Community Food Co-op

Voted Bellingham's best grocery store. Full-service deli, hot bar, salad bar featuring organic, local, and natural foods. Everyone can shop, anyone can join. Co+op, stronger together.

Welcome! Everyone can shop the Community Food Co-op!
360-734-8158|
  • menu bar three linesMENU
    • Shop Online
    • Hours & Locations
      • Community Food Co-op, Downtown Store, 1220 North Forest Street at Holly StreetDowntown Store
        1220 North Forest Street at Holly Street
        Bellingham, Washington
        7 am - 9 pm
        360-734-8158
      • Cordata Co-Op exteriorCordata Store
        315 Westerly Road at Cordata Parkway
        Bellingham, Washington
        7 am - 9 pm
        360-734-8158
    • In Our Stores
      • Celebrating Our Co-op’s 50th Anniversary
      • Community Rooms
      • Customer Input
      • How to Shop
      • Dirty Dozen / Clean 15
      • Service Desk
      • What’s on Sale?
      • Contact Us
    • Departments
      • Bakery
      • Bulk
      • The Co-op Bakery Cafe
      • Dairy & Refrigerated
      • Deli & Deli To Go
      • Floral & Garden
      • Grocery
      • Meat & Seafood
      • Mercantile
      • Produce
      • Specialty Cheese
      • Wellness
      • Wine, Beer, & Spirits
    • About Us
      • Awards
      • Co-op Blog
      • Magazine & E-news
      • Our History
      • Strategic Plan
      • Sustainability at the Co-op
      • Vision, Mission, and Values
      • Contact Us
    • Community Giving
      • Community Shopping Days
      • Donations & Sponsorships
      • Donate at our Registers
      • Farm Fund
      • The Real Food Show
    • Join Us
      • Become a Co-op Member • Join Today!
      • Board of Directors
      • Employment
      • Local Business Partners
      • Sell to the Co-op
    • Recipes
      • Recipes
      • Cooking Videos
  • What’s on Sale?
  • Bakery Online Orders
  • Shop Online
  • Careers
  • Join Today!
  • Cooking Classes
  • Hours and Locations
You are here: Home / Archives for growing garden

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.

Tweet

FARM FUND| PRODUCE bellingham| brent harrison| expansion| Farm Fund| farmers| grants| growing garden| local| mike long| next step grant| next step project| whatcom

Categories

  • BAKERY
  • BULK
  • DELI & CATERING
  • EQUITY, DIVERSITY, & INCLUSION
  • FARM FUND
  • FLORAL & GARDEN
  • GROCERY
  • HOLIDAY
  • HOT OFF THE PRESS
  • LOCAL
  • MEAT & SEAFOOD
  • NUTRITION
  • PRODUCE
  • RECIPES
  • SALES
  • SPECIALITY DIET
  • SPECIALTY CHEESE
  • SUSTAINABILITY
  • THE CO-OP DIFFERENCE
  • UNCATEGORIZED
  • WELLNESS
  • WINE, BEER, & SPIRITS

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.

A woman farmer picking harvesting onions

Local Farm Feature: Flynn Farms

Co-op vendor Flynn Farms is woman-owned, veteran-owned, AAPI-owned and certified organic. We visited Flynn Farms to talk with owner Savannah about her journey and her mission to empower a new generation of farmers.

enews-sign-up-image

get connected and save - click here to sign up for our e-news

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

Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok

Machine Readable Files

Copyright © 2023 Community Food Co-op