They turned 4 Los Angeles yards into low-water mini-farms — and the lettuce is phenomenal
By 2020, his vegetables were a hit at the farmers market, and pandemic-addled customers seeking a break from self-isolation volunteered to help harvest.
By Reuben Brody
LA Times
NOV. 16, 2022
Excerpt:
“Red vein sorrel!”
The voice belongs to Mike Wood, the owner-farmer of Huarache Farms. He stands behind a table, wearing glasses, sandals, running shorts and a straw hat, which has a hole in its crown from rubbing against low-slung orange branches.
Unlike other stands, stuffed with bunches of dirt-covered produce, Mike’s spot is lined with leafy greens and sprouts that have been trimmed and washed; they rest in large plastic bins with silver tongs for scooping. Small black placards with white handwriting inform shoppers of names, prices, nutritional value and use.
Wood’s farm is as nontraditional as his market setup. It’s a collection of four backyards: three in Sierra Madre and one in Glendale that run on a combination of hydroponic systems, wicking beds and vertical bins that use recycled water.
“He’s a total food nerd,” says his wife and business partner, Mandy Wood, commenting on how Mike will check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s list of most nutritious fruits and vegetables to decide what to grow. “I just eat what I feel like eating,” she says, although her diet is still fueled by their farm collective.
It’s now Friday, two days before the market, and Mandy is rinsing and spinning sorrel in a giant salad spinner that’s popular on farms in France. She is at home, both literally and figuratively: Huarache’s headquarters is Mandy’s childhood home.
Also home to two boys ages 10 and 15, the place has a lived-in, “Swiss Family Robinson” feel. A jungle of sugar cane surrounds the trampoline and the treehouse. A tall banana tree provides some shade for the swing set, which looks like a 1980s public park swing set because it is one; Mandy’s father was once a handyman for Los Angeles’ Department of Recreation and Parks, and he ordered it from the city’s vendor.
