What’s Good for the Goose at Goose Prairie Farm
Cherry pie from scratch. Photo by Jessica Ashley Silva
Summer is almost in the air; I can feel it. With warmer temps upon us, I’m champing at the bit to resume my summer tradition of chasing the sunniest weather I can find on days where the hardest decision I want to make is which of our six rivers I’ll be swimming in. Most of the time, the Van Duzen wins. As a creature of habit, my tradition has been the same for years: Head down to State Route 36, stop at Murrish Market to pick up river snacks, swim in the Van Duzen all day, and always leave the river by 4 o’clock to make it to my favorite farmstand before it closes.
Just down the road from Murrish Market in Hydesville lies Goose Prairie Farm (6786 Rohnerville Road), with a brightly colored flag out front beckoning people to come inside its gates. Wednesdays through Saturdays throughout summer, customers flit in and out of the shop where fresh fruits and vegetables, freshly baked treats and locally made goods are for sale. Long rows of colorful flowers abut the farmstand for a u-pick experience assembling vibrant and bespoke bouquets. A flock of on-site chickens produce eggs for sale, too. It’s as local as local gets.
Before it was Goose Prairie Farm, the farm’s previous iteration was Riverside Produce, run by Mennonite couple Charlou and Jeremy Weaver. They were locally famous for baking breads and sweets, like cinnamon rolls, cookies and pies to die for. They grew a slew of berries and veggies, supplementing with produce from other local and local-ish farms farther south, as needed. It was a hidden gem I was happy to share with people. When they closed the farm and decided to sell in 2022, I was devastated. Fortunately, it didn’t stay closed for long.
Enter Linda and Wade Binley. Hailing from southern Orange County, the husband-and-wife duo moved north chasing more time with their grandkids. Wade, a chiropractor and functional restoration practitioner, passed his practice on to a colleague and he and Linda bought the farm, entering a semi-retirement juxtaposed with a new career in regenerative farming. By 2023, the Binleys delved into the local community’s history and rebranded as Goose Prairie Farm, a throwback to Hydesville’s former official name: Goose Prairie. Along with the farm, they purchased the Weavers’ traditional recipes and went to work making them their own.
“When we got all of [Charlou’s] recipes, we put our own spin on them to be more healthy, like getting away from hydrogenated fats, away from cane sugar and using whole foods,” says Linda. To ensure their eggs are the best quality possible, they started producing all their own feed onsite, too. When I ask about the learning curve for all the baking, the pair laughs and tells me it was a bit steep. “I found my niche with pies, cookies, granola and cakes,” says Linda, reminding herself she needs to run inside to restock some of her chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. (I, of course, went home with a piece of that rich, down-home goodness.) “I’m afraid to do yeast breads,” she laughs. “Wade does them instead.”
And he does them well. Since the pair took over, I’ve found myself incapable of passing up a loaf of cheesy garlic herb bread when it’s available. It’s soft and fresh, with a scattering of fresh garlic and cheese on top, excellent with a smear of butter. The sizable cinnamon rolls that come in singles or in trays are a delightful indulgence, too, generously slathered with traditional icing. “For me, baking was natural,” says Wade. “I was a biochemist. I understand heat and elements; it’s all chemical.” His background lends itself well to their approach to regenerative farming, to create balance within the soil and grow some the best quality non-certified organic produce possible, using non-GMO seed and only OMRI-approved products in their approach to integrated pest management.
What they don’t grow onsite, they supplement from other local growers and makers. Along with the contacts they acquired from the Weavers, the Binleys have branched out to make new relationships in search of the freshest produce and goods at the best prices so they can pass them on to the community. Along with local offerings, like the Humboldt Baking Co.’s sourdough breads, One Blessed Acre goat milk products, Hydesville Honey and tortillas from Humboldt Tortilla Depot, among others, they do weekly pickups at farms located in the Central Valley. Their partnership with farms farther south, like Cipponeri Family Farms in Turlock, provides melons and stone fruit, along with crops like corn that finish earlier than they do here in Humboldt. Good news if you’re a canner: Goose Prairie Farm sells fruit by the lug all summer long.
Being new to Humboldt, the Binleys have made it clear that forging community connection is vital to them. They’ve started attending their local grange events and have been welcomed into the community by helpful neighbors. “Hydesville people are amazing. People have helped us with gophers, with dahlias, with farming advice. They share their stories and history with us,” says Linda. “Humboldt people are so capable; they know how to do it all.”
In this spirit of community connection, the Binleys are also planning summer repeats of their Farm Flea and Plant Sale event they debuted last fall, to give locals more events in Hydesville to come together. Local vendors gather at the farm to sell their wares, including Linda’s vintage finds from up and down the state, with plants from Pomme Hill Farm, complete with barbecue and refreshments for sale, too.
The farmstand officially opens for summer the first week of June and runs through fall. During the off-season, the self-serve kiosk, affectionately dubbed the Gosling, is open to customers in search of baked goods and select other treats. “It’s our way of maintaining connection with our customers when there isn’t enough ripe produce to open the big stand,” Linda says. “However, we can offer the best value as a community nexus with healthy food, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Goose Prairie Farm
6786 Rohnerville Road, Hydesville
gooseprairiefarms.com