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When people come to the “Meet the Owner” event at the Tres Pinos Farmstand on Aug. 14, they are likely to already know Corissa King from her days with the rodeo, culminating in her selection as 2017’s Miss San Benito Rodeo, 2019’s Miss Gilroy Rodeo and 2021’s Miss Clovis Rodeo, as well as her run at the 2022 Miss Rodeo California crown.
And nobody is more likely to be surprised than King at suddenly becoming the new owner of the stand three weeks ago after buying it from the LaFournaise family, who had opened in the old 1800s Tres Pinos Ranch Supply & Feed Store location just last May.
“When they offered it to me,” King said, “I was very grateful. Dumbfounded, I guess, would be the correct word. Flabbergasted. Flattered. There are a lot of different words that I could use to describe that feeling, but I was extremely thankful.”
The stand was originally an expansion of the Tres Pinos Valley Farm Roadside Farmstand, two miles west on Southside Road. King met the LaFournaises when she helped prepare their daughter, Violet, for several rodeo queen contests she’d entered. The relationship continued when King, who also works for Windswept Farms, would bring the family the dried apricots they ordered for the small stand.
When offered the opportunity to buy the business, King said she jumped at it, hoping to build on the hard work that had gone into its opening.
“They spent a lot of time and money on this place,” she said. “I did not want to see that go into the garbage. And it’s been made very apparent to me that people love the stand and are super thankful that I kept it open.”
As she planned the transition, King was determined to maintain the staff, most of whom were high school or college students from within the county.
“That was a key thing to me,” she said. “I want to be sure to keep them employed. I know that when I was in high school and college, it was important for me to have a job. So I wanted to continue to support them.”
King also wanted to keep the store’s focus on high-quality locally produced items, particularly from some of the smaller producers within the county.
“A lot of these people aren’t able to have their own storefronts,” King said, “and it makes me feel satisfied that I’m able to provide them with a place to sell their products. It’s super important to me and is a way of supporting the community.”
Along with the remaining inventory of items produced by Tres Pinos Valley Farms, like honey, infused salts, coffee and teas, regular BenitoLink readers will recognize a good deal of the inventory from previous “Eat, Drink Savor” articles including El Nopal, Big Paw Olive Oil, Mansmiths BBQ Sauce, Paicines Ranch Meats, Salt & Peppertree Pasta, Big Guy Organics and Wise Goat Organics.
Big Paw Olive Oils. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Tres Pinos Valley Farm garlic salt. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Tres Pinos Farmhouse coffee and Cafe de Olla syrup. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Specialty flowers. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Cal-Best walnuts. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Tres Pinos Valley Farm honeycomb. Photo by Robert Eliason.
Keeping things local, King said, is a way of keeping things very select, very fresh and of very high quality.
“Small businesses are highly motivated,” she said. “They’re going to work hard to make sure that everything is so good that you continue to come back for more. And it’s extremely important to buy local to support them.”
Some of the products at the stand date from before King took over the shop, but she is working to supplement her inventory with new items like fresh eggs from San Juan Bautista’s Martin Ranch and produce from Randy Romero’s Big Guy Organics.
Romero said he was connected to King by a “friend of a friend” and that arranging to bring his product to the stand is as easy as sending her a text.
“I give her a list of what’s fresh right now,” he said, “because it’s constantly changing. She picks and chooses through that list, and she tries different things out. Right now, tomatoes are really big for me and just in season.”
“Really big” might be an understatement: his Black Krim, Speckled Roman, Berkeley Tie-Dye, Heirloom, New Girl and Harvest Moon tomatoes have already sparked lines of customers waiting for his Wednesday deliveries. Romero has also brought in broccoli, caulilini, sweet bicolor corn, squash, and beets.
“I like that he picks all of his produce himself,” King said. “It’s extremely important to me to know that there’s one hand that’s touching our produce, and it goes straight to the consumer.”
Customer Raven Howell, who has been coming in around once a week since the stand opened, said she often picks up some of the fresh lavender to make lavender-lemon popsicles for her children. She also regularly buys the stand’s eggs and Paicines Ranch meats.
“The eggs are such wonderful colors,” she said. “They taste like regular eggs, but they stay fresher longer, which is really cool. And I like getting fresh meat that I know where it comes from, and I don’t have to worry about pesticides.”
“I’m so grateful for what this place is doing,” said Paicines Ranch Business Manager Mary Rowan. “It’s more than just a place to shop—it’s bringing people together. Every time I’m there, I see both familiar and new faces.”
That community spirit can be seen in King’s efforts to help therapy horse organization Cooper’s Calling, housed in the same building. Customers have the option to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar, with all proceeds going to Cooper’s.
“We are grateful to be sharing this space with them,” King said. “I want to be a shop that is supportive of the community. I feel that this is something that San Benito County needs, and I’m thankful to be able to provide it.”
Tres Pinos Farmstand
6980 Airline Hwy, Tres Pinos
Hours:
Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sundays 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Tres Pinos Farmstand can be found on Instagram.
Local vendors may contact King at corissa@trespinosfarmstand.com.
Recommendations for future Eat, Drink, Savor articles can be emailed to roberteliason@benitolink.com.
BenitoLink thanks our underwriters, Hollister Super and Windmill Market, for helping to expand the Eat, Drink, Savor series and give our readers the stories that interest them. Hollister Super (two stores in Hollister) and Windmill Market (in San Juan Bautista) support reporting on the inspired and creative people behind the many delicious food and drink products made in San Benito County. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.
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