From a distance, Chalfant Big Trees Farm & Feed appears as a lush swathe of green rising from Chalfant Valley’s sandy soils. As the hands and hearts that have kept this family-owned garden store growing strong since its founding in 2003, Steve and Debbie Blair are firmly rooted in the Eastern Sierra community: they are committed to doing what they can to keep the region beautiful and productive.

As business sponsors of Eastern Sierra Land Trust, Steve and Debbie Blair of Chalfant Big Trees Farm & Feed are committed to helping protect working and wild landscapes, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities in the Eastern Sierra.

As business sponsors of ESLT, Steve and Debbie Blair of Chalfant Big Trees Farm & Feed are committed to helping protect working and wild landscapes, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities in the Eastern Sierra.

So when the Blairs learned of ESLT’s effortsto protect the Eastern Sierra’swild and working lands, they saw an opportunity to take their commitment a step further by teaming up with usand sponsoring ourwork.

Chalfant Big Trees first became involved with Eastern Sierra Land Trust through ourEastside Pollinator Garden Project, which has beenhelping locals create and certify pollinator habitat in yards, gardens, and community spaces since 2014.

When Steve and Debbie planted their own certified pollinator habitat, the effect was enormous. “For years, we’ve had the best vegetable garden. But we weren’t getting any pollination the bees just weren’t here,” Steve remembers. After creating a pollinator garden, “every single blossom had a bee in it. It made a huge difference.”

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Regardless of whether you’d rather keep bees or run from them, Steve knows that there’s plentyyoucan do to keep the Eastern Sierra blooming. “It helps so much to take just a small portion of your property and dedicate it to a number of native plants. You don’t have to think big – just a few plants here and there, and the pollinators will come.”

In addition to adding native plants to their landscape, Steve and Debbie have started beekeeping. They now have three active hives, and sell all the necessary supplies at Chalfant Big Trees. They even host free educational classes to teach beekeeping basics to beginners, in addition to annual classes on tree pruning, choosing the right organic soil, and more.

As a business sponsor of Eastern Sierra Land Trust, Chalfant Big Trees Farm & Feed has made generous financial contributions in support of ourwork. Theyhave also helped enhance ourPollinator Demonstration Garden, located at the ESLT office (250 N. Fowler St. in Bishop), by donating supplies and materials to help ourfront yard come to life with birds, bees, and butterflies.

The Blairs’ support goes beyond their commitment to creating pollinator havens. As hunters, they consider maintaining healthy wildlife populations a top priority, and view ESLT’s work to protect wildlife habitat as critical. From Steve’s perspective, “ESLT isn’t like other environmental groups‚Ķ They don’t take sides. Instead, they focus on what wildlife needs to thrive.”

In addition to their financial contributions, Chalfant Big Trees Farm & Feed helped supply Eastern Sierra Land Trust with many of the materials needed to create our new Pollinator Demonstration Garden.

Chalfant Big Trees Farm & Feed helped supply ESLT with many of the materials needed to create our new Pollinator Demonstration Garden.

Just a 15-minute drive out Highway 6 from Bishop, Chalfant Big Trees Farm & Feed provides Eastern Sierra residents with a vast assortment of trees, shrubs, landscaping supplies, livestock feed, and much more. After thirteen years in business, the Blairs are busier than ever; they now sell hundreds of plant varieties, in addition to a wide selection of other items. As their website suggests, “you never know what you will find until you look inside the many buildings on the farm.”

Chalfant Big Trees Farm & Feed is located at 395 Hunter Ave. in Chalfant Valley. Give them a call at(760) 873-7129!