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You are here: Home / Archives for farmers

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.

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2018 Farmer Award Recipients!

by Jean Rogers, Farm Fund Administrator

October 2018
square dancing at Farmer Awards

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
baby on tractor

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 at farmer awards

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

Wanderwood Farm receiving 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

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

Farmers Award recipients

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!

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Farm Fund Update: Next Steps Report

by Jean Rogers, Farm Fund Administrator

June 2018
Community Food Co-op Farm Fund

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

farmers in a field with their dog

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

terra verde farms

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

chickens and famers at Misty Meadows

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

farmers standing in their field

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 in the greenhouse

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

the family at sauk farms

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

Hootenanny attendees

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.

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Hopewell Farm

by Dave Straub, Cordata produce department

blueberry harvest fresh

Buckets of freshly harvested Hopewell Farm organic blueberries await their final destination—our produce departments and your tummies.

Recently a co-worker asked me, “If you could only eat one kind of fruit for the rest of your life, what would it be?” I was quiet for a moment, looked deep into my soul, and then said, “Blueberries.” Hypothetical questions don’t usually have correct answers, but we both knew I nailed that one.

Blueberries are nutritious, taste amazing on everything from ice cream to salmon, and are historically one of the most local foods available.

People in these parts have feasted on them for thousands of years, and if you’ve hiked the North Cascades in September when the trails are lined with ripe huckleberries then you’ve probably enjoyed this local bounty as well.

These days we don’t have to brave the mountain wilderness for fresh produce, thanks to Pete Dykstra of Hopewell Farm and his 16 acres of blueberry bushes nestled at the base of Sumas Mountain. I journeyed out to this picturesque field and walked the rows already abundant with dainty bell-shaped flowers that will become my breakfast. While there I chatted with Lisa Dykstra, Hopewell’s sales rep and the youngest of four Dykstra generations to farm this land.

As we talked I got a sense of how diversified Hopewell Farm has become over the years due largely to the prodigious efforts and entrepreneurial spirit of Pete.

Besides their famous blueberries and carrots, they grow a variety of other vegetables, medicinal herbs, and seed crops. They operate a dairy farm and grow their own silage for the cows that in turn produce compost for the fields. They even maintain wild habitat for beneficial predators such as hawks, kestrels, and owls.

The evidence of their holistic approach was all around me ...

... honey bees buzzed in their hives at the end of every row, happy cows played beyond the fence line, and Lisa spoke glowingly about being on the forefront of progressive efforts.

Hopewell is certified organic, GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certified, and receives outstanding scores for worker satisfaction. In Pete’s own words this means, “The fields are healthy, they produce great crops, and there is life in the soil.”

And if you’re wondering what all this means for you, my patient Co-op shopper, it means the most delicious blueberries you are likely to eat this summer—fresh, hand-picked, and delivered farmer direct to our shelves for your culinary pleasure.

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Co-op’s Farm Fund: Let’s Grow It!

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

farm fund logo

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 Mardi Solomon, 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.

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Farm Fund Spotlight: McIntyre Family Farm

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

farmers holding baby sheep at mcintyre family farm

Life is never dull on Jena and Matt McIntyre’s family farm where they raise and shear a flock of Icelandic sheep.

With support from a Co-op Farm Fund grant, couple shares equipment and know-how to help revitalize the art of sheep shearing.

In late May, Matt Curtis, Co-op graphic artist and photographer, and I had the good fortune to visit McIntyre Family Farm. We couldn’t have visited at a better time, as the McIntyre’s Icelandic sheep flock had recently finished lambing and we enjoyed the splendor of 20 adorable lambs, some only one-week old, cavorting around the barn, being generally silly and annoying their moms. Oh, we also got to hold a tiny lamb, which was a wonderfully satisfying treat for us city slickers. I’d recommend it, if you ever have the opportunity.

Oh, we also got to hold a tiny lamb.

Since 2013, Matt and Jena McIntyre, now with their young son Elton, live and farm off the scenic North Cascades Highway near Sedro Woolley in a charming farmhouse and chicken coop that date back to 1925. The farm is a diverse enterprise that focuses on pasture-based and grass-fed livestock.

The couple is in the third year of Sustainable Connections farm mentoring program, Food To Bank On, and has also completed a hands-on course at the Washington State Shearing School where they learned the New Zealand method of sheep shearing. If you’ve ever watched any of those televised sheep shearing competitions from New Zealand where people shear a perfect one-piece fleece in an insanely short amount of time (like in a minute!), that is the type of shearing they learned. Google it; it’s amazing!

farmer shearing goat on mcintyre family farm

The breed, valued for its thick dual-coated fleece, is relatively new to the U.S. having been introduced in the 1980s.

goat with full coat shearing process on mcintyre family farm

before
&
after

white, sheered goat on mcintyre family farm

Matt and Jena aren’t breaking any world records, yet, but the knowledge they acquired at the sheep shearing school did inspire them to apply for and receive a Farm Fund grant to purchase mobile shearing equipment so they could share their skills and equipment with other local farmers.

Shearing is somewhat of a lost skill, and small farms are outlaying a fair amount of money to pay professionals, in high-demand, to shear their animals. During our visit Matt and Jena sheared several sheep. Those New Zealanders make it look easy, but up close and in-person, it doesn’t look easy at all.

There is a lot of technique involved (and a lot of back strain)!

The new mobile shearing system, funded by a Farm Fund grant, will help farmers in several ways.

1. It is far more efficient than handheld electric shears, saving time and labor.

2. It can be run from a 12-volt battery making it entirely portable so sheep can be sheared on pasture even if no electricity source is available, which benefits the sheep since they don’t need to be transported for shearing.

3. By avoiding costly professional shearing fees, farmers can add another revenue stream from wool—a value-added product.

After word got out that the McIntyres had both shearing know-how and equipment, fellow farmers initially wanted to simply hire them to shear their animals. But, the couple is confident, that given time, the farming community will realize the benefit of learning how to shear their own animals.

Jena and Matt established their sheep flock in 2015. Of the 20 lambs born in the spring of 2016, all were twins except for two onlies. Matt explained that twins are not only common, but very desirable as the first lamb basically pays for the mom and the second lamb will generate a profit for the farm.

The couple is also establishing a herd of cows, raises pigs and poultry (mostly chickens) for both meat and eggs, and farms vegetables. They carefully care for their 30-acre pasture by constantly rotating their animals and crops, which not only controls parasites and disease but provides the best possible forage for their livestock.

You can find McIntrye Family Farm products at the Saturday Bellingham Farmers Market, and during the summer season they also offer a CSA.

Learn more at mcintyrefamilyfarm.com.

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Co-op’s Farm Fund Takes the “Next Step”

by Jean Rogers, Farm Fund Administrator

triple wren farms, farmers, florists, salmon safe, sarah pabody, steve pabody, whatcom

Farmer-florists Sarah and Steve Pabody of Triple Wren Farms are happy recipients of a Next Step grant, along with five other local farms.

Whatcom County’s local, sustainable agriculture is changing. Food hubs, new markets, and an increasingly collaborative approach to growing and providing local food are creating a promising new farmscape. It takes a community to “raise a food system,” and the Community Food Co-op’s Farm Fund is in the thick of the action.

In an impressive fundraising effort, Co-op members and shoppers matched a grant from the Sustainable Whatcom Fund of the Whatcom Community Foundation to support an innovative new venture—the Next Step Project. As a result, the Farm Fund was recently able to direct $25,500 in grants to six local farms scaling up to supply the local wholesale market.

The Next Step Project pairs grants with loans taken out by farmers who are making the leap of significantly growing their farm operations and attaining a scale that is economically resilient and stable—good news for shoppers as well as farmers. Three recipients matched their Next Step grants with low-interest Farm Fund secured loans, offered through the Industrial Credit Union.

Billy Tate of Moondance Farm praised the project, saying: “I’m really so excited about receiving the Next Step grant award. I’ve had an opportunity to farm now into my twelfth year in Whatcom County and starting a farm from scratch is no easy task. It takes constant investment, risk, attention and sacrifice. The last few years I’ve seen a steady change in my farming style where I’ve been able to begin to fine tune my craft and not spend all my time learning how to grow and market but to focus on growing the right mix for the farm and the community. It’s nice to see a funding opportunity aimed at those farms that have weathered the seasons at a time where funding is still so needed.”

Along with Moondance Farm, the first round of Next Step grant recipients include Sage and Sky Farm, Boldly Grown Farm, The Growing Garden, Triple Wren Farms, and Brittle Barn Farms.

Their project descriptions almost leapt off the pages with creative ways to grow delicious food with care for the land, people, animals, and
future generations.

sage and sky farm, whatcom, bellingham, farmers, andrea roper

Andrea Roper of Sage & Sky Farm.

While we sadly don’t have room for all the details, here is a snapshot of what these local growers expect to accomplish with their Next Step grants:

„• extending the season for root vegetables and tripling overall production; washing and cooling root crops with a
re-circulating system that will reduce water use

• expanding into culinary and medicinal dried herbs; building WSDA certified
on-site packing and processing facilities

• purchasing a refrigerated truck to serve a rapidly expanding customer base and provide high-quality organic flowers, veggies, and eggs, using zero-waste practices. The truck can also be used by smaller farms

„• purchasing harvest equipment to increase vegetable production and offer crops with high nutritional and medicinal value that aren’t currently available for wholesale; adding processing facilities to harvest, store, and deliver more local food

„• adding a walk-in cooler to expand livestock production and increase profitability with the ability to break down 90 percent of the farm’s locally grown, organic-fed, wild-ranged chickens into parts

• purchasing a walk-in freezer and pens to nearly double production and sell local, grass fed, hormone- and antibiotic-free chicken in larger quantities for a
lower price

Responses to the Next Step Project have been extremely positive, and it will be exciting to see the advances these farms make over the next few years. Keep your eye out for their products in the Co-op and other local markets. We’ll continue to share stories throughout the growing season.

Farm Fund Committee Chair and Board Director Laura Ridenour expressed the Co-op’s hopes for the Next Step Project, saying, “If we can pilot this impressive economic incentive and opportunity for three years, we will reach many organic and sustainable Whatcom County farmers capable of scaling up their businesses, resulting in greater economic security for farmers and greater food security for us all.”

Donations by the Community Food Co-op, Co-op shoppers, and local organizations allow the Farm Fund to support projects that build the market for local farms, encourage ecological and socially responsible stewardship of farmland, and increase community access to healthy, local food.

Find more information, make a donation, or watch a video about the Farm Fund.

Questions? Email Farm Fund Administrator Mardi Solomon or call 360-734-8158, ext. 311.

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Farm Fund Spotlight: Growing Garden

by Jean Rogers, Farm Fund Adminstrator

greenhouse interior community food co-op

Mike Long (right) is bringing new ideas to the farm: planning to extend the growing season, add more bunched and packaged herbs, and add a new line of dried culinary and medicinal herbs. Brent Harrison (left) will continue to offer guidance and a veteran presence as the farm takes a leap in size and scale.

The Growing Garden is preparing to continue its impressive legacy by combining a solidly established farm with the innovative ideas of a young farmer, backed by the Co-op Farm Fund and the community.

the Growing Garden, one of the longest-operating organic farms in Whatcom County, is also one of the most beloved

If you’ve ever brought home fresh, local basil, dill, mint, and other herbs from the Co-op’s produce department, you know why the Growing Garden, one of the longest-operating organic farms in Whatcom County, is also one of the most beloved.

Owner Brent Harrison—pivotal in local, organic market development for over 30 years—has been supplying the Co-op with herbs, tomatoes, and veggies since 1983.

Receiving a Next Step grant from the Co-op Farm Fund couldn’t have arrived at a better time for the future of the farm, as Brent is turning over the business to young farmer Mike Long, who has been managing the farm for the last six years.

Listening to Brent and Mike talk together, as they surveyed the existing greenhouses and fields, it’s obvious that there is a strong thread of continuity in their values and approach to the land. Brent said, “Michael can keep the farm alive. It’s a lot of work and you get compensated, but not to the level of a lot of other occupations. You have to value the lifestyle, a lot, and then you’re well rewarded.” Mike agreed, “Just being able to come and hang out with plants and bees and really cool farmer owners that got me into this, it’s like I’m just in my dream spot. Brent had the energy to build all this from scratch. I couldn’t get to this level of trying new things if it weren’t for a really core, solid foundation.”

Mike and his wife Molly recently purchased a 5-acre farm that is certified organic as a second site for the Growing Garden. The Next Step grant will be put to use at both sites to add a greenhouse, upgrade the existing packing shed in preparation for the next 20 to 30 years, and to build a new, USDA-certified packing facility. A cooler and possibly a solar dryer are also in the plans.

Mike has observed an increased demand over the last decade for herbs, tomatoes, and cucumbers. “We just need to zero in and boost our production a bit so we can meet those demands,” he said. Adding dried herbs is a way the farm can create a market for something they already have a lot of—herbs that need to get cut back anyway will now be marketable.

Both Brent and Mike see the Next Step Project boosting the vitality of small local farms.

Brent stressed the need for farms to scale up gradually, “I think this thing’s fabulous for the local producers and some of those may jump to a larger scale. But first it’s designed to pick up the small producer to be an efficient local producer, and that’s a big step.”

What we can be sure of is that we can look forward to all the wonderful produce we’ve been accustomed to from the Growing Garden, and an exciting array of delicious and healthful new products as the farm continues its journey as a mainstay of local organic farming.

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2022 Community Shopping Day Donations

Every year, the Co-op Member Affairs Committee (MAC) and Board of Directors selects community organizations to be the monthly Community Shopping Days (CSD) recipient. CSD recipients receive 2% of the Co-op’s total sales on the third Saturday of their designated month, and all register donations made during the month. Now [...]
Farm Fund recipient Robin Crandall harvesting echinacea

Farm Fund Recipient: Ebb & Flow Herb Farm

We visited Farm Fund recipient Robin Crandall to talk about Ebb & Flow Herb Farm and her Co-op Farm Fund grant project.

The barn at Mariposa Farm under construction with support from a Community Food Co-op Farm Fund grant.

Appreciation for the Co-op Farm Fund. Donate today!

Thank you for donating to the Co-op Farm Fund! Farmers share their appreciation for the ways in which the Farm Fund has helped their organic, sustainable farms.

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DOWNTOWN STORE & DELI • map • 360-734-8158 • 7 am – 9 pm
meat and deli counter: 7 am – 7 pm
made-to-order counter: 7 am – 6 pm
salad/hot bar: 7 am – 6 pm

CORDATA STORE & DELI • map • 360-734-8158 • 7 am – 9 pm
meat and deli counter: 7 am – 7 pm
made-to-order counter: 7 am – 6 pm
salad/hot bar: 7 am – 7 pm

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