As rain clouds clear, you might notice green crop rows and budding flowers joining Irvine’s monotonous beige neighborhoods and landscaped yards. Irvine’s local farms, having endured the test of time to continue serving residents fresh produce, are opening up for another year.
Though local farms and farmers markets have dwindled in number, many have preferred visiting them instead of supermarkets as it can lower exposure to pesticides, according to environmental news organization EcoWatch. In addition, shopping at farmer’s markets can help preserve the nutritional value of produce and minimize the carbon footprint generated by groceries’ global supply chain due to shorter transit.
Lucky for us Irvinites, our city has many local farms, including Smith, Manassero and Tanaka farms.
Tanaka Farms
Fruits, flowers and fun are all present at Tanaka Farms, home to sweet strawberry tours.
Though Tanaka Farms near University Park sells fruits and vegetables, it specializes in agritourism. This includes events such as its annual Halloween pumpkin patch or “Hikari: Festival of Lights,” held every December and inspired by the farm’s Japanese heritage. It also serves as a venue for events such as birthday parties and family reunions. Junior Lindsay Nagata hosted her 16th birthday party there.
“Being able to go on the wagon ride and then get our own melons and stuff was cool,” Nagata said. “It was a pretty unique experience too that I’ll definitely remember when I’m older.”
The Tanaka family first moved to central California in the early 1900s, and returned to Southern California following Japanese American internment at the end of World War II. The family settled in Orange County and third-generation Japanese American Glenn Tanaka opened the Irvine farm in 1996.
The farm participates in a community-supported agriculture program in which subscribers pay for a monthly assortment of farm-grown fruits and vegetables. This season, it is offering strawberries, oranges, romaine lettuce and arugula.
“We’re not considered an organic farm, because we’re not certified organic since we don’t sell to farmers markets,” Tanaka Farms spokesperson Eileen Sagara said. “But we use organic practices for a lot of our crops. … So when you go and you pick strawberries, you know that they’re not sprayed with strong synthetic chemicals or anything like that.”
Smith Farms
Just down the road from Northwood, Smith Farms offers a variety of organic produce depending on the season. According to their website, the farm was founded in 1988 and, like the other farms in Irvine, is a family business operated by McKay Smith, his wife and his children.
Along with selling at local farmers markets, Smith Farms offers an assorted box of produce called the “farmbox” to subscribed customers. The farm will reopen in March to offer its seasonal produce, primarily strawberries, broccoli and basil.
Manassero Farms
Manassero Farms is primarily located along a long stretch of Jeffrey Road, and has been providing fresh produce to OC for over a century. Currently in its third generation, the farm is owned by Dan Manassero and his wife, Anne Manassero.
The farm’s location is important, according to Anne Manassero, as it allows nearby residents to stop by for casual visits and hands-on activities such as growing succulents and cooking classes.
“We love our kids’ area because the kids get to come over to play, and they’re learning about different things they didn’t even realize,” Anne Manassero said. “And it’s just a nice little place for them to be able to hang out and then take on some nice, healthy produce.”
The farm leases its land from the city and has long faced the possibility of losing it due to plans for expanding the Jeffrey Open Space Trail and Oak Creek Golf Course led by the Irvine Company.
With strawberries in peak season, Manassero Farms’ produce can be purchased at 33 Irvine Valley.
