Farmers
Growing Good Food, Nourishing the Community
AASH FARM
Aash Farms is owned by Aashay Savla, a Chicago born Indian American who has lived life around food. Aash Farms uses no-till, organic and regenerative practices to produce seasonal vegetables to local restaurant partners, farmers markets and customized orders to local community members. Aashay has been studying the global food and farming industry for 7 years from biodynamic, aquaponic, regenerative, hydroponic and distribution. In the deepest part of the core of Aash Farms, you will find the love and passion for sustainable food practices and providing the community with nutrient dense produce
Alki Farms
Marshall comes from a long line of Washingtonians, and wanted his farm to represent all the natural majesty the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Hence the uniquely PNW name Alki. The word comes from Chinook jargon, a trading language used between early settlers and the native peoples to mean “bye and bye”. He’s proud to grow the best mustard greens in the Sammamish Valley, as well as squashes, herbs and other sustainably grown produce as a part of that history. Thank you for buying local and helping us protect the beauty of our land for future generations.
Angela’s Produce
Bertha started farming in 2023 at our Skagit location. More information to come!
Arado Farm
Mauricio Soto and Senaida Vela are the owners of Arado Farms. Mauricio says, “The “arado” or plow is the most modern tool I was able to use in my homeland, Nayarit, to turn up the earth…While the use of the traditional plow was discontinued in the U.S by 1983, it is still used in several other countries. I am proud to have been able to experience this tool.” He believes that, “One must keep working willfully on whatever they are doing until the idea of continuing to grow food and feeling a sense of freedom from it returns—maybe after many years—to one’s headspace. While that highlights the ‘idea’ of agriculture, one mustn’t forget the responsibility that comes with agriculture, just as with other industries.” Senaida and Mauricio joined Viva Farms’ agricultural program in 2014 and they have been growing their berry farm since.
Website: Arado Farm
Artemis Farm
Artemis Farm is co-owned by Rachel and Ari. As new farmers in 2023, they have an intense curiosity about growing crops, cuisines of the world, and local food justice. They believe in the tangible impact food has on people and opportunities and are eager to help grow local, sustainable food for Seattle communities. We are a queer-owned and operated, no-till, market garden using new technologies and old ways of farming. We grow specialty varieties that emphasize diversity, taste, and adaptation to our regional ecology. We grow food to feed our bodies and spirits and to build community outside of global markets. We believe in reciprocal stewardship with plants, people, and the land we grow on. We manage our soil and small plot with a series of regenerative and ecologically-based practices that exceed organic standards.
Website: Artemis Farm
Instagram: @ArtemisFarmsWA
Blue Glass Farm
Blue Glass Farm is a labor of love, founded by Alexandra Swidergal and Tyler Morgan after completing the PSA in 2021. Alex and Tyler believe strongly that farming needs to uplift all parties involved – customers need to receive delicious, healthy food at a fair price, workers need to make a living wage, and their community and ecosystem need to remain healthy and thriving.
They grew up eating amazing fruits and veggies fresh from the garden and strive to expand upon those bursts of summer freshness by growing over 200 varieties of unique and familiar veggies and edible flowers. Their produce is sold through an online store and to local restaurants and retailers.
Their farming methods focus strongly on soil health. Utilizing and building upon the richness of the ½ acre plot’s native soils, Blue Glass Farm has adopted a hybrid of modern organic no-dig techniques looking to find the best fit for our PNW environment. These techniques involve a heroic amount of wheelbarrowing compost, transplanting tens of thousands of plants by hand, delicately removing crops to maintain soil biology, and walking miles up and down their living pathways.
They hope to provide a little more variety, flavor, and joy to your table!
Website: Blue Glass Farm
Instagram: @TheBlueGlassFarm
Bountiful Field Farms
James is a Filipino-American who was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. Around 2011 he developed an interest in sustainable agriculture, homesteading/green-living, permaculture and food security. After years of study he took Viva’s cultivating success courses and completed the practicum in 2018. He one day hopes to be able to live more sustainably and closer to nature. It is his hope that his work as a farmer will help make local food systems more: sustainable, healthy, stable and bountiful during these trying times.
Bright Thread Farm
Bright Thread Farm is co-owned and operated by Kelsey and Trevor. In 2018, while farming in rural Southern Utah (a food desert in all senses, where eating local was a necessity), Kelsey experienced the reciprocal generosity between farmers and their communities, excellent local cuisine that had been developed based on seasonality and availability of ingredients, and the rewarding, land-dependent work of farming. These experiences were deeply felt, and became the framework of Bright Thread Farm here in the PNW! We stand for sustainable agricultural practices, mindful choices that prioritize the health of our consumers and the land, expanding our communities’ access to high-quality, locally-grown produce, and being in love with what we do. Bright Thread Farm specializes in small wholesale and bulk orders, and well-rounded CSAs that include a variety of vegetables, herbs, fruit and edible flowers. Serving Seattle, Bellingham and Skagit county.
Website: Bright Thread Farm
Instagram: @BrightThreadFarm
Broccoli Nectar Farm
Madeline and Michael started farming in 2023 at our Skagit Valley location. More information to come!
Bumbee’s Garden
Dana started farming to create a space that her girls could wander and forage without concern of sprays, chemicals or contaminates. Where they could just pick, taste and connect with their food. Exploring and discovering all the living things in the garden. They understand that the garden needs more than seed, water and sun, it needs all the creatures above and below the soil and stewards of the land for all to enjoy.
The farm is Bee Friendly and Water Conscious. Dedicating space for pollinators and insect habitats. They use no chemicals, sprays, or soil additives and follow organic practices. Sourcing as many of their seeds locally, so that they are better adapted to our soils as well as seeds from hotter climates to increase biodiversity and ability to adapt to the changing climate. They are growing without irrigation using rainfed agriculture practices and moon phases to optimize plant needs, Truly growing and eating seasonally ready produce.
Cabrera Farms
Francisco and Zochitl Cabrera are originally from Oaxaca, Mexico. They came to California in 2003 and then moved to the Skagit Valley in 2007. In California, Francisco worked primarily in strawberry production, but here in Skagit the Cabreras specialize in lettuce, zucchini and a variety of other vegetables. A desire for increased production, efficiency, and business prompted a move from Skagit Flats to Viva Farms during 2015. Their operation produces a variety of high-quality, organic vegetables including zucchini, winter & summer squash, cucumbers, green beans, cabbage, and lettuce. From season one to season two their acreage quadrupled and Francisco aspires for more acreage, particularly in order to grow more lettuce. Zochitl is delving into the marketing realm of their business. Their children, Belen, 4 & Aidet, 8, are the inspiration for their hard work, with the hopes of one day paying both through college. When they are not at Viva Farms, the Cabreras train up and coming farmers at Skagit Flats, and relax by the river or local beach.
Website: Cabrera Farms
Instagram: @Cabrera_Farm
Cackling Coyote Farm
Brooks started farming in 2022 at our King County location. More information to come!
Dear Table Farm
Dear Table Farm is co-owned and operated by Grace + Griffin. Upon completing the practicum in 2021 they quickly began starting their business plan and soaking up as much information as possible to get their farm off the ground! This season they will grow for a variety of channels including their CSA with deliveries around the Skagit Valley + Seattle area as well as farmers markets. Additionally, they will be growing unique flowers + grasses for the Seattle Wholesale Flower Market.
Quality food is one of the values they both share so it only makes sense to be more intimately involved. They are most excited to make connections with the community and share their love for well grown food. Bringing abundant + joyful energy, they hope to encourage more people to be aware of their food choices + help make local food accessible to more people. They will focus on implementing holistic land management practices and use low till methods to help sustain the world for more harvests than what’s predicted. Their “why” continues to come back to working towards creating a culture of asking more questions about the food we eat, and to spend more time around our table together in gratitude.
Find us at your local farmers market or reach out directly if you are interested in a bulk order.
Website: Dear Table Farm
Eldur Heron Farm
Nate Minor began farming at Viva in 2017. Nate is a mathematician by training, and hopes to pursue math and farming in tandem. He has been a home gardener for as long as he can remember, and started farming when he decided to forego grad school. “Gardening was at the top of the list,” he said. “I thought, ‘Why not go for it?’” Nate says that yes, farming is hard work, but the lifestyle intrigues him. His goal is to turn the farm into something he can live off of while he’s young. “I can teach math when I’m old,” he said.
Instagram: @Eldur_Heron_Farm
Farias Farm
Farias Farm was started by Francisco, Juan, Sergio Farias. All three founding members were born in Michoacan, Mexico. Francisco and Sergio came to the Washington State when they teenagers while Juan arrived when he was five years old. Skagit Valley has been their home away from home since. In Mexico the Farias Family had been farmers for many generations growing their own food. Once in the US all three brothers worked in agriculture for a large portion of their lives and eventually decided to start Farias Farm. Farias Farm is Certified Organic and uses sustainable farming practices. What drew the three brothers to organic farming was the idea of clean food, food that is free of pesticides and chemicals, food that you can grab and eat right out of the ground. “As farmers we only want to grow the type of food we would feed our families and eat ourselves.”
Website: Farias Farm
Instagram: @FariasFarm
Garcia Family Farm
Miguel Garcia is originally from Oaxaca, Mexico. After moving to Skagit Valley, he worked for a few farmers before starting his own farm where he grew mostly strawberries. In pursuit of agricultural knowledge and community, a friend of his recommended Viva Farms’ Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture. Miguel took the class in 2021 and joined the farm business incubator in 2022. Miguel is currently operating on 2 acres where grows organic strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.
He enjoys working on the land and being able to grow food that nourishes the local community. In the future, he plans on expanding his acreage and growing other crops like summer and winter squash.
Goblin Farm
Billie Winter (she/her) is Goblin’s head farmer and co-founder. She’s the mastermind behind Goblin’s vegetables, and runs the farm’s day-to-day operations. Off the farm, she’s an editorial and commercial photographer.
Hannah Murphy Winter (she/they) is Billie’s wife and the co-founder of Goblin Farm. When she’s not trying to keep up in the fields, she’s a journalist and author.
Goblin Farm is a queer-owned, regenerative farm on an eighth of an acre in Woodinville, WA.
We grow food that wants to grow in this soil — native edibles (come try our miner’s lettuce and purslane) and crops that have been bred to thrive in the unique and changing climate of the Pacific Northwest.
Goblin uses sustainable and bio-intensive farming methods to build eco-resilience and use fewer resources to do so. Because we’re on a brand new plot, this is an exciting learning year for us, so follow along on social media to see how our experiments in dry farming and intercropping turn out!
Website: Goblin Farm
Instagram: @OfficialGoblinFarm
Mejia Romero Farm
Elvia started farming in 2023 at our Skagit Valley location. More information to come!
Port William Farms
Ben started farming in 2022 at our King County location. More information to come!
Pure Nelida Farm
Nelida Martinez owns Pure Nelida farm and began farming at Viva in 2010 but the story of her business begins 30 years ago when Nelida learned to cultivate fruits and vegetables in the fields of California. Nelida and her family eventually moved to Washington, where she learned organic practices and gained experience growing 100% organic produce. Asked about her experience farming, Nelida says: “Me gusta mucho crecer las plantas y producir bien alimentación para alguien más. ¡Me gusta mucho, este trabajo es mi pasión!” “I like to grow plants and provide nourishment for everyone. I like it a lot, this work is my passion!”
Website: Pure Nelida Farm
Regeneration Farm
Antoine Wilson and Andrew Green run Regeneration Farm. Together they are building a functioning wetland permaculture farm using an agroforestry alley cropping system. They run their farm on the triple bottom line of economic, environmental and social sustainability, using a diversified approach of (1) food production, (2) educational workshops and events, and (3) sales of regenerative and edible plants.
Their business is set within the context of restoring their two acre plot of agricultural land to provide maximum environmental benefit (including carbon sequestration via topsoil creation and tree planting), ecosystem health and on-farm productivity. In 2019 they are laying agroforestry system groundwork, installing tree crops and long-term farm infrastructure while running a direct market farm growing organic vegetables and pastured pork. They have over a decade of combined experience installing, consulting on and learning from permaculture projects throughout the world.
Website: Regeneration Farm
Instagram: @RegenerationFarm
Regino Farms
Regino Flores and Martina Gutierrez specialize in strawberries and green beans. They are among the original Viva farmers, having been with us since 2009.
Instagram: @ReginoFarm
ROOT & RABBIT FARM
At Root & Rabbit Farm, we focus on the entire farm ecosystem: using regenerative sustainable farm practices to improve our soil quality and grow amazing quality produce; working with chefs to customize our offerings boxes and create recipes that guide our customers to explore new culinary delights with our food; creating fun experiences on-site for our members to learn about and fall in love with farming; and using the latest in technology to reduce waste, improve customer satisfaction and increase our productivity.
Instagram: @RootandRabbitFarm
Sabino’s Farm
Sabino Flores specializes in chiles, and in 2016 received a Value Added Producer Grant to build a hoop house and produce chiles for processing. Asked about his experience farming, he says: “Quiero ser un ranchero porque quiero sembrar verduras que sean saludables para comer.” “I want to be a farmer because I want to plant vegetables that are healthy to eat.”
Santa Cruz Farm
Ramiro started farming in 2023 at our Skagit Valley location. More information to come!
Sariwa Farm
Lorna Velasco brings 20 years in social activism to her work as a farmer. She started as an intern on the SAgE student farm in 2016, and now runs her own farm, focusing on Filipino vegetables. She also maintains three community gardens at several public housing apartments in the Seattle area. “Sariwa Farm was established as a way to pass on my Filipino culinary and cultural traditions to my kids. Given that Asian vegetables are typically transported from farther regions whose growing practices are unknown, it was important for me to help reduce my carbon footprint and feed my kids pesticide-free vegetables. I grow food for the health and well-being of my family, encourage more sustainable practices for my community and lessen my environmental impact.”
Instagram: @SariwaFarm
Silva Family Farms
Silva Family Farms is owned by Pablo and Maura Silva, who have over 20 years of experience working for local farms. With the help of their children, Pablo and Maura are now in their third season of growing strawberries on their own farm. Silva Family Farm specializes in certified organic Albion strawberries, which are a large, firm fruit with high sugar content and a wonderfully sweet flavor—great for preserving or serving fresh!
Website: Silva Family Farm
Songbird Haven Farm
Songbird Haven Farm is a half acre farm in the Sammamish Valley on the ancestral land of the Coast Salish people.
We farm in a way that supports habitat for creatures above and below the soil. We use organic growing methods and support soil health by not tilling (i.e., plowing), using lots of compost, growing year-round, and planting a wide variety of crops.
Noa Kay and Mark Albonizio are the family behind Songbird Haven Farm. We believe that human health and environmental health go hand in hand.
Once we learned about all the benefits of no-till agriculture we felt like we had to join in the movement of small farmers relearning regenerative practices and making a real difference in our food systems, local communities, and climate. We are so grateful to the many farmers around the world who have farmed with nature for generations and continued to pass on this knowledge.
Website: Songbird Haven Farm
Instagram: @SongbirdHaven
Sweet Hollow Farm
Vero Vergara and Caitlin Ehlers began farming at Viva in the 2018 season, after completing the Titlh Alliance Incubator Farm program. Sweet Hollow Farm is a worker-owned cooperative growing diversified vegetables on 1 acre at Viva Farms in Woodinville, WA. They also partner with various organizations in the Seattle area to promote food access.
Website: Sweet Hollow Farm
Instagram: @SweetHollowFarm
The Crows Farm
Website: The Crows Farm
Instagram: @TheCrowsFarm
Thelma and Lois Farm
Linda started farming in 2023 at our Skagit Valley location. More information to come!
Wildheart Farm
Wildheart Farm is a 3/4 acre queer and trans-run market garden nestled in the majestic and beautiful Skagit Valley of Northwestern Washington. Wildheart Farm offers a 20-week main season CSA program and grows for farmers markets and wholesale channels.
Wildheart Farm cares deeply about food justice and supporting communities dealing with food insecurity, has a low-income share option available for CSA members and is working towards expanding access to healthy, local food.
Wildheart Farm was started in 2021 by first generation farmer Sam Hoot. Sam was born and raised in Washington State. After many years working as a scientist in the biotechnology industry and seeking more connection to the natural world, Sam decided to pursue farming as a way of life. After several seasons of training on organic farms in Northern California and Western Washington, including in the Viva Farms Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture, Wildheart Farm was born. Sam and Wildheart Farm are extremely proud to be a part of the amazing community at Viva Farms.
Instagram: @Wildheart_Farm
Willow Bark Botanicals
Wendy & Kaitlin spent 9 out of 12 months in 2021 on VIVA Student Farm where they met, and where they learned about caring for plants and for the soil. While they learned how to heal the Earth, they learned that the process of farming could be healing and that the things that they grew could help heal people as well. Willows were constantly lending themselves to them on the farm, and from them, they formed bean trellises, garlic drying racks, wreaths, and their farm‘s name: Willow Bark Botanicals. Located in the beautiful Sammamish Valley in Woodinville, Washington on ancestral Coast Salish, Stillaguamish, and Duwamish lands, Willow Bark Botanicals is a medicinal and culinary herb farm. The herbs are grown using practices that support healthy ecosystems above and below the soil. Guided by the philosophy that farming is medicine, Wendy & Kaitlin use sustainable, holistic farming practices to grow nutrient rich herbs sold through wholesale markets to local restaurants, tea shops, and medicine makers.
Website: Willow Bark Botanicals
Instagram: @WillowBarkBotanicals
Word of Mouth Farm
Chloe started farming in 2023 at our King County site. More information to come!
