The Farmers
The hands and hearts that grow our food.
Meet the farms and families that help make Yubakami possible.
Featured farm
JB Fresh Garden
Both little kids when they escaped retribution by Communist forces after the fall of South Vietnam, they met and eventually married in a transit camp in Thailand. They left behind a devastated Hmong homeland in the hills of Laos.
Since immigrating to the US, they have created a large, well-connected family, and are channeling centuries of deep farming practices to the fertile Sacramento Valley.
They regeneratively farm 10 acres of mixed vegetables, which they mostly sell at local farmers markets. They have been working with Yubakami since 2024, providing their neediest neighbors with nutrient-dense produce purchased through the LFPA program.
Their son and daughter-in-law are now an active part of the enterprise, bringing a new generation into the fold.
“Strong roots grow strong futures.”
Our commitment
Quality you can trace back to the soil
Yubakami is committed to ensuring the quality of the produce it sources for the local food system.
We achieve this by understanding the practices and ethics of each farmer we collaborate with, spending time on each farm, and encouraging farmers — including providing resources where possible — to continually enhance their regenerative practices.
Our farmers
Farmers we work with
Yubakami is responsible for the quality of the produce it pulls into the local food system. It does this by knowing the practices and ethics of each farmer it works with, by actually spending time on each farm, and by encouraging farmers — including, where possible, with resources — to constantly deepen their regenerative practices.
Local means close enough for everyone to feel responsible: the farmer won’t pollute the stream that runs behind her neighbor’s house; the retailer won’t beat the grower up the hill down on the price of his beets and then mark that price up to the customer; the customer feels a stake in keeping his local growers and markets viable.
Perfectly Ripe AT the Food Bank
Lor Family Produce
A FOCUS on regenerative
Ka Chang and Changyeng
tireless and cheerful
Nalee Xiong and family
Pioneering methods
Growing what’s next
Some of our farmers are actively experimenting with a range of regenerative practices. These pioneering efforts are expanding our collective understanding of how to continually deepen the vitality of the soil and the nutrient-density of the crop: supporting the health of the entire local ecosystem.
Permaculture
A Vibrant Living System
Peter has been applying permaculture principles to his 2-acre field for over 20 years, creating a model food forest which his four-year-old grandchild now explores daily, and upon which he frequently offers sage advice.
Black EArth
Incorporating Biochar
Keith seeks to cycle nutrients within his small farm, rather than importing inputs. He raises chickens, which provide fertilizer and keep the insect populations in check. He supplements this with active winter production of biochar, from his own woodlot and intentionally burned in a special kiln.
The Water Guy
Restoring the Water Cycle
Paul is the chef at Blue Ruby Farm, preparing seasonal meals from local sources — and primarily his own land. When not cooking, he is actively engaged in bringing our watershed back into balance, both on his own property and consulting with his neighbors.
Are you a farmer?
We’d love to share your harvest. Let’s talk.