Farmer and The Cook

What Farmer and The Cook does

Farmer and the Cook is a privately held, founder-operated organic market, café, restaurant, and bakery located at 339 W El Roblar Dr in Ojai, California, founded in 2001 by Steve Sprinkel (the farmer) and Olivia Chase (the cook). Its core offering is an all-organic café serving creative vegetarian and vegan Mexican cuisine, supported by a 16-acre farm — 12 of which are CCOF-certified — that grows menu ingredients whenever possible, with produce reaching customers within four hours of harvest. Adjacent operations include a prize-winning artisan bakery producing sourdough loaves, croissants, and pastries from scratch, plus an espresso, smoothie, and juice bar.

The business generates revenue across six streams: in-person café/restaurant sales (Mon-Wed 8 AM-4 PM, Thu-Sun 8 AM-8 PM), custom bakery orders for events, CSA weekly produce subscriptions priced at $125/month (annual) or $140/month (monthly), two published hardcover cookbooks ('Farmer and the Cook Cookbook' 2025 at $36; 'Baked' 2026 at $55), Steve Sprinkel's series of 13 self-published books at $16 each, and branded merchandise. Customer segments are individual consumers and CSA members in the Ojai Valley and Ventura County region, with no enterprise or wholesale customers disclosed. Distribution is hybrid — single retail storefront plus Square-powered e-commerce for online ordering, gift cards, and product sales; marketing relies on organic social (Instagram, Facebook), local SEO, the Substack newsletter 'The Forager,' and recurring live music events on the patio.

The technology stack is intentionally minimal: Square for payments and e-commerce, Google Analytics and Google Maps Platform APIs for analytics and directions, and Substack for newsletters. There is no public API, no AI/ML components, and no external institutional investors or funding rounds on record. The company operates on organic reinvestment of profits and has added three distinct revenue lines (cookbooks, CSA, Steve's Books) since beginning profitability in 2010 — nine years after founding.

Name

Farmer and The Cook

Legal name

Farmer and the Cook

Website

https://farmerandcook.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Farmer and the Cook is a privately held organic market, café, bakery, and CSA in Ojai, California, founded in 2001, serving local residents and visitors with farm-to-table vegetarian and vegan Mexican cuisine from its own 16-acre CCOF-certified farm.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Farm-to-Table Organic Restaurant and Bakery

NAICS

Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Commercial Bakeries (311812)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Artisan & Specialty Bakeries (Sourdough, Heritage Grains) (THAFAFAD), Artisanal & Craft Bakeries (CRAHAGAA)

Keywords

• Organic cafe dining
• Farm-to-table restaurant
• Artisan organic bakery
• Community supported agriculture
• Vegetarian Mexican food

Headquarters

HQ city

Ojai

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant and Café: All-organic café serving creative, vegetarian and vegan Mexican food. Espresso bar, smoothie bar, and juice bar. Operating hours Mon-Wed 8AM-4PM, Thu-Sun 8AM-8PM.
2. Custom Bakery Orders: Custom cakes and baked goods for events. Includes organic vegan raspberry chocolate cake, carrot cake, matcha cake, and quiche. Cake orders must be placed a week before events.
3. Cookbook Sales: Sale of published cookbooks including 'Farmer and the Cook' cookbook ($36) and 'Baked' cookbook ($55).
4. Steve's Books: Sale of Steve Sprinkel's self-published book series - poetry, essays, and observations. 13 editions available at $16 each plus shipping.
5. CSA Membership: Community Supported Agriculture weekly produce boxes. Annual membership at $125/month ($1,500/year) or monthly at $140/month. Pickup every Thursday at the restaurant.
6. Merchandise: Branded merchandise including hats, beanies, and t-shirts designed in Ojai.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Farmer and the Cook operates an all-organic café, market, and prize-winning bakery in Ojai, California, serving creative vegetarian and vegan Mexican food, espresso, smoothies, juices, and artisan baked goods made from scratch with organic flour. The menu is supplied by an integrated 16-acre farm, and the business also runs a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) weekly produce box program, sells custom bakery orders for events, and publishes cookbooks and Steve Sprinkel's book series.

Product overview

Farmer and the Cook is an organic market-café-restaurant-bakery hybrid operated by a married couple (Steve Sprinkel and Olivia Chase) since 2001 in Ojai, California. The core offering is a farm-to-table café serving creative vegetarian and vegan Mexican food, backed by a 16-acre CCOF-certified organic farm and a prize-winning bakery. The business operates as a unified café-plus-bakery with a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program for weekly produce boxes. Ancillary revenue streams include published cookbooks ('Baked' 2026, 'Farmer and the Cook Cookbook' 2025), Steve Sprinkel's book series, custom bakery orders, merchandise, and a newsletter (The Forager). All ordering runs through Square e-commerce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Market & Café All-organic café serving creative, vegetarian and vegan Mexican food, with an espresso bar, smoothie bar, and juice bar. Menu ingredients are supplied by an integrated 16-acre farm whenever possible. Open Mon-Wed 8AM-4PM and Thu-Sun 8AM-8PM.
• Prize-Winning Bakery Organic bakery crafting sourdough loaves, croissants, and pastries daily from scratch using 100% organic flour. Features a 30-foot picture window overlooking the Topa Topa Mountains. Serves walk-in customers and provides the base for custom event orders.
• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program Weekly organic produce subscription program. Members receive boxes of seasonal vegetables, herbs, and fruits grown on the farm, picked up at the café every Thursday. Annual membership at $125/month ($1,500/year) and monthly membership at $140/month. Produce reaches members within 4 hours of harvest.
• Custom Bakery Orders Custom organic baked goods for events, including Vegan Raspberry Chocolate Cake ($125-$325), Organic Carrot Cake ($100), Organic Matcha Cake ($108), and Veggie & Cheese Quiche ($64, plus $20 pan deposit). Cake orders must be placed a week before events.
• Baked Cookbook 240-page hardcover cookbook authored by Olivia Chase featuring organic baking recipes from twelve bakers at Farmer and the Cook, including sourdough, morning pastries, cookies, and cakes. Many recipes are vegan and gluten-free. Priced at $55.
• Farmer and the Cook Cookbook 206-page hardcover cookbook authored by Olivia Chase with farm-to-table recipes and stories from Ojai, California. Features Mexican café dishes, Colombian-inspired recipes, and farm traditions spanning two decades. Priced at $36.
• Steve's Books Ongoing paperback book series by Steve Sprinkel combining poetry, essays, and field observations. 13 editions available, 40-120 pages each, priced at $16 plus shipping. Signed copies shipped on request.
• Branded Merchandise Branded hats, beanies, and t-shirts designed in Ojai, sold via the Square e-commerce storefront.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produce delivered within 4 hours of harvest
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• SquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationSquare processes all payment data for online orders, including custom bakery orders, CSA memberships, cookbooks, and merchandise. All payment and billing is handled and stored by Square's platform.
• Google Maps PlatformsupportingTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Maps Platform APIs are used for directions and location services on the website. Google Maps uses GPS, Wi-Fi, and cell towers to estimate user location for providing directions to the restaurant.
• Google AnalyticssupportingTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Analytics is used to track and analyze use of the Services. Advertising features include Demographics and Interests Reporting for understanding website visitors.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Chez Panisse: Alice Waters' Berkeley restaurant that defined California farm-to-table cuisine. Comparable philosophy and supply-chain approach to local/organic sourcing, though at far greater scale and fame.
• Cafe Gratitude: California plant-based restaurant group with multiple locations. Overlaps on the vegetarian/vegan, organic-leaning menu positioning, though it operates at a broader scale than a single-location café.
• Whole Foods Market: National organic and natural foods retailer with in-store bakeries, prepared foods, and local sourcing programs. A scaled competitor for both bakery customers and CSA/produce shoppers in the region.
• Sweetgreen: Large fast-casual chain built on fresh, organic, locally-sourced produce. Represents the well-capitalized incumbent competing for the same health-conscious, organic-premium consumer.

Direct peers

• Tartine Bakery: Iconic San Francisco artisan bakery and café known for sourdough and pastries made from scratch. Directly comparable as a bakery-plus-café hybrid with strong brand and cookbook presence.
• Sqirl: Los Angeles café-restaurant built on organic, seasonal, locally-sourced produce. Comparable farm-to-table and preservation-driven menu with a strong single-location brand identity.
• Proof Bakery: Los Angeles artisan bakery and café serving seasonal pastries and breads. Comparable small-format, scratch bakery with a devoted local following.
• Bread Alone Bakery: Wood-fired, organic bakery in the Hudson Valley with cafés and wholesale distribution. Comparable organic, scratch-production bakery with a regional community focus similar to Ojai.
• Bien Cuit: Brooklyn-based artisan bakery and café specializing in sourdough and pastries. Comparable premium, scratch bakery with a neighborhood-anchor model.

Others

• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: Non-profit farm and educational center in Pocantico Hills, NY with on-site Blue Hill restaurant. Comparable farm-to-restaurant operating model and regenerative-agriculture mission, useful as an ecosystem/advertising reference rather than a direct retail competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FarmerandtheCook
• Instagraminstagram.com/farmerandthecookojai
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-farmer-and-the-cook

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Farmer and The Cook