Good Dirt, Dastardly Ravens, and Elusive Emus

by Anna Levy

Mist Farm, located just off of Highway 1 up Little Lake Road from the stoplight in Mendocino—is perhaps a bit off the beaten path, tucked away among houses past the Mendocino K-8 School. For owners Alexia King Richter and husband Karl Richter, though, it’s a labor of love that has grown from a dream into a happy reality.

“Karl has been farming on this property since 2000,” says Alexia. “He grew a variety of berries and sold them to different restaurants and bakers” before they decided to expand. They first tried their hand at the farmers markets before opening their own stand in 2014. She continued, “We started as a small table in our driveway, and after a few years we expanded to more tables, and now finally a permanent wooden structure.”

There, they sell produce of all kinds, ranging from their main crop of strawberries to a wide range of vegetables. “We are on a six-acre piece of property, but we use about three acres for agriculture,” Alexia explains. That includes four greenhouses—for things like tomatoes, cucumbers, and greens—and a half-acre orchard for peaches, plums, pears, apples, cherries, and almonds. “We also raise our own chickens, turkeys, and ducks for eggs and meat,” Alexia notes, as well as pigs for meat and breeding.

Alexia grew up in Mendocino, but farming wasn’t the life she’d envisioned. Though she has fond memories of Gowan’s and The Apple Farm, she says, “I never thought I would be in overalls all day working outside with animals and dirt.” Yet Karl’s love of food production eventually blossomed into a dream for them both. Karl is originally from Arcata. Alexia explains, “My husband has had many jobs, from ranching to fishing to tree falling. His whole life has been working with local resources.” But regardless of his work, she says, he “always had an abundant garden overflowing with vegetables.” That eventually evolved into a love of farming itself. “We mostly learn from failures. You can read all the books and take all the classes, but nature has a way of showing you the right path.”

Those lessons can sometimes be frustrating. Alexia rued, “The ravens cost us not only our sanity but a huge part of our income” by picking off strawberries and attacking baby chicks. She sees how they’re admired because they’re such smart birds, and though they respect and understand that, “after living with their destruction, it’s hard for us to have those same feelings.”

Other times, though, the things that the farm has taught them can become amusing anecdotes that live on not only in their minds but also in the collective memory of the community. For instance, they once brought home 14 adult emus, which broke out of their property and spent two months on the lam. Residents called whenever they spotted one, and Karl would race off to fetch them. Alexia remembers one neighbor who called when a pair of emus strolled up behind her husband, following him on his riding lawn mower, or the time that the emus sent the grammar school into lockdown. “It was quite an adventure,” Alexia remembers, but not one that deterred them. They’ve since raised baby emus, which, she says, is “one of the best adventures ever.”

Throughout, Alexia and Karl have remained true to their philosophy of producing organic, healthy food. “We use only organic farming practices,” she says, including “organic seeds and feed for our animals.” They even make their own compost. “It’s a passion of Karl’s,” Alexia explains, noting that they partner with other organizations to produce what they need. “We get truckloads of chips from the chip companies, brewery waste like spent grain and yeast, and fish from our local fisheries. We mix those items with our farm waste like vegetation, weeds, and manure from our animals.” The result is soil that is in line with their values.

Still, it isn’t just the trials and tribulations of farm life that keep the couple going. It is, instead, the support of—and commitment to—the local community. “Initially we started this farm to make a living on the land we live on, but now our drive is different. It’s for our customers. They count on us, and it’s a great responsibility,” Alexia says.

Interestingly, the pandemic brought increased numbers of people to the farm. “I now worry about traffic jams, it’s so busy. People have been lining up before we open.” She credits the unprecedented moment in history with offering Mist Farm an opportunity to contribute more than just food for customers. “I believe we also give them a sense of security. I’m the only person who has touched their produce, and it was picked the same day,” she says. “People give each other space while shopping, and I believe that’s important to our community.”

Alexia believes it’s that idea of community that will keep the couple going as they look towards the future. “We love the idea of team-running this farm. We have only begun realizing our potential on this small piece of property. We believe, if we had more help and interest, that the farm stand could be so much better.” Increased food production, home-cooked meals, and more are all possibilities. Whatever the future holds, “I think all we would like our community to know is how thankful we are for them,” Alexia says.

That gratitude goes both ways. Mist Farm is indeed a dream come true—for the Richters, of course, and for the many people they feed.

Mist Farm
44051 Little Lake Road, Mendocino CA 95460
(707) 937-3794 | Instagram @mistfarmmendocino | facebook.com/mistfarmmendocino

Hours vary by season.

Anna Levy writes, cooks, and plans travel of all sorts whenever she can. She lives on the Mendocino Coast with her son and two dogs.