Sebastopol raspberry farmer invites you in
Rachel Boring of Boring Farm in Sebastopol
By early summer, the rows at Boring Farm begin to fill in—first with fruit, then with people. It’s a quiet kind of gathering. Families with small kids; couples moving slowly down the aisles; cows, chickens and wildlife dotting the area. Cardboard boxes in hand, people move deliberately through the raspberry canes, picking and settling into the rhythm of the place.
Located in Sebastopol, Boring Farm sits in a pocket of Sonoma County where agriculture still feels close and tangible. Rows of raspberries stretch beneath protective netting that filters the light and keeps the birds at bay. On weekends, visitors reserve a time, check in at a tent and get a quick orientation: which sections are ripest, how to spot a ready berry and how to pick with care.
At the center of it all is Rachel Boring, who started the farm six seasons ago with a simple idea: work with the land, not against it.
Originally from Georgia, Boring grew up around agriculture before finding her way to California, where she worked on farms and built her experience from the ground up. Before she established Boring Farm, she worked at a commercial blueberry operation, giving her a close-up understanding of fruit production at scale—and ultimately shaping her decision to create something more direct and community-oriented.
“I always thought I would just take this farm and try to make it better,” she says. “Not force it in any way—trying to work with it for what it naturally already wants to do.”
That mindset shapes everything here. Only five of the farm’s 89 acres are dedicated to raspberries, leaving the rest to grain, open space and a growing wildlife corridor. Former manure ponds have been restored into habitat, now home to birds and river otters.
“You just see them pop up out of the pond,” she says. “It feels like such a privilege.”
The experience extends beyond the rows. Kids climb on an old tractor and truck, scale a hay bale tower or visit farm animals. After picking, families gather near a small trailer for raspberry popsicles or fresh juice, then linger at picnic tables or walk a path around the pond.
Boring describes the farm less as a destination and more as a pause. “There’s very simple pleasures left in life,” she says. “And that’s one of them: picking fruit and eating it right afterward.” If you leave with more berries than expected, her advice is simple: Mash them with a little sugar and freeze them into a quick, slushy treat.
As the season returns, so does the ritual: stepping into a field, slowing down and tasting something at its peak, right where it grows.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
U-pick raspberries at Boring Farm operates seasonally, typically opening in mid to late May and operating through September, with exact dates depending on weather and ripening conditions. The farm is open Saturdays from 9am to 1pm and requires a reservation in advance. To choose your time and purchase a parking pass ($7.50 per vehicle), visit TheBoringFarm.com. Raspberries are priced at $11.99 per pound.
PRO TIP:
Head to the snack trailer before you pick to reserve raspberry lemonade and raspberry popsicles—a cool treat waiting for you when you’re finished.
