Purchasing Denise Gould’s canned items, especially her bread and butter pickles, is a privilege enjoyed by Verde Valley CSA members.
Getting to know Denise Gould and Hilary Barnett
It’s easy to see why Denise Gould wanted to call Willowbrook home. A sharp left off Middle Verde Road and a short distance down a steep drive brings you into what feels like a different world. Towering willow trees remind you just how green “green” can be. Several spreads of iris crawl up the embankment leading to the OK Ditch, one of the oldest operational irrigation ditches in the Verde Valley and the source of Willowbrook Farm’s water.
The structures on the property were built in the 1970s by a couple with intentions of being self-sufficient. The main house was built with adobe bricks from Mexico, and the roof with rescued redwood timbers. A neighboring structure was built into the hillside using earth as insulation. But it wasn’t the structures that captured her interest.
Gould’s history is rooted in Arizona agriculture. Her mother’s family were early homesteaders near Thatcher and Safford. Her father grew alfalfa, wheat, sugar beets, and cotton. After she received her degree in education, she moved to Northern California, living in a small place within an apple orchard just outside of Santa Rosa. While there, she took gardening classes and fell in love with the idea of growing her own food. Gould credits a professor at Santa Rosa Junior College for converting her to natural and organic practices, something she could never convince her father to embrace.
“What I’m most proud of is our soil. We take good care of it, and it takes good care of us.” —Denise Gould
Denise Gould and Hilary Barnett.
After a stint in upstate New York, Gould—now a mother and certified Master Gardener—returned to the Verde Valley with her daughters, Hilary and Hope. She helped another farming family in Cottonwood until 2003, when Willowbrook became available. Gould says she “started growing garlic and then just expanded from that.” Her neighbor, Diane Scantlebury, had a hydroponic greenhouse where she grew herbs and lettuce. It wasn’t long before the two farming friends decided to start what is now known as Verde Valley Farmers Market.
A few years later, they received encouragement to start a community- supported agriculture (CSA) harvest subscription program. Gould says, “We started out very small because it was just Diane and me growing, and anyone else we could source from. Then a few years went by, and we decided to hook up with Whipstone Farm, and we’ve been partnering with them since.” Together, Willowbrook and Whipstone supply the majority of produce for the now- 60-member Verde Valley CSA.
Gould’s daughters, Hilary and Hope Barnett, are fifth-generation farmers. Hilary alternated between living in the Pacific Northwest and Arizona, eventually making her way to Bisby, where she earned an herbalist certification from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine.
She returned to Willowbrook with the intention of growing medicinal herbs. It never took off, so she “just went with growing food.” For more than 10 years, both daughters were heavily involved in Willowbrook’s operation while juggling other part-time positions. Together, they handled the farm work, attended the Verde Valley Farmers Market, and continued the CSA.
Two years ago, Hope was offered a full-time teaching position. Since then, Hilary has done the majority of the fieldwork with help from her partner, Marshall Maude. She says, “The first year I told myself, ‘You have to be really smart about this, you can’t plant too much.’ Last year, that all went out the window and I planted varieties I’ve never tried before, and I just kind of went for it, and it was fine.”
Both Gould and Hilary emphasize the importance of their CSA program. “Large farms are subsidized,” says Hilary. “If their crop fails, they still get paid. Smaller farms don’t have that. So that’s the good thing about the CSA model. You’re supporting that farm through its ups and downs.” She acknowledges they could expand the CSA program but it would mean leaving the farmers market they helped create.
That is an option Hilary is not willing to consider. “I believe in the farmers market and being a member of the community. I like to support our town and other growers and be involved and meet new people.” The weekly gathering is a favorite for another reason: “The best part is talking with other growers. Whatever is happening on the farm, I realize it’s not just me.” Whether lamenting the effects of Curly Top Virus or comparing grasshopper damage, the weekly market offers a valuable source of community for more than just customers.
Since the beginning, soil health has always been a key component of Willowbrook. “It’s just like with our bodies: We need certain elements and nutrients to survive and plants are the same,” Gould says. Hilary monitors soil composition and uses cover crops and mulch to maintain its health. The growing practices initiated by Gould and continued by Hilary are all natural and organic, though the farm does not have organic certification.
Willowbrook is larger than what is under cultivation. Gould placed nine acres into a conservation easement with the Central Arizona Land Trust to preserve the area and help protect the Verde River, the main source of Willowbrook’s water. Everything produced on the farm comes straight from the soil the women of Willowbrook tend so carefully. This season, nature permitting, you can enjoy Hilary’s famous lettuce mix, chard, kale, mustard greens, radishes, salad turnips, beets, carrots, summer squash, garlic scapes, garlic, onion, cucumber, tomato, Italian peppers, eggplant, blackberries, stone fruit, and more. CSA members will also enjoy special access to the fruits of Gould’s canning garden, including tomatoes, sauerkraut, Gould’s exceptional pickles, jams, and preserves.
