First of all, we hope you are well ❤  Pandemic is an event none of us have experience with, and as it unfolds, seemingly minute by minute, the news triggers a new set of scenarios, worries and concerns. And yet, it’s still almost spring. A time of rebirth and renewal, faith and courage in the natural world. Spring is also a time of hope for farmers, as we plant the seeds that will yield the harvest that will feed us in the summer and beyond. Our personal journey as farmers began as a response to climate change – something we both encountered in our studies in the 80’s when it was still called global warming. We found that taking a small step to self-sufficiency, growing our own food, helped us feel a sense of control in an increasingly uncertain world. Even if we still sourced the bulk of our purchases at our local grocery store, those cherry tomatoes in a pot on the deck just made us feel better.

While it’s still too early to plant a garden – it snowed yesterday – please know that we’ve got thousands of baby plants in the greenhouse and propagation room, waiting to go home with our neighbors and friends. We realize we also have several decades of knowledge to share as well, and are planning a spring gardening workshop to kick off our plant sale in April. In the meantime, we have a question for YOU.  What types of plant starts are you interested in growing?  Leafy greens? Broccoli? Tomatoes and Peppers? Basil and other herbs? Something else? We look forward to being a resource in your own gardening journey.

Happy National CSA Signup Day!  What’s a CSA you might ask? It’s the purchase of an advance share in a farm’s annual harvest. CSAs help your farmer know how much to plant and to be assured that the beautiful harvest they spend months working toward goes into good hands in the form of weekly share boxes during harvest season. CSAs help farmers with cash flow by providing funds early in the season for seeds and supplies, and knowing in advance how many customers they are providing for.

What do you get from it?  The freshest, tastiest, and most nutritious vegetables and fruits possible at the best possible price.

Celebrate National CSA Day and SIGN UP today!

This time of year on the farm, we are all about seeds. Almost everything we grow comes from a seed – thousands and thousands of them! That’s because our growing season in the Pacific Northwest passes in the blink of an eye. So we can’t just throw seeds on the ground and expect broccoli to be on our plates before the first frost. Every seed grown on the farm is placed into a hand-pressed soil block, germinated and grown in our greenhouse before being transplanted into our minerally-balanced and hand-shaped growing beds. It’s that head start that makes all the difference.

Back in December, we ordered our seeds from companies who have taken the Safe Seed Pledge and who refuse to carry genetically modified seeds (GMOs). We also choose varieties based on their taste, nutritional quality and ability to thrive in our unique Pacific Northwest region. Why grow it if it doesn’t taste amazing, right?

All this to make sure that every box of produce we provide for our customers meets our standards for tasty, nutritious food, We’d love to share our produce with you.

Sign up for a CSA with Urban Futures Farm!

• 18 weeks of sustainably grown veggies, fruits and flower bouquets, June-October
• Farm pickup (your special box) 6 blocks NE of Ralph’s
• Large, medium and small shares offered
• For more information or to sign up for a 2020 CSA share www.urbanfuturesfarm.com

. . . and that’s true love and homegrown tomatoes.” Well, almost.  With props to Guy Clark, songwriter of our farm anthem, homegrown tomatoes CAN be bought, but only if grown with true love, like ours. Tomatoes are our passion! Maybe even obsession 🙂 Each year we grown 170 linear feet of a dozen varieties of darlings with names like Peacevine, Chocolate Cherry, Sungold, and Pruden’s Purple. Sweet, juicy tomatoes that have never known the insides of a semi-truck. Tomatoes that taste like they used to taste back in the day, like sunshine and heaven. Tomatoes that you can’t get in a store. Let us be your farmer, and we’ll share a little bit of that love with you every week.

Sign up for a CSA with Urban Futures Farm!

• 18 weeks of sustainably grown veggies, fruits and flower bouquets, June-October
• Farm pickup (your special box) 6 blocks NE of Ralph’s
• Large, medium and small shares offered
• For more information or to sign up for a 2020 CSA share www.urbanfuturesfarm.com

“Really enjoy all the fruit and the weekly bouquet makes my home homier” – 2019 CSA Customer
Imagine a weekly box just for you with farm fresh vegetables, fruits, berries, and flower bouquet. Food for the body & soul!

A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share is the original produce subscription service – and this one is right in town!

• 18 weeks of sustainably grown veggies, fruits and flower bouquets, June-October
• Farm pickup (your special box) 6 blocks NE of Ralph’s
• Large, medium and small shares offered
• For more information www.urbanfuturesfarm.com

“The CSA was a major offset to our regular grocery purchases and definitely more than paid for itself. Plus, you just can’t get this quality tasting produce in a store.” – Happy Customer

• 18 weeks of sustainably grown veggies, fruits and flower bouquets, June-October
• Farm pickup 6 blocks NE of Ralph’s
• Large, medium and small shares offered
• For more information www.urbanfuturesfarm.com

This Saturday, October 5 from 9am to noon we will be hosting our annual Friends and Neighbors Appreciation Sale.  This is your final chance to stock up on veggies for the fall and winter and have a look around the farm.  Come pick up pumpkins, squash, onions, potatoes, leeks, carrots, cabbage, beets and more.  All of these crops will store for several months, allowing you to savor the taste of summer well into the long dark winter.  Stop by for some hot cider and to take home a box of goodness.  Cash or checks gladly accepted.

Now is the time to stock up on green beans for all your canning and freezing needs! Pickled beans (dillys!)!  Frozen green beans! Pressure canned green beans! A little bit of late summer to pull out of your freezer or pantry in the middle of winter! $2 a pound.  Call or text the farmer for pickup – 360.338.8654

Now is the time to stock up on green beans for all your canning and freezing needs! Pickled beans (dillys!)!  Frozen green beans! Pressure canned green beans! A little bit of late summer to pull out of your freezer or pantry in the middle of winter! $2 a pound.  Call or text the farmer for pickup – 360.338.8654

A hunk of bread, a bottle of wine, and this salad take you to the south of France 🙂 We eat this late summer, when the potatoes and green beans come in. 

Vinagrette
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp red wine vineger
2 Tbsp lemon juice
salt, pepper
3/4 cup olive oil

Whisk all but oil until blended. Add oil while whisking. Let stand 30 minutes. Discard garlic.

Salad
1lb small potatoes
4 eggs
1/2lb green beans
1 head lettuce, torn
1 red or green pepper, ringed
1/2 cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 med cucumber, peeled and sliced
12 oz tuna (2 cans)
3/4 cup Nicoise or other brined olives
1 scallion, chopped
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp capers

-Place potatoes in a pot with water to cover.  Bring to boil, add salt to taste. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes. When tender, drain, cool slightly and coat lightly with vinagrette. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.
-Cover eggs with water, bring to full boil. After 1 minute, cover and turn off heat. Let stand 6 minutes. Rinse, transfer to ice bath. When cool, peel.
-Blanch green beans in salted water to crisp tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, rinse and transfer to an ice bath.
-Arrange lettuce in the middle of a large platter. Arrange the potatoes in the middle, surrounded by green beans.
– Place the peppers, tomatoes, cucmbers, tuna, sliced eggs and olives in small piles across from each other (look for balance)
– Sprinkle with scallions, parsley,and capers. Drizzle with vinagrette, and serve remainder alongside.

Enjoy!