science from the University of Delaware.”
Sandy says she wanted to work in her field, but it just didn’t pay.
“I was offered a PhD program by Ohio State and the University of
Delaware, but I didn’t want to teach, and I didn’t want to do research.
I wanted to grow things,” she says, explaining that she also received
multiple job offers from numerous agriculture-chemical companies
at a time when they were under pressure to balance the workforce
with women, “but I also didn’t want to sell Ag chemicals in Indiana,
so it was at about that time my whole family moved to California,”
says Sandy. They started a flower shop in San Clemente, eventually
sold it, “and then I started a business that has nothing to do with any
of this,” she says, gesturing to her farm and explaining she started an
SEC Edgar Filing Agent service, and that allowed her the flexibility to
purchase the land in 2002.
“When I bought the property, it was full of dying apple trees, no
road, no working wells, no buildings, no plants. I kept the nicest little
section of apple trees, revived them, and we just grow that for us in
small amounts to sell in the farmers market and to make applesauce,”
she says, recalling the first things she planted were “a couple of fruit
trees – one cherry tree, a pecan tree that died, and an almond that
died. I still have that one cherry tree.”
Sandy explains the University of California has a farm agent
in every county to help farmers choose crops, “When I first got my
property, I knew to go the farm agent. I walked into his office and
said, ‘I want to grow grapes and make wine,’ and he said, ‘How
much money do you have?’ and I said, ‘Well not a lot,’ and he said,
‘Well, can you go in the red for eight to ten years?’ and I said, ‘No.’
‘Well, then,’ he said, ‘I’ve got the crop for you!’ and handed me a
stack of papers on growing off-season blueberries. I went home and
read them, and came back and said, ‘If you’re correct, you’re actually
telling me I could make money in the next two years?’ and he said,
‘Yes.’” When Sandy asked how sure he was that her property was
truly situated for an off-season crop, she reports his guess was “fifty-
fifty, so in 2003, I planted two acres. We went through the winter
without any problems, the plants didn’t go dormant, the leaves stayed
evergreen and they were flowering and fruiting all winter long. I said,
‘Well, I’m off-season!’ and in 2007, I was able to leverage some of the
income to plant the vineyards.”
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