Morgan Hill farm reaping benefits from California healthy soils initiative

By Molly McCrea

California has emerged as a leader in the field of sustainable agriculture with its focus on creating and maintaining healthy soils, and one small Bay Area farm is reaping the benefits.

On a five-acre farm located at the southern tip of Silicon Valley, Sarah Miller and Héktor Calderon-Victoria are busy picking the last of the tomatoes. The harvest will go to a local elementary school.

“We’re normally trying to provide produce to our community members regionally,” said Calderon-Victoria, co-founder of Three Feathers Farm in Morgan Hill. 

He explained how the farm stands as a beacon of dedication to the Black, Indigenous and people of color – or BIPOC – communities in Northern California. The food grown here is culturally relevant to BIPOC and used in Mexican and Indian cooking.

The farm itself is located on the ancestral territory of the Muwekma Ohlone tribe. The farmers here expressed a deep respect for the tribe and their ancestral land.

“We are guardians of this site, and we want to make sure that we can leave it for future generations,” noted Calderon-Victoria.

The mission of Three Feathers is to grow culturally relevant, organic crops by intertwining traditional farming practices with contemporary techniques. The farm was certified organic in 2024.

“Just looking at it, you can see the amount of biodiversity that is here. And it’s not just one single crop,” noted Miller.

For these farmers, and others around the state, California is lending a helping hand under the state’s Healthy Soils Initiative. The program, run by the Department of Food & Agriculture, provides financial incentives and technical assistance to help farmers and ranchers incorporate new sustainable agricultural practices.

Three Feathers Farm received a grant, and many of these practices are on display.

“We compost about 32 tons of compost on our site,” Calderon-Victoria said.

Some other strategies include the use of cover crops, compost, and mulch to create and sustain fertile soil. The farm also planted several living fences, known as hedgerows, that have multiple benefits.

“It creates a new habitat that we don’t normally have,” Calderon-Victoria said.

The hedgerows use native plants, including roses and milkweed. They control soil erosion and water runoff, nourish the soil, sequester carbon, and support pollinators and beneficial insects.

Also on the property are six beehives, with several hundred bees, maintained by two local beekeepers.

Calderon-Victoria also fallows some of the land so it can preserve its fertility. The hope is to increase the resilience of their farms to any climate challenges.

“The land provides for us, and so we try to provide for the land, also.  I guess it’s a relationship,” explained Miller.

It’s a relationship deeply rooted in sustainability, tradition, and preserving Mother Earth.