- About Us
- Our People
- Owners
- Farmer Al
Alfred Courchesne, Farmer
Wearing his signature overalls, surrounded by boxes of his legendary fruit, “Farmer Al” Courchesne has been a welcome sight at farmers’ markets around the Bay Area for over 30 years. And just like his peaches, Al is homegrown. Born and raised in Berkeley and El Cerrito, he graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in anthropology. Shortly afterwards, he moved to Hawaii to teach at the Punahou School. There, he discovered his love of farming, and where he grew lettuce and tomatoes for 2 years before returning to the Bay Area with an itch for farming life.
He planted his first peach orchard in Brentwood in 1976. Thirteen years later, in 1989, Al began farming organically in large part because of a commitment he wanted to make to the soil, water and community he lived in. The storybook image of Frog Hollow Farm, as seen on our fruit crates, celebrates the joyful abundance of fruit and nature enjoyed by the whole community. Throughout his farming career, Farmer Al has been a vigorous advocate for sustainable land use, conservation, and organic farming practices. Today, Al lives on the farm with his wife Becky, their two daughters Maddie and Millie, and their ever-present dog Noci (which means ‘walnuts’ in Italian).