About Frog Hollow Farm
- Based in
- California Delta, east of San Francisco Bay
- Founded
- 1976
- Known for
- organic peaches and fruit conserves
In 1976 Frog Hollow was 13 acres of bare ground, and Farmer Al's story begins with peach trees. The farm turned to organic growing in 1989, back when organic was more a philosophy than a certification, and has grown to 280 acres in the Delta just east of San Francisco Bay, farmed organically and regeneratively.
The fruit spreads are made by hand in the farm's kitchen, a few steps from the orchard. Fruit conserves go on toast or scones, into yogurt or beside a soft cheese, and can glaze roast pork or chicken.
Frog Hollow Farm questions
What is a conserve, and how is it different from jam?
In the US, a product labeled jam has to meet a federal standard that calls for a lot of sugar. Frog Hollow uses much less added sugar and leaves its fruit in large chunks, so it calls the result a conserve. Expect chunks of fruit rather than a smooth spread, with the sweetness coming mostly from the ripe fruit.
What does regenerative farming mean?
Regenerative farming goes beyond avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers to feeding and rebuilding the soil. Frog Hollow makes its own compost, grows cover crops (plants sown between the trees to feed and protect the soil), plows the ground only when planting a new orchard, and waters by drip and micro-sprinkler. It also plants flowers and hedgerows for native bees and puts up owl and bat boxes, and farmer Al Courchesne says the result is an orchard better able to resist pests and disease.
