Farming isn’t just a job for Kyle and Mel Burns of Burns Blossom Farm – it’s a dream come true. Kyle had always enjoyed helping his mother in the garden. He even took ag classes in community college and volunteered at local CSAs. When he met Mel, he realized his “hobby” was also his dream job. Kyle explains, “When I met my wife, then girlfriend, she was working at a cut flower farm here in Chico. I was kind of jealous that she was living my dream of working on a farm. And so, we sold everything we owned and started our own farm from scratch on the Mendocino coast.” 

Planting seeds and growing dreams

Those first few years were challenging, but they were young, in love, and determined to succeed. It was a learning experience, but eventually, their Mendocino farm flourished – and their family grew.  In 2022, Kyle, Mel and their young daughter moved back to Chico to be closer to family. They started from scratch, again, on a one-acre urban property in the Barber Yard. Then, in 2024, Kyle and Mel purchased an additional 4 acres just outside the Chico city limit, where the small family farm began growing a widening variety of vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers.

Small farm, wide variety

Today, Burns Blossom Farm might be a small family farm, but crops include a variety of certified organic produce, including garlic, tomatoes, radicchio, berries, carrots, sweetpotatoes and leafy greens. Kyle adds, “We’re a market farm, and our strength is in our diversity. We’re known for our beautiful displays at farmers markets and our certified organic produce. We grow a lot of exciting, captivating colors and unique varieties to really keep us excited, as well as our customers.” 

At the urban farm, nine caterpillar tunnels serve as greenhouses, allowing the couple to grow produce and attend farmers markets year-round. Shade cloth protects more delicate crops from direct sun during the summer, while plastic tarps lock in heat during the winter. 

In addition to fresh produce, Kyle and Mel also produce fermented hot sauce, tomato sauce and herbal tinctures.

The secret’s in the soil 

Burns Blossom Farm grows all of their produce and flowers organically. No herbicides, pesticides or synthetic fertilizers are used on their farms. Instead, they focus on soil health, using compost and cover crops to enrich the soil. Kyle and Mel also practice no-till farming, preferring to disturb the soil as little as possible. This helps the soil retain carbon and improves structure. Their organic farming practices include the use of pollinator hedgerows that provide habitat for both wildlife and pollinator insects. 

Burns Blossom Farm also embraces regenerative farming practices. They work with the CSU Chico Regenerative Ag Department and recently received funding to cover the cost of some of their existing regenerative practices, like compost applications and cover crop seed. 

Cultivating knowledge and community

Connecting with and educating the community is incredibly important to Kyle and Mel. Kyle explains, “I think educating people on how nutrient-dense food is grown helps them make educated decisions on shopping locally and supporting small farms. We really want to show people in Chico how an organic farm can be managed and help them get their hands dirty in their own gardens.” 

Burns Blossom Farm regularly hosts field trips, along with other community events. “We like to do field trips to show people the exciting varieties you can grow here in Chico and some tips on how to keep them happy and growing healthy in this harsh summer climate we get,” Kyle adds. “We have a big spring plant sale every April. This fall, we’re doing a big popup here with other vendors to get people on site to sell our hot sauce, and we are gonna be opening a farm stand here in Chico soon, too.”

Most community events will take place at the Barber Yard location. However, their larger property will allow them to grow more produce for the Chico Unified School District. 

What’s next for Burns Blossom Farm? 

Kyle and Mel are excited about the future of their family’s farm and happily list off a few of their plans: “We’re really excited to open a farm stand here in Chico to be able to get people more access to our food. Instead of just having a weekly farmer’s market, we hope to eventually be open five days a week. It’ll really give more access to our food and be a little hub right in the heart of Chico. We got a grant from CDFA, the California Department of Food and Ag, that starts next year to work with Chico Unified School District to grow more food for them. It’s going to help us purchase some infrastructure to scale up. We’re working on growing organic raspberries and blackberries; there aren’t any available locally currently, and we plan to scale up our seed garlic and hot sauce as well.”

Visit Burns Blossom Farm

Want to visit Burns Blossom Farm? Sign up for their weekly newsletter and follow them on Instagram for the latest information on upcoming events!

If you’re in the Chico area, look for Burns Blossom Farm at the Chico Farmers Market!

North Chico

Wednesday 7:30-12 pm 

30 Plaza Way, Chico

Downtown Chico

Saturday 7:30-1:00 pm 

2nd and Wall Street, Downtown Chico

Plan your visit to Chico 

If you’ve never visited Chico, it’s time to start planning your trip. Kyle shares a few reasons why he loves his hometown: “Chico is an ag community at heart due to its rich loam soils, but it is also a really exciting place to live because of its proximity to the foothills and mountains. We are fortunate to have Bidwell Park here, which is one of the largest municipal parks in the nation, and it’s a great spot to bike ride and recreate. You can start in the city and as you go towards the foothills, the park gets more and more wild. I go there as much as I possibly can. I highly recommend going to the Chico Farmers Market. It’s been around for decades, and there are amazing vendors. We have great citrus in the winter and beautiful produce from our farm year-round.” 

If you’re in the area, be sure to swing by one of the restaurants that regularly features Burns Blossom Farm’s produce! Kyle says, “Caddy corner to the farmer’s market is Grana Wood-Fired Pizza. They’re huge supporters. They walk right over to Farmer’s Market every weekend. Stoble Cafe and Coffee Shop Downtown is a pillar of the community and supports local farms and producers. Momona, in downtown Chico as well, is a great Hawaiian and Japanese fusion restaurant that we love.”

Article and photography by Hilary Rance.