Star SF chefs team up, Avengers-style, to rescue family-owned farm

When one of the Bay Area’s most famous farms fell into financial crisis, the owners went looking for a hero. In response to their call, a team of the region’s top chefs is assembling — Avengers-style — to save the day. 

On Oct. 15, David Barzelay of two-Michelin-starred Lazy Bear will join forces with Val Cantu of Californios, Geoff Davis of Burdell, Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu, David Yoshimura of Nisei, and other top-tier chefs for a one-night-only dinner to benefit Santa Rosa’s Tierra Vegetables farm. Tickets start at $600 and are available for purchase via Tock, with 100% of the proceeds going to Tierra Vegetables.

The owners of the farmers market staple, siblings Lee and Wayne James, have less than two months to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy the land where they’ve been growing produce for the past 23 years. 

“There have been so many times that Lee and Wayne have grown unique and amazing products that inspired dishes and flavor profiles we could never have achieved without them,” said Barzelay, who has been a Tierra Vegetables customer for nearly two decades. “So many chefs in San Francisco consider Tierra an essential part of the fabric of Bay Area dining. When the opportunity arose to support them, we jumped at it.” 

Last month, the farmers launched a GoFundMe campaign, aiming to raise $200,000 toward the purchase of the approximately 16-acre property just east of Highway 101. Per an agreement with their landlord, the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, they have until Dec. 1 to come up with $455,000 to buy the property. 

Steph Tavares, a senior acquisition specialist with the county, said her agency has been working “on and off” for 20 years to reach a deal with the farmers on a sale. The looming deadline is the result of the county’s hope to close escrow by the end of the year. If the sale pushes into 2026, the property will have to be reappraised, which could make a deal more expensive.

“It’s not like the world comes to an end if they don’t raise the funds in time,” Tavares said. “But we do have to sell this property, so we’re at a point where we’re really trying hard to make it work with them.” 

The James siblings say their relationship with their landlord has been excellent during the 23 years they’ve leased the land. During that time, the county has put restrictions on the property that keep it as a working farm and make it more affordable for the family to buy. “It would be sort of a disaster for us and the county if we fail to close this deal,” Lee James said. “But we’re hoping that doesn’t happen.” 

The siblings have been farming in the Bay Area since 1980 and are well-loved for growing distinctive varietals and produce, including Chantenay carrots, which are popular in restaurant kitchens for their sweet flavor and short, stubby shape, and heirloom Bertoli tomatoes, unique to the Healdsburg area. The farm also grows grain corn. A far cry from the popular Brentwood Diamonds sweet corn, these heirloom varietals are used to make masa and cornmeal at Californios and other restaurants.

Cantu is just one of the half-dozen Michelin-level chefs who will participate in the fundraiser, which will be hosted at Lazy Bear in the Mission. Wine pairings will be curated by the team at two-Michelin-starred Saison. Diners will eat at long communal tables — an homage to the restaurant’s original style of service, which hasn’t been available since the pandemic.