Vitis & Ovis
At our farm, we cultivate sustainability and foster community, one harvest at a time. Through eco-friendly practices and careful land stewardship, we bring fresh, sustainable produce to your table.
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The Farm
We are a multi-generational Swiss-American-Ethiopian family running a small farm nestled in northern California’s serene Capay Valley. Committed to regenerative agriculture, we employ practices that nurture our land and ecosystems. Our approach includes swale construction, where we collaborate with skilled professionals like Lydia Nielson and Jonah Love from Barefoot Development to shape our landscape with swales that help retain water and prevent erosion. Alongside our vineyard, we cultivate a variety of fruit trees, including hardy, drought-resistant species such as native elderberries, jujubes, and pomegranates, as well as other delicious fruits like mulberries, figs, and quince. We prioritize keeping our soil covered to enhance fertility, prevent erosion, and promote a healthy microbial environment. Our farm also hosts a flock of ducks, which play a crucial role in pest control and soil health through natural fertilization. Each day, we’re nurturing our farm to ensure sustainable growth and bountiful harvests for generations to come. Thank you for joining us on this journey of stewardship and growth.
Ways to Shop
Order online for convenient market pickup or home delivery. Enjoy the freshest produce, handpicked from our farm, and have it ready for you at your local market or delivered straight to your door.
Shop Online
Shop our online store for individual items and add fresh flavors to your weekly recipes.
Join Our Duck Egg Subscription
Discover the delight of receiving a box filled with our specialty: farm-fresh duck eggs. Customize your deliveries by adding seasonal offerings directly from our fields to your table.
Meet Us At The Market
Head to one of our many farmers market locations to pick out fresh produce.
Meet Our Family
Gisèle and Henok both pursued their PhDs in Nematology from the University of Ghent in Belgium. Originally from Ethiopia, Henok studied horticulture at a university there and currently works at a company conducting plant pathology research. Gisèle plays a crucial role in steering the revitalization of our farm, applying principles of sustainable agriculture. She takes equal pleasure in cooking the food she grows as she does in cultivating it.
Hans Herren, affectionately known as Papa here, spent his formative years on a potato and tobacco farm in the Valais region of Switzerland. Initially trained in agriculture at a vocational school during his teenage years, he later pursued a higher degree in entomology (the study of insects). Hans completed his PhD at ETH Zurich and subsequently led the largest biological control program worldwide, combating the cassava mealybug across Africa. Now, he has come full circle, returning to his farming roots on our small farm in Capay Valley.
Barbara Gemmill-Herren embraces the name Bibi, which signifies "Grandmother" in East Africa (where our family has spent many years) and reflects her lifelong passion for bees and flowers. She earned her PhD in Ecology from UC Davis and coordinated international efforts on pollination at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Now settled in Capay Valley, Barbara is actively involved in local community issues.
Say Hi.
Have questions or want to learn more about our farm and produce? Reach out to us! We’re here to help with any inquiries, provide more information about our offerings, or assist you with your orders.