Baroda Farms is one of the few remaining family farms on the central coast of California. It was originally started by the Jordan family in 1973. Baroda was the name of the small town next to the railroad siding on the ranch.

Steve Jordan and wife Trish, with his brother and sister began an operation that now covers 1200 acres in the Lompoc Valley.

Baroda Farms grows and sells an estimated 100,000 lbs of artichoke produce annually. However, this is not enough to satisfy the international demand. Europe and Latin America far exceed the amount of artichoke acres planted in the U.S.

Steve calls this the "Artichoke Gap." His efforts are focused on increasing the amount of artichoke farmland planted in America.

He is an expert in the industry and harvests a variety of artichoke grown from seed. Steve says, "we believe that we can create a better artichoke and make it available all year round."

Baroda Farms is the industry leader in bringing new varieties of artichoke to the U.S. consumer market. Currently Baroda grows 5 varieties of artichokes commercially with many other varieties in various trial stages. "It takes 6 years to trial a new variety before we can grow it commercially" Steve said.

Baroda Farms recently opened a state of the art plant breeding lab in Lompoc to study new varieties of artichokes as well as other a few other plants. This lab will help Baroda better evaluate new varieties and help them bring varieties with the most desirable growing and eating characteristics to market quicker. This commitment to research has already helped Baroda bring many new varieties to consumers all over North America. Click here to see some photos of the new lab.

The five commercial varieties currently grown by Baroda include:

Lyon - The Lyon is a very round, very large green artichoke. It features tight, compact leaves or bracts, and is very heavy. The bracts are very thick, tender and meaty. The flavor is very mild with out the bitterness some artichoke varieties can have.

The Lyon comes from an extensive breeding program in Southern France. It is best prepared steamed or boiled, but it can also be stuffed and baked or even marinated raw. It is available as a conventional pack or the wonderful long stem that makes an impressive plate presentation.

Fiesole - The sizing of the Fiesole can run from babies to large and the color is very deep red wine color. It is so red as to appear purple or violet. It is square or blocky shape. It is tender and has a "nutty" flavor. This artichoke is related to the famous Violettos of Southern France and Tuscany. The name comes from a small town north of Florence. It is available as a baby, which is very special. It is best used steamed or boiled (it keeps its color!) or trimmed and sauteed. This is also available as a long stem. It is so pretty that some use it ornamentally and then consume it.

Anzio - Ranging in size from medium to large, these red artichokes are not as red as the Fiesole, nor as large as the Lyon. This artichoke is related to the famous Romanesco variety from the region of Rome (Lazio). It is the prime ingredient of Carciofi alla Romana or Carciofi alla Guideca. It can be steamed or boiled, but traditionally it is stuffed and baked.

Campania - The Campania is a large red artichoke. Redder than the Anzio, but not quite as red as the Fiesole. It is the world's largest red artichoke as some have been harvested that weigh over 2 pounds. Like the Lyon, it also comes from extensive breeding program in Southern France and its usage is similar to the Lyon.

Big Heart - This is a large green variety and has a slightly blocky shape with a fairly flat top. This is the world's first patented artichoke seed and was developed in California by Rusty Jordan with supervision of Dole Vegetables. It has been grown from southern California to the Salinas valley. It is available in the long stem package also. It is sold exclusively by Dole Vegetables.