He had 12 children, and two of his children ended up with the farm. The farm was purchased in 1863 by my great-great grandfather John Ross. What is the history of Hale’s Apple Farm? In the last two months, AIM has traveled Bay Area back roads to visit our market producers at their farms. These interviews on their ground, we hope, tell you more about the people who provide fresh, delicious and nutritious food to you. In one week, we met with a first-generation farmer and a fifth-generation farmer, which caused a great deal of reflection and all sorts of questions. How does the business of a farm evolve over 100 years? What kind of pressure is placed on a person to keep the family farm? When do you call it quits in the face of growing regulations and rules? While we didn’t pose these particular questions to Dave Hale of Hale’s Apple Farm in Sebastopol, we did glean one thing from our interview: a farm is made of stories, not crops. Although it would be much more financially beneficial for Dave to grow grapes he is passionately committed to apple farming. Dave is also one of the few remaining farmers in Sebastopol, California that continues to honor the tradition of apple farming in the area. Being an independent farmer means that along with a team of dedicated workers, Dave Hale is responsible for cultivation, management and maintenance on the farm. Although Hale farms has been in Dave’s family for 120 years, farming has not necessarily become easier with each generation. Meet Dave Hale, who has been growing a variety of flavorful heirloom apples over the past 35+ years. Interview by Karen Halsey, freelancer writer based in Marin County, November 17, 2020