Rock. Paper. Tractor? Naomi Brilliant, owner of Roshambo Winery, tells BiteClub she’s trading in grapes for greens. At least for now.
As of December 31, 2009 the winery/gallery/mobile party bus are on hiatus as she turns her attention toward organic farming. Yes, that means closed.
For the past eleven years Brilliant has lived on a property surrounded by 100 acres of grapes off Westside Road, a part of which she’s converting to farmland with boyfriend Timothy Holt, owner of Weird Fish restaurant in San Francisco. She plans to grow even more specialty greens, peppers and fruit for the sustainably-focused restaurant (some of which have already been featured) along with making her own jams and sauces.
“I’m doing this for my own peace of mind,” said Brilliant who’s long had a small house garden. “I wanted to make this something I do everyday for myself and my son.”
Brilliant says she’s relying on the help of friends and family to really get the organic garden running smoothly. “I get friends from the city to come up to work on the garden and I cook them food. It’s kind of like a restaurant: I get labor and get they food. It’s a way of meeting new people,” she said. “We have to be very resourceful.” Though she admits that over the winter much of the garden is going to the slugs and snails.
“I want to be closer to the food that goes into people’s mouths,” Brilliant said, “There is just so much people don’t understand, so I’m transitioning from winery to farmer.”
So instead of the six months off she promised herself after putting the winery on hold, she’s ordering seeds and planting trees. “There’s no written plan here,” she said, “but I know what I’m going to do.”
Follow Naomi’s Journal at RoshamboFarms.com
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