Our Story
Our story began among long rows of beets and kale in Ferndale during the summer of 2015. Aubrey had just moved up from the California central coast and found herself working on a vegetable farm where she met Ben, a dedicated employee skilled in quick harvesting. It was there that we discovered our love and appreciation for organic, local food as well as each other.
In 2017, we started Fair Curve Farm, transforming our newly-acquired 4 acres from perennial pasture to a organically-grown vegetable farm that was ready for production in 2018. It was a hectic first year, as we pushed our minds and bodies to new limits, but our determination to succeed in running our own farm business got us through.
Since then, we've become Certified Organic and have grown the business considerably! We accommodate around 100 CSA members annually, host plant sales in the spring, sell from a seasonal farmstand in Ferndale (June-December), and grow for numerous local grocery stores, restaurants, low-income food distribution organizations, and various retail locations throughout Humboldt County. In 2024, we began farming another 5 acres in Pepperwood, CA - inland about 30 minutes from our home farm in Ferndale - where we can grow many new heat-loving crops like heirloom tomatoes, melons, sweet corn, and peppers! We bring all of these items to our Ferndale farmstand during the season.
In 2021, we welcome our first child, Lowell, officially making us family farm. We feel so blessed to be able to raise him on the land we pour our hearts and souls into, which in turn provides us with some of the healthiest food we can feed him. In 2025, we will be welcoming a new child to our loving family, and we can't be more excited about it!
Our love for each other, for the land we tend, and for our local communities is what drives us to continue our work year after year. Always striving to do better for our family, friends, and neighbors, as well as our local ecosystem and the planet on which we live.
Meet the Farmers
Aubrey Thompson
Co-Owner & Manager
Aubrey grew up in the California Central Valley and made her way to San Luis Obispo to thrive by the ocean and study biological and environmental sciences. Her experiences with native-species restoration projects and love for plant and animal life brought her to Humboldt County, where she immediately found work gardening and farming while attending College of the Redwoods. Her heart was full with love and encouragement from her clients, mentors, and teachers, as her dream of starting a nursery business soon gave rise to the dream of starting a farm. After graduating from the CR Agriculture program, she continued her work on local vegetable farms and participated in management and event coordination for the Garberville and Fortuna Farmers' Markets.
Becoming a mother has shifted her responsibilities on the farm over the last few years (less time in the field), but she maintains a very active role in scheduling daily farm activities, marketing and communications, CSA management, bookkeeping, deliveries, farmstand operations, and management of the fresh and dried flower production. She is also very passionate about raising thoughtful, nature-nurtured children and enjoys bringing up their boy outdoors on the farm and out in our county's rich environments.
Her passion for purpose, community, and the Earth is what lights her fire!
Ben Thompson
Co-Owner & Manager
Ben was raised near the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert County, Maryland. His wandering spirit led him on many great adventures across the country for several years, during which he managed a friend's start-up business in Virginia, learned to build wooden boats in Washington, spent a season in the mountains of Tahoe, and kayaked the tidewaters of North Carolina, all before landing in Humboldt County. In the years preceding the start of our farm, Ben dug deep into the world of gardening and farming, working on local farms while wholeheartedly absorbing the physical and spiritual nature of the trade. His work experience eventually led to a job raising quinoa on the Mendocino Coast where he relished in the excitement of larger-scale farming. Ben's passion for tending the land is evident whether he's combining 80 acres of quinoa knee-deep in motor oil, or on his knees harvesting a row of spinach!
Ben manages the daily activities on the farm and works closely with the employees. His work brings him energy and fulfillment, despite the long, physically demanding days in the field. His passion for growing food and determination to increase the farm's efficiencies each year helps foster the farm's success. He is a farmer through and through.
Ben LOVES being a father and encourages the family to live outside as much as possible. Whether it's biking, camping, going to the river, or exploring the nearest beach or forest, he is always advocating for more outdoor time. Life is better lived outside!
Interested in connecting with our farm and your food in a more meaningful way?
Follow this link to learn about how our Free-Choice CSA membership program!