Farmers support California Street Farm after fire

Fire strikes

Elyssa Eull, the farmer at California Street Farm across from Northeast’s California Building, lost 4,000 baby plant friends May 1 to an electrical fire at the nearby duplex she called home. 

Faced with this devastating accident which could have sunk the small urban farm, she called for help. Farmers and the community answered in force.  

Without an outdoor greenhouse, Eull had been growing thousands of seedlings — tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, flowers and more — under grow lights in the basement.  At 5:05 p.m. on that Friday while she was at the farm, she got the call nobody wants. Her landlady, who lived in the same building, woke up to the smoke alarm and called 911.  

By the time Eull arrived, the whole house was in smoke. The fire department was there, had pumped water into the basement and put the fire out. The greenhouse apparatus had burned, the racks of lights were compromised and the plastic flats had melted.  

“I was in shock, I guess. I was first concerned about the cats, my two and the landlady’s. They were all right. But all the banked-up seedlings and the plant starts, which were set to move to the farm the next week, were gone. I couldn’t let myself think about what the future held at that moment.”   

The farm and the farmer

California Street Farm produces fresh, local vegetables, using land leased from the California Building owners. The farming is done by hand, supporting pollinators and using organic growing practices without chemical pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Driving by “Max Rabitat,” the giant bunny on 22nd Street, you might not even notice the discreet agricultural enterprise behind it. The farm was founded in 2012 by Jim Bovino and Jillia Pessenda. Various people have farmed it over the years, including Ashley Thorfinnson and Chris Barth who reinvigorated it in 2019.  

Eull, who says she is the “third iteration,” has been the farmer/manager of the California Street Farm for the last three seasons. She’s the self-described  “hands, heart, brains and the brawn behind it.” 

She brings some seven years’ experience working on small diversified vegetable and livestock farms in Minnesota and Massachusetts. Her goal with California Street Farm, she writes on their website, is to create a space of belonging and learning, and to grow nutritious, accessible food while respecting the soil. 

Growing strong with help from the community 

More than a month after the fire, Eull has a thriving farm planted with seedling replacements and feels like she has a community of farmers and others backing her. 

After the fire, a friend first sent an email to friends and family asking for help. Another friend compiled a spreadsheet with the names of 30 or so farmers in Minnesota and Wisconsin who might have extra plant starts and a list of what was needed. A cadre of supporters volunteered to pick up and deliver the plants. 

Farmers, especially, from across and beyond the state from Litchfield, Minnesota to Hager City, Wisconsin, stepped forward and gave seedlings generously. There were 15 to 20 different contributors. Some were friends, others were people that Eull didn’t even know. 

Chris Barth, who now helps operate 10th Street Farm in Afton, donated plants and offered greenhouse space that Eull will be using for the foreseeable future. 

“It’s been kind of a groundswell from all the farmers who have been there, done that,” Barth told CBS TV News, which recently aired the story. “It’s a testament to the community she’s also fostered around the farm she has.”

In addition to the farm issues, Eull faced personal challenges. “I was essentially homeless for a month, so I needed help moving and cleaning — the things that as a renter, insurance doesn’t cover. My friends put together a meal train to help feed me. I’ve been in a crisis situation for the last month. I am extremely exhausted. This is a whole ’nother version of busy that I never have experienced.” 

The farm, despite all the regular hurdles an urban location faces, is back on its feet, literally growing taller. Eull says almost everything has been taken care of and it will run as predicted with some variations. There may be slightly fewer specialty plants than usual, for example, but still plenty of herbs, cherry tomatoes, kale, lettuce, peas, peppers, carrots, zucchini and so on. The seedlings in neat rows are reaching for the sky with all the rain and warm weather. 

A Monday volunteer group gathers to do projects and help make up for lost time. It is a fun and casual part of the recovery process, says Eull. A GoFundMe campaign  is up now at https://gofund.me/29c398df.

Eull reflected, “It’s amazing, how resilient the farm is. I want to let folks know we’re still here, we’re surviving and are stronger than ever … I just feel overwhelmed with gratitude and joy for my community. There is no way the farm would continue to run without this support,” she said. 

For people who still want to help, Eull suggests contributing to the GoFundMe site and frequenting the Northeast Farmer’s Market on Saturdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at 629 NE 2nd Street and the California Street Farm Stand which operates on Mondays from 4:30-6:30 p.m. through October 14.