Hi there, my name is Christian Thompson, I run a artisanal farm with my two sons on the Central Coast of California.  Here at Soquel Creek Farms, we raise Mangalitsa pigs and chickens (for eggs), we grow, apples, peaches, pears, plums, pluots, kiwi, cherry, olives, nuts, avocado, mulberry and lemon.  We also grow, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, grapes and an assortment of vegetables.

Our farm is ran with a few guiding goals.  Permaculture by design, biodiversity and soil health to address pests first, with a focus on building edible forest. We ruthlessly conserve, store and use cautiously resources (water, power).  We treat all for which we are responsible with great respect and ensure all living creatures here on the farm live healthy, happy lives.  We leverage the latest technologies available and sell what we grow and raise to those who want the very best.

A little background, I started my professional career in chemical engineering building a brand and series of products focused on the construction industries.  Following the sale of General Chemical, moved into finance where I built The Capital Quorum, a financial services firm focused on the hedging of risk of one kind or another.

Feeling a need to truly contribute to my community, I funded and co-founded a non-profit in the City of Capitola called, The Capitola Public Safety and Community Service Foundation (www.capitolafoundation.org). I was the President of the organization for approximately 5 years and oversaw its explosive growth and was truly fortunate to participate in the creation of several events including, The Capitola Rod and Custom Classic Car Show, which is in it’s 16^th year (www.capitolacarshow.com) . I remain an Emeritus Member of the Board of Directors.

In 2007, I took a position as a Police Officer within the City of Capitola. During that time, I investigated everything from petty theft to such things as robbery and homicide. I am a recipient of a Medal of Merit and the Red Cross Hero’s award. I retired as a police officer in February 2015.

I am now the Deputy Chief Information Security Officer for a large technology company specializing in the FinTech space.  I also own and operate a small farm and am interested in a wide range of topics (farming, future tech, poverty, ecology, and anything that might push a little adrenaline).

-Chris
cjt@soquelcreek.com
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