Meet John Klunder: a suburban farmer in Citrus Heights

Updated June 15, 7:52 p.m.–
By Mike Hazlip— Known as “Farmer John” to friends and neighbors, Citrus Heights resident John Klunder and his wife use their storied property to grow farm-to-fork produce.

The Klunders live on one-and-a-half acres at 7044 Mariposa Ave. and John Klunder says growing produce brings him closer to the earth. He originally started growing produce for his own family, then decided to use his land to grow enough to sell and distribute locally.

His produce stand is open on Saturdays from July through September, and canned goods made by his wife are also available.

“It’s something that we just love to do,” Klunder said. “It gives us an opportunity to get one with the earth, so to speak. It’s an enjoyable thing, it’s a wonderful process.”

Klunder fertilizes his garden organically using horse manure that he gets from nearby neighbors who keep horses on their property. He also adds mulch from SMUD and various tree companies along with any organic material from around the farm back into the soil.

“That’s one of the biggest things right there is utilizing what we have,” he said. “When you hear a quote every now and then that says that there ain’t no more dirt, we’re making dirt all the time with the compost and the wood chips. We’re constantly improving.”

Much of what he doesn’t sell goes to the Sunrise Christian Food Ministry, Klunder said, adding that he plants more than what he thinks he will need solely for that purpose. Last year, Klunder said he donated about 650 pounds of produce to the organization.

Klunder was working as a contractor in 1987 when he saw the property on Mariposa Avenue come on the market. Years of neglect had left it overgrown and in need of repair, but Klunder saw potential. He said the property was in foreclosure and the bank was looking to offload what he called a bad loan. After some some negotiating, the Klunders closed the sale in a week for $142,000.

It remains one of the few properties in Citrus Heights that was originally used as a farm, according to Klunder. When an old growth oak tree came down in a storm in 1996 or 1997, Klunder said counting the rings in the stump revealed it was 375 years old.

A few olive trees remain on the property that Klunder says were part of a 1920s era farm. Even the bricks have a story to tell. Klunder said a former owner of the property, Jacques, came to the door with information about the home, revealing that he had salvaged 6,000 bricks from Old Sacramento to build the patio.

Jacques was also the owner of Chez Jacque, a restaurant in Town and Country Village, Klunder said. The home was the talk of the town known for parties and featured in a 1954 home and garden section of the Sacramento Union.

He said the property began to decline after Jacque sold it. The new owners ran an automotive business that Klunder said was rumored to be a chop shop because of overnight activity. Eventually weeds took over the property prior to the foreclosure.

Klunder, who has been previously featured in The Sentinel for his ceramic work, said photography classes helped him see the value in the property.

Related: Meet John Klunder, the Citrus Heights man who works wonders with ceramics

“Part of the course was positive mental attitude,” he said, adding that Napoleon Hill and Clement Stone were required reading. “We got a whole lot of good information at the time. That is basically what inspired me to see this property for what it could be, rather than what it was. And somebody was knocking on the door, and we opened that door and had the opportunity.”

That opportunity has brought an almost ten-fold harvest for Klunder who said the property has gone up in value.

“I’ve talked with realtors recently (who) said that, what we paid for back then, $140,000 right now is worth over $1 million,” he said. “So I’m happy it works for me. A lot of work, but the work was worth it.”