Garlic at Naccarato Farms in Paso Robles
Story by Zoe Elliott-Shaw
Photography by Gennan Shippen
At the end of each summer, Zeb Zak prepares to welcome his newest children — thousands of them.
At least that’s how he sees farming garlic on his property in Paso Robles. Seed prep begins in late September through mid October. Then planting takes place through early November. Garlic scapes (the edible flower stalks of garlic plants) are harvested at the end of April and bulb harvest occurs from May to June. The bulbs are then dried and processed over a few weeks.
“The whole time frame is close to nine months,” he says. “I would relate it to growing a child.”
Since welcoming a baby of the human variety last year (the family’s second child), Zeb instinctively dotes over his field crop with parental dedication. He even tucks it in, so to speak, during the curing process, which requires a warm, shaded and well-ventilated space like a garage, covered porch, or basement. There, Zeb shades the young garlic bulbs with burlap cloth in protective nests.
“I’ve figured out how to cut the stalks and push that nutrition back into the bulb before harvest,” he explains. “I guess that scape is a little like an umbilical cord.”
Zeb has been experimenting with growing garlic on two acres at his Naccarato Farms since 2020. A Southern California native, he was wooed by the Central Coast during high school, when he competed as a rodeo athlete. A love of ranch life was a part of his identity. These early cattle days drew Zeb to Cal Poly, where he earned a B.S. in Advanced Food Science in 2013.
The self-proclaimed “garlic nerd” has planted about 50,000 bulbs per acre. Several years of experimentation led to a rich relationship with garlic. His connection with the land as a cowboy and farmer continued as he set out to pursue his career, build a family and find community around some of the best perks life can offer: a plot of land, good people, cattle, quality steak and great beer.
Zeb and his wife, Kaitlyn, begin every growing season in the fall when they plant the field with cloves. Zeb recalls the Naccarrato farm conception with a chuckle: “The first planting looked like my wife, brother, and I scooting down the rows on our backsides until 50,000 plants were sown.”
Asked about the challenges of each growing season, he says, “You are looking for that larger clove size, its flavor, the color of the bulb, and the perfect length of season to set you apart from other growers,” he explains. “Then there is the water. Conserving water and working with the fluctuations in weather is key, too.”
Along with its versatility, garlic has many varietals and characteristics from the more robust, spicy hard neck varieties to soft neck heirlooms that are celebrated for their mellow flavor, flexible stems and long shelf life. Heirloom varietals can differ in the tightness of their skins and their skin color, which can range from a hardy German White to Chrysalis Purple, Inchelium Red and Belarus Pink.
Through trial and error, Zeb has learned a lot.
“One year we grew one heirloom soft neck varietal we absolutely loved. The clove size and texture were great, but we quickly realized the clay in our soil was turning its white papers reddish brown,” he recalls. “This would affect our buyers at market, so we had to pivot.”
Once the winter cultivation period is under way, Kaitlyn and Zeb look forward to early spring when the garlic scape appears.
“Those first curled green shoots are something else. They’re great on the grill with a steak, or on pizza, or pickled; you name it,” says Zeb. “We like to have ceremonial planting parties and farm dinners, where family will come up to help and then we’ll feast.”
They enjoy it a myriad of ways: roasted whole until sweet and mellow and spread on bread; sliced thin and fried; or scattered on a noodle dish. Whether a little raw garlic is grated into a bowl of tortellini soup or a clove is mashed under the knife with an anchovy for a Caesar dressing, garlic always seems to have its place at the table.
Along with farming, Zeb is the director of packaging operations for Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Balancing his farm work with operations at the brewery makes for a busy life. But he is happy to have a full plate and hopes the Central Coast community will choose to put his garlic on their plates.
“Support your local farmers on the small scale, or they will go away, and we’ll only have large-scale producers,” he cautions. “It’s hard to compete with the demand for the Chilean imported stuff [meaning cheaper, mass-produced supply].”
For the Zak family, the allium adds essential spice to their lives. As another garlic season gets under way, Zeb is as energized as ever to bring new life to his fields.
