Guest: Erin Tormey, Director of the Coastside Farmers Market, and Proprietor of Farm Fatales of Irish Ridge Ranch

Host: Sophia Layne

Location: Irish Ridge, Half Moon Bay

🎧 Episode Summary:

In this heartwarming and deeply insightful episode, we visit Irish Ridge with Erin Tormey—farmer, food systems advocate, and the powerhouse behind the Coastside Farmers Market. From duck eggs to water tanks, from philanthropy to regenerative agriculture, Erin shares her fascinating life story and the philosophy behind her beautifully integrated, off-the-beaten-path farm life.

We explore what it means to value food, community, and land, and how serendipity and science intertwine in the beautiful coastal hills just south of Half Moon Bay, California.

🔍 What You'll Hear:

• Erin’s unlikely journey from Texas Instruments to a 70-acre ridge farm
• The day she met a woman banging on a water tank (and how it changed everything)
• How integrated regenerative farming really works—ducks, dogs, compost, and all
• Why duck eggs might be your next baking secret
• The truth behind “free range” labels and the economics of industrial eggs
• How chickens, cattle, compost, and fruit trees form a closed-loop system
• Why respecting our food sources—especially eggs—matters now more than ever

🛠️ Takeaways:

• The importance of building local, sustainable food systems
• Rethinking how we value eggs and the animals that produce them
• How intentional land stewardship connects food, science, and community
• That every great farm—and life—starts with a bit of chaos and a lot of heart

🧑‍🌾 About the Guest:

Erin Tormey is a farmer, regenerative agriculture advocate, and Director of the Coastside Farmers Market. She lives and works on Irish Ridge, cultivating community, compost, and consciousness one duck egg at a time.

😎 About the Host:

Sophia Layne is a long-time Coastsider, nature lover, and mom. She's a former director in the biomedical industry and recovering local school board member.