Dahlias bloom during the U-Pick Day at Earthspoke Farms in Mendocino, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2025. The farm hosts u-pick events through the end of September. (Mandela Linder via Bay City News)
MENDOCINO CO., 9/6/25 — Just a few seconds’ drive from Mendocino’s famous Point Cabrillo Lighthouse sit fields of dahlias exploding in color, young pumpkins on twisting green vines and a farmstand of bouquets for any passerby to purchase on a whim. Earthspoke Farms, which was just an empty field a few years ago, is the dream of the Deaton family, one of many families who moved to the Mendocino coast during the pandemic.
Back in 2021, Lydia Ashford, then Lydia Deaton, was getting ready to marry Cory Ashford. Her family, who had moved from Southern California to Mendocino the year before, decided to grow the flowers for her wedding at their house in Mendocino where the wedding was to be held.
“They turned out so beautifully that the kids, who’ve always wanted to do something like this, move out of the city to raise their family, said, ‘This is it, this is what we want to do,’” said Shelly Deaton, wife of David and mother of the four adult Deaton children, including Lydia.
Their dream began after they hired a local construction company to do a remodel on their home. Company owner Ishvi Aum was fascinated by what the Deatons had done in their garden. Aum mentioned that he wanted to show the family a property that he thought would be great for them to expand on.
Shelly tried to explain that the family were not farmers — that they had created the garden by Googling many of the steps they needed to take. “Still, he was impressed, and we’re like, we’ve never done anything official,” Shelly said.
(L-R) Sarah, Shelly and David Deaton of Earthspoke Farms stand in front of the dahlia garden during the U-Pick Day at Earthspoke Farms in Mendocino, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2025. The family plans fall festivities when pumpkin season begins. (Mandela Linder via Bay City News)
Eventually the Deatons did see the property, and today, that’s where Earthspoke Farms operates. The farm grows about 6,000 dahlia plants, along with pumpkins, potatoes and other seasonal crops. The potatoes go to the local restaurant Cafe Beaujolais, as do the bouquets that Shelly creates for the restaurant.
Aum, who operates his own vegetable farm next door to Earthspoke and shares their farmstand, is thrilled that it’s going so well for the Deatons.
“I just feel really lucky that I have them as neighbors, it’s really nice to see somebody making a business in Mendocino County based on agriculture,” he said. “It’s also really great that it’s a family business.”
Besides the farmstand that draws both tourists and locals, the Deatons also sell at farmers markets in Fort Bragg and Mendocino. And they network with other local businesses as well. Princess Seafood contributes its fish waste to the farm’s compost.
“That partnership means their byproducts aren’t wasted, and our soil is healthier,” David Deaton said. “It’s a cycle that benefits everyone.”
Zainab Chaudry of Sunol, Calif., attends the U-Pick Day at Earthspoke Farms in Mendocino on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2025. (Mandela Linder via Bay City News)
U-pick-’em runs all August and September
The farm’s U-pick events began on Labor Day weekend last year, and quickly grew to a weekly tradition during August and September. Visitors walk the fields, learn about the flowers and fill a jar with stems they cut themselves.
“It’s such a fun event. You get to hear the story of how the farm started, meet the family, and pick your own bouquet,” said Sarah Deaton, one of Shelly’s four daughters. “Obviously I’m biased, but I think it’s one of the coolest things you can do on the Mendocino Coast.”
Jars wait for guests to fill them with flower arrangements during the U-Pick Day at Earthspoke Farms in Mendocino, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2025. (Mandela Linder via Bay City News)
Each U-pick begins with a tour, often led by Shelly’s husband, David, or son-in-law, Cory. Guests hear about dahlia tubers, soil health and the farm’s approach to regenerative agriculture. Afterward, they are guided through the annuals field to harvest stems such as snapdragons, zinnias and Queen Anne’s Lace. Six pre-cut dahlias are included with each bouquet.
Terri Bogue, who moved to the area from Coarsegold, near Yosemite, discovered the farm by chance. “I would just take any road I hadn’t been on, and I took this one and saw their sign,” she said. “They had pumpkins out and stuff like that.”
On Saturday, she visited with a group of local women, many of whom live in a nearby senior community and get together regularly to enjoy area attractions and maintain their friendships.
While the flower fields and pumpkin patch create activities for visitors to the farm, Earthspoke’s main business is selling dahlia tubers nationwide. Tubers are divided each fall, stored over the winter in shredded coconut hulls, and shipped out each spring. In just their second year of sales, the Deatons sent tubers to 47 states and Puerto Rico, according to David Deaton.
“It’s amazing to think something we dig out of the ground here goes on to grow in gardens across the country,” he said.
Earthspoke Farms is a true family business
For the Deatons, farming is as much about family as it is about flowers. Shelly and David’s four daughters and their spouses all contribute, from choosing cultivars to helping with events. Several grandchildren are already growing up among the rows of dahlias and pumpkins.
“To me, the best part is being able to live close to my kids and grandkids and build something together,” Shelly Deaton said. “I never imagined we could do this, but here we are.”
Visitors come from all over to escape inland heat and enjoy the farm, which has peekaboo views of the ocean. Some even say that Earthspoke is their primary reason for visiting the Mendocino Coast.
Lee and Anna Gardner of Fort Bragg display the bouquet they created during the U-Pick Day at Earthspoke Farms in Mendocino, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2025. (Mandela Linder via Bay City News)
“Seeing people walk through the fields, amazed by the flowers, brings me so much joy,” Shelly said. “I hope it inspires them to grow their own gardens and surround themselves with beauty.”
The Deatons hope to expand their dahlia stock over the long term, but for now, they are focused on finishing the U-pick season before shifting attention to pumpkins in October.
The fields that used to be empty are now bursting with color and life. For the Deatons, Earthspoke Farms isn’t just a business, it’s a way to integrate into the community and have family close by.
Sarah Deaton is a great example of how the farm led to her staying close to family. She moved to the Mendocino Coast after college to join her family on the farm, and is now a teacher in Fort Bragg, along with working at Earthspoke.
“We’re still in the beginning stages, but we feel so blessed,” Shelly said. “This is home, and it’s a gift to share it.”
A large dahlia catches the sun during the U-Pick Day at Earthspoke Farms in Mendocino, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2025. The family-owned farm is hosting u-pick events through September and will shift festivities to its pumpkin patch in October. (Mandela Linder via Bay City News)
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