Eat local! Wahkiakum County farms make it easy to find tasty foods close to home

CATHLAMET -- “No longer is it necessary to drive an hour or more for top-quality produce and breads,” says Heidi Heywood of Skamokawa. “Our family has loved joining the ‘slow food’ movement, made easy by purchasing naturally-raised vegetables from Stockhouse’s Farm, pasture-raised meats and eggs from Wooden Bridge Farm and wonderful artisan breads from the Inn at Crippen Creek Farm.” She says her daughters eat more vegetables and eggs as they see first hand where their food comes from, “and who can argue with a six year old falling in love with artichokes?”

Locals are increasingly falling head over heels for delectable farm-fresh goodies. Currently there are more than a dozen small farms in Wahkiakum County dedicated to growing and selling top-quality foods direct to customers. These farms are gaining a strong customer base by working together with WSU Wahkiakum County Extension to promote themselves and reach more local customers.

They began their work together in October 2004, when WSU Wahkiakum County Extension, Lower Columbia EDC and the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments initiated the first Wahkiakum Ag Summit. At the Summit, interested folks met each other and were excited to learn that they all had a common desire to grow and produce or buy local food.  Participants identified a need to promote small farms with their top ideas being starting up a Farmers Market, creating a cooperative effort among farmers to market their products, and creating a Farm Map to advertise small farms and their products. A little over two years later, all of these ideas are reality thanks to the hard work of local farmers and WSU Wahkiakum County Extension.

WSU Extension Small Farms Coordinator, Carrie Kennedy, sees tremendous growth in locally. “People are surprised when I tell them how many vendors we have at the Farm Market, or how many farms we have in the Food and Farm Guide,” she says. “While the face of agriculture in Wahkiakum County has changed over the years, farming remains a thriving part of the Wahkiakum economy. More and more, farmers are finding revenue in agritourism and specialty organic or all-natural products.”

2006 was the first year Stockhouse’s Farm offered CSA (community support agriculture) for subscriptions produce grown on their farm. Produce subscriptions were an overwhelming success says Diane Stockhouse. The Stockhouse’s, along with Mike and Kim Howell of Little Island Farm, opened Two

Islands Farm Market in August. With a few other vendors, the community response was once again very positive. Market Manager Rob Stockhouse says “This will be our first full year and we are planning for more vendors and a much larger customer base. People are still learning that we are here.”

Two Islands Farm Market opens May 4 and will be open every Friday 3-6 p.m. through October. Stockhouse says about 10 vendors have signed up, selling vegetables, eggs, baked goods, perennials and meats. Wahkiakum County Master Gardeners will also have a booth, handing our plant growing advice along with educational posters and some kids’ activities. The Wahkiakum Food and Farm Network was initiated at last year’s Ag Summit. They work together with WSU Extension to promote small farms in the county, including publishing the Wahkiakum Food and Farm Guide. Last year, the first Guide included six farms. This year more than 14 farms and food purveyors are in the Guide, which includes a Farm Map.  The Guide was distributed in the Eagle the first week of May, and is also available at several Wahkiakum locations; including the PUD, Chamber of Commerce and the Two Islands Farm Market.

Most of the Farm Market vendors are also members of the Food and Farm Network and are full time Wahkiakum County residents. The notable exception is Ginni Callahan and David Noel who, when they aren’t gardening are running their full time kayak business, in Mexico in the winter and on Puget Island in the summer. They specialize in onions and garlic which can be grown even when they are away.

“Local is the new organic” is a catch phrase used often these days. Wahkiakum farmers agree that it is more important to buy food grown and sold just a few steps or miles from where you live. Although most of these farms grow with no or few chemicals, Sarah Brown and Connor Voss of Elk Valley Guest Farm are unique in that, fresh out of collage, they have been hired to turn an old farm in Skamokawa into a certified organic operation. With all the energy of the young, they are growing veggie plants, fruits and produce to sell at the Farm Market while working towards the certification.
 
Keeping the local dollar at home is also important. “Pesticide and hormone free vegetables, eggs and meats are healthier, keep our planet healthier for all of us and bring dollars to the local economy while providing us all with the opportunity to engage socially and improve the quality of our lives,” says Bernadette Goodroe of Cathlamet who shops both at the Farm Market and through farmers she has contacted through the Food and Farm Network Guide.

  Produce is not the only focus of this food effort in Wahkiakum County. Several farms are growing chemical free, pastured meat animals. Loren and Caroline Jennings at Greyfields offer pork, lamb, duck and goose. Scott and Dolly Hartzell of Kathleen’s Animal Protein grow free range chicken, turkeys and pork. Mike and Kim Howell at Little Island Farm raise Boer goats and sell them for stock or meat. Dan and Cindy Turner of Wooden Bridge Farm take orders for turkeys butchered for Thanksgiving. Eggs from free range chickens are available at many of the farms and always at the Farm Market.

Bed and Breakfast establishments have long been associated with good food. Kathleen Morgain who along with her husband, Steve, owns Twin Gables Bed and Breakfast in Skamokawa sells delicious pies she made that morning from local fruit at the Farm Market. Don and Kitty Speranza of The Inn at Crippen Creek Farm sell warm from the oven artisan bread at the Farm Market as well as through bread subscriptions and at Skamokawa Center grocery.

And what is in the future for this group of Wahkiakum farmers? Kim Howell of Little Island Farm sees promise in staying true to the area’s agricultural heritage. “Wahkiakum County has been largely dependent upon timber revenue to support the County budget.  To sustain the level of services we've all come to expect, our revenue source needs to diversify. Encouraging agriculture related business is one way to do that. Supporting our local farmers and WSU Extension is a great way build agritourism and our local economy.”

Photos by Kathleen Morgain.  Artwork by Caroline Jennings.