Michal Venera grew up in Prague, at that time part of Communist Czechoslovakia. After spending his teen years shooting photos on the streets of the old city, he defected from his country at the age of 19. He spent time in refugee camps, worked odd jobs and eventually put himself through the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. His successful career in photography has spanned 30 years, working for clients like Pottery Barn and Wells Fargo.
Minhsing Chen is an architect specializing in planning large and complex healthcare facilities. She came to the US to study with her sister when she was 16. After studying architecture in multiple cities, she moved to the Bay Area. Farming is one of the accidental adventures that she embarked on with Michal. Her transition from city girl to ranch hand has been full of surprises, not the least of which included rescuing and raising an orphaned lamb.
The couple split their time between their converted 120-year old tug boat docked in Sausalito and La Colina Roja, their 36-acre olive ranch in West Marin.