Local Ventures: The Unlikely Story Behind A Wine Country Farm Stand

HEALDSBURG, CA — A new farm stand on Westside Road marks an unlikely outcome in a county where finding even a few acres can prove difficult.

But this farmer did it. He pieced together 10 acres and now sells some of what he grows just steps from the fields.

Sam Tookey — young by the standards of farmers in the United States — began with a U.C, Davis degree in sustainable agriculture. He came to Sonoma County and spent two years learning the business at Coyote Family Farm in Penngrove before striking out on his own, Sonoma Magazine reported. But a farmer needs land to farm.

Days after he stuck the flyer on a bulletin board at Hunt & Behrens feed store in Petaluma, growers who were retiring called with an offer of several acres in Alexander Valley.

“It was like winning the lottery,” Tookey told Sonoma Magazine.

The odds might be even slimmer with Alexander Valley agricultural properties commanding tens of thousands of dollars per acre.

But a regular stall at the Healdsburg Farmers Market led to another eight acres on Westside Road, bringing Tookey's operations to 10 cultivated acres.

Tookey opened the farm stand a couple driveways up from the Da Vero Winery in 2025, selling corn, chiles, tomatoes, melons and whatever else is growing behind the stand and on the Alexander Valley plot.

He initially relied on an honor system, with customers paying by cash or Venmo. Twice, someone took a lot more than what was theirs.

This year, Tookey reopened with his mother overseeing the stand.

The stand is open 2-6 p.m. Thursday to Sunday at 364 Westside Road.

Local Ventures is an occasional series featuring new, small, and independently owned businesses with an unusual story to tell. Send Patch your suggestions of local ventures from your community.