family Farm.
​
At first, farming for the Thao family was a way to put food on the table and a roof over their head. Over the years, their farm has grown to much more than that for the family. It connects them to their roots in Laos, a rurual farming community, by offering oriental vegetables to the San Joaquin Valley and connecting people with where their food comes from.
Mao's Family Farm has year-round produce that can be purchased locally at both the Friday Night Clovis Farmers Market and the Vineyard Farmers Market - on Saturday mornings from 7am-12pm and Wednesday afternoons from 3pm-6pm. You can receive daily farm and harvest updates from Mao's Family Farm on their Instagram and Facebook pages.
August 1, 2021
Starting from the Ground Up
Tower Urban Family Farm
Out of humble beginnings and a love for gardening and cooking, Nolan Schmidt aims to provide fresh, local food to the community with a mixture of traditional and innovative farming methods.
Tower Urban Family Farm began as a grassroots farm in 2013 after Nolan returned from New York where he refined his passion for cooking while working alongside some of the nation's top chefs. During that time, he saw a disconnect between restaurants and local farms.
​
Nolan broke his first plot of ground at a vacant lot 100 feet from where he grew up in Tower District, Fresno. The soil is everything for Tower Urban Family Farm. Nolan uses the no-till farming method for two purposes - to retain water and carbon in the soil, which give the plants the elements they need to thrive.
"This farm was created and designed for this community, " said Nolan Schmidt. "It was born here and is built to help here"
​
Urban farming is about community development for Nolan. His neighborhood lacks the capital and infastructure when a building burns down, which can leave a vacant lot sitting there for years. Nolan's net goal is to develop a combined total of one acre of vacant lots in the Tower and Lowell Districts, creating healthy spaces that turns vacant lots into gardens. His latest farming renovation project is a vacant lot on College Avenue just south of the canal.
​
Follow @TowerUrbanFamilyFarm on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to-date with their latest urban farming developments.
February 17, 2021
Adapting to New Challenges
Koi and Choi Fruit Stand
Whether it's moving to a foreign culture or pioneering a new local crop, Koi and Choi Saeteurn have demonstrated courage in the face of new challenges.
Koi and Choi Fruit Stand began 35 years ago, shortly after Koi and Choi Saeteurn moved from Laos to the U.S. during the Vietnam War era. When they moved here, they did what they knew: farming.
​
Back home the Saeteurn's grew the food that their family needed on land that was available. Things were different here. But they adapted.
They were one of the first growers to partner with Wawona in pioneering strawberries in the Fresno area. Strawberries remain their bread and butter crop, along with watermelons, black berries, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, squash, peppers, garlic, and much more.
​
“Over the years, you learn to adapt, and add new tools in your tool box as you become more familiar with your trade,” said Chan Saeteurn (Koi and Choi’s son).
The challenge they face today is the uncertainty of having land to farm next year. Koi and Choi don't know what the future holds for their farm.
But they have passed more than just farming to their children, they have taught them how to adapt and find courage in the face of challenges.
