Heavenly Sweet Medibles

Written by Jami Eiring
Mad River Farms
Jam Out When Flavor’s About
Food
Farmer
Series
A local caregiver stood in front of Mad River
Farm’s table at the Humboldt Artisans Craft and
Music Festival looking at their jams. “Would you
like to taste something?” Robin Bartlett, owner
of Mad River Farm, asked. “No I’m very familiar
with your product,” the caregiver said. “I have
a client that will only take her medication if it
is with your jam.” This is one of Bartlett’s fondest
Mad River Farm memories and it happened
shortly after she and her husband purchased the
company in November of 2014.
Mad River Farm was founded in 1986. The
original owner developed hand crafted recipes
still used today for hand poured jams, jellies,
and sauces. All products are made in Humboldt
County and distributed to most markets throughout
the county, and through mail order to other
parts of the state. Mad River Farm produces what
the FDA calls “fancy grade jam,” equal parts sugar
and fruit, considered a low sugar jam. “Fruit is
the first and main ingredient in our jams,” Bartlett
said.
Bartlett, who grew up on an orchard in Trinity
County, has always been interested in preserving;
her mother canned everything and taught
her how. She says that local ingredients make
Mad River Farm’s product special. “I use as many
local ingredients as I can possibly get.” She tries
to get blackberries and huckleberries from local
pickers. Berries that do not grow in Humboldt
County are shipped in frozen. Their apple products
are made with apples from local orchards;
they also freeze their own applesauce, later to become
apple butter.
Devoted to the world of produce, they also
have a garden of their own. “We’re able to grow
great batches of tomatoes, corn and green beans,
and I can them to use in the wintertime,” Bartlett
said. “Those aren’t the only things we grow, of
course, we have a large garden.”
Right now, Bartlett and her husband, who devote
50 to 60 hours a week to the company, are
doing all the work. “The only thing used, machinery-wise,
is the cooking kettle we use to stir,” Bartlett
said. “We pour it in jars, put the lids on, and
distribute it all ourselves,” but they are hoping
to expand the business in the near future. Bart-
lett said she hopes that by spring
they will be able to hire someone full
time. “We do all of the cooking, jarring,
packaging, shipping and distributing,”
she said, “It’s all us and it takes a lot of
work.” Bartlett said her husband usually
comes in and starts the batches, and she
will help finish them -- but she can start
and then he will help her pour. “We both
can do everything,” she said. Most of the
time, though, he is in charge of labeling
and distributing while she is in charge of
making sure they have the right inventory,
shipping and cooking materials.
Mad River Farm produces a wide variety
of jams; from apricot to jalapeño
to slug slime (apple butter with a twist).
They also offer fruit toppings and barbecue
sauces. Their products can be found
in markets around Humboldt County, as
well as Los Bagels, Wildflower Cafe and
Bakery, Lighthouse Grill and Trinidad
Eatery. Mad River Farm even ships four
gallons of product, at least once a week,
to a restaurant chain in Southern California
called Urth Café. “People like our jam
because of the real fruit flavor that’s in it,”
she said. “Besides the fact that it is hand
crafted. I think that is one of the things
that draws people to it.”
Another great memory Bartlett has as
owner of Mad River Farm is of a women
in Florida telling her the reason she orders
their jam is because it is the only jam
her grandson will eat. “And I was just like,
wow,” Bartlett said. “People love our jam.”
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