Committed to providing real world experience, Shone Farm is helping to cultivate the next stewards of the land
By Jennifer Corriea & Photo Credit to Will Bucquoy
In the midst of the Russian River Valley some 12 miles from Santa Rosa Junior College’s main campus, sits a hidden gem known as Shone Farm, the outdoor learning hub that for more than 50 years has provided students with unique experiences relating to livestock and crop production in addition to forest management and restoration. Nonetheless, for all its bounty, perhaps its most valuable commodity is the students, who represent the future.
Named for agricultural leader, SRJC trustee and former Farm Bureau president Robert Shone, the farm was acquired in 1972 and has evolved into one of the largest agricultural education sites in the California Community College system.
With 365 acres, five full-time faculty positions and a large contingent of associate faculty to bridge the gap between industry and the classroom, Shone Farm incorporates such expertise into practical learning situations.
In itself, the farm is a perfect analogy for the educational process, providing the resources that foster growth with the end product being the individuals who will continue the tradition of agriculture.
It’s precisely the way Connor Murphy, the Director of Shone Farm sees it, stating that, “At the farm we are planting the seeds for our real crop, which is the students.”
Now in his seventh academic year at SRJC, Murphy, who grew up in Santa Cruz and previously held a similar position at The Evergreen State College in Washington, says that Shone Farm is unique not only because of its land base and location, but for a number of other reasons as well.
“Not only do we offer a wide variety of opportunities, it’s the amount of hands-on time and also the fact that we have a paid internship program along with a resident option where students can work on the farm in exchange for housing.”
Alee Beckstead, a second-year student at the college and one of the residents on the farm expressed not only gratitude for the opportunity, but also shared how the experience influenced her future plans.
“This is an amazing program to be a part of and to be a resident is a dream,” said Beckstead, who hails from Lake County. “Originally, I was influenced to come here by my best friend. I was interested in floral design and one day having a flower farm, but this experience altered my plans and now I’ve decided to study regenerative agriculture at Chico State.”
Although currently there is only capacity for a handful of residents, one thing Murphy stressed is that it doesn’t diminish access to the facility, explaining that the goal is to serve a variety of people with different needs.
“We are open to everyone, not just people who grew up around agriculture, but those who live in a city or have never experienced it at all. We want to expose them to different things, open their minds to other possibilities and let them learn about themselves.”
While the farm has always maintained that mission, at the outset, not surprisingly, the scope was somewhat smaller as Steve Olson, a former instructor and later the dean of Occupational Education and Economic Development recalled, “When we acquired the farm there were some existing crops which we continued. There was a producing Gravenstein apple orchard, oat hay field and dryland pasture. We started to convert the apple orchard to a vineyard in 1974, but there were no buildings initially. We wanted to start a beef operation so we built a set of corrals, a loading chute and improved the fencing. Next, we purchased 10 head of Hereford cows from a breeder in Porterville. John Edwards oversaw the livestock program, I handled the crops and Loring Giacometti was our first farm manager.”
From those beginnings, the farm now boasts 125 acres of forest, 95 acres of vineyard including a one-acre teaching block, 75 acres of pasture, 15 acres are devoted to crop production along with 55 acres of building and infrastructure, providing diverse programs that annually serve in upwards of 500 students per year through in-person classes, field trips and paid internships.
In that setting, opportunities abound to support instruction in sustainable agriculture, viticulture, wine studies, natural resources, animal science, agricultural mechanics, agribusiness, environmental horticulture in addition to offering interdisciplinary work areas in ecology and culinary arts.
Student led enterprises produce beef and lamb where amongst other things there is a focus on animal care, grazing, finishing and ultimately about selling an end product. Partnerships with local businesses, including Sonoma County Meat Company and JMF Slaughter help with the harvesting and processing of the animals.
A commercial vineyard on the property managed by Sanchietti Farming provides another learning ground for sustainability and quality that at the same time contributes to the production of award-winning Shone Farms wines that are small-lot vintages. Grapes are also sold to well-known local wineries such as Coppola, Korbel, Sonoma Cutrer, Hanna and La Crema.
As such, the wine studies program allows students to become involved in areas such as production and sensory evaluation in addition to marketing and sales. On the small teaching block in the vineyard, students are involved in tasks that include monitoring for pests and diseases, performing canopy management assessments, making crop projections and pruning.
In the Alvin Hansen Sustainable Agriculture Center, a brand-new greenhouse makes possible the propagation of over 100 varietals of native plants in addition to a wide array of ornamentals, annuals and perennials many of which are sold at the annual Spring Plant Sale.
Crops are CCOF-certified organic and include seasonal vegetables and fruits, while its estate-grown Shone Farm Millers Blend Olive Oil was awarded best of show and received a double gold at the 2025 Sonoma County Harvest Festival.
Furthermore, cutting edge technology affords students a chance to engage in produce processing and learn about food safety and regulation. As a Community Supported Agriculture program, the produce is sold throughout the Bay Area, but also on campus and then contributes to SRJC’s Basic Needs project, which provides food all five campuses at no cost to students.
Community has always been a fundamental part of Shone Farm with the Agricultural Ambassadors, a student-led group representing the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department which under the direction of Kerry Williams, the farm’s Livestock Coordinator, provides leadership opportunities for its members.
As ambassadors, students not only volunteer at numerous events, but lead tours of Shone Farm, attend conferences focusing on current agricultural issues, explore careers through job shadowing and prepare for the future by developing resumes and interview skills.
For Kory Huppert, the Ag Ambassador program not only builds upon what he did as a 4-H and FFA member growing up in Petaluma, but corresponds with his career aspirations as well.
“I like that we are giving back to the community,” said the second-year student who plans to pursue agricultural law in the future. “It’s also an opportunity to advocate for agriculture.”
Huppert is another of the student residents who has found living on the farm an invaluable experience.
“It’s amazing. On the weekends we are the only people here so there is more opportunity to learn.”
In addition to agriculture, an equally important component of the farm centers around the wooded area which includes broadleaf, coniferous, deciduous and evergreen trees and provides practical experience in forest management, trail maintenance and watershed conservation. The setting is also a backdrop for some of the fire classes that are offered.
Now the fastest growing segment of department, the growth of the Natural Resources program and the importance of the courses offered has coincided with California’s wildfire crisis.
Of course, as with any public education endeavor, funding is critical to keeping it a viable entity and while taxpayer dollars certainly contribute, the generosity of community donors is also paramount. Besides funding, local individuals, businesses and organizations have provided equipment and volunteer support, leading to the expansion of the farm’s educational programs, internships and investment in new projects.
Other entities such as the Shone Farm Foundation, the driving force behind the creation of a bonded winery, one of just a handful in the community college system, along with the SRJC Foundation’s Ag Alliance which guides fundraising efforts and is focusing on endowment funds, are integral parts of keeping the farm going strong.
As a whole, such generosity also helps supplement the student internship program allowing it to thrive by compensating the interns with a higher rate of pay that in turn helps offset the cost of living in Sonoma County while they further their education.
A complex network of many different elements, the farm, through its innovation and student-centered focus, is laying the foundation for the future in a state where agriculture generates at least $100 billion in related economic activity while at the same time seeking to sustain its resources.
Therefore, the ultimate goals are to remain self-sustaining, while continuing to explore, learn and develop in the diverse learning environment that is Shone Farm where they say, “There are 365 acres, one for every day of the year.”
