UPPER LAKE — Seely Farm Stand is set to open for the summer season Friday, to offer fresh local fruit and produce.
The farm stand will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through mid-November at 80 Highway 20 in Upper Lake, one-quarter mile east of the intersection with Highway 29.
The farm stand has been in operation since 1976. Ed Seely first opened the roadside farm stand as a way to sell surplus Bartlett pears from his orchards during the month of August. He subsequently added pears, peaches, apples, melons and all sorts of summer vegetables.
With an eye toward supplying premium fruit and produce and maximizing quality and freshness, picking is done in the cool of the morning to capture the best flavors of each of the crops. The family custom picks only the largest and sweetest pears, peaches, apples and summer produce from their orchards and fields.
Over the past several years, Seelys” daughter, Colleen Rentsch, has worked to expand the farm stand”s offerings at the request of customers. Today, in addition to Seely Farm products, the farm stand is an outlet for other Lake County producers. Customers can select from an array of locally grown and made items including produce, honey, jams and jellies, salsa, artisan breads, and goat cheese.
The Seely family is a founding participant of Farm to School, a program that provides fruit and produce to many of the local school districts.
The program is designed to improve freshness and nutrition of school meals to help lower childhood obesity rates while also helping young people understand where their food comes from through direct connections to local farmers.
Rentsch and Michelle Malm, Kelseyville Unified Food Services director, have been recognized for their innovation in the Farm to School program. In May, they were awarded a Star of Lake County for their contributions. Last November, Farm to School was featured nationally in a segment on The Early Show on CBS News.
For more information about Seely Farm Stand and to view the Early Show segment, visit www.seelyfarmstand.com.
