Pleasant Grove Farms
Ed Sills - Pleasant Grove, CA
Organic and sustainable from the start
When Ed Sills started farming with his father Tom in 1976, organic and sustainable farming practices were in their infancy. But Ed recognized early on that adopting a new approach to growing food was the way forward.
His vision of farming
“It appeared to me that a lot of the tools that we had to use, the chemicals and fertilizers, weren’t working to my satisfaction and yields weren’t necessarily good enough to make a profit. Sustainable agriculture fits in with my vision of farming and with my forestry background because it takes a long-term view of things.” Today, Sills’ main focus is to enhance the natural resources on his farm, especially the soil. “We think of everything in terms of our soil resource and how we can maintain and improve it,” he says. Sills is continually experimenting with crop rotation, planting cover crops and leaving crop residues in place—all in an effort to build richer organic matter. Ed and his team are dedicated to bringing the best possible product to market. That’s why he has invested in cutting-edge equipment like a high-tech color sorter that recognizes damaged kernels and foreign materials—a must for enhancing quality and food safety.
Black Turtle Beans
Yellow Popcorn
Rainbow Popcorn
