PETALUMA, Calif. —  Farmer William Henpenn is unique because he is a former chef and restaurateur who became a farmer 10 years ago.

He is now growing specialty crops, medicinal herbs and edible flowers to sell to top Bay Area restaurants and farmers markets.

Henpenn started preparing to be a chef when he was 15 years old, working in restaurants around Portland, Ore.

“This came about before opening my first and second restaurants about 10 years later,” he said.  “It was farm-to-table and only used the best tasting vegetables from local farmers. Each season, I develop a farming plan to accommodate chefs’ special requests.”

Lulu Meyer, director of operations at Foodwise and the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market applauded Henpenn and his contributions.

At the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, home cooks can shop just like the chefs who frequent the market to source certified organic edible flowers, unique vegetables and tender lettuces, all grown with soil health and flavor in mind, according to Sheree Bishop of Foodwise.

“We were so excited when William from Umbel Roots reached out to us about joining the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market this year,” Meyer said. “Their approach to farming, growing crops that chefs love, and understanding the farm-to-restaurant connection firsthand is exactly what we were looking for.”

“Each week, they have something at their Saturday stand that stops me in my tracks and inspires our shoppers and chef community. I look forward to seeing how their crop list evolves as they continue to deepen their relationships at our markets throughout the year,” Meyer said.

The 7-acre garden style farm grows more than 400 different crops throughout the year.

Blue anise hyssop, young ginger, turmeric and Pakistani mulberry are the most popular.

“Carrots are the hardest to grow,” Henpenn said with a laugh. “It requires lots of water, lots of care and lots of time. Fennel is my favorite crop; and our lettuces and dill are popular among customers.”

“Aside from the hunt to please our customers… finding the guests who want to support local farms is a challenge that faces California agriculture daily,” he said. “I would say, keep our money close, buy local — buy local and know your farmer and we will all be safe.”