Meet Melissa Machado Cheney of Machado Family Farms
We’re excited to introduce you to Melissa Machado Cheney, a fourth-generation walnut grower in Linden, California.
Tell us a little bit about the history of your farming operation.
Machado Family Farms was founded in the early 1900s by my great-grandfather, who immigrated to California from the Azores. He started with sheep and dairy cows on the home ranch. Years later, the farm moved to row crops with my grandfather, then decades later my father and uncle added orchards.
When did you start working in the family business?
I had a career in corporate healthcare and there wasn’t an obvious successor to take over the farm. I couldn’t imagine getting rid of the land, so 10 years ago I left my career, and my husband Drew and I moved to Linden, California. We immediately jumped into the operation and began learning the ropes.
Drew is an enormous help on the farm, from running its walnut hulling and drying operations to implementing regenerative practices like sheep grazing through our orchards, improving soil health and spraying less pesticide by utilizing cover crops. I handle the farm’s employee benefits and social media pages, and currently transitioning to oversee the finances. My family has had our farm for more than 100 years, and Drew and I continue to develop the vision for the future of our operation, thinking about the bigger picture and plans for what’s next.
How do you combine your passion for health, fitness and nutrition into your farming practices?
My passion for health, fitness and nutrition are easily intertwined with my farming practices and allow me to focus on the things I love without sacrificing time with my family. As a CrossFit L-2 and Nutrition Coach, I own and operate One Body Whole Health, a full-scale gym on the farm where we offer CrossFit (and “CropFIT” for farmers and walnut growers), Yoga, Pilates, Tumbling, AquaFIT classes and nutrition coaching. The farm and gym are both representations of who and what we are, and how we work to provide people with the tools and food, like walnuts, to lead healthy, connected lives. My husband coaches the “CropFIT” classes at night and two early mornings, and I coach all of the CrossFit, FIT, Tumbling and AquaFIT classes.
What are your favorite ways to use walnuts in your recipes?
I’m always thinking about new ways to incorporate walnuts into meals and snacks. Some of my favorite recipes I’ve created are Cherry Walnut Bread and Pumpkin Walnut Chili. Every holiday, we also make candied walnuts or maple walnut ice cream as customer appreciation gifts. I also incorporate walnuts into my recipes and nutrition coaching that I share with clients and on my social media platforms.
What do you love most about your role at Machado Family Farms?
My husband and I make a great team, and I love working alongside him. In my role, I take pride in speaking to the health benefits of walnuts and doing my part in sharing where our food comes from with consumers. There’s so much to learn about walnuts – from nutrition information to farming practices and beyond – and I’m proud to get vital information out about the crop we love to grow.
What’s in store for the future of Machado Family Farms?
Drew and I realize that we can’t continue to farm the way my family did 50 years ago, and we have to think outside the box in order to be more sustainable. Our mission of “returning to our roots” is not just to continue my family’s legacy, but to build a resilient agricultural business by creating healthier ecosystems for our children and future generations. It’s taking responsibility for our land and living out our mission as our ancestors did.
