A farming family with Italian roots looks at the next 100 years on the land
ELK GROVE, CA: The Prosperi family farm began in 1920, nearly 100 years ago. Today, several generations later, the family is still farming and has permanently protected their 228 acres from development, so they can continue to farm for at least 100 more years.
The City of Madera is rapidly growing, like most other cities in California, and acres upon acres of prime farmland throughout the region are paved over every year. But thanks to the Prosperi family and the California Farmland Trust (CFT), these 228 conserved acres will help balance the city’s growth, supply local industry, and allow this farming family to continue feeding your family.
The Prosperi family’s cluster of three farms is run by Denis and Terri, their son Kyle and his family, along with their cousins Michael Prosperi & Karla Bauman. They grow a variety of wine grapes that supply nearby wineries like Quady Winery and The Wine Group. These properties have been home to wine grapes since 1948 when the original farm holdings grew after Victor Prosperi, Denis’ father, purchased additional acres.
“Working with Charlotte Mitchell and her staff was a very pleasurable experience because of their knowledge and professionalism,” says Denis Prosperi. “My family and I are very happy that we were able to make sure the land that I and my children grew up on will forever be dedicated to food production.”
The family owes their farming heritage to their grandfather, who arrived in California from Italy in 1905. He worked for the Sugar Pine Lumber Company and in 1920 bought his first 20-acre farm in the LaVina area. He had three sons who all farmed until they passed away. Now the current generation, and many more to come, can freely carry on their family’s tradition of land stewardship without the threat to convert to other uses.
“Like most farm families in the Central Valley, the Prosperis’ have been working this land for generations,” says CFT Executive Director, Charlotte Mitchell. “We were honored to help them forever protect the legacy of this fertile farmland.”
The Prosperi farms are located in a scenic agricultural area that supports numerous orchards and vineyards. However, these lands are facing increasing growth pressure from the nearby City of Madera and are in need of protection. Now, these lands cannot be developed and will forever feed our families.
