Who: Barbara Spencer of Windrose Farm. Barbara was a studio cellist and wanted to farm as a retirement hobby. She started with a few herbs and apple trees. Later, she and her husband Bill, a rancher, bought Windrose Farm and have been farming ever since.
Where: 26 acres in Paso Robles.
What: Windrose Farm grows roots, fruits, beans, and greens, including apples, strawberries, squash, potatoes, onions, heirloom beans, peppers, lettuce, and spinach. They first started growing regular varieties of tomatoes and peppers, but didn’t want to grow the same things everyone else was growing so they started growing heirloom varieties. The heirloom varieties grew well and tasted even better. She and Bill enjoy cooking, so they also grow what they like to eat. Peppers and onions are Barbara’s favorites right now. Keep an eye out for winter squash and apples from Windrose as we head into fall.
Why: Educating people about where their food comes from, including nutrition and quality, is very important to Barbara – she wants people to think about and enjoy eating produce from Windrose Farm. If you ask Barbara, “Farming is the best thing in the world”!