Farm Fund Archives | Community Food Co-op

Pure Nelida: A 2019 Next Step Recipient

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

April 2019

Nelida Martinez and her daughter hold organic veggies on pure nelida organic farm in skagit county washington

Nelida Martinez (at right) and her daughter hold armloads of organic produce grown on her farm in the Skagit Valley.

“Me gusta mucho crecer las plantas, producir buena alimentación, para alguien más. Me gusta mucho, este trabajo es mi pasión!” says Nelida, owner of Pure Nelida Organic Produce.

Translation: I like to grow plants and provide nourishment for everyone. I like it a lot, this work is my passion!

Photo courtesy of Pure Nelida.

Pure Nelida: A 2019 Next Step Grant and Loan Recipient

The story of Pure Nelida began 30 years ago when Nelida Martinez learned to cultivate fruits and vegetables in the fields of California.

For many years, she and her family worked and lived under the hot sun while being exposed to pesticides.

Nelida’s personal interest in organic food comes from her son’s diagnosis of leukemia and her suspicion that the disease arose due to the many years the family spent working in the pesticide-ridden fields of California. Despite a long battle, Nelida ultimately lost her son to the disease.

After moving to Washington, Nelida enrolled in bilingual sustainable farming courses, developed a business plan for an organic farm, and gained experience with organic farming with the assistance of Viva Farms in Skagit County, Washington state’s first bilingual farm business incubator.

Nelida’s passion as a farm owner has her always thinking of ways to improve her farming methods and expand her farm. She is currently farming on nine acres and plans to lease five additional acres.

photo of zlex perez of northwest agriculture business council and jean rogers of community food coop farm fund presenting a big check to nelida martinez of pure nelida

(from left) Alex Perez from Northwest Agriculture Business Center, Nelida Martinez from Pure Nelida, and Jean Rogers from the Co-op’s Farm Fund, gather to present Next Step grant and loan funds to Nelida.

The funds will be used to purchase and construct a large durable greenhouse that will help Nelida expand her business and increase efficiency on the farm

Unfortunately, this past winter windstorms destroyed the greenhouse she used to start her plants. Next Step grant and loan funds will be used to purchase and construct a large durable greenhouse that will help Nelida expand her business and increase efficiency on the farm.

Pure Nelida currently sells produce to the Puget Sound Food Hub, which delivers fresh produce to our stores. Nelida is also working to expand into more wholesale markets. Among other products, the farm sells berries, tomatillos, kale, chard, onions, corn, potatoes, and jalapeño, chili, and bell peppers.

Edited and reprinted with permission of Pure Nelida Organic Produce and Viva Farms.

Learn More

Learn more about Pure Nelida and Viva Farms. Find information about the Co-op's Farm Fund grant and loan programs.

2018 Farmer Award Recipients!

by Jean Rogers, Farm Fund Administrator

October 2018

Remember September? We can't stop reminiscing about the fun we had together!

To kick off Eat Local Month, the Co-op and Sustainable Connections hosted the Hootenanny to Benefit the Co-op’s Farm Fund at Boundary Bay Brewery.

All ages gathered together to celebrate community, dance, enjoy a delicious meal with ingredients specifically sourced from local farms, and to present the Local Farmer Awards.

woman at farm fair balancing pole on chin

photos by FotoMataio Fotografia on Instagram @fotomataio, courtesy of Eat Local First

We are thrilled to present the 2018 Local Farmer Award winners and tell you a little about each one.

As the late harvest season winds down it’s a perfect time to highlight the winners of the Local Farmer Awards, announced at the Farm Fund Hootenanny in September.

All the farmers who were nominated were fantastic, and selecting the recipients was a tough decision. As one nominator said, “pretty much all around classy group of people no matter where you turn.”

Congratulations to everyone who was nominated by their fellow farmers and local eaters.

2018 BRIGHT SPOT FARMER AWARD

Helen Solem,
Sumas River Farm

Some wonderful local farmers that add spark to our local food system were nominated, so we created a new award.

It is an honor to announce Helen, owner of Sumas River Farm as the recipient of the first Bright Spot Farmer Award.

Helen's many contributions run the gamut: delicious and unique produce and berries, participation and support for many food and farming events, sharing the history of Whatcom County farming, dedication to social justice, and the all-around warmth she brings to the work she does. Helen has worked tirelessly on her beautiful farm in Sumas, and brings dedication and positive energy to every project she is involved in. Well deserved, Helen, we appreciate you!

2018 NEW FARMER AWARD

Jen Finch & Colin Fischer,
Wanderwood Farm

If you’ve been to Wanderwood Farm’s booth at the Bellingham Farmers Market, you’ve probably seen or tasted their delicious produce and enjoyed a warm reception from these friendly folks.

Wanderwood got a big thumbs up from fellow farmers who nominated them for the New Farmer Award. One person said, “Jen has long been a part of the farmer and farmers market scene. They are a great addition to the farming community: active in the Bellingham Farmers Market board, and really have their act together.” Congratulations, Colin and Jen, and here’s to a great future for Wanderwood Farm!

2018 INNOVATOR FARMER AWARD

Griffin Berger,
Sauk Farm

Griffin has brought a unique, ambitious, and valuable new endeavor to our local food system and is bringing new products to the marketplace.

Specializing in apples and grapes, Sauk Farm just received its organic certification, which makes it one of the only organic apple growers on this side of the mountains. Griffin has also put a lot of effort into the infrastructure of Sauk Farm. The processing facility has a cider press and a certified organic dehydrator, which Griffin generously shares with other farms. Look for Sauk Farm ciders and dried and fresh apples (available seasonally) at the Co-op. Welcome, Griffin, and thanks for your creativity in bringing local, organic apples and grapes to our plates and glasses!

2018 MENTOR FARMER AWARD

Anna & Geoff Martin,
Osprey Hill Farm

Osprey Hill Farm is a mainstay of the local farming community and has grown steadily as a premier organic farm in the South Fork Valley.

Anna and Geoff have shared their expertise generously for many years with new farmers in Whatcom County. One nomination stated, “Anna is so generous with her time in supporting beginning farmers. Every season she teaches Cloud Mountain interns about the importance of business planning. Her passion for sharing her experience with young farmers is inspiring.” Anna has also been a mentor for Sustainable Connections’ Food to Bank On program for the last seven years, and is a participant and an original member of the Puget Sound Food Hub. Thanks, Anna and Geoff, for your stewardship of local farming!

Farm Fund Update: Next Steps Report

by Jean Rogers, Farm Fund Administrator

June 2018

The Community Food Co-op Farm Fund’s Next Step Project supports local farmers who are working to expand their farms and supply us with fresh, healthy food. Next Step gives a boost to farm expansion projects through grants and low-interest secured loans, and our 2017 recipients quickly made good use of the funding.

Congratulations to the 2018 Next Step recipients:

The Growing Garden, Terra Verde Farm, Wanderwood Farm, Foothills Farm, Mariposa Farm, Southern Exposure Family Farm, Wild Acres Family Farm, Boldly Grown Farm, and Ashmore Farm.

We look forward to following these nine farms through the growing season and will report on their accomplishments throughout 2018 as their projects progress.

Following is a snapshot of how the 2017 Next Step recipients have put the funds to use.

Spring Time Farm in Everson

Nick Spring and Sarah Robinson

Project: farm property purchase and infrastructure expansion

Accomplishment: invested in four new greenhouses, a walk-in cooler, and a wash station

Quote from the farmer: “It’s going to give us expansion potential and a more sustainable farm, with long-term control over managing the land. It feels amazing to build a long-term business. We have access to more land now, and the goal is to increase production and product availability. We supply the Co-op and have
a multi-year contract with the food bank.”

Terra Verde Farm in Everson

Amy and Skuter Fontaine

Project: farm property and equipment purchase (cultimulcher and mower)

Accomplishment: cultimulcher saved a lot of time and replaced rototilling; Skuter used to be out till 10 pm and now can be home in time to do deliveries

Quote from the farmer: “The cultimulcher saved a lot of time with field prep and I don’t even know how we’d get into the blueberries without it (the mower). It’s been fantastic, really been helpful for our operations.”

Misty Meadows Farm in Everson

Melissa and Mark Moeller

Project: infrastructure improvements and increase flock

Accomplishment: the farm has excess eggs for the first time

Quote from the farmer: “New chickens are busting out eggs all over the place!”

Osprey Hill Farm in Acme

Anna and Geoff Martin

Project: chick brooding infrastructure projects to enable poultry flock expansion

Accomplishment: now hatching 750 chicks every 3 weeks; preparing to add another brooder next year and increase that to 1,000 chicks

Quote from the farmer: “It (the new brooding room) is the core of the farm and hugely important, and knowing the Co-op has our back, we couldn’t do it without your support.”

Alluvial Farm in Everson

Katie Pencke and Matthew McDermott

Project: land and equipment purchase and upgrade to local custom bulk feed mix from Scratch & Peck

Accomplishment: increased from 10 to 50 animals (pigs) and sold all of them; signed first wholesale client

Quote from the farmer: “Without the Next Step grant and loan, it (purchasing custom feed) simply couldn’t have happened.”

Sauk Farm in Concrete

Carol, Jesse, and Griffin Berger

Project: purchase equipment (apple washer, automated fruit slicer, and heat pump dehydrator)

Accomplishment: only organic honey crisp producer in our area

Quote from the farmer: “The Next Step grant allowed us to purchase equipment that we use to make our grape and apple cider and our dried apples that are all available at the Co-op.”

Well Fed Farms in Bow

Well Fed Farms produce featured at the Co Op.

Erik Olson

Project: equipment purchase (seeder, cultivating tractor, disc harrow)

Accomplishment: started supplying product to the Community Food Co-op through the Puget Sound Food Hub; picked up sales to another local business and plans to add additional buyers

Quote from the farmer: “The increased production efficiency that I’ve gained through the tools purchased with the grant funds has definitely helped to move my farm in the direction necessary to grow larger volumes of produce with better consistency/quality and to find extra time and energy to market to new customers in Whatcom County.”

Lopez Bros. Farm in Mount Vernon

Feliciano Lopez

Project: purchased 1,500 berry plants; wholesale potential for other unique organic produce

Accomplishment: supplied berries to Community Food Co-op and Skagit Valley Food Co-op; recognized with the Innovator Local Farmer Award

Quote: “We were pleased to add the delicious berries from Lopez Bros. Farm to our produce departments and are eager to continue working with them.”
—Wynne Marks, Cordata store manager

Learn More

Learn more about the Farm Fund and see how you can donate and support local farms on our website.

Meet the 2018 Farm Fund Grant Recipients

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

April 2018

We are excited to introduce the 2018 grant recipients and share a brief introduction to their projects. Look for updates about these projects throughout the year.

Since 2000, the Co-op’s Farm Fund has granted funds to innovative projects that benefit local, sustainable, organic food and farming.

Co-op Farm Fund projects benefit not only the grant recipients, but benefit our entire community by helping to ensure the future of a vibrant and resilient local farming community and an ongoing supply of local, organic food for all of us. The Co-op Farm Fund is partially funded by your donations—this is your money at work!

Bellingham Food Bank Seed Money Project

In 2018, Seed Money will partner with up to five farms to supply fresh, local produce to Bellingham Food Bank. Here’s how it works: the food bank pre-pays wholesale contracts in March. Farms will grow one or two in-demand crops: cabbage, beets, or winter squash. When crops are ready for harvest, farms call Bellingham Food Bank’s Small Potatoes Gleaning Project and the gleaners harvest, pack, transport, and deliver the produce to Bellingham Food Bank. Farmers are responsible only for growing the food and providing an invoice for what has been harvested.

City Sprouts Farm’s Birchwood Community Farm Stand

Since the Birchwood area Albertsons grocery store closed in 2016, residents have sought solutions to food availability. The Birchwood Community Farm Stand (BCFS) will be centrally located in the Birchwood neighborhood to provide fresh, locally grown produce once a week. Birchwood farmers including City Sprouts Farm, Wild Rye, and Ten Fold Farm will provide fresh vegetables, eggs, and other food items such as locally made bread. The BCFS addresses food access issues and will give customers the opportunity to meet local growers. The stand also provides a marketing opportunity for farmers and producers to sell their goods based on cooperation rather than competition. Weekly information about organic, sustainable vegetable production and how to prepare the available produce will also be provided.

Matheson Farms’ New Rancher Camp

New Rancher Camp is a five-day intensive course for people interested in becoming farmers or ranchers. Participants learn new skills and discover a holistic approach to farming, life, and land management. The retreat-style hands-on camp teaches about livestock, business, grazing, and more. The camp hopes to help to fill the demand for skilled farm and ranch workers and to meet the future demand of retiring farmers and ranchers who would like to find someone qualified to take over their operations. Matheson Farms is a 60-year-old multi-generational local ranch that produces wholesome grass-fed and humanely raised beef and yak.

Sustainable Connections’ Food To Bank On

Started by the Co-op’s Farm Fund and now a Sustainable Connections program, Food To Bank On (FTBO) is a farm incubation project providing resources and mentorship to support the success of new farms while providing fresh, local food to area food banks. In 2018, FTBO will provide an annual series of agriculture-focused business planning workshops and projects to help participants develop successful, long-lasting farm businesses; contract with participating farms to grow food for partner hunger relief agencies, paying wholesale market rates; connect beginning farmers with experienced mentor farmers available for questions, guidance, experience, and to exchange farm visits; provide scholarships for farmers to attend relevant conferences and workshops; give farmers free access to Sustainable Connections’ resources; promote FTBO farms and provide marketing assistance; increase farmers’ access to professional business planning services; and collaborate with WSU Extension to offer farmer field days and Good Agricultural Practices trainings.

Twin Sisters Farmers Market

Twin Sisters is a cooperatively run mobile market that serves Nugent’s Corner and Kendall every Saturday from June through October. Its mission is to support development of a strong local food system in the Foothills region of Whatcom County by increasing affordable access to locally grown, healthy foods. Grant funds will be used to purchase unsold produce (at wholesale rates) remaining after the market closes and deliver it to Foothills Food Bank. This would allow participating farmers to bring more produce to the market, making the market more appealing to customers, while reducing risk for farmers supplying the market with perishable produce. Community members will benefit by having a greater selection of produce at the market, and the 150 families served by Foothills Food Bank distributions will benefit from the additional fresh local produce.

About the Co-op's Farm Fund

Who benefits from the Co-op’s Farm Fund? We all do! Learn more on our website.

Donations accepted at any Co-op register. For information contact Jean Rogers, Farm Fund Administrator, at 360-734-8158 ext. 311, or jeanr@communityfood.coop.

Making Year-end Donations? Donate at the Co-op

Co-op shoppers are known for their generosity. As of early November, shoppers have contributed $28,280.78 to various causes in 2017. Thank you for being a caring community!

If you are still planning year-end donations, consider donating at any Co-op register for the following causes:

Co-op Farm Fund
Co-op Member-Owner Seed Fund
Bellingham Food Bank
December SEED recipient—Whatcom Civil Rights Project

Cause Contributions

Co-op shoppers donated a total of $5,729.14 to—

Bellingham Food Bank • Community to Community Development • Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief • SEED Fund Recipients • Standing Rock Sioux • Texas Food Bank Hurricane Relief

Barista Contributions

Co-op baristas donate 100% of tips from all three of our espresso bars, which added up to $5,930.27 in donations to—

Community to Community Development • Co-op Give Fund (assists Co-op employees in times of crisis) • Growing Veterans • Kulshan’s Angel Fund • LAW Advocates • Make a Wish Alaska & Washington • Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood • Northwest Youth Services (Co-op staff secured matching funds bringing this donation to a whopping $6,472.52!) • Whatcom Homeless Service Center

Farm Fund Contributions

Co-op shoppers donated $6,621.37 to the Co-op’s Farm Fund.

We were honored and grateful to recently receive an additional $10,000 anonymous donation to the Farm Fund Next Step Project from a local Whatcom County resident and Farm Fund supporter.

When local, sustainable, and organic farms benefit from the Farm Fund, we all benefit!

Other Contributions

Throughout the year, shoppers donate goods to in-store collection bins for the Bellingham Food Bank, and for the first time this year we participated in a drive for the Whatcom Humane Society Pet Food Bank in November.

And the 2017 Local Farmer Awards Go to …

by Jean Rogers, Farm Fund Administrator

October 2017

On Labor Day weekend we gathered at Boundary Bay Brewery for the fifth annual Hootenanny to benefit the Co-op's Farm Fund. We danced, we ate, we were entertained, but most importantly we awarded the 2017 Farmer Awards!

Thanks to the farmers for taking time out during the busy harvest season to join us at the event. And, thanks to our event co-hosts: Sustainable Connections Food & Farming Program and Boundary Bay Brewery.

As we savor the bounty of the late harvest season, it’s a perfect time to highlight the winners of the Local Farmer Awards, announced at the Farm Fund Hootenanny in September.

All the nominated farmers were were fantastic and selecting the recipients was a tough decision for the Farm Fund Committee and Sustainable Connection’s Food and Farming Program.

We are thrilled to present the 2017 award winners and tell you a bit about why they were selected.

Innovator Farmer Award

Highlighting a farmer who has contributed innovative or sustainable practices to local farming. We had a tie for this award and are happy to feature two excellent winners.

Feliciano Lopez,
Lopez Brothers Farm

Feliciano Lopez is being recognized as the first Latino farmer to receive a Next Step grant from the Farm Fund and for his commitment to principles of sustainability for the health of his family, his workers, and his customers. Lopez Brothers Farm is introducing organic Oaxacan produce to our region including purple corn; red, pink, and purple beans; tomatillos; papalo and pepicha (two delicious aromatic herbs); and chilacayotes (a gourd that tastes like squash). “People love chilacayotes in our culture,” said Feliciano. The farm also supplies organic berries to our co-op and the Skagit Valley Food Co-op.

Jason Weston, Joe’s Gardens

(pictured is Nathan Weston, accepting the award on behalf of his brother Jason)

Jason Weston of Joe’s Gardens was honored for his work to revive the Planet Jr. walk-behind tractors, built from the 1870s to the 1960s for use on small farms. Years ago, Jason refurbished Joe Bertero’s (the founder of Joe’s Gardens) 1950s Planet Jr. and then began searching for and purchasing old machines and parts for resortation, sometimes fabricating parts and creating new attachments. He also established a Facebook group to share info about rebuilding and using the Planet Jr. and small wheel hoes. According to Jason, in 2016 four Planet Jr. tractors were in use and this year there are a few hundred in use on 40 to 50 U.S. farms.

New Farmer Award

Highlighting an outstanding new farm.

Kevin and Briana Buck,
Twin Cedars Farm

Customers raved about Twin Cedars Farm. Here’s just a bit of what they had to say.

“Over the last few years I have been silly happy with the fresh food they provide me. Not only that, they always seem happy to mentor me with my own home garden … no matter how busy or tired they are. For me, this demonstrates that they are interested in empowering the future of food by empowering their friends and customers with knowledge and healthy food to boot!”

“When I’m buying garlic from the grocery store, I just pick it out, and move on. But when I buy it from Kevin and Briana, I get a lesson in food that I can then remember and reproduce.”

Mentor Farmer Award

Highlighting a farmer who has shared experiences, skills and support with other local farmers.

Myrle Foster, Circle F Farm

2017 local farm award recipient alluvial farms

Myrle Foster, of Circle F Farm, received especially enthusiastic comments from Farm Fund grant and loan recipients Katie Pencke and Matthew McDermott, owners of Alluvial Farm. Katie said, “Myrle has gone above and beyond to share experiences, skills, and support with other local farmers. Myrle’s work has paved the way for the cooperative to establish the necessary infrastructure to distribute its first product under a shared label. Mr. Foster has also been instrumental in supporting Alluvial Farm’s pastured pork business, lending us space to farm on his family’s historic site on the Mount Baker Highway and providing equipment, a hand with pig herding, and endless words of encouragement.”

Learn more about the Farm Fund. Information about the farmers was drawn from nominations and the Puget Sound Food Hub.

Local Vendor: Spring Time Farm

by Meggan Simpson, Downtown Produce

July, 2017

spring time farm nick spring and sarah robinson

Farmers Nick Spring and Sarah Robinson enjoy a quiet moment on their farm in Everson with farm dog Henry.

photo by TwoFish Photography

Here at the Co-op we realize that farming is hard work, seven days a week, and a pretty challenging way to make a living. It is also an integral part of our community and local food system, which is why the Co-op has created programs like the Farm Fund that offer resources to help small farms like Spring Time Farm make their dreams of bringing fresh, nutrient-dense food to their community a reality.

Sarah Robinson and Nick Spring took the next step, with the assistance of a Co-op Farm Fund Next Step grant, and purchased property for their expanding produce and flower farm.

Nick Spring and Sarah Robinson at Spring Time Farm recently received a Next Step Grant—a relatively new Farm Fund program designed to help small farms take the next step and scale up to provide the wholesale market—and we are so happy to help them expand to their very own property. After farming their first four years leasing land, sharing tools, and receiving mentorship from Dusty Williams at Broad Leaf Farm, they are now in the process of moving to their recently purchased 37-acre property where they plan to farm 5 to 7 acres at a time while rotating their crops to ensure soil fertility and health.

Sarah washing lettuce. Look for signs identifying their organic produce and flowers in our stores this summer and support these up-and-coming local farmers.

photo byTwoFish Photography

So where did it all begin for Spring Time Farm? Nick Spring is originally from Portland, Oregon, and was attending Western Washington University in 2012 while running a garden system in town called Bellingham Urban Growers Syndicate (BUGS). You may have seen him bicycling around between classes with rototillers, rakes, and shovels in his trailer, or perhaps you owned one of the 11 plots of land he grew veggies on throughout town. He didn’t grow up farming or gardening but it is in Nick’s genes.

The name Spring Time Farm was the name of the farm Nick’s grandfather ran until he was 90!

Not only was BUGS a transition to reconnecting Nick to his farming heritage and his realization that he wanted to make a career growing food for the community, but BUGS is also how Nick met his amazing and talented partner Sarah Robinson. Sarah grew up in Maryland, went to college in Boston, and spent many years bicycle touring the continent before coming to Bellingham. It was here with the already passionate vegetable-growing Nick that she discovered her love for farming. With the constant and diverse challenges of farming—keeping her mind and body engaged while allowing her to be outside connecting with nature— she was hooked!

Nick with an armfull of giant alliums. The farmers of Spring Time Farm found a natural division of labor with Nick Spring taking the lead on the vegetable side of things and Sarah Robinson using her decidedly green thumb as the lead farmer-florist. Of course, they both frequently work together across all areas of the farm.

photo by Sarah Robinson

Nick and Sarah have been farming together for four years now and the quality and abundance of fruits, veggies, and flowers they bring to the community makes me feel like they have been doing this for so much longer. He is “in charge” of the veggies and she is “in charge” of the flowers, and they have a wonderful employee named Josiah who has been there from the beginning and whose knowledge, hard work, and fresh perspective have been an integral part of their success.

Sarah, Nick, Josiah, and the rest of the crew at Spring Time Farm are always trying new things, looking for new ways to nurture their land and preserve their bodies so they can continue to farm for a very, very long time. And we hope they do!

Nick and Sarah are such a joy to be around, you can see and feel the genuine passion for what they do, and for life in general, shine through in even the smallest interactions with them. You may see them delivering sun-kissed boxes of produce or flowers to either
Co-op store or selling at the Bellingham Farmers Market on Saturdays. Either way, we hope you get a warm and happy feeling when you put something from their local farm into your reusable shopping bag.

nick and sarah jumping for joy during the garlic harvest

Nick and Sarah's enthusiasm for organic farming is contagious. Here they are jumping for joy during the garlic harvest.

photo by Meaghan Flesch

We all benefit from the vibrant local organic farming community in Whatcom County. Maybe you have never grown a vegetable, or just didn’t have time to plant a garden this year, or perhaps all your greens have bolted—don’t fear! Spring Time, Broad Leaf, Terra Verde, Cascadia Mushrooms, Rabbit Fields, Viva Farms, Cedarville, Moondance, Spring Frog, and so many others deliver their
farm-fresh produce to the Co-op to make sure you have delicious and healthful local food to eat.

We know the hard work, dedication to sustainable farming, and connection to nature of these farmers is a large part of what makes the Co-op where you love to shop and Whatcom County such an amazing place to live, eat, and play. Thank you, Hamsters, for supporting your community and all the people who make it go round.

Learn more about the Co-op’s Farm Fund. The fund is supported by donations. You can join your friends and neighbors who support the Farm Fund by donating at any Co-op register or on our website.

Take a closer look at Spring Time Farm.

Farm Fund Spotlight: Cedarville Farm

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

The Cedarville Farm crew harvests and bundles spinach at the certified organic farm located near Deming. After bundling, the spinach will be washed and packed for delivery—perhaps to Cedarville’s 150+ CSA subscribers or to one of the farm’s many wholesale accounts. The final destination may even be the Co-op’s certified organic produce departments..

If you’ve lived in Whatcom County for any length of time, you have likely eaten food grown at Cedarville Farm.

Since 1988, Mike and Kim Finger have been working the loamy soil at their farm along the banks of the Nooksack River just west of Deming, and the Community Food Co-op has been proud to sell their fine produce in our stores since that very first year.

“Mike has been a pure joy to talk to and communicate with through the years. Mike and Kim have twice invited our entire produce team out to tour the farm and see how the things we sell are grown and harvested,” said Dave Sands, Downtown produce manager.

In addition to supplying the Co-op, Mike has several retail and wholesale accounts, participates in the Bellingham Farmers Market, and runs a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program serving 150+ members.

Among Cedarville Farm’s accomplishments is being one of the first of three Whatcom County farms to be certified organic.

Among Cedarville Farm’s accomplishments is being one of the first of three Whatcom County farms to be certified organic (Cedarville is number 36 in the state) and, in 1992, establishing the first CSA program north of Seattle (they still have a few original CSA members).

Mike and his farm crew grow about 40 crops including a variety of salad and cooking greens, alliums (varieties of onion and garlic), vegetables galore, tomatoes, and herbs. They also raise broiler chickens, turkeys, and maintain a flock of pastured hens for eggs.

In April 2015, the Co-op Farm Fund secured a low-interest loan for Cedarville Farm in partnership with Industrial Credit Union (ICU). This is the third of six low-interest loans secured by the Farm Fund in partnership with ICU, building on the Farm Fund’s original revolving loan program. The new program allows farms to take out larger loans up to $12,000, build a credit history with ICU—another local, cooperatively run organization—and helps farms tackle impactful on-farm projects that increase resiliency and build the capacity to provide more local food for the Co-op.

As any home gardener knows, weeds are your nemesis and whatever you can do to get ahead of them saves a lot of work in the long run. The same is true on an organic farm, only on a larger scale.

Cedarville Farm used their Co-op Farm Fund secured loan to combat its weedy nemesis.

Cedarville Farm used their Co-op Farm Fund secured loan to combat its weedy nemesis with the purchase of two pieces of cultivation equipment that will dramatically improve the consistency and efficiency of weed control and free staff for the delicate hand labor that simply can’t be accomplished by machine.

Mike purchased a well-cared-for 1970s International Cub cultivating tractor that was used by the Montana State University Extension Service to seed trial crops in Corvallis, Montana. Did you know there was a Corvallis in Montana? Neither did Mike, and he had originally made arrangements to pick up the tractor at the Corvallis that most of us are familiar with in Oregon, but that’s another story.

The cultivating tractor, which hasn’t been manufactured since the early 1980s, is still popular with farmers for two reasons. 1. Its simple, straightforward design makes it easy to maintain and repair on the farm. 2. It is specifically constructed to provide a direct view to the ground, so farmers can precisely navigate between rows without accidentally taking out any precious crops.

Mike’s other purchase was a propane bed flamer aptly branded “Red Dragon” that annihilates weeds with fire.

He is still on the lookout for one more addition to his weeding arsenal—a tractor-mounted inter-row cultivator.

The Co-op’s Farm Fund is happy to play whatever role we can to help Cedarville Farm grow even more farm-fresh food.

As Dave said, “Mike is very generous with his time and his smiles, and we love Cedarville Farm for that reason, among many.”

Donate to the Co-op’s Farm Fund at any register to join us in growing local, sustainable agriculture and supporting local farmers like Mike Finger of Cedarville Farm.

Co-op’s Farm Fund: Let’s Grow It!

by Laura Ridenour, Farm Fund chair and Co-op Board director

The Farm Fund helps us live our values. Our Community Food Co-op is committed to being a cornerstone of the local food economy, ensuring that our community and region is capable of feeding itself.

A rising consciousness about food has swept our community and the world. GMOs. Climate change. Farmworker rights. Organic and sustainable farming. Pollinator decline. Local resilience and sovereignty. These and many other factors have caused people to look more carefully at the food they eat—where it comes from, how it is grown, and who is growing it.

As a result, people want to buy more local food.

As farmers meet the increased demand for local food, the Community Food Co-op’s Farm Fund has grown from humble beginnings to a nationally-recognized model.

Since 2000, the Farm Fund, with donations from the Co-op operations budget and Co-op member-owners, has circulated over $204,215 for Farm Fund grants and revolving loans benefiting more than 60 farms and food/farming organizations.

The Farm Fund helps us live our values.

Our Community Food Co-op is committed to being a cornerstone of the local food economy, ensuring that our community and region is capable of feeding itself. Collaborating in the development of a vibrant local and regional food production and distribution system is one of the six core goals of our Co-op’s strategic plan.

The Farm Fund, run by a Co-op staff member and a volunteer committee of member-owners connected to the farming community, is a unique and powerful way to meet the needs of beginning and small farm businesses as we collectively work toward these goals.

For example, Whatcom County’s small farmers have reported that the barriers to reduce costs and compete in the wholesale market include two main issues: access to capital for equipment, land, or infrastructure, and a need for resources to navigate the various processes and learning curves related to expansion into new markets. The Farm Fund helps small farms reduce these barriers.

Donating to the Farm Fund gives community members the opportunity to invest in the future of the farms and farmers that provide our food.

Want local food? Support local farms!

Make a donation to the Farm Fund and become a “Farm Fund-er” today. Through the Farm Fund, you have an opportunity to support our local farming community and help to ensure viable small farm businesses are able to thrive. Donate online or at any Co-op register.

And buy local whenever you shop to support local farms and food producers.

Learn More About the Farm Fund

Questions about the Co-op Farm Fund? Email Jean Rogers, Farm Fund administrator, or call her at 360-734-8158, ext. 311. Learn more, watch a video about the Farm Fund, or make a donation at Farm Fund page.

Farm Fund Spotlight: Brittle Barn Farms

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team, and Hannah Coughlin, Brittle Barn Farms

brittle barn farms, local, farm fund, zack tyler, karl prisk,

Karl Prisk (left), Zack Tyler, and Tarquin, Zack’s trusty Australian Shepherd, take a break from tending their free-range turkey flock at Brittle Barn Farms in Ferndale. The farm prides itself in buying local and used a Farm Fund loan to purchase organic, Non-GMO Project Verified feed from Bellingham’s Scratch & Peck Feeds for their poultry flock.

Zack Tyler of Brittle Barn Farms, a local free-ranged meat producer, has been interested in animal husbandry for as long as he can remember.

Growing up on a half-acre in Arcata, California, with his younger brother and hobby-farm parents, Zack was inspired by his small community of do-it-yourselfers and small farmers. “Every Saturday I got to see farmers and artisans pour into an empty street and make it come alive with their hard work and passions,” said Zack.

His mom makes her living raising fiber animals (llama, sheep, and goats), spinning, and knitting their wool into wares that she’s sold at the Arcata Farmers Market for over 25 years. His dad taught Zack how to slaughter Thanksgiving turkeys when he was six. “My parents taught me to be respectful and compassionate to our animals from the beginning to the end,” said Zack.

After he moved to Bellingham to realize his dream as a small farmer, Brittle Barn Farms was born.

After he moved to Bellingham to realize his dream as a small farmer, Zack and his partner, Hannah, rented a five-acre plot just outside of Bellingham where Brittle Barn Farms was born. They raised meat chickens, egg layers, goats, ducks, geese, turkeys, and Icelandic sheep.

Zack noted, “Neither of us had any capital to start with—no inheritance, no wealthy relatives, and not much combined income.”

Zack works in the classroom with developmentally disabled or at-risk youth, and Hannah works for a local environmental nonprofit, RE Sources for Sustainable Communities.

“We had to start at square one—on a cheap rental with a falling down barn,” said Zack.

They named their farm after that barn to remind them of the virtue of small beginnings.

In 2014, Brittle Barn Farms moved to Cougar Creek Ranch in Ferndale, a 160-acre original homestead owned by the Prisk Family. “Karl [Prisk] and I have been friends for a long time. After he moved to town to farm his grandfather’s land, it was an obvious partnership,” said Zack. They went into business together and grew Brittle Barn Farms, increasing their overall production, and adding cows and hogs to the farm.

In the spring, the Co-op Farm Fund secured a low-interest loan for Brittle Barn Farms in partnership with Industrial Credit Union.

The farm used the loan to purchase organic feed from Scratch & Peck Feeds.

“It’s important to us to operate locally. That includes where we purchase our feed,” said Zack. Purchasing organic, Non-GMO Project Verified feed upfront from Scratch & Peck enables the farm to better control the price and quality of their free-range poultry, while keeping their money circulating in our local economy.

Zack’s dream is to farm full-time. “I love caring for the animals, being connected to the seasons and natural life cycles, and I love producing an important commodity for my community,” he said.

You can purchase Brittle Barn Farms’ chicken at the Cordata store. All their meats are available at both Bellingham Farmers Markets, Carne, and on the farm.

Learn more about Brittle Barn Farms or contact the farm at 360-610-7740 or brittlebarnfarms@gmail.com.

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

April 2019

Pure Nelida: A 2019 Next Step Grant and Loan Recipient

Learn More

by Jean Rogers, Farm Fund Administrator

October 2018

2018 BRIGHT SPOT FARMER AWARD

Helen Solem, Sumas River Farm

2018 NEW FARMER AWARD

Jen Finch & Colin Fischer, Wanderwood Farm

2018 INNOVATOR FARMER AWARD

Griffin Berger, Sauk Farm

2018 MENTOR FARMER AWARD

Anna & Geoff Martin, Osprey Hill Farm

by Jean Rogers, Farm Fund Administrator

June 2018

Spring Time Farm in Everson

Terra Verde Farm in Everson

Misty Meadows Farm in Everson

Osprey Hill Farm in Acme

Alluvial Farm in Everson

Sauk Farm in Concrete

Well Fed Farms in Bow

Lopez Bros. Farm in Mount Vernon

Learn More

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

April 2018

Bellingham Food Bank Seed Money Project

City Sprouts Farm’s Birchwood Community Farm Stand

Matheson Farms’ New Rancher Camp

Sustainable Connections’ Food To Bank On

Twin Sisters Farmers Market

About the Co-op's Farm Fund

Co-op shoppers are known for their generosity. As of early November, shoppers have contributed $28,280.78 to various causes in 2017. Thank you for being a caring community!

Cause Contributions

Barista Contributions

Farm Fund Contributions

Other Contributions

by Jean Rogers, Farm Fund Administrator

October 2017

Innovator Farmer Award

Feliciano Lopez, Lopez Brothers Farm

Jason Weston, Joe’s Gardens

New Farmer Award

Kevin and Briana Buck, Twin Cedars Farm

Mentor Farmer Award

Myrle Foster, Circle F Farm

by Meggan Simpson, Downtown Produce

July, 2017

photo by TwoFish Photography

photo byTwoFish Photography

photo by Sarah Robinson

photo by Meaghan Flesch

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

If you’ve lived in Whatcom County for any length of time, you have likely eaten food grown at Cedarville Farm.

by Laura Ridenour, Farm Fund chair and Co-op Board director

The Farm Fund helps us live our values.

Want local food? Support local farms!

Learn More About the Farm Fund

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team, and Hannah Coughlin, Brittle Barn Farms

Zack Tyler of Brittle Barn Farms, a local free-ranged meat producer, has been interested in animal husbandry for as long as he can remember.

enews-sign-up-image

Helen Solem,
Sumas River Farm

Jen Finch & Colin Fischer,
Wanderwood Farm

Griffin Berger,
Sauk Farm

Anna & Geoff Martin,
Osprey Hill Farm

Feliciano Lopez,
Lopez Brothers Farm

Kevin and Briana Buck,
Twin Cedars Farm