Harmony has become an agricultural institution beloved by the manure and compost crowd
By Tim Tesconi
The big spring party is underway at Harmony Farm Supply & Nursery where thousands of bare root fruit trees, berry bushes and other dormant plants are moving to farms and gardens, promising harvests of plenty.
For dedicated dirt farmers nothing triggers a case of spring fever like bins of dormant trees – enticing varieties such as Spitzenburg apples, Chocolate Persimmons and Asian Pears — waiting to be anchored in a corner of the garden or added to the family orchard on a rural farmstead. The bareroot trees are just leafless sticks now but come spring they will push out new growth that will one day yield fruit for the table.
Being immersed in the promise of spring is a powerful tonic. It all plays out in a big way at Harmony Farm Supply & Nursery, a revered agricultural institution and learning center that in many ways has become the epicenter of organic farming in the North Bay region.
“Each spring we throw a party and invite everyone to come and enjoy it. The bare root season kicks off the whole growing season. People come for the bare root trees and bushes and then move into spring soil preparation, spring planting and irrigation installation. It all culminates with the harvest in the fall,” said Rick Williams, who with his wife Leah Taylor, owns and operates Harmony Farm Supply & Nursery. Their son, Taylor Williams, also works in the family business.
The Williamses bought Harmony Farm Supply in 2007. Under their ownership the business has grown tremendously, expanding its scope and outreach in the community.
Like Harmony Farm Supply itself, Williams, a born entrepreneur, is thriving in the ag business that brings farmers and green thumbs from a 100-mile radius not only for plants and organic products but the good vibes and positive energy generated here.
“I love being part of the agricultural community,” said Williams, 67, a premium member and active supporter of Sonoma County Farm Bureau. “It’s an amazing group of positive people. They love their land and are focused on doing the right thing.”
Indeed, Harmony Farm Supply has become a Mecca for farmers and organic gardeners who want to grow food and flowers the natural way, without toxic chemicals or synthetic fertilizers, the so-called manure and compost crowd. It’s a philosophy that was once the domain of starry-eyed idealist but is now firmly entrenched as most Americans strive for a healthy lifestyle while treading lightly on the soil.
“There’s a social consciousness that has developed about conserving resources and protecting the earth. Harmony is where farmers and gardeners come for advice, support and education about growing crops in an organic and sustainable way and living in a way that has less environmental impact,” said Williams.
Williams said previous generations farmed and gardened without the knowledge or awareness of the potential harm of their choices. He said today more and more people are concerned about chemicals’ impact on the environment and human health so they are making choices that are more harmonious with nature. Harmony Farm Supply offers alternatives like biological pest controls and organic fertilizers. They design drip irrigation systems to conserve water, solar powered pump systems to reduce the carbon footprint and storage tanks for catching rainwater.
Williams finds joy in seeing the success of the small farmers he and his staff have helped over the years, with more and more new farms starting every year. These are the one- and two-acre farms growing the leafy greens, tomatoes, melons and root vegetables sold at farmers market, CSA subscriptions and the high-end restaurants that want fresh and local.
Williams said each new farm adds to the scale and diversity of Sonoma County’s agricultural community, ensuring that farms and ranches will be around for generations to come. He’s gratified that Harmony Farm Supply is doing its part to nurture more farms and farmers, supporting the “Farms Forever” mission of Sonoma County Farm Trails where Williams served as president and is a former director.
“We don’t sell stuff, we sell success,” said Williams. “Harmony is successful when our customers are successful and sustainable. It’s a symbiotic relationship. They depend on us and our business depends on them.”
Williams didn’t grow up rooted in the soil but he confesses he loved nothing better than pilfering fruit from neighbors’ trees when he was a kid.
He graduated from Montgomery High School in 1974 and spent several years at various jobs figuring out what he didn’t want to do. He eventually enrolled at Golden Gate University in San Francisco and earned a degree in accounting. He began working at Healthy Planet Products, a card and stationary business, becoming vice president of operations.
But he grew weary of the corporate world and left it to own and operate Penngrove’s Earthbound Compost where he met Andy Poncia who introduced him to the wonderful agriculture community of Sonoma County. Then came the golden opportunity to buy Harmony Farm Supply.
The Williamses bought the Harmony Farm Supply business 17 years ago from founders Kate Burroughs and David Henry who started the company in 1980, a time when back-to-the landers were settling in Sonoma County. These new age farmers were committed to farming without chemicals and in ways that sustained the land for the generations to come.
During their 30 years as the owners of Harmony Farm Supply, Burroughs and Henry built their business into a thriving organic farm and garden outlet.
Harmony Farm Supply moved to its present site, at 3244 Gravenstein Highway North outside Sebastopol, in 1990. The nursery was added and the retail store greatly expanded to become a rural emporium where farmers and gardeners can find hundreds of items that are tools of the organic trade.
Williams has continued to expand Harmony Farm Supply, which now includes three other locations for sales and growing. He said when opportunities arose, he decided if they were consistent with Harmony’s best interests.
“The expansion wasn’t to build an empire for myself but to position the business in the best way possible for our customers and employees,” he said.
In 2017 he acquired the Cameron & Cameron Vineyard Supply business at the corner of Fulton and River roads in Fulton. The company sells vineyard supplies like trellising and erosion control materials and fencing. The Cameron family was going to shut-down the business.
“Cameron & Cameron Vineyard Supplies was such a part of Sonoma County’s agricultural legacy. I could not let it go away,” said Williams. The Fulton facility, called Harmony Ag Supply, is managed by Tony Hernandez, one of the key managers on the Harmony ‘professional team.
Three years ago, Williams took over the lease of seven greenhouses at a rural property in Southwest Santa Rosa that once was home to a cannabis growing operation. That facility is now used to grow the organic vegetable starts like Sungold tomatoes and Padron peppers that are sold at the Harmony nurseries in Sebastopol and Petaluma. Linnzi Hodel, who hails from the Midwest, is the greenhouse production manager.
In 2019 Williams leased space at the “The Barn,” a building housing various small businesses at the site of the former Wicks Lumberyard at 5400 Old Redwood Highway North in Petaluma. Williams’ son Taylor is the manager of the Petaluma Harmony Farm Supply.
Harmony Farm Supply has a total of 45 employees at its various locations. In addition to Hernandez, Hodel and Taylor Williams the other key managers are Dillon Rego, manager of the store in Sebastopol; Patty Hamilton, sales manager and irrigation designer; Angie Albini, inventory control manager and irrigation designer; Sharon Bushgen, accounting manager; Gary Portal, warehouse manager; Mark Del Campo, assistant manager of the warehouse, Jerry Wilson, nursery manager; Cody Rich, marketing manager; and Alonso Gomez, Purchasing Manager.
Williams said his wife Leah Taylor’s enduring support and the dedication and hard work of the staff is at the core of Harmony’s success in business and the community it serves. He considers each staff member a professional and treats them like professionals as they gain experience and build their careers in the business of organic agriculture.
“My employees are so valuable to me and this business but we don’t refer to ourselves as a family. Families can be dysfunctional and that’s not what we want to foster. We consider ourselves to be professionals and we work as a team,” said Williams.
Harmony’s knowledgeable staff and their passion for organic growing is key to the success of this West Sonoma County institution. Employees have expertise in irrigation, solar power, integrated pest management and organic pest control. They specialize in soil testing and analysis because good farming starts with the dirt.
“Our focus is the soil,” Williams said, “Soil is the heart of it all when it comes to organic and sustainable farming.”
The nursery at Harmony Farm Supply offers a range of edible, ornamental and native plants as well as the CCOF Certified Organic vegetable and herb starts now grown at the site in southwest Santa Rosa.
Williams said Harmony Farm Supply is committed to spreading the word about organic and sustainable practices and teaching young people there are natural ways to grow food. Harmony supports community service to foster sustainable agriculture and contributes to school gardens and green building programs at area high schools.
