In this business of food writing, the Let’s Go Eat Team finds itself constantly conversing with chefs and restaurant owners about sourcing — ie, where do the ingredients come from.

The one name we hear in almost every conversation? Tutti Frutti Farms.

So when the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience sent out its email listing a visit to Tutti Frutti among its events, we sprang into action, setting out for Lompoc to meet Clara Cadwell, member of the founding family, and currently in charge of sales.

“Farms in this area are each known for their specialty,” she told us. “And Tutti Frutti is best known for our heirloom tomatoes.”

Heirloom means the plant is unchanged for 150-plus generations, no genetic modifications to improve shelf-life or appearance.

“These were preserved solely for their flavor,” Cadwell explained.

“My dad (Chris Cadwell) started with regular tomatoes, and heirlooms weren’t popular because they look weird — lumpy and bumpy,” she shared.

“But he’d give every customer a free sample, saying ‘just try it.’ And people started coming back for them.”

The Cadwell family has been farming for eight generations, and was first to bring avocados to Carpinteria.

“They farmed lima beans and avocados mainly, and ate what they didn’t sell,” she recalled.

Tutti Frutti is 100% certified organic, and how it got its name is a bit of a controversy.

“My mom says it was because we grew and sold lots of fruit (tutti frutti means ‘all fruit’ in Italian),” Cadwell said.

“But my siblings will tell you it was because all the kids loved that Little Richard song when we were growing up.”

Whatever the origin of the name, Tutti Frutti got its start when the family moved to the Santa Rita Hills near Lompoc from Carpinteria.

“There was a house on the property, but it was missing some walls, and full of bats,” Cadwell shared.

“So all seven of us lived in a trailer, and my mom was not happy when my dad, instead of using their savings to build a house, put up a greenhouse.”

The Santa Rita Hills are known for the cool breeze that comes in off the ocean, producing ideal conditions for Pinot noir grapes, and growing fruit and vegetables.

“The wind keeps the plants dry and the bugs away,” Cadwell explained, which is useful since “certified organic” means they can’t use pesticides.

And the unique climate enables the Cadwell family to grow a great variety of produce.  When the Let’s Go Eat Team visited, pea season was winding down; cabbage, onions and cauliflower were going strong;and their famous tomatoes were just getting going for the summer.

So where can you find all this great produce? Three places mainly.

“We sell the majority of our crops to grocery stores, including Whole Foods Market and Gelson’s,” she explained.

“The rest goes to local farmers markets (including Santa Barbara), and restaurants.”

In Santa Barbara you’ll find Tutti Frutti produce on the menus at Bettina, The Lark, Dang Burger and Caruso’s at the Miramar, plus many others.

“And once a year we sell a lot of squash to Canada for Canadian Thanksgiving,” she told us, laughing.

In addition to its for-profit efforts, Tutti Frutti does a lot of community work.

“We are one of the largest donors in the county to food banks, school districts and nonprofits like Food From the Heart, the Organic Soup Kitchen and Apples to Zucchini.” Cadwell said proudly.

“And my dad just donated 80 acres to the Arroyo Hondo Preserve on the Gaviota coast.”  

And if you’re a DIY sort, Cadwell just started a new business called Farmette, through which she’ll bring her expertise and knowledge to your home to help you with your own gardening.

“I really love doing this,” she told us. “I did garden education for 20 years for schools and nonprofits.

“This is so much easier than gardening with 30 5-year-olds.”

We believe her.

So, we asked, what do sophisticated customers know when they stop by the stand at the farmers market?

“They know to ask how we would use the produce, how we’d cook it,” Cadwell said. “Often that will start a conversation with the other customers there, people exchanging recipes, etc.

“And try the fava beans. Most people don’t know what they are,” she added.

Here at Team Let’s Go Eat HQ, we are blessed to have discovered the joys of favas a few years ago in Italy. Write us at rraede@noozhawk.com for our fave fava recipe.

When You Go

Santa Barbara Farmers Market

• 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays in the first blocks of East and West Carrillo Street and the 900 and 1000 blocks of State Street in downtown Santa Barbara
• 3 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays in the 600 to 800 blocks of State Street

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