Our mission...The mission of Blanchard Mountain Farm is to grow tasty and beautiful products for customers, enhance our farm's ecosystem, and provide a place of learning and gathering for people and wildlife. Our vision is that customers, friends and family are happily eating good food and enjoying nature's beauty.
Photo: Diane Padys, www.dianepadysphotography.com
The farmers...The farm is owned and operated by the husband-wife team of Walter Brodie and Linda Versage. We grow diverse vegetables, along with several herbs and flowers, with an emphasis on the Italian greens and produce that Linda grew up eating thanks to her Italian grandparents. A summer dinner from her youth might have included endive salad with tomatoes and fresh basil, braised peas with fava or escarole and white beans. We grow a variety of chicories, lettuces, brassicas, root crops, nightshades, cucumbers and squashes. Our specialty is eggplant! We also grow a few specialty crops each year such as native fruits and flowers, unique herbs and edible and dried flowers.
Our practices...We grow fresh high quality produce in partnership with nature. Our farm is certified organic by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. As stewards of the farm’s ecosystem, we continuously improve its biodiversity by adding Pacific Northwest native hedgerows to attract pollinators and beneficial insects and use cover crops, rotations and compost to improve the soil. We farm intensively on a small amount of land to efficiently bring fresh food to the marketplace. We have high tunnels to protect our heat loving plants and to extend the growing season.
In community…We feel that farming is as much about community as it is about growing food so we also offer farm experiences on our 20 acres through a Farm Stand, one bedroom Guest House, classroom and occasional events and educational offerings. We welcome bird watchers in all seasons. With backgrounds in K-12 education, we are happy to partner with schools, after-school or summer youth groups to receive student field trips. We can also do outreach in schools. Our expertise lies in making classroom connections to the real world. Please inquire about the possibilities.
