Mark Furusho Farms 1125 Burnside Road Sebastopol, CA 95472

99 Years in Sebastopol
In 1897, when the Furusho family moved from Japan to Sebastopol, California, they continued the family farming tradition that they grew up with in Japan and established one of the first apple orchards in Sebastopol. Direct descendants of the Furusho have been farming in Sebastopol ever since 1897 and will be celebrating their 100th anniversary of farming in California next year!

A Leading Apple Grower
The first members of the Furusho family who emigrated to Sebastopol, started farming 20 acres of apple orchards. By the 1960's and 1970's, the 2nd generation of the Furusho family born in California had become one of the largest apple producers in Northern California, operating 400 acres of Gravensteins, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious and Roman Beauty apples.. They continued to be a predominate force in the apple business until 1984, when they sold off about 2/3's for their land to developers.

Mark Furusho Diversifies The Family Business
Today Mark, a 35 year-old, 3rd generation Furusho, carries on the family farming tradition in Sebastopol. But he has recently restructured their operations to reflect the changing times. While he still maintains a 100-acre apple orchard, he has also added 800 acres of wine grapes, 14 acres of field-grown herbs, and 3 ½ acres of greenhouses where he grows herbs and gourmet vegetables on a year-round basis.

Into Herbs and Carrots
Today Furusho Farms is best known at the San Francisco's Saturday Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market for their beautiful bunches of fresh herbs -- 20 different types can be found there throughout the season -- intermingled with bunches of classic-looking carrots, long and thinly tapered.

Although Furusho Farms participates in 10 farmers' markets during the week on a year-round basis, Mark sells most of his produce to wholesalers and also exports his herbs and apples around the world.

June 1996

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