The narrative of our featured member profile this month, highlighting Ken Lafranchi and his family, shares a common thread with many of our family dairies here in the North Bay – a Swedish-Italian heritage weaving a tale of becoming one of our cherished local legacy farming families.
Ken Lafranchi’s grandfather, Fredolino Lafranchi, migrated from Maggia, Switzerland, at the age of 17, fueled by the dream of one day owning his own dairy. Following years of toiling on a dairy in the Marin town of Nicasio, Fred and his wife Zelma Dolcini skillfully negotiated the acquisition of that dairy in 1919. They raised their five children on the Lafranchi Dairy, a tradition passed down through each generation. Today, the Lafranchi Dairy Ranch consists of 1,150 certified organic acres and is under the stewardship of Ken’s cousin, Randy Lafranchi.
As the Lafranchi family expanded, many members diversified within the dairy industry, but their unwavering support for each other remained steadfast. A prime example is the initiative taken by Ken’s cousins, Rich and Scott Lafranchi, who, in 2010, founded Nicasio Valley Cheese Company. What began as a shop in an aged dairy building near the family farm quickly evolved into a globally recognized artisan cheese establishment. They bolster the family dairy by sourcing milk from their 100% organic farmstead cows and transforming the raw product with the assistance of Swiss Master Cheesemaker, Maurizio Lorenzetti, whose craftsmanship hails from their hometown of Maggia, Switzerland. Family values are deeply ingrained in the Lafranchi’s ethos.
Ken’s father, Arthur “Art” Lafranchi, juggled a dual life – one as a dairyman and the other as a lawyer. He earned the reputation as “a man of the land and a vocal advocate for agriculture.” Before his passing, Sonoma County Farm Bureau indicted him into the Hall of Fame for his tireless efforts in bridging the gap between urban and rural residents by educating them about agriculture and farm life. Art delved into estate planning, trusts, and real estate, defending the rights of numerous rural landowners. More importantly, his expertise ensured the protection of the Lafranchi family’s land, allowing for seamless transitions across generations.
The dairy ranch property that was originally purchased by Fred in 1962 was passed down to Art and his wife Diane and Art’s brothers and sisters in 1968. They named it Rancho Laguna since it sat on the edge of Laguna de Santa Rosa, but many in the community affectionately referred to it as The Piner Road Ranch. Art operated the family dairy on the property through his passing in 2012. The ranch saw the milking of up to 450 dairy cows and the cultivation of 150 acres of corn that was transformed into silage for the cows. Ken and his brothers and sisters spent their early childhood on this ranch.
In 2007, Ken and his wife purchased a 50% interest in the ranch. Along with Art and Diane they diversified the family business by venturing into grape growing by planting 61 acres of chardonnay and pinot noir. Ken acquired the balance of the ranch from his mother Diane in 2013, after Art’s passing, and planted an additional 14 acres of chardonnay. Ken lives on the ranch in the home they built with his wife Sheila and their sons Marco (23), Justin (21), Dante (19), Brandon (18), and Kade (15).
“I found the process of grape growing and winemaking beautiful and fascinating, but I didn’t know much about running a vineyard,” said Ken. “I leaned on the community around me and the outstanding people in it.”
American Ag Credit financed the new venture, and Kevin Barr of Redwood Empire Vineyard Management aided in converting the acres into chardonnay and pinot grape vineyards. Redwood Empire Vineyard Management still tends to this property, and Ken expressed his deep gratitude for their enduring partnership. Ken also attributes his success to the mentors he encountered through the Sonoma Alliance of Vineyards and Environment organization (SAVE).
“Being able to connect and learn from folks like the Dutton’s and Balletto’s and Sangiacomo’s, who know the industry far better than I do, gave me great advice. Those relationships are invaluable.”
Ken previously served as the Chair on the Board for SAVE and actively participates in numerous community groups, holding leadership positions such as the Chair of United Way, Sonoma Marin Boys and Girls Club, and Sonoma County Alliance. Additionally, he is involved with the Downtown Area Organization of Santa Rosa and Leadership Santa Rosa. Ken’s deep connection to Sonoma County extends beyond agriculture.
“Being a part of these organizations gives me a good perspective. I gain a background to understand the interests of the community; what they derive their livelihood from and what their focus is on… Sometimes it doesn’t involve agriculture. Being in these various groups, I find that I’m bridging the gap by interacting with people who don’t have any affiliation with agriculture.”
Much like his father Art, Ken continues to unite the broader community, fostering understanding and collaboration. The two also share their talents in juggling multiple roles. Before Ken acquired the Piner Road Ranch and transformed it into a vineyard, he founded Lafranchi Architecture and Development in 1992.
“I love Sonoma County,” said Ken. “I’ve traveled to more than 50 countries, and I think Sonoma County is one of the most beautiful places in the world.”
When asked about his favorite architectural engineering masterpieces, he referred to the Great Pyramids in Egypt, the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru and the Taj Mahal in India.
Ken and his team at Lafranchi Architecture and Development believe that buildings are functional art, and they aspire to design and develop structures that add aesthetic value to the community. His extensive portfolio includes a Sonoma County Farm Bureau favorite, the Saralee and Richard’s Barn at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.
Primarily focusing on large-scale winery projects, Ken believes he offers valuable insight to his clients. “As a vineyard property owner and commercial building owner/manager myself and growing up on a ranch, I can relate to property owners. There’s a value engineering side, which is an ongoing need for owners of buildings to have them built in a way that they can reasonably maintain them. You have to look at original construction costs to see if it makes sense for their operation.”
Getting his contractor’s license allowed him to experience framing houses and building foundations, it helped him understand what it meant to “design with funky angles or curves, and the impact that it has on project budgets and timeframes.” Ken also said he has “empathy for the builders, I understand what it takes to get the job done.”
When asked about the future, Ken predicts that environmental, legislative, and planning pressures won’t ease up. He states, “the difficulty of being able to run operations is not going to get any easier, and I think we need to collaborate, come up with good ideas, look to the future, and be realistic in the way we run our business.”
Ken’s most recent project at Piner Road Ranch involves a cleanup effort to restore the western border in the Laguna de Santa Rosa, reviving the habitat to its original state. The project is a joint endeavor, with Open Space providing funding while Sonoma Water Agency designed, engineered, and implemented the restoration project.
“You know, you think back to what an environmentalist was 100 years ago, and it was farmers. Now it’s as if they (environmentalists and farmers) are opposing forces. It’s about community partnerships and working together to better the community and our environment.”
“Unfortunately, the public’s image of a farmer has been degraded,” said Ken. He then expressed his gratitude for groups like the Sonoma County Farm Bureau who “work to tell our story and put news out to the public to evidence what the farming community does to benefit the area.” He paused for a moment and said, “it’s going to be an ongoing challenge.”
He further elaborated on this point, highlighting that “Farm Bureau has been a force and presence here locally. It’s established, respected, and has great leadership and remarkable programs. When you look at advocates for farming, there’s no other organization that does more for us.” Then he definitively said, “If it wasn’t for Farm Bureau, a lot of us would already be out of business.”
Moving forward, it’s paramount that we all share our unique stories. By sharing our perspectives, we can spark conversations that educate and enact change. Learning from the Lafranchi’s, I think we all should look at ways to reach outside of our community to bridge the gap and bring people together.
