Knoll Farms

People

Rick Knoll, along with 10 employees

Farmland

10 acres in Brentwood, about 50 miles to San Francisco

About

Rick and his wife, Kristie, were avid backyard gardeners in Santa Ana until 1979, when they purchased a weedy, 10-acre alfalfa field in Brentwood. Over time, their land evolved to become a productive agro-ecosystem that produces over 150 different products.

Though Kristie passed away in 2025, Rick Knoll carries on the legacy of innovative practices, striving to continually increase the biodiversity and ecological stability of the farm. At Knoll Farms, the primary focus is “growing” more topsoil. They believe that if soil is well tended, it will provide healthy, nutritious food in perpetuity. Composting, cover cropping, low- and no-till, and crop rotation are just a few of the methods used to increase soil health. The Knolls have described their farm as “an organism unto itself, with its own rhythm and personality.”

Certification

Knoll Farm became certified organic in 1984. They’ve always farmed using practices including organic, biodynamic and permaculture, among others. However, in 2002, Rick and Kristie dropped out of certification because they felt the term “organic” was being co-opted by industrial agriculture. They returned to organic certification in 2009.