D'Acquisto Farms

08/23/2026

There’s something about late summer on the farm—it’s a season of change, anticipation, and a whole lot of faith.
We’re finishing up the last of our summer crops while watching the winter squash take over the fields. Butternut, kabocha, spaghetti squash and more are growing beautifully, while our first fall and winter crops are already going into the ground as we prepare for the season ahead.

The greenhouse is full of new starts, seedlings and even a few little bunnies. We’ve also been growing more flowers to help carry the farm through this time of year when variety starts to narrow but the expenses of the next season keep coming.

This weekend we’ll have some of our final watermelons at market. We lost some to pest pressure, but the ones we harvested were beyond anything we expected. I’m already looking forward to next season.

August can be a nervous month for me. As a one-man farm, the gaps can feel big sometimes. But this year has reminded me to have faith, persevere and keep going.

And honestly, that growth hasn’t just happened in the fields. There’s been a lot of personal growth too—some hardship, some change, time with family, rediscovering places I love, and learning to navigate having my daughter 3,000 miles away at college.

Farming continues to teach me that while we cultivate the land, the land cultivates us too. Our resilience grows. Our patience grows. We grow.

I truly hope I’m able to continue doing this work for many years to come, and to build something that is sustainable for the farm and for me.

To everyone who supports this little farm: thank you. Every market visit, every purchase, every kind word—it all matters more than you know.

From the outside, I know it may not look like much. But for me, it’s an honest living, a life I love, and something worth fighting for.

Thank you all for being part of this journey.

07/24/2026

Need a day to be with my daughter before she leaves for school on the east coast this week. Sometimes the farm needs to come second. We anticipate our return the following week. Thanks for understanding and for all the support.

07/17/2026

For those of you who know me, you know this has been one of those make-it-or-break-it years. The amount of discouragement and adversity we’ve faced as farmers has been equivalent to a physical beating. I only speak on it because I think it’s important to share that the truth that the food that ends up on our tables comes with immeasurable cost and sacrifice. Sleepless nights, self doubt and , financial stress just to name a few. The only thing that is CERTAIN is the uncertainty of it all.

But that’s where the beauty in all of it really is.

These posts can’t always be butterflies and rainbows, because this little farm isn’t a grocery store. We don’t have some proven, foolproof system that guarantees a harvest every weekend at the market. Yet somehow, through what I believe is divine intervention, we still show up at least 45 weeks out of the year with something beautiful to share.

Every year I realize this journey isn’t just mine. It feels like there are legions of angels guiding me—and probably shaking their heads at half the decisions I make in the field. Farming is truly a spiritual journey. It’s full of highs and lows, faith and doubt, setbacks and small victories.

And pictured here is a watermelon crop that, by all accounts, shouldn’t even exist after the level of pest pressure it endured- those hillsides and adjacent properties are bone dry and our farm is an oasis in a desert for bugs.But here it is. A small miracle. A reminder to keep going.

It may bother some people that we’re still here, but I believe it makes a whole lot more people happy that we are.

Summer hasn’t looked the way I imagined it would, but that doesn’t mean the months ahead won’t surprise us. For now, I’m choosing to celebrate the simple joy of a watermelon crop that went from being under attack to becoming a success—and harvested just in the nick of time.

We’re bringing them to the farmers markets this weekend for you to enjoy now, because farming teaches you that tomorrow is never promised.

Come taste a little miracle with us this weekend. We have both seeded red and yellow ice box melons available and LOTS of them

06/07/2026

As many of you know, I am an old soul. As lifelong San Diegan, I have a passion for all things local history especially as it pertains to agriculture and how our region was farmed during the late 1800s and Early 1900s. If you think it’s challenging to do today you can only imagine the difficulty and hardship the early residents of our county experienced just to produce a crop.

Today I met up with one of my favorite local historians and authors Vincent Rossi a . I have been following him for years since I met him about 14 years ago at the archeological center in the San Pascual Valley.

Today, He was kind enough to include me in his blog post on his website sandiegohistoryseekers.com

I hadn’t seen Vince in about 7 years or so. The last time I saw him he gifted me a biography about Ben Hillebrect A prominent San Diego County third generation Family farmer whose legacy lives on through the farm stand at 15 and Citricado in Escondido.

It’s local historians like Vince who continue to preserve the story of Ag in San Diego county through his writings. It’s a pleasure to know him and to own his literary gems in my collection.

Great seeing you again Vince. I’m looking forward to reading your updated work on “The lost town of Bernardo”

06/02/2026

What to do with D’Acquisto Farms Carrots? 🥕 😋

Dark Chocolate Drizzled Carrot Bites 🍫🥕 Your new favorite sweet snack!

Total time: 30 minutes
Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients for 12 bites:
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup almond butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 oz dark chocolate (70% or higher)
1 tsp coconut oil

Step 1/4
1 cup rolled oats - 1/2 cup shredded carrot - 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut - 1/2 tsp cinnamon - 1/4 tsp salt.
In a mixing bowl, combine oats, shredded carrot, coconut, cinnamon, and salt.

Step 2/4
1/4 cup maple syrup - 1/4 cup almond butter - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.
Add maple syrup, almond butter, and vanilla to the dry mixture. Stir until a sticky dough forms.

Step 3/4
Form the mixture into 12 compact balls. Place them on a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Step 4/4
2 oz dark chocolate - 1 tsp coconut oil.
Melt chocolate and coconut oil together until smooth. Drizzle over chilled bites and return to fridge for 5 minutes to set.

05/31/2026

Just like our ancestors on the fertile coastal hillsides of Sicily, eating what you grow—or what is grown in your own locale and in season—is truly special.

As a grower and an amateur home chef, having access to hyper-local, high-quality ingredients takes even the simplest kitchen creations to the next level. Summer dinners on our farm typically include grilled, salted sweet onions on top of a ribeye steak, char-grilled summer squash, fresh garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper green beans like Mom used to make, caprese salad with the very first vine-ripened heirloom tomato of the season, D’Acquisto Farms Genovese basil, and whole, skin-on oven-roasted Austrian Crescent potatoes seasoned with Herbes de Provence.

It’s simple ingredients, not overdone—fresh and cooked to perfection—with a glass of Merlot in hand and some Johnny Mathis in the background that makes it feel like summer in San Diego County.

Bon Appetito Tutti.

05/30/2026

Summer is officially here!

05/13/2026

This has turned out to be another epic year for our sweet onions crop. Onions thrive in places with cool dry winters like Coachella and imperial valley because they do not like moisture on their leaves. Since we’ve had such an incredibly dry spring and late winter, we have seen unprecedented yields and 2026 will forever be remembered as the year without a spring and the largest onion crop we’ve ever grown. Not to mention, they are one of the parent varietals used to breed Vidalia sweet onions so they are so sweet you can eat them like an apple. The carmelize so good on the grill and pair amazing with our summer squash selection. We may not see onions like this for awhile - it’s looking like a heavy El Niño year is on the horizon for the 26-27 grow year. Get them and enjoy while you can. Bloomin Onions in the air fryer here we gooo!!

05/02/2026

Goodbye April, Hello May:))

04/24/2026

🔥 Honey-Roasted Parsnip Fries & Paprika Aioli: A crispy twist you need to try!

Total time: 45 minutes
Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients for 4 servings:
1 ½ lbs parsnips, peeled and cut into fries
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced

Step 1/4
1 ½ lbs parsnips
Peel and cut the parsnips into fry shapes, trying to keep them evenly sized for uniform roasting.

Step 2/4
2 tbsp olive oil - 1 tbsp honey - ½ tsp sea salt - ¼ tsp black pepper.
Toss parsnip fries with olive oil, honey, sea salt, and black pepper until evenly coated. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer.

Step 3/4
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until fries are golden and edges are crispy.

Step 4/4
½ cup mayonnaise - 1 tsp smoked paprika - 1 tsp lemon juice - 1 garlic clove.
In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, smoked paprika, lemon juice, and minced garlic until smooth. Serve fries hot with aioli for dipping.