Local Growers
Fresh fruits and vegetables have a personal and distinctive place of origin.
Independent & small scale family farms contribute to our regional abundance and landscape with a wide variety of fresh, peak of season produce.
Check out some of our notable farmer profiles to see who’s growing your food.
Okui Farms
In 1948, just after WWII ended, Charlie Sakamoto started growing berries on five acres. Since then, the farm has grown to 30 acres of strawberries along with 150 acres of mixed vegetables. Today, Charles Okui, his grandson, manages the farm and grows strawberries with his sister, Joan Okui. As third generation, Japanese-American farmers, they are continuing a tradition of raising premium tasting strawberries that was carried out by many Japanese farmers and their families who grew and sold the crop.
Charles believes that the micro climate & coastal fog of Grover Beach, California (San Luis Obispo County) contribute to the sweetness of his Albion variety berries. The practice of keeping the fruit on the vine as long as possible, for ripeness, makes for great tasting, full flavor fruit.
Charles says that strawberries are more fun and exciting to grow than mixed vegetables and that in the 25+ years that he has been growing strawberries; no two years are ever the same. He also says his little son Jack may be the 4 th generation Okui berry farmer in the future!
