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Grace Harbor Farms

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

David Lukens (left) is the second generation to step into a lead role on the family farm, established by Grace and Tim Lukens in the late 1990s.

Local farm does it all: soothing soaps & lotions and delicious dairy products.

My co-workers all know: I love goats! When I’m awwwing or giggling at something on the computer it is likely to be a video shared by a goat farmer. Or, how about that issue of Modern Farmer that was all about goats! In August 2015, there was one of those essay contests to win a goat farm; so tempting, but the farm was in Alabama (not so tempting).

But, I’m not the only one who thinks goats are awesome. The folks at Grace Harbor Farms, and their loyal customers, also know that goats and goat milk are something special.

Tim and Grace Lukens started making and selling goat milk soap at the Bellingham Farmers Market back in 1999, and soon after, they were fielding requests from their customers to expand the product line to include goat milk lotions. People were sharing stories about how the couple’s goat milk products were helping to clear up their skin problems, and before long Grace Harbor Farms was born.

The family-run business, based in Custer, has grown a lot since those early days, and so has the product line.

Co-op shoppers can find products sporting the Grace Harbor Farms logo in both the wellness and grocery departments.

In the wellness department, things are still very goat-centric with a variety of liquid and bar soaps, unscented Goat Milk & Honey Lotion, and the super-popular MSM Cream that folks use to find relief from a variety of problems like dry skin and joint pain. While over in the dairy cooler, cows are moooving in on the action with delicious buttermilk and yogurt from cow’s milk, and kefirs and milk from both cow and goat’s milk.

toddler walking next to cows on grace harbor farm

Ellie Lavergne, daughter of marketing manager Kayti Lavergne, enjoys visiting with her curious cow friends—a perk of being part of the employee family. Farm employees also gather daily to share another perk—a home cooked, family-style lunch.

The farm itself has also transitioned from being very goat-centric to now being home to pasture-raised Guernsey and Jersey cows. The goats are raised and milked in Ferndale at Wil-O-Acres Goat Dairy, the very same farm where Tim and Grace got their first two goats back in the 1990s.

The family has always operated a creamery to bottle and package their dairy products right on the farm. In fact, Grace Harbor was the first farm-to-shelf yogurt kefir producer in Washington state. Their farm-fresh milk is pasteurized, cultured, packaged, and delivered to our stores by the Grace Harbor team.

Grace Harbor Farms is now transitioning to the second generation of the Lukens family, with David Lukens at the helm. From the look of things, David is running a super fun operation! This year Grace Harbor held its first Creamery Olympics and it appears that the participants had a blast competing in events like the milk crate hurdles, bottle toss, box-making relay, rack curling, and many more. Need a smile today? Then check out the fun Olympic coverage on their Facebook page.

In our eyes, Grace Harbor Farms wins the gold!

cows in grass on farm in sun, rainbow and trees in background

A lovely rainbow appears above the picturesque pasture at Grace Harbor Farms.

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.

Next Step Grant Update: Boldly Grown Farm

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

farm fund, local, farmers, skagit, whatcom, grant, next step, boldly grown farm, sustainable, organic, crops,

Amy Frye of Boldly Grown Farm working in the field. The farm has successfully filled demand for more local winter produce by growing storage crops like beets, winter squash, and pumpkins.

Photo by Nathan Doyle

Earlier this year, the Co-op Farm Fund, with support from the Sustainable Whatcom Fund of Whatcom Community Foundation, launched the Next Step Project.

The project was able to direct $25,500 in grants to six local farms scaling up to supply the local wholesale market.

One of those farms is Boldly Grown Farm in Skagit Valley.

Boldly Grown Farm is one of 14 farms operating at Viva Farms (a nonprofit small-business farm incubator in Skagit Valley). Its current focus is growing storage crops—winter squash, carrots, beets, cabbage, onions, and more—to extend the availability of local food into the winter months. It also grows flowers for sale and to provide pollinator habitat. In future years, Boldly Grown Farm plans to incorporate grains and pastured poultry, creating a diverse and resilient farm system.

Boldly Grown Farm was founded in 2015 by husband-and-wife team Jacob Slosberg and Amy Frye. Both have personal relationships to farming—Amy grew up next door to her grandparent’s farm in Minnesota and Jacob discovered his love of farming on a tenth grade trip to Costa Rica. The couple met at the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at the University of British Columbia where Jacob was in charge of managing all the annual vegetables and pasture-raised poultry and Amy was the Director.

Given their complementary skill-sets, they experienced a very strong start in their first year of farming; harvesting 20,000 pounds of food from one acre. There were many hits and one miss along the way—carrots were wildly successful and they couldn’t keep up with demand, while onions got in the ground too late and mostly fizzled out.

The couple had a strong network of friends and family who pitched in to help the startup farm. During the final carrot harvest in mid-December, Amy and Jacob, along with several farmer friends, found themselves working late into the night, calf-deep in mud, taking turns getting stuck and helping pull each other out of the muck. “There may have been a good amount of both cursing and laughing involved. This year, I’m sure, will have its own successes and challenges—it’s a constant learning process. Farming is very humbling in that way.” said Amy.

From the beginning, Jacob and Amy identified a niche market in the demand for extended season local produce.

Don’t we all long for flavorful, local, organic produce in the winter months? This past season they harvested carrots into December and cabbage into January. With other crops like beets and winter squash in storage from earlier in the year, they were providing produce through mid-February before selling out.

For the 2016 growing season, the couple added an additional two acres, which will triple the farm’s production and allow for more diversification and trialing a small amount of hoop-house crops such as heirloom tomatoes, purple globe eggplant, and red peppers. “We are passionate and ambitious! We want to feed a lot of people and ensure that a greater portion of the population has ready access to healthy and sustainably grown produce,” said Amy.

Next Step grant funds will be used to purchase a rinse conveyor

Next Step grant funds will be used to purchase a rinse conveyor that will improve efficiency of washing root crops, such as carrots and beets, and can also be used for hydrocooling crops like broccoli (an important step for storage and shelf life). The conveyor soaks roots before washing so they only need to go through the system once, thereby increasing efficiency and saving labor. The conveyor’s recirculation system will also reduce water use.

Boldly Grown is a perfect example of the farms the Next Step Project was created for—farms that are ready to take the next step to scale up for the wholesale market, but need assistance with a specific input to make the leap.

On Jacob and Amy’s farm it was the purchase of the rinse conveyor; other Next Step farms are using funds to invest in packing and processing facilities, purchase a refrigerated delivery vehicle, and expand crop diversity with new harvest equipment.

The Co-op is thrilled to launch this new program and watch as more local farms take the Next Step to meet demand for even more local, sustainable, organic food.

LEARN MORE at boldlygrownfarm.com and follow Boldly Grown Farm on
Facebook and Instagram.

farm fund, next step, grant, sustainable, organic, local, farmers, farming, skagit, whatcom, next step grant,

Jacob Slosberg of Boldly Grown Farm carefully navigates through crops while using the field cultivator purchased with a Co-op Farm Fund grant.

Farm Fund Grant Update: Viva Farms

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

farm fund, local, farms, farmers, viva farms, grant

Amy Frye of Boldly Grown Farm (see back page) prepares her field for planting with Viva Farm’s new field cultivator that was purchased with a Co-op Farm Fund grant. The field cultivator is shared with all 14 farmers working land at Viva Farms, and is more environmentally sustainable and efficient than using a rototiller.

Photo courtesy of Viva Farms.

Started in 2009, Viva Farm’s mission is to launch a new generation of farmers.

In the 2016 grant cycle, the Co-op Farm Fund issued $8,000 in grants to seven inspiring proposals. If you tried your hand at playing the Farm Fund Game in the April Co-op News, you may recall the diversity of the funded projects. They tackled issues related to grazing management in a changing climate, formation of a new tool co-op, purchase and training for a multi-farm portable sheep shearing system, and four more innovative ideas. We are excited to watch these projects come to fruition in the coming year and to share their success stories with you.

One project that is already cultivating positive results is at Viva Farms, a nonprofit, small business farm incubator located in Skagit Valley. Its mission is to support aspiring and limited-resource farmers to overcome barriers to farm ownership by providing bilingual training in holistic and organic farming practices and management, and much needed access to land, infrastructure, equipment, marketing, and capital.

Viva Farms received a Co-op Farm Fund grant to purchase a new field cultivator. The implement was purchased from Farmer’s Equipment Co. in Lynden where the farm received a nonprofit discount, further leveraging its Farm Fund grant. Hooray for local businesses!

Several farmers at Viva have already had great success using the new field cultivator, which prepares soil for planting without the need for rototilling. Rob Smith, Viva Farms operations and incubator director, described the cultivator as “a missing link in our ‘toolkit’ that allows us to work up a field in a more efficient, timely, and sustainable manner.”

Efficient because the field cultivator is much faster to use in the field, and with fewer mechanical parts, it is less likely to break down and requires less maintenance. All these factors result in less downtime in the field, fewer costly repairs, and overall labor savings.

Sustainable because it is gentler on the soil structure, known in farmer lingo as the “tilth.” A rototiller, on the other hand, can create soil compaction or pulverize the soil resulting in hardpan that impairs drainage and plant growth. Also, because rototillers are powered implements, they use more fuel to operate than the cultivator that is simply pulled behind a tractor.

This improvement in efficiency and sustainability allows farmers more time to, well, farm, and will hopefully result in greater productivity and eventually more deliveries of local food to the Co-op’s produce departments. Throughout the growing season Viva, and the 14 independent farmers currently working the land and sharing equipment with Viva, provide certified organic vegetables, herbs, and berries to the Puget Sound Food Hub, which serves many Whatcom County food businesses.

In the same way that the Co-op is committed to the principal of cooperation among cooperatives, the farmers on-site at Viva Farms are building community and learning from each other. Rob said: “Despite working on their own independent operations, the farmers help support each other for success. This all happens across language and cultural barriers—finding out what is shared between all farmers, and all humans, really.”

For the first time, Viva Farms is at 100 percent capacity and will look into expanding in 2017. Rob wants to spread the word about what Viva Farms is accomplishing, and tell people that it wouldn’t be possible without the farmers and a network of community partners.

That network includes every Co-op shopper who has contributed to the Farm Fund and chooses to purchase local produce from the Co-op—Whatcom County’s only community-owned grocery store.

Learn more at vivafarms.org

In Support of Our Local Community

by Adrienne Renz, Outreach Department

the real food show set with frank and beans

Frank and Beans—the colorful characters of The Real Food Show—are played by Jason Quick and Della Plaster (also a co-writer) of the Bellingham Circus Guild. The show utilizes comedy, juggling, and other circus skills to inspire positive change in the attitudes and behavior of elementary school kids.

In alignment with the seventh co-operative principle—Concern for the Community—the Co-op makes community giving part of its annual budget. But when preparing to write about the Co-op’s community giving it was not as easy as pulling up a spreadsheet and writing down a line total, because the intention of Concern for the Community is woven into many of our projects.

Thank you for joining us in supporting local farms, nonprofits, arts, music, and community organizations.

In our recent strategic planning process we clearly heard from you, our community, that local food system development, healthy food access, and community engagement are core issues you would like your Co-op to take action on. With this in mind, I carefully consider each request and opportunity to support our community to ensure we are responsibly stewarding funds to meet these goals.

A few projects that exemplify this are the Farm Fund, The Real Food Show, and Community Shopping Days.

The Farm Fund recently distributed $25,000 in Next Step grants to six farms. The Next Step Project is an innovative new venture of the Community Food Co-op Farm Fund, pairing grants with low-interest loans to support local farmers in expanding their farms to serve the wholesale market. The Next Step Project is designed to help farms reach a financially sustainable scale, and to increase the quantity of organic and sustainably grown food in Whatcom County.

The Real Food Show is entering its third year and offering 10 free shows a year to Whatcom County elementary schools. The shows are a hit and “Frank & Beans” have begun visiting elementary schools in other co-op towns to share the fun of eating real food to fuel a healthy body.

The Member Affairs Committee (MAC), which any Co-op member can join, awards 12 Community Shopping Days annually. July 1 marks the release of our Community Shopping Day applications for 2017 awards. If you know of a worthy organization, encourage them to visit the Co-op website and consider applying to be a CSD recipient.

MAC takes this grant funding selection seriously and reviews, discusses, and votes on each applicant to ensure that we have new organizations represented across diverse areas of our community every year. Applications are due by September 1.

In addition to giving back $103,000 in donations, grants, and sponsorships, the Co-op also offers member-owner use of the community rooms at both of our stores, by donation, for a wide variety of purposes too numerous to detail. The rooms totaled approximately 1,837 hours of community use in 2015.

And what about all of you? In 2015, Co-op member-owners and shoppers not only chose to shop at the Co-op knowing that your purchases benefit the community, but you also generously donated more than $20,261 at the register in support of your community.

Thank you for joining us in supporting local farms, nonprofits, arts, music, and community organizations.

Choosing to spend your valuable food dollars at the Co-op is what makes all of this possible.

Thank you for fostering the Concern for Community principle that is a foundation of our Co-op business and a vibrant and strong piece of the Community Food Co-op.

Sean Humphrey House adult family care home

“I want to thank you for the donation from the CSD partnership! We are thrilled to have been selected to participate this year. It provides such great exposure for Sean Humphrey House. Your kindness means so much to all of us. Every bit of support we receive has a positive impact on the daily lives of our residents. Many thanks again from the residents, volunteer, Board of Directors and staff at SHH. Your thoughtfulness greatly adds to our residents’ lives.”

–Jeanette Campagna, Sean Humphrey House Program Coordinator.

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.

Vendor Spotlight: Broad Leaf Farm

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Department

Dusty Williams of Broad Leaf Farm in Everson is one of the hardworking and super-knowledgeable local farmers who has been providing the Co-op with fresh, organic produce for many years.

If you’ve purchased fresh produce at the Co-op in the past 16 years or so, you’ve likely enjoyed some of the organic veggies grown by Dusty Williams of Broad Leaf Farm in Everson.

Dusty has been selling his organic produce to the Co-op since the turn of the century (yeah, we had one of those recently).

He began purchasing farmland back in 1987 at a price that would make new startup farmers weep for the more attainable land values of bygone days. Luckily for those weeping beginning farmers, Dusty has been making his farmland available, and sharing equipment and his invaluable expertise, for many years.

He recently attained the enviable position of head cider taster for Washington Hard Cider. In exchange for fixing up an outbuilding on the farm, the cider makers are using the space to brew their tasty ciders.

Additionally, two farms providing the Co-op are currently working on the farmland —Spring Time Farm and Terra Verde Farm—and a Fairhaven College student is running a CSA for her senior project. Co-op shoppers will recognize several other alumni of the farmland: Rabbit Field Farms, Backyard Beans and Grains, and Spring Frog Farm at Holistic Homestead.

Certified organic since 1996, the farm has an abundant diversity of crops

Crops include green and purple asparagus, snap peas, strawberries, napa cabbage, red and gold beets, lettuce, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, kale, chard, zucchini, onions, and garlic … lots of garlic.

As we looked out over the garlic field I asked Dusty if the garlic scapes growing on each plant would need to be cut by hand. Short answer: yes. It seemed a daunting task. “It looks overwhelming, but you just need to start working, and before you know it you look up and you’re at the end of the first row,” said Dusty.

Dusty, or his staff, make deliveries to the Co-op three times per week to keep up with demand and to keep the produce as fresh as possible.

Some produce from Broad Leaf Farm will be clearly labeled as such, but others may be labeled as “assorted Whatcom County growers,” particularly kale and other greens that have rapidly increased in popularity. To keep up with the demand from Co-op shoppers, many local, organic farms are now also growing these crops.

In keeping with Dusty’s love of farming, and his passion to continually care for and improve his land, he is growing chestnut trees to enhance the property and a winter rye cover crop, the seeds of which are also harvested for sale. He is experimenting with bamboo to use for poles. The bamboo was particularly beautiful with a dark burnished appearance that was so shiny it looked as if it had been varnished. In 2014, solar panels were installed on the farm and are now producing about one-quarter of the energy needs.

Luckily for all of us, Dusty has no plans to stop farming any time soon. “The years between 60 and 80 can be the best working years. In your 20s and 30s is when you should be traveling and trying out different things. When you get older is the time to stay put and work.”

Farm Spotlight: Terra Verde Farm

by Dave Straub, Cordata Produce Department

Terra Verde Farm in Everson Amy and Sküter Fontaine

Amy and Sküter Fontaine, owners of Terra Verde Farm, grow organic vegetables on their 12-acre farm in Everson including specialty crops like ginger, turmeric, and jicama.

If one were to trace the history of Whatcom County’s small organic farms, they would find them all connected in some way. One generation of farmers inspires the next. Guidance is offered and opportunities given. Terra Verde Farm in Everson is a product of this supportive agricultural community and, at the same time, possesses a unique flair. It is a hearty business built from the ground up by a couple of youths with top soil under their fingernails and genuine smiles on their faces.

Eight years ago, Amy and Sküter Fontaine wanted to challenge themselves to grow their own food. So, with a handful of seeds and a community garden plot, they discovered the magic of making things grow. It was such a positive experience they decided to make it their livelihood. Mike Finger, of Cedarville Farm, leased them the land and equipment to start their dream. After outgrowing that space, they moved to Everson where their business, Terra Verde, currently thrives on 12 organic acres leased from Dusty Williams of Broadleaf Farm.

"with farming there is a drive you feel to move beyond what you thought was possible and it transforms your life"

I pedaled out to Everson this August to pay them a visit. The first thing I noticed about Amy and Sküter is how friendly they are. And after spending a short time with them I couldn’t help but feel inspired by the energy and innovation with which they lived their lives on the farm. They designed tractor implements and “MacGyvered” them into existence with totally original parts. They converted a tractor to run on electricity. Besides all the delicious kale, cauliflower, and eggplant I recognized from our shelves at the Co-op, they are pioneering new crops like ginger, turmeric, and jicama; tropical treasures you’re not likely to find anywhere else in Whatcom County. During the tour I was constantly surprised by the novelty of their farm.

At the end of my visit I asked Sküter what he liked most about his job. “It’s hard to explain. People don’t make a lot of money. But with farming there is a drive you feel to move beyond what you thought was possible and it transforms your life. The reward is seeing what you can do.”

Moon Valley Organics

by Kimberly Johnson, Cordata Wellness

The moon melt lotion bar is a decadent moisturizer with calendula and comfrey to help restore and soothe dry skin.

The Farm

Moon Valley is a 10-acre organic farm located in Deming, Washington. Kim Denend and Aaron Otto own and operate the farm and apiary, and also run a body care production facility. Vegetable gardens supply the Otto family and Moon Valley employees with fresh produce, while herb gardens generate ingredients for salves, soaps, and other body care products. This year they planted 9,000 calendula plants, three varieties of mint, burdock, marshmallow, comfrey, fennel, anise, and yarrow, all of which are organic or wildcrafted.

As part of their commitment to sustainability, they utilize a rainwater catchment tank for watering the gardens, and compost or reuse most of their waste on-site.

The Business

Moon Valley Organics employs 12 people, plus two to four WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) volunteers who work on the farm from spring to fall. Their products are sold at 11 retail locations in Whatcom County and at 393 additional locations nationwide. Their largest account remains the Pike Place Market booth in Seattle.

WWOOFers harvest calendula on Moon Valley’s 10-acre organic farm.

The Products

With company values stating their commitment to organic and sustainable ingredients, Moon Valley’s products are both natural and effective. They produce a Moon Melt Lotion Bar, liquid foaming soaps, bar soaps, lip balm, and a line of medicinal salves that were formulated by Daniel Newman, MD, ND, DOM (Doctor of Oriental Medicine). Most of the products utilize herbs and botanicals grown or wildcrafted on the farm. Several products carry the USDA organic certification, while other products are WSDA organic. Packages are produced with 100 percent recycled paper, and are letterpress printed by hand at Bison Bookbinding, a local Bellingham company.

Why We Love Moon Valley Organics

Our wellness staff has the opportunity to sample a wide range of products from many different companies, but we have a particular fondness for Moon Valley products. A few staff favorites include:

Oatmeal Sage Cleansing Body Bar, an exfoliating bar soap made with organic sage essential oil
Grapefruit Thyme Foaming Herbal Hand Soap, made with calendula and comfrey
Herbal Lip Balm, an organic vanilla lip balm
Herbal Heal, a medicinal salve made with calendula, goldenseal, and propolis

Please ask for assistance in finding these fabulous products on our shelves, and as always, thank you for shopping local!

Owners Aaron Otto and Kim Denend enjoy a quiet moment on the farm.

Learn more at www.moonvalleyorganics.com, and watch a beautiful video about Kim and Aaron and Moon Valley Organics.

Front and Center

by Steve Faucher, Downtown Front End Department

Lacee Henifin community food co-op clerk cashier

Lacee Henifin, Cordata Front End Team

“My sister was shopping at your Cordata location recently, and realized as she was checking out that she had forgotten her wallet. Lacee, ‘a cute red-headed cashier’ (her words), paid for her lunch, and set off a flurry of pay-it-forwards since. Awesome job making ‘community’ such an important part of the Community Co-op!”

—submitted via our online customer comment system

One of the first and last people you probably see when you visit the Co-op is someone who works on the team that we call the Front End. We are the team of folks who work at the checkstands, diligently ringing up our member-owners and customers while striving for a high level of precision with a big focus on service. The Front End also handles most elements of membership, operates the Service Desk that is the informational hub of all things Co-op, and always has a Supervisor on duty who, in addition to assisting our cashiers with any issues or hang-ups, is the catch-all person for anything out of the ordinary that might come up throughout the store.

With a team of 30 staff Downtown and 17 at our Cordata store, we ring up around 3,400 customers a day. That adds up to 102,000 customers in a month, so in only two months we have rung up as many transactions as there are people in Whatcom County!

Holly Turri, Cordata shopper and Co-op member-owner

Holly Turri says, “I love the Co-op!” Soon after moving to Bellingham in June 2013, she visited the Cordata store for the first time. Being new to the Co-op, she and her assistance dog, Sarah, went a bit astray and mistakenly ended up at the loading dock door. Nate Wright, Cordata front end assistant manager, kindly walked her to the front door and thus began her relationship with the front end team. Holly said: “They always go above and beyond. And though it may sound a bit cliché, they are like family. They shop with me, and they educate me.” Holly and her husband James are looking forward to hosting Marc (pictured at left) at their house so he and James can share their mutual interest in making music.

At the register our cashiers are responsible for a dizzying array of details. Every team member has hundreds of numbers tucked away in their heads in an effort to more quickly and efficiently ring up our patrons. What shoppers may not know is that beyond all of the daily transactions at the registers, we serve many people in a myriad of other ways. This brings us to the role played by our Service Desk.

At the Service Desk our member-owners can expect to get information and assistance of all kinds. We can let you know if we have a specific product, show you where it is located in the store, and in most cases give you details about the ingredients, the company that makes it, how to use it, and alternative products that you might want to consider. While you can make a return at any register, many returns are handled by Desk staff. We also sell tickets for community events, help people register for our Healthy Connections classes, and sell ad space for our newsletter and this magazine. Another in-demand service at the Desk is preparing special orders—a very popular money-saving benefit for member-owners to receive a discount of up to 15 percent off the shelf price by prepaying for case quantities of almost any item we sell.

If you have questions, Service Desk staff will strive to find an answer even if it is not directly related to the Co-op—we can help you look up a list of local homeopathic doctors, give you directions to their offices, and then sell you a bus pass to get there! Basically, the Service Desk is staffed by very knowledgeable, jack-of-all-trade Front Enders who try very hard to meet our customers’ needs.

Mike Straus, Downtown Front End Team

Mike Straus can’t quite remember how his friendship with Dorothy Beach started; perhaps it was their mutual connection to Texas. Dorothy was a regular shopper at the Downtown store and after a few falls left her less mobile, Mike started to shop for her and deliver her groceries on his way home. They would share tea and cookies, and talk about the news and their kids and grandkids. “Dorothy was a great lady, and I enjoyed spending time with her. The tea and cookies were just icing on the cake,” said Mike. When Dorothy moved into a care facility Mike visited her with one of his grandkids, and he still keeps in touch with one of Dorothy’s children who lives nearby. Their regular visits extended over a period of 4 to 5 years. “I miss Dorothy,” Mike said in closing.

Offering an umbrella of support for customers and cashiers alike is the store Supervisor. “Supers” are super-capable know-it-alls—in the best possible way! They know the ins and outs of Front End procedures and policies, so they can keep the whole operation flowing. They know how to troubleshoot our finicky Point of Sale system. They know what to do and who to call if something is on the fritz. They are on-site theft patrol. But most of all, they know how to get our member-owners what they need. If there is something a customer wants and we can get it, the Super will make it happen.

Of course, as proud as I am of the Front End team, there wouldn’t be much need for it without our customers. One of the best things about working on this team is YOU—the great people that we have been privileged to serve over the years.

Our community-owned grocery store is truly a work of the community. There are member-owners who have shopped here regularly for 40 years. Some of the relationships and genuine acts of kindness that have occurred here over the years are rather wonderful. It’s not uncommon for a Front Ender to drop off a member’s groceries on the way home from work—purely out of the goodness of her own heart and without need for acknowledgment. One of our own might check in with a regular shopper we haven’t seen for while, just to make sure things are OK. And the outpouring of support from you, our customers, when something unfortunate befalls the Co-op or one of its employees is equally inspirational to me.

It’s really a collection of all these little things that add up to make our beloved cooperative not just for the profit of any one group or person, but to increase the general good for all involved. It’s a collective effort of our community, and it results in the realization of a truly special place.

Thank you!

Grace Harbor Farms

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

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

by Jean Rogers, Farm Fund Administrator

Next Step Grant Update: Boldly Grown Farm

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

Farm Fund Grant Update: Viva Farms

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

In Support of Our Local Community

by Adrienne Renz, Outreach Department

Farm Fund Spotlight: Growing Garden

by Jean Rogers, Farm Fund Adminstrator

Vendor Spotlight: Broad Leaf Farm

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Department

Farm Spotlight: Terra Verde Farm

by Dave Straub, Cordata Produce Department

Moon Valley Organics

by Kimberly Johnson, Cordata Wellness

The Farm

The Business

The Products

Why We Love Moon Valley Organics

Front and Center

by Steve Faucher, Downtown Front End Department

Iodine: Are You Deficient in This Trace Mineral?

A Visit To Tortillas Con Madre

Earth Day at the Co-op

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