More than a pickle: How grants from Washington State Department of Agriculture are yielding impressive impacts across the state

Micha Ida and Galen Van Horn
WSDA Regional Markets Program

Small farms and food businesses play important roles in maintaining vibrant and robust local food systems that support growth in local economies and ensure healthy communities. Disruptions to supply chains and food distribution systems can have far-reaching impacts, as witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. To increase the resiliency of local food systems, Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has distributed nearly $20 million in grants to small farms and local food businesses through several grant programs administered by the WSDA Regional Markets Program. Continued funding from the Washington State Legislature will further bolster the resiliency of our local food systems in the years ahead.

Recent grants from WSDA have allowed businesses and organizations to expand and diversify in a variety of ways, including increasing the amount of product they produce, expanding their customer bases, and facilitating linkages with other businesses in their local food systems.

Lum Farm: Building resilience 

Amy Lum welcomes one the farm’s newest members.

“Living on an island, buying local food, and having local food access is critical,” says Amy Lum, of Lum Farm. Her farm is located on Orcas Island, and during the pandemic, Lum witnessed how difficult food access became for her community. According to the San Juan Community Food Assessment, in 2020 less than 5% of the food consumed in San Juan County was produced locally. In response, Lum Farm scaled up and increased its food production and distribution within the county by 275%. 

Lum Farm is the only WSDA-inspected dairy in the state that produces goat’s milk ice cream, along with a variety of goat’s milk cheeses and pasture-raised meats. Everything produced on their farm is sold and distributed within San Juan County through restaurants, grocery stores, the local food bank, and directly to consumers. 

The farm used Local Food System Infrastructure Grant funds to support their growth and resilience through added cold storage space, additional equipment for cheese making, a new cattle handling system, and technological upgrades to their operation. These enhancements are allowing them to raise more animals and produce more food for their small island community. “Our customers and farming partners have all experienced the positive impact of this grant, and celebrated each new change with us,” Lum said.

Expanding services at Windy N Ranch 

The Newhall Family of Windy N Ranch.

To Bradley Newhall of Windy N Ranch, the need for this type of support is clear. “We all saw the devastating effects that Covid-19 had on food supply and distribution,” he says. His family’s operation is a Certified Organic meat ranch located in Ellensburg that specializes in humanely raised beef, pork, lamb, goat, and poultry. In May 2021, Windy N Ranch opened their own butcher shop on their farm, with licensing that allows them to process their own meat as well as provide butchering services to other area producers.

The Newhalls used Local Food Infrastructure Grant funds to make improvements to Windy N Ranch's meat processing facility, which has allowed them to expand the variety of products they prepare, as well as increase their butcher shop services to other farmers and ranchers in the Kittitas Valley. They also aspire to transition their USDA-inspected butcher shop into a Certified Organic facility.

Critical services, such as Local Food Infrastructure Grant funding, increase the viability of small farms and ranches by opening new marketing avenues and revenue streams. “With [added] infrastructure for local USDA meat processing in place, we and other ranchers will be better suited to meet the food needs of our local communities regardless of supply chain issues that may be occurring nationally,” Newhall added.

Increasing capacity: Beyond Pickles

Increased resiliency in our local food systems can come from surprising places too, and something as humble as a pickle can have an outsized impact. Beyond Pickles is a micro food processing company located in the Tri-Cities that uses lactobacillus salt fermentation to preserve and create sauerkrauts, kimchi, and other vegetable-based fermented condiments using locally-grown vegetables from small farmers in eastern Washington. Local Food System Infrastructure Grant funds helped Beyond Pickles install a walk-in cooler addition that is allowing them to quadruple the amount of product they can store prior to distribution.

Packing jars at Beyond Pickles.

Increased capacity and demand for Beyond Pickles’ products will allow them to ramp up their orders from local farms, which is one way these grant funds are supporting the broader local food economy. A larger walk-in cooler has also allowed Beyond Pickles to collaborate more on food distribution with other local food-centric companies such as the Walla Walla Food Hub, Chesed Farms, and Farmstand Local Foods. Strong linkages like these among Washington’s local food businesses create a more robust and secure food system.

“The remarkable level of interest in these grants demonstrates the clear need for WSDA to invest in local food system infrastructure in Washington,” says WSDA Local Food Infrastructure and Supply Chain Specialist Galen Van Horn. “We’ve received wonderful feedback from grant recipients about how their businesses are thriving beyond their imagination. These grants are allowing the people of Washington to benefit from those investments and we’re grateful for the Legislature for recognizing the impact and providing continued funding.”

WSDA is interested in making continual improvements to our grant offerings and are inviting interest and comment on future grant rounds. You can sign up to be notified of future grant opportunities and share your thoughts on investing local food system infrastructure by completing this short interest survey. Comments should be submitted by September 15, 2023.

For questions about the Local Food Infrastructure Grant Program please contact Galen Van Horn at galen.vanhorn@agr.wa.gov.

Small farms succeed with assistance from WSDA’s Regional Markets team

Laura Raymond
WSDA Regional Markets Program Manager 

If you run a small or midsize direct-marketing farm in Washington state, you know it takes a lot for your business to succeed.

You need to understand the local, state, and federal rules, regulations, and standards and know how to comply with them. You need an effective distribution infrastructure and relationships to ensure that the products you grow or raise can reach customers. If you want to sell in a different marketplace—such as wholesale instead of retail—you need information and guidance to decide whether that market is a good fit and how to be successful within it. You might even need to learn to farm differently. 

WSDA’s Regional Markets team helps small and mid-scale farms in Washington state with all of this—and much more. Their central objective is to help these farms succeed and strengthen local food systems. 

What Regional Markets does

Small farms, which make up 89% of the state’s 39,000 farms, have unique needs when it comes to selling their products on a local or regional scale. Planning, planting, tending, harvesting, storage, processing, and distribution all require different systems than those that are set up for larger producers. 

To help these farms succeed, Regional Markets offers wide range of support, including efforts to:

• Increase small farm access to local markets.
• Increase the availability of Washington-grown products in schools and institutions.
• Encourage connections and infrastructure to boost regional food economies. 
• Provide farms and food buyers with technical assistance.
• Provide farms with marketing support and guidance.
• Facilitate farmer-buyer connections.
• Support and regulatory guidance for good food safety practices.
• Advocate for small farms at the national and local levels.
• Create resources and publications to help farms strengthen local market connections.
• Provide opportunities to grow or strengthen their businesses through state grant programs. 

Regional Markets is often the first stop for farmers and local food businesses searching for information and resources to sell in their chosen markets. The program also helps buyers such as school districts that want to include local farm products in their menus. They might attend a Farm to School Institute, participate in a Farmer-Buyer Meeting, take part in regularly scheduled Community of Practice calls to connect with others in their sector, or download The Handbook for Small and Direct Marketing Farms (“The Green Book”), the Regional Market's complete guide to direct marketing strategies and regulations. 

By giving small and mid-scale farms the support they need, Regional Markets functions as a key program under the Focus on Food Initiative, which works to connect Washington farmers and food producers with buyers and to ensure that everyone in our state has access to good food.

Learn more about Regional Markets

To learn more about how this program supports small farms, visit the Regional Markets webpage or agr.wa.gov/FarmFoodBiz where you can find information about these grants, and more:

• Small Meat Processor Capacity Grants
• COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Grants
• Farm to School Purchasing Grants
• Profiting From Your Pivot Program
• Local Food System Infrastructure Capacity Grants

Lessons shared on goat dairy farm walk

Kathy Davis
Communications

Matthew Tuller and Rachael Taylor-Tuller kick
off the farm walk on their goat dairy, Lost Peacock
Creamery, in Thurston County.

Farmers share a natural affiliation – and maybe none more so than those who raise goats. Goats have an undeniable charm with their floppy ears, expressive eyes, and craving for human attention. Plus, they produce milk and delicious cheese!

No wonder a recent farm walk at the Lost Peacock Creamery in Thurston County was a big draw. The walk’s title was “How not to start a goat dairy; Lessons learned and models for success from a veteran, female farmer.” 

About 30 people attended. Most were small farmers and most were women. Some were exploring farming and raising goats. Some were military veterans or about to be honorably discharged from service. Others had links to food systems or sustainable farming organizations. 

Rachael Taylor-Tuller and her husband, Matthew Tuller, led the tour of their Lost Peacock Creamery. While they shared insights about how they got into the business and currently manage their farm, the event was definitely interactive. 

Along with asking questions, many on the tour offered advice and resources based on their own experiences. Everyone was learning and sharing. And that is the purpose of these Farm Walks, sponsored by Washington State University Food Systems and Tilth Alliance. 

Farm walk attendees get up-close and personal
 with the goat herd.

Goat yoga pays for feed

In just three years since they got their WSDA dairy license, Rachael and Matthew said Lost Peacock now provides them with a living wage without off-farm employment. Statewide, more than half of all farmers have a second job. 

“It’s possible because we don’t live beyond our means,” Rachael said. 

They have avoided taking on debt, she said, expanding as they had the resources. For instance, by adding one barn at a time as they could afford it. 

They also rely on agritourism, including an interesting blend of fitness and farming that has been featured in the news. 

“We do yoga every day, but I wasn’t sure if anyone would want to come to the farm to do yoga with goats,” she said. “But now goat yoga pays our feed bill.”

Another unique event on the farm is called “Cheese and Cuddles.” For $20, visitors can cuddle with the springtime baby goats and sample the farm’s cheese. 

Their event space - decorated with goat art and featuring a climbing wall - is available to rent for birthday parties or other private occasions. 

Mindy Ross enjoys some goat love.

Marketing is key to success

Rachael is a natural and enthusiastic pitch person for her farm.

“The most important way to make a farm successful is with marketing,” she said. “You need to tell your story. Your farm has its story, and you have a personal story – your background, family, struggles -- that goes with that.”

Lost Peacock has a farm website, where Rachel regularly posts on a blog, and are active on social media. 

Rachael shared with the group that she bought the farm after serving in the Air Force. When she got divorced, she had a young child and a fulltime corporate job, but she hung on to the farm determined to make it work. That’s the “how not to start a goat dairy” part of the story. 

After meeting and marrying Matthew, Rachael’s dream started becoming reality. Now she had a partner who was as excited about building that farming dream as she was. 

“Rachael is great at marketing,” Matthew said. “Farms make for great storytelling; there’s the cycle of birth, life, mating…” he trailed off as a male goat mounted a female in the background to illustrate. 

Fences, feed, and people food

As the group watched our hosts and an able volunteer demonstrate a fence repair, the topic turned to feeding practices. We watched the goats nibble on tree bark as Matthew pointed out a lush green patch planted just for them. 

Rachael and a volunteer demonstrate how to
repair a bent fence.

Susan Kerr, education and outreach specialist with WSDA’s State Veterinarians Office, explained that goats are curious and will explore for things to eat. And those may not be what you want them to eat. She suggested planting edible bushes or climbing vines along the fence line, since goats also tend to eat at face level. 

While they encourage natural foraging, Rachael said they also provide feed that does not contain any corn, soy or wheat, due to customers with allergies. 

“We only sell what we want to feed our own family,” she said. 

The whole afternoon was packed with practical tips about farming and goats, and with personal stories about the rewards and struggles of farming. The day wrapped up with samples of Lost Peacock goat cheeses. 


So, what’s with the peacocks? Rachael and Matthew got married on the farm and she wanted peacocks for atmosphere. They got one pair and now several roam their property and perch on rooftops. 

“Apparently, they really like it here,” she commented. 

To learn more about their farm and their story, visit the Lost Peacock Creamery website (and read Rachael’s blog posts for their story) or follow them on social media.

“Loyal to soil” – Farm walks provide farmer-to-farmer learning

Spoon Full Farm shows a map of their property 
by the Yakima River, which borders it.

Karla Salp
Communications

When learning something new, there is no more effective way than getting your hands – or your feet – dirty. That’s where the Washington State University Food Systems and the Tilth Alliance come in.

 Phoebe Autry, garden manager, talks about no-till gardening

WSU has been coordinating educational farm walks for over 15 years. The goal is to provide a venue for farmers to learn from one another about organic, sustainable, and innovative farm and food businesses throughout the state. While farmers are the primary audience, attendees also include researchers, agricultural professionals, and even gardeners.

This month’s first farm walk, for example, was a visit to Spoon Full Farm at Thorp, near Interstate 90 just west of Ellensburg.

Spoon Full Farm is a relatively new diversified farm. They are transforming land which had been a hay farm for decades. Their motto is “loyal to soil” and they see themselves primarily as “soil farmers.” They grow vegetables, fruit, and flowers as well as graze cattle and raise chickens for eggs. But their guiding principle is to choose farming methods – such as no-till – which have been shown to improve soil quality and which they hope will grow better produce.

Anna Brown talks about Spoon Full Farm's rotational grazing

Two dozen attendees walked the 100-acre property to learn more about how Spoon Full Farm operates, ask questions, and see first-hand the benefits and challenges that can accompany no-till practices. During the walk, topics discussed included:

• Dealing with weeds in a no-till garden
• Addressing high winds on the farm
• Rotational intensive grazing of cattle
• Raising chickens for eggs on pasture

WSDA staff members frequently attend the farm walks to provide resources and ask questions. On this walk, for example, our Regional Markets team brought the hot-off-the-press new Small Farm and Direct Marketing Handbook, or the “green book.” The handbook has fact sheets on a wide variety of topics of interest to new farmers. And our produce safety team provided feedback about good produce safety practices that were being used on the farm as well on the walk.

Mericos Rhodes talks about raising pastured chickens for eggs

If you missed this farm walk, don’t worry – there are several more scheduled throughout the summer on a variety of topics:

• July 29 - Lazy R Ranch and LINC Foods – Holistic Management for Grazing Animals and Innovative Distribution Models (WSDA sponsored)
• August 12 - Viva Farms Berry Growers: Innovations in Strawberry, Raspberry and Blackberry Production
• September 9 - Lost Peacock Creamery How Not to Start a Goat Dairy: Lessons Learned & Models for Success from a Veteran, Female Farmer

You can also find booklets from past farm walks on the Tilth Alliance website. In addition to the WSU Food Systems/Tilth Alliance farm walks, other agricultural organizations also host these valuable experiences. Follow WSDA’s Facebook page and check out our Facebook events calendar to stay informed when they occur.

Q fever: What sheep and goat owners should know

Dr. Amber Itle
Washington State Veterinarian

Don't let Q fever "jump the fence."

Lambing and kidding season, the time of year when goats and sheep give birth, is winding down. But goat and sheep owners should remain diligent to protect themselves and their animals when assisting with a difficult birthing.

In these circumstances,  Q fever, a serious but seldom fatal zoonotic disease, can be transmitted to humans and other animals by sheep, goats and cattle.

Caution should be taken in the case of animals that have aborted. Goat and sheep owners should be aware of the issues around testing, risks of exposure and prevention of this disease.

What is Q fever?

Q fever is a disease caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii. This bacteria naturally infects some animals, such as goats, sheep, and cattle. C. burnetii bacteria are found in the birth products (i.e. placenta, amniotic fluid), urine, feces, and milk of infected animals.

• Usually Q Fever does not show any clinical signs in animals, but can cause abortion. 
• Q Fever is most likely to be shed around partition in the placenta, uterine fluids, or aborted material.
• Animals can become infected when in direct contact with highly infectious material associated with parturition or nursing from an infected dam. 
• People can get infected by breathing in dust that has been contaminated by infected animal feces, urine, milk, and birth products. Some people never get sick; however, those who do usually develop flu-like symptoms including fever, chills, fatigue, and muscle pain.
• Q fever is commonly found in the environment and can survive for many years.
• Q fever is considered to be an endemic disease in Washington.

Who is most at risk?

• The highest risk of transmission is for those that drink raw milk and those that have direct contact with birthing fluids/ placenta, or aborted fetuses. 
• Q fever is primarily an occupational hazard for farmers, veterinarians, and slaughterhouse workers in contact with infected domestic animals, especially around birthing. 
• Immunosuppressed, the elderly, pregnant women and young children are most vulnerable to the disease.  
• About 60 percent of people exposed to it do not get sick.  Those that do most commonly develop flu-like symptoms. 

Prevention

• WSDA has created a detailed biosecurity plan. Goat and sheep owners may find this voluntary Q fever management plan useful. 
• If you experience abortions on your farm, contact your veterinarian for a full diagnostic work up.  

How to avoid Q fever

• Avoid drinking unpasteurized milk products from cattle, sheep, and goats. 
• Limit contact with birthing fluids and placentas during birthing. 
• Protect yourself. Gloves, eye protection, and a protective mask can be worn when handling highly infectious materials and cleaning manure or bedding, especially from birthing pens.  

Testing for Q fever

Q fever tests detect antibodies to Coxiella burnetii. Antibody tests only determine past exposure rather than active shedding of the disease organism. The test does not determine if the animal is actively infected or if the animal is shedding the organism in the milk. Currently, there are no commercially available testing procedures for Q fever that give accurate and reliable definitive results. Therefore, WSDA does not recommend euthanasia of goats with a positive antibody test.

For more information

Contact WSDA’s Animal Health Program

WSDA report examines the challenge of getting local produce to schools and other institutions

Chris Iberle
WSDA Regional Markets 

Serving local produce and minimally processed foods is a goal for many school cafeterias and other institutions, but there are challenges to reaching that end. To understand the challenges and potential solutions better, WSDA’s Regional Markets team studied supply chains in Washington state for local, minimally processed food from farm to school for 2016-2017.

The study, “Value Chain Strategies for Source-Identified Minimally Processed Produce for the School Market,” was completed earlier this year.

The study also sought to identify strategies for developing a “value chain” infrastructure and building relationships to help local farms meet the demand for these products from schools, hospitals, and other institutional buyers.

The value chain model 

A value chain model is one that considers how value is added to a product or service at each step along the supply chain to best meet customer needs. The model seeks to maximize the business benefit that comes from engaging interested parties at all steps along the chain, from the initial supplier through the end customer.

Value chains often provide increased transparency so it is clear where the food is coming from and how it is produced. They also foster collaboration between suppliers, distributors, processors, sellers, and buyers.

Many value chains help develop relationships among the various partners built on shared values, reflected in their business operations and the products they make. Below are some of the findings of the report.

Farmers working together 

In Washington state, several different groups of farmers have formed cooperatives and food hubs in order to develop value chain relationships with processors, other food businesses, and their end customers.

WSDA studied some of these food hubs and small farmer co-ops to understand what barriers they encounter when developing source-identified, minimally processed products such as fresh cut fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, or Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) vegetables and berries, for schools and institutional markets. WSDA also identified some strategies that farmers and food hubs are using to overcome those barriers and meet school demand for minimally processed produce.

Access to processing

The availability of appropriate, minimal processing infrastructure, such as space and equipment to cut, freeze or dehydrate food, varies widely depending on the region and the crop. Finding scale-appropriate processing equipment and meeting minimum volume requirements for frozen processors was especially challenging. While fresh cut processing services are available in some regions and for some products, the lack of information about them and the lack of coordination among these services means less access for smaller farms.

Existing and emerging supply chain models

One emerging supply chain model for providing source-identified, minimally processed fruits and vegetables to schools and other higher-volume markets appears to be food hubs, which are currently poised to meet this demand in three main ways, each with their own opportunities and challenges:

1. Processing capacity: Some food hubs have developed internal infrastructure to process their own members’ produce into specific products. They are still working to refine their operations, marketing, and suppliers to achieve a financially and operationally viable business model. 
2. Sales of farmer-processed products: Some food hubs do not have their own processing infrastructure, but may have individual farmer members who already produce their own processed product that is sold through the food hub. This may offer a good fit for meeting institutional buyer needs.
3. New partnerships: Some farms and food hubs already sell to a small or medium sized processor, and could launch or develop source-identified products with a processor to better serve K-12 school buyer needs. 

Learning from businesses building new relationships

Through interviews and surveys, WSDA learned more about traditional supply chain operators, such as conventional processors, and emerging alternatives, like food hubs and farmer cooperatives, and believe both can learn from each other to foster value chain development.

Conventional and traditional agricultural minimal processing infrastructure either no longer exists or has consolidated to serve primarily high-volume, larger-scale farms. This leaves little room for custom runs to serve smaller farms or for purchasing raw product from smaller-scale suppliers. Traditional processors have developed flexible, competitively-priced products that meet some school buyer needs, but face challenges sourcing from local farms and building value chain partnerships, such as co-packing for farmers, food hubs, or schools.

Negotiating values, relationships, and new participants

WSDA tried to understand whether new physical infrastructure are needed to fill the supply chain gap, or whether new relationships and integrating new participants in the value chain could fill this need.

Overall, there is high demand for specialized, mechanized facilities and equipment for processing, product storage, and transportation at small and medium scales, oriented to local regional markets. Until further investment in infrastructure is made, or capacity for new processing is built within current staffing or facilities, food hubs and small to mid-sized farms will have very limited access to the processing services they need within their region.

The full report includes a profile of the five food hubs that participated in the research project, and four case studies on specific products (dried treefruit, sliced carrots, frozen strawberries, and bagged salad mix).

To assist food hubs and small farmer co-ops with these issues, WSDA developed a toolkit for product development and potential supply chain partnerships. This also includes a Salesforce database to help with networking and referral services to support regional links in produce value chains. Simply email farmtoschool@agr.wa.gov to request these resources.

This project was funded and made possible thanks to a USDA Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program grant.

Grab a cuppa and improve your farm or land

Karla Salp
Communications

The Thurston Conservation District in Olympia has a unique opportunity for farmers and others to learn about their services - Coffee with Your Conservation District.

The concept is simple – meet up once a month at various local coffee joints and allow community members to come and learn how the conservation district can help them be better stewards of their land. No commitment is required – not even a sign-in list is passed around.

At the January meet-up, half a dozen community members gathered around a large table at a coffee shop in Lacey and peppered the conservation district with questions about how the conservation district could help them. Some of the available services they discovered include:

• Soil and nutrient testing
• Removal and replacement of invasive species
• Landowner succession planning
• Linking new farmers with landowners
• Assistance in finding financing resources 
• Cost-share programs, such as exclusion fencing and nutrient management projects
• Farmland preservation
• Small equipment rentals
• Workshops and training for farmers and landowners
• Voluntary Stewardship Programs 
• Shoreline protection
• Shellfish recovery
• Conservation planning

These are just some of the projects offered at the Thurston Conservation District, and most conservations districts around the state offer similar programs appropriate for their land and ecosystems.

But it’s not only the services they offer that makes conservation districts an interesting option for landowners, it’s their philosophy of doing business, which stresses partnerships over regulation.

Here are the top five reasons you might want to get involved with your own local conservation district. 

1. Trusted partners. One of the most attractive and unique qualities of conservation districts is that they are specifically non-regulatory. They provide technical assistance and partner with landowners to improve stewardship of their land or come into compliance with state law without the threat fines. 
2. Local experts and leadership. Staff offer landowners expertise in fields such as soil resource management, conservation biology, forest and ecological engineering, and more. Each district is directed by a five-member board of supervisors. Three members are elected locally, at least two of whom must be landowners or operators of a farm. 
3. Personal investment. Because conservation districts are run by people who live in the community, they are experts in local issues and are very familiar with the natural resource and environmental issues unique to each region. They care about protecting the environment in their backyards. 
4. Free and low-cost. Most conservation district services are either free or low-cost. Their services are partially paid through grants and property taxes, allowing them to keep costs affordable for everyone. 
5. Protect the environment. The role of the conservation district is to help landowners be better stewards of their land. By working together, the environment is improved for all. 

Conservation district staff and community members gathered
at a local coffee spot in Lacey. 

You don’t have to live in Thurston County to benefit from conservation district services. There are dozens of conservation districts throughout the state. Visit the Washington State Conservation Commission’s website at scc.wa.gov/conservation-district-map  to find a conservation district near you. 

Washington Grown films local mushroom farm process

Hannah Street
Communications

On a sunny Monday morning, a white van pulled into the driveway of Sno-Valley Mushrooms, a family-owned farm nestled in the countryside of Duvall, Washington. Tomas Guzman, Kara Rowe and Kristi Gorenson emerged, taking in the picturesque surroundings and making introductions as they set up their camera equipment.

(From left to right) Kara Rowe, Kristi Gorenson, a Sno-Valley
employee,and Tomas Guzman prepare to film a
scene packing mushrooms.

The three Washington Grown crew members were at the farm to film an installment for its fifth season. The show, which tours various agricultural sites and provides recipe how-to’s, is part of an agricultural promotion initiative supported by the Washington Farmers and Ranchers (WFR).

Washington Grown has been airing since 2013, but already boasts several accolades. Kristi received a Northwest Chapter Emmy nomination in 2015, and the show received both a Silver and Bronze Telly Award. In addition, Washington Grown received an Emmy for its episode on sweet corn.


The team first completed a walk-through, coordinating their shooting plan and familiarizing themselves with the farm’s workflow.

“This is where the ‘shroom magic happens,” owner Will Lockmiller joked.

The crew met the workers bagging the nutrient-infused sawdust compound for Shiitake, Tree Oyster, and Lion’s Mane varieties, to name a few.

Sno-Valley depicts a classic shooting venue for Washington Grown. The program highlights Washington-based agriculture operations. In the past, it has aired episodes featuring Taylor Shellfish, Grace Harbor Farms, Mountain View Berries, and more. Operated by friends and co-owners Rowan Ledbetter and Will, Sno-Valley Mushrooms sells at local farmers markets and counts local retailers, food producers, restaurants, and independent chefs as clientele. They offer their mushrooms year-round and sell grow-your-own mushroom kits in addition to carefully-packed boxes of fungi ready to prepare.

Left: mushrooms are ready for the farmer's market. Right: mushrooms grow in bags in the farm's lab facility.

After head camera operator Tomas readied his equipment, producer Kara put a mic on host Kristi. Will and Rowan were also mic’d during the shoot, both of them guiding Kristi through different parts of their facility.

The Washington Grown crew had a lot of ground to cover and not much time to do so; the call sheet only allowed two hours for filming at this location. The Sno-Valley Mushroom shoot was one of two video shoots that day, not to mention one of many that would take place during the week.

But the day’s tightly-packed itinerary was not overestimated; the crew was on-schedule throughout the morning, and moved through scenes at a steady clip. Tomas zoomed around the farm with his camera, directing the owners as needed. Kristi guided the interviews, asking questions and letting the owners talk excitedly about their business model and mushroom-growing expertise.

Tomas directs Will and Kristi as they discuss the mushroom
growth process.

Kara mic’d interviewees as necessary and had a list of points to cover. She referred to it once, but between the owner’s engaged descriptions and Kristi’s questions, everything was covered. “She’s really a pro at this,” Kara said, tucking the list back into her pocket.

Shortly after noon and right on schedule, Tomas got one last shot of Kristi, Rowan, Will, and two of Will’s children, who piled onto a tractor and said goodbye to the audience. The camera and sound equipment was loaded back into the van, and the crew was off to their next location.

Will's son, Rowan, helped supervise the Washington Grown
crew during their shoot.

Visit Washington Grown’s website for more information, including recipes and the station schedules when you  can and how to watch the show.

Connecting farmers and buyers in the Methow Valley

Katie Lynd 
WSDA Regional Markets 

Recently, more than 30 farmers, chefs, school nutrition workers and others gathered together in the Methow Valley to connect, tour local farms and discuss the challenges they all face in the local agriculture region.

The gathering was the Methow Valley Farm-to-Chef & Shelf Farm Tour and Business Networking Event, held on May 8. The project was a partnership between WSDA’s Food Assistance and Regional Markets program, or FARM, and the Methow Conservancy’s Agricultural Program. The group included small to mid-sized diversified farmers, buyers from restaurants, schools and resorts as well as retailers.

Stina Book explains the grafting process for fruit trees at Booth Canyon Orchard.

The WSDA FARM Team’s Local Buying Mission Project aim is to connect Washington specialty crop farmers with interested buyers, and educate both sides on the components of a successful buying and selling relationship.

Participants visited two farms to learn about their unique marketing outlets within the Methow region and the Seattle area. One was Booth Canyon Orchards, which has more than 55 varieties of organic tree-ripened pears and apples that they sell into the Seattle area market. The other was Willowbrook Organic Farm, a diversified row crop operation specializing in serving the Methow Valley market with produce ranging from micro-greens and root crop vegetables to value-added sauerkraut varieties. These farm stops highlighted the diversity of farming opportunities in the Methow and got buyers out on the farm to see the grit and hard work that goes into daily farming operations.

The afternoon wrapped up with a group discussion on the opportunities and challenges in sourcing and selling in the Methow Valley.

During the discussion, the group explored reasons why farmers in the Methow choose to sell outside of the region, with some farmers explaining that it is harder to make multiple small deliveries in a fairly large region like the Methow Valley than selling in the Seattle area, where they can get a higher price and sell larger volumes.

Buyers expressed interest in sourcing from Methow producers and their commitment to finding innovative ideas to make it work.

Participants sample kraut at Willowbrook Organic Farm’s commercial kitchen.

The farmers attending the event were happily surprised by the support they have in the region and expressed gratitude towards having shared values of local food in their community.

The day concluded with additional time for participants to network, establish new relationships and explore potential sales. You can visit www.methowgrown.org for more information about the diversity of farmers and the products they offer in the Methow Valley.

USDA program brings more locally grown foods into schools

By: Karen Ullmann

WSDA Farm to School      

Washington is one of eight states selected to participate in the USDA Pilot Project for Unprocessed Fruits and Vegetables.  The Pilot, mandated in the 2014 Farm Bill, enables schools to use their USDA entitlement dollars to buy more locally-grown, minimally processed produce. In recent years, schools could only use this money to buy fresh produce from a single designated contractor.

The Pilot Project allows them to use their USDA Foods budget to buy from a wider variety of vendors, encouraging schools to buy from regional farms and distributors, and allowing schools flexibility in the food they offer their students. 

Under the Pilot, schools can purchase fruits and vegetables that are “unprocessed” or “minimally” processed. Sliced, diced, chopped, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables are acceptable. Heated-treated processing such as canning or pickling is not allowed. Schools can still buy these products with their other funds, just not through the pilot.

WSDA Farm to School table at the Washington State 

Nutrition Association Conference

Already, Washington schools have set aside more than $1 million of this USDA funding for purchases made possible by the Pilot Project. WSDA is working to recruit and support farms, distributors, and processors to become approved vendors and to help schools buy through the pilot.

Every year, school nutrition directors and food service staff from across the state gather at the Washington State Nutrition Association Conference for education and meetings. I attended the conference on July 27, along with Tricia Kovacs, Small Farm Direct Marketing and Farm to School manager. We were there to join Jim Hemmen and Donna Parsons from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to educate schools about how to participate in the Pilot Project and what to expect. We found a lot of interest in the pilot project, but also a lot of questions on the nuts and bolts of buying food from local farmers.

The good news is that participation is relatively easy for schools, since USDA approves the vendors and pays for the food, and standard procurement rules and practices apply. There are 32 school districts currently participating and sign-up is open through December 2015. 

Schools interested should contact Jim Hemmen, Child Nutrition Services, OSPI, (360)-725-6209 or jim.hemmen@k12.wa.us for more information.

If schools need help with buying local, see A School’s Guide to Purchasing Washington-grown Food, developed by WSDA’s Farm to School team and partners from Public Health – Seattle & King County, Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network and Washington Environmental Council. Funds came from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

See our Farm to School Toolkit or email us at farmtoschool@agr.wa.gov for more information. 

Celebrating Farmers Market Week Aug. 2-8

By: Laura Raymond

Small Farm Direct Marketing 

Washington State joins a national celebration of farmers markets with a proclamation by Governor Inslee that this is Washington Farmers Market Week. That’s a proclamation I can get behind, though I hardly need an excuse to celebrate farmers markets. 

A customer visits the Columbia City
Farmers Market in Seattle.

Like many people, I Iove the visual splendor of farm tables piled high with vibrant displays. I enjoy the happy energy of kids munching on ripe fruit while they bob to a market band. It’s fun to catch up with friends and neighbors as we bump into each other with market bags full of produce, flowers, cheeses, meats, baked goods, pastas, eggs, jams, salsas, ciders, and other tasty treasures.

That experience is a celebration in itself yet, as farmers market organizations suggest, “there’s more to market” than just the weekly festivities.  

EBT cards are accepted at many markets.

Farmers markets supply a host of benefits that improve quality of life for us all. They support rural livelihoods and preserve farmland. They stimulate local economies by supporting artisans, prepared food businesses, and other vendors while also promoting sales for neighboring businesses. Market sales in Washington are estimated at nearly $45 million dollars in 2014, money that circulates longer in the local economy. Farmers markets are vibrant community spaces where we connect with friends and neighbors. They even make us all a little bit healthier with better access to fresh foods. Nearly all Washington markets accept federal nutrition benefits.

In my work at WSDA Small Farms and Direct Marketing, I get a firsthand view of how important farmers markets are to family farms of all types. More than 1,200 Washington farmers sell their products at 160 farmers markets across our state, in big cities and small rural communities. 

Farmers markets allow customers to
meet the people growing their food.

For new farmers, farmers markets provide a crucial entry point to introduce their products, build a customer base, and plant a first foothold to grow their business. Even for long-established farms, farmers markets can be a crucial element in their success. The young man who sold me blueberries at my local market this past week is the fifth generation on his family’s Skagit Valley farm and farmers markets are a primary way they sell their produce. At farmers markets, farmers sell directly to their consumers, earning full value for their products. This is especially important at a time when so many farmers are being extraordinarily challenged by the drought and hot weather.

Farmers markets offer a unique opportunity for producers and customers to talk with each other face-to-face. Customers can share their preferences and learn all about what goes into getting such a wonderful array of products to market.  

There’s a lot to a farmers market, and a lot to celebrate. Washington Farmers Market Week is a great time to show a little love for your nearest market and its farmers. Washington State Farmers Market Association’s directory  can help you find a market near you.