by Hannah Tangeman
A 9 ½ acre family farm in Marysville, grows magnificent berries for the Lassen Land and Trails Trust Farmers Market. Huge blueberries, ruby red raspberries and strawberries, burgundy blackberries that are interplanted with zucchini, red onions, beans so closely that no space is wasted.
Each berry variety is picked for maximum sweetness and staggered so that each week a new type is timed to ripen so that Yoon Chao Farm has lovely berries throughout the summer season.
The business started in 1995 with the father Yoon’s purchase of the property. They started with just strawberries but have grown to offer customers other luscious berries.
The farm is a marvel of efficiency as water is sparing applied through drip hoses, different ages of berries mature for weekly markets and every available space is planted with bountiful produce.
They are farmers that use conventional methods to maximize their production and plastic as part of their weed control protocol.
Shade cloth is draped to cover delicate berries from the heat of the summer sun. Family members all pitch in the plant, harvest, basket, sell and taste-test the wares before gently delivering them to the awaiting customer’s eager shopping bags.
Brothers Awa and Nai provide kind customer service at the Susanville Railroad depot with offerings that have been picked at the peak of ripeness.
