Fact-checked by Growing up, Carla Malloy had no plans of becoming a farmer. In fact, she began her career focused on the ocean—not the land—working at surf brand Hurley in Orange County, California, where she met her husband, Chris.
“Then I planted my first garden and instantly knew this was my calling,” she says. As she honed her agricultural skills working on ranches and farms, her family began looking for land they could cultivate themselves.
Then, five years ago, a listing for 102 acres in the tiny California desert town of Los Alamos in the Santa Ynez Valley appeared, and the Malloys knew they’d found their spot. They dubbed it Elder Flat Farm—“ ‘Elder’ is because our own elders mean so much to us, and ‘Flat’ is for the mesa our home sits on, which is really the heartbeat of the property,” says Carla. Kids Lucas, Pearl, and Cooper pitch in raising sheep, heritage breed chickens, and Black Angus cattle and growing a variety of fruits and vegetables to sell at their in-town farm shop and to local restaurants.
Carla also hosts seasonal retreats, which include lessons on food and preservation techniques like pickling vegetables, as well as crafts and wellness activities. “Of course there are hard days with farming,” says Carla. “But the sweet moments—enjoying a meal with food we’ve just harvested, seeing a beautiful sunset over the hills—make me know that being here is the right thing for us."
The Flowers
Farmer Carla Malloy uses the cosmos, strawflowers, and zinnias that bloom at her family’s Elder Flat Farm to craft fresh and dried bouquets and wreaths.
RELATED: Cosmos, Zinnias, and 20 More Annual Flowers and Plants That Will Make Your Garden Glow
The Harvest
Roma tomatoes are thick on the vine at Elder Flat in late summer, when the farm’s harvest also includes cucumbers, watermelons, lettuces, and green beans.
The Farmstand
Elder Flat’s farm shop is situated on Los Alamos’s main strip. Follow @elderflatfarm for details about in-store classes on topics such as flower arranging and charcuterie board styling.
Inside the Store
At the farm shop, visitors browse organic produce and flowers, Carla’s wreaths and bouquets, artisanal foods, and more.
Meet the Flock
Bred to thrive in the hot climate, the California Red sheep at Elder Flat are shorn once a year for knitting yarn.
Stephanie Gibson Lepore is the Copy/Research Editor of Country Living. She enjoys writing about a range of topics and making sure the facts are accurate. When she's not checking out the latest Instagram post from Merriam-Webster, you can find her hunting home decor at an antiques shop, reading WWII fiction in a sunny spot, cheering (loudly) for her football team, or planning her daughter's next birthday party (themes forever!).
