Capay Valley Grown
Open Farm Day
Sunday, October 5 | 11 am - 3 pm
Presented by Eco Farm as part of the Hoes Down Harvest Festival
The Capay Valley is home to a vibrant community of small and mid-size farms, ranches, orchards and wineries.
On Sunday, October 5, you're invited to experience the heart of this region for the Capay Valley Grown Open Farm Day.
Explore the farms of the Capay Valley
The mission of the Hoes Down Harvest Festival has always been to connect people more deeply to the farmers who grow their food. We believe the best way to do that is to invite you onto the farms themselves. That’s what Open Farm Day is all about—giving you a firsthand experience of what it means to live and farm in the Capay Valley.
After you leave Hoes Down, we invite you to visit these locations for a tour, workshop, demonstration, tasting or to shop at their farm stands. Detailed schedules and activities will continue to be updated here. Participation in Open Farm Day does not require a Hoes Down ticket.
Participating Locations
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Dragonfly Ranch
Dragonfly Ranch offers therapeutic horsemanship classes and restorative retreats that blend foundational learning with recreation.
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Register for the Horse Herd Leadership & Wellness Workshop to decompress, connect, and grow through therapeutic and reflective equine-facilitated learning activities.
The ranch will only be open for workshop attendees. Seniors welcome. Must be 18 or older to participate.
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Capay Valley Lavender
Capay Valley Lavender is a premier destination for organic lavender in Yolo County. Multiple varieties allow Sherri and her team to develop wonderful culinary and home products.
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Tour the farm, enjoy lavender crafts and visit the farm stand.
Open 11am- 3pm
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Vitis & Ovis
Vitis & Ovis Farm is a small certified organic, regenerative family farm. The thoughtfully designed farm features swales that enhance water retention and prevent erosion, while a flock of ducks contributes to natural pest control, grazing and soil enrichment.
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Visit for orchard and duck tours, and shop the farm stand.
Open 11am- 3pm
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Grumpy Goats
Grumpy Goats is one of the few organic olive orchards in the region. Farmers Pam Marvel and Stuart Littell specialize in bold, robust oils known for their high polyphenol content and exceptional flavor.
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Visit for olive oil tastings and tours of an olive orchard on the cusp of harvest.
Open 11am-3pm
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Capay Hills Orchard
Capay Hills Orchard is a family-run organic almond orchard and one of the few farms in Northern California offering organic, unpasteurized almonds and almond butter.
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Visit for freshly harvested almonds and demos of how to make stone-ground raw, almond butter.
Open 11am-3pm
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Polestar Farms
Polestar Farm is a family-owned, 12-acre organic farm in Esparto, home to 750 Royal Blenheim apricot trees and a variety of other fruit trees.
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Guests are invited to relax in the backyard gathering area, where farm-to-table dinners and small events are hosted from spring through fall.
Open 11am-3pm
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Taber Ranch Winery
Taber Ranch offers wine tasting and wood-fired pizza. Take a stroll through the beautiful gardens in a classic Capay Valley setting.
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Tasting room open to the public 11am-5pm.
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Capay Valley Vinyards
Capay Valley Vineyards was established in 1998 by Tom Frederick and Pam Welch. Stop in, taste wine and enjoy the view.
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Tasting room open to the public 12-5pm
Plan your day
Participation in Open Farm Day does not require a Hoes Down ticket. Some locations will be free and open to the public, others will require a reservation or registration for workshops. Some farms will only have tours at set times.
The Capay Valley Grown Open Farm day will be from 11am to 3pm.
Please read information carefully about each location so you can be prepared. Complete information about all locations will be available by September 1 online. Complete information will also be available in the Hoes Down Harvest Festival Program.
Dragonfly Ranch, Esparto
HORSE HERD LEADERSHIP & WELLNESS WORKSHOP
8:30am - 2:00pm, Registration Only
Immerse yourself in a transformative equine-facilitated learning workshop where you’ll build mindful connections, develop leadership skills, and decompress through hands-on horse experiences in a charming ranch setting, complete with a lux Capay Valley farm-to-table seasonal lunch.
Holistic Instructors
Susanna Massie Thomas - Accredited horse expert, Reiki master, Certified Protessional Mindset and Leadership Coach, and former Executive Director of Secretariat Center, Lexington, Kentucky
Kat Sholan Sun - Devoted to her personal yoga practice since 1996, originally trained in lyengar and Anusara styles of Hatha Yoga, teaching yoga since 2006, Yoga Alliance certified Yoga Teacher, CAMTC certified Massage Therapist, and CCA certified Ayurvedic Health Counselor
Arriel Adler Spires - Dragonfly Ranch owner, seasoned early childhood educator, experiential and environmental guide, and trained therapeutic horsemanship instructor
For more information about the workshop and to register visit experiencedragonflyranch.com or call 415.847.5030. Click on the poster to learn more!
About Capay Valley Grown
Launched in 2004, Capay Valley Grown was a collaboration of local farms and residents to promote the high quality products grown in the Capay Valley, and to invite food lovers to explore the region. In the early years of “farm-to-table” Capay Valley Grown helped build trusted relationships between growers and eaters. However, over the years, the landscape of the valley changed and efforts around the Capay Valley Grown mission gradually fell by the wayside.
In recent years a renewed desire has emerged among farms, businesses, and residents to resurrect the Capay Valley Grown mission — to once again celebrate the rural and agricultural heritage that continues to shape the Capay Valley community.
Efforts are in progress to build a new website, update branding, collaborate with local organizations, and host events that showcase the beauty of the Capay Valley.
Thank you for being a part of these efforts and supporting the small farms of the Capay Valley!