Located in Bolinas, Fresh Run Farm is a partnership between Quince & Co. owners Lindsay and Michael Tusk and first-generation farmer Peter Martinelli. Just 30 miles north of San Francisco, Fresh Run Farm is one of the oldest certified-organic farms on the West Coast, a pioneer in creating sustainable, local agriculture in California.
The farm produces over 40 varieties of fruit, vegetables, and flowers exclusively for Quince & Co. A strong collaboration between Peter and Chef Tusk, each season’s crops and experiments are to discover which species work best at the farm.
A windy, hour-long drive north of San Francisco, Fresh Run Farm abuts Point Reyes National Seashore and possesses a unique microclimate that allows a wide array of plants to thrive. Owned and operated by Peter Martinelli and staffed by a small team, the 240-acre property exists on the boundary between the wild and the cultivated and offers an unvarnished representation of Northern California terroir.
On a pristine piece of land that stretches from the seashore to the Paradise Valley, the location and unique microclimate of Fresh Run Farms makes it an ideal location to cultivate a plethora of outstanding produce. Responsible stewardship of the region since the days of the Gold Rush has created an environment where natural resources thrive. The Martinelli family protects the land through regenerative projects with local environmental boards such as the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) and the Marin Resource Conservation district. Peter also played an integral role in the Pine Gulch Watershed Enhancement project, a groundbreaking initiative to protect Pine Gulch Creek, the same creek where the farm’s stinging nettle and wild watercress anchor their roots.
Chef Tusk believes in the primacy of ‘materia prima,’ the Italian term for working with the best possible raw materials. In our partnership with Fresh Run Farm, we are afforded the rare opportunity to help shape those materials and are ever-grateful for Peter and his team for their impact and influence on the restaurants. In 2020, Quince restaurant received one of the inaugural Michelin Green Stars, awarded to restaurants with a commitment to being at the forefront of sustainable practices. This award was a direct result of our work with Fresh Run Farm.
“To ensure that Paradise Valley Ranch will never be developed, Peter and his family approached MALT in 2010 about selling an agricultural conservation easement on his family’s land. MALT members and Bolinas residents donated over $1 million to help their neighbors stay on their farm. The California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) pitched in with a $1.5 million grant, the first grant from WCB in support of a MALT easement. The Martinellis are so committed to preserving this land’s agricultural and ecological values that they donated more than half of the cost of the easement to MALT.”
“Martinelli is not just mindful of his immediate property, he takes a whole-system approach. This takes the entire ecosystem into account, ensuring that natural resources as well as wildlife are considered and accommodated. For example, in 2018, the Pine Gulch Creek Watershed Enhancement Project was set up to capture storm water for row crop irrigation rather than emptying nearby creeks, which are home to fragile populations of salmon and steelhead trout. As draught poses a greater existential threat to the region, these considerations are meaningful.”
“Peter Martinelli of Fresh Run Farm grew up on a 250-acre ranch in Bolinas, California. He has a deep love of the landscape and its inhabitants, and finds numerous ways to incorporate practices that support them.”