My name is Larry Bonanni, and along with my wife, Edye Bonanni, we own and operate Ransom Hill Garlic. Over twenty years ago, we decided to pull up our roots, leave urban living behind, and move to the country. We relocated to Pompey, New York—a quiet, rural town 15 miles south of Syracuse. To be honest, the transition took a few years to get used to. It was nothing like our life in the city. Suddenly, we had no streetlights, we were relying on well water, and we had to adjust to the sounds of howling wildlife we couldn’t see, and bugs—let me tell you about the bugs! But as time passed, we fully embraced the country way of life and fell deeply in love with its peacefulness. Before the move, Edye was a Special Education teacher in the Syracuse City School District, and I was a Syracuse Police Detective. Perhaps because of our demanding careers, we came to truly cherish the peace and quiet our new home offered.
The country turned our lives in a completely unexpected direction when we met our neighbors, John Sustrae and Karen Kearny. Together, they owned a vibrant, 120-acre food-producing farm and vineyard. John generously offered me the opportunity to work alongside him. After I retired, I took John up on his offer. Suddenly, I was learning viticulture, winemaking, mushroom foraging, and the art of growing garlic. Surrounded by apple, plum, and nut trees, a whole new life was emerging for me.
Tragically, just two months into my apprenticeship, John passed away in his beloved vineyard—the very place where he had planted every vine and loved to be. Karen pulled herself up by her bootstraps and courageously carried the farm forward. Over the next 14 years, she generously shared her knowledge, teaching us everything we needed to know to sustain the grapes, garlic, and mushrooms.
In October of 2012, inspired by that legacy, Ransom Hill Garlic was born, and we planted our very first field of garlic. Over the years, our loyal customer base has continued to grow. You could always find Edye and me sharing our harvest at the Syracuse Downtown Farmers Market, Nichols Supermarket in Liverpool, and the New York State Fair—where, for a number of years running, we were honored to win Blue Ribbons for the best garlic in New York State. Ransom Hill Garlic can also be found at the Mohawk Valley Garlic Festival, held yearly on the second Saturday of September in Little Falls, New York.
