The Long Way
Solano County
A man drives a red tractor pulling a trailer with people on it.
Plate I. Tractor ride at Suisun Valley farm stands. From larrysproduce.com
A vintage red flatbed truck parked near a farm field.
Plate II. Red truck, Suisun Valley farm stands. From larrysproduce.com

Suisun Valley farm stands

Fairfield, Solano County, California. Fruit & Vegetable Store.

Details

Map. Fairfield, Solano County, California. Larger map
Where
4606 Suisun Valley Rd, Fairfield, CA 94534. Directions
When
Every day but Wednesday, 9am-5pm.
Season
Open for the 2026 season, mid-June to the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
Getting there
Corner of Suisun Valley Road and Ledgewood Road in Suisun Valley.
Fees
Cash only; ATM on premises.
Access
Closed Wednesdays; closes at 3pm on the 4th of July.
Walk-in or reserve
No reservations; open every day but Wednesday.
Phone
707-864-8068
Website
larrysproduce.com
Managed by
Owners Larry and Lisa Balestra.
Established
1986.

A fourth-generation farmer's stand, opened by Larry and Lisa Balestra in the summer of 1986 at the current location on Suisun Valley Rd. near Fairfield, CA.

Notable Events

  1. 1871A.T. Hatch returned to California with $11,000 and bought land in Suisun Valley intending to raise grain, then noticed the crop from a few pear trees already on the land paid better per acre than grain. solanoarticles.com
  2. 1887The Solano Republican hailed the region around Suisun as one of the finest fruit-raising regions in the state; its pears, peaches and apricots stood at the head of California fruits in the Chicago and New York markets. solanoarticles.com
  3. 1897After Suisun banker R.D. Robbins won a suit against Hatch for approximately $200,000, the Hatch Ranch was sold in November 1897. solanoarticles.com
  4. 1920Established in 1920 to serve the agricultural community in the Suisun Valley, since expanded to serve all Northern California agricultural interests. svfg.org
  5. 1982Growers of the Western Solano County Grape Growers Association successfully petitioned the BATF and received formal designation of Suisun Valley as an identified AVA. svvga.com
  6. 1986Larry and Lisa Balestra opened a roadside produce stand in the summer of 1986 at the current location on Suisun Valley Rd. near Fairfield, starting with about 40 acres farmed by themselves and a single employee. larrysproduce.com
  7. 2017The Solano County Board of Supervisors honored Richard "Chick" Lanza for having led the original petition for the Suisun Valley AVA, ahead of the 35th anniversary. svvga.com

People

  • Larry Balestra, fourth-generation farmer who opened Larry's Produce, following a great grandfather who migrated from Italy and farmed cherries and peaches in Green Valley (opened the stand in the summer of 1986).
  • Lisa Balestra, co-founder of Larry's Produce with her husband Larry (opened the stand in the summer of 1986).
  • A.T. Hatch, fruit grower whose roughly 950-acre orchard was the valley's largest (in Suisun Valley from 1871).
  • Richard "Chick" Lanza, led the original petition for the Suisun Valley AVA (honored December 13th, 2017).

Sources

  1. suisunvalley.com/farm-stand/larrys-produce
  2. larrysproduce.com/faq
  3. larrysproduce.com/about
  4. suisunvalley.com/about-suisun-valley
  5. suisunvalley.com/local-produce-farm-stands
  6. suisunvalley.com/map-directions
  7. larrysproduce.com
  8. larrysproduce.com/contact
  9. facebook.com/larrysproduce
  10. suisunvalley.com/about-suisun-valley
  11. larrysproduce.com/about
  12. svvga.com/history
  13. svfg.org
  14. solanoarticles.com/history/index.php/weblog/print/by_1880s_solano_crops_went_against_the_grain
  15. solanoarticles.com/history/index.php/weblog/more/money_grew_on_trees_for_awhile
  16. hmdb.org/m.asp?m=54589