The Land and Highway 101

The 17 acres that Tierra Vegetables farm is a "green belt" in a growing modern cultural sprawl of homes, condos, the existing freeways corridors, the airport, the industry and businesses of Airport, Boulevard, etc... This is one of many reasons the farm is special. It might be viewed as a pro or a con depending upon perspective.

For us at the farm, it is not a quiet and peaceful setting off in the dairy fields of West County. Rather, we work and toil the fields amidst rush hours congestion, random pedestrian passer-bys, hitchhikers, the non-stop sounds of 101 as white noise in the background.

Alternatively, we are then poised in a strategic location that you all might access our product without a lot of transportation or distribution. If Lee and Wayne were still growing vegetables way out on Chalk Hill Road in Healdsburg it is much less likely people would be dropping in to purchase things at a farm stand way out there. Convenience is huge to the potential consumer and to the sustainability of a small farming operation.

The 17 acre parcel on Airport Boulevard has been a great investment and work site for the farm all around....but what lies ahead? Caltrans will be impacting the farm and change will be happening soon. Why? This land is located in the vicinity of necessary road adjustments for Highway 101 and Airport Boulevard. I do not have full details on this topic, but what I gather from Wayne has taught me the project relates to work time commuter congestion on Airport (this backs up pretty bad) and the 101 freeway ramps (Fulton and Airport ramps are too close and cause back ups on the freeways-always dangerous).

By 2012, the farm stand and parking lot will be taken out in order to widen Airport Boulevard (I saw a Caltrans vehicle parked out in the lot just yesterday, overlooking the project area). Land will be consumed from farm production as we will have to relocate these resources on to other parts of the property to suit the changes to come.

We can only hope the time for change will be a positive one for the farm and for the safety of local commuters all at once. Perhaps it will mean increased business for a new and better farm stand to come...


While not the easiest image to understand, this gives a general overview of the project. The blue and yellow lines on the top central portion of the page demonstrate where the farm perimeter will be impacted by road expansion, taking out the farm stand, parking lot and possibly the well.
Difficult to understand the detail, this view shows a broader context on the project. The farm is represented by the triangular area in the top, center portion of the image with Highway 101 crossing the image horizontally. North is to the left.