Tahoma Farms

Happy New Year!

2010-01-11T19:46:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2010! Here at Tahoma Farms, we greet the New Year with joy, enthusiasm and gratitude: 2009 was a successful first year of growing certified organic vegetables in the Orting Valley; we learned a lot about growing food on our new land; we felt the support of our community; and we have some quiet time in the winter months to reflect, rejuvenate and plan for the upcoming season. And are we planning! Seed catalogs arrive in the mail daily, we are constantly revising our "to do" and "wish" lists and filling our computer screens with excel file upon excel file. As Amy says, "If you don't have all of your planning done before the first seed is planted, you will be behind for the rest of the season."

Which brings us to the purpose of post: we are hoping that you can help us out with our plans by signing up now for our 2010 CSA season. Tahoma Farms' Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA) is a way to support a local farm directly, especially during the low income months of winter and early spring. If you pay for your membership now, it will help Tahoma Farms buy seeds, supplies and equipment. In exchange for your membership, you will receive a box of produce, grown just for you, every week (or every other week) during the growing season (approximately June through October). This community effort helps makes small scale agriculture viable.

Thank you for your continued support of local farms. We hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely,

Kim

tahomafarms@gmail.com

Click here to sign-up for 2010's CSA.

Some logistical information:

- 2010 CSA season will be 21 weeks long (approximately the first week of June through the end of October).

o Memberships are available on a weekly or every other week basis; putting your membership on hold for vacations is acceptable. Please just keep in mind the planning that takes place to grow your food for you!

- Share cost for the full 21 weeks is $600 (approximately $29/week).

- There are only 80 shares available for the 2010 season; pre-pay to reserve your membership!

o Pre-payments are accepted in $100 increments

o A deposit of $200 will receive a 5% discount on the share price; a deposit of $300 or more will receive a 10% discount on the share price

o your membership will be debited as you receive boxes

- Tahoma Farms CSA shares can be picked up at the farm in Orting, or delivered to your home through our sister company, Terra Organics.

- Your share will be managed through Terra Organics website, go to www.terra-organics.com to learn more. All Tahoma Farms CSA members whose boxes are delivered through Terra Organics will receive the same benefits as Terra Organics customers.

What are we growing in 2010?

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crop

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

arugula

basil

beans

beets

bok choi

braising mix

broccoli

cabbage

cabbage, napa

carrots

cauliflower

celeriac

celery

chard

cilantro

collards

corn

cucumbers

eggplant

escarole

fava beans

fennel

garlic

kale

leeks

lettuce

melons

onions, green

onions, pearl

onions, red

onions, yellow

parsley

parsnips

peas

peas, fall

peppers

potatoes

radicchio

radishes

salad mix

shallots

spinach

strawberries

summer squash

tomatillos

tomatoes

tomatoes, cherry

turnips

watermelon

winter squash

Tahoma Farms 2010 CSA Sign-Up Form

2010-01-11T15:23:00.001-08:00

Click here to go to the sign-up form for our 2010 CSA

2010 COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE INFORMATION

2009-11-19T14:48:00.000-08:00

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a way to directly link farms with customers. CSA “members” purchase a share of the farms harvest in advance of the growing season, when the farm incurs the bulk of its costs. In exchange for this "seed" money, members enjoy fresh packed boxes of farm produce during the growing season. CSA members enjoy a selection of what the farm has to offer (between 6 and 10 items). In exchange for member support the farmer commits to working hard, providing shares of the harvest to members, and developing connections between farm, farmer, and members. This community effort helps makes small scale agriculture viable.

We are working on putting together the sign-up information for the 2010 CSA season. Send us an e-mail now to let us know of your interest, and we will send you the information as soon as it is available (early 2010).

Basic details that are most likely going to be in place:

- 20 – 24 week long CSA season (June – October)

- Home delivery or farm pick up of share (Orting)

- Pre-pay for your share with a debit style system

o This means you can get a share every week or every other week, skip a week for vacation, and/or add extra items to your share when wanted; for each week you get a share and each item you add to your share, we will debit your account. When your account runs low, add money to it again

o Pre-payment supports the farm during its season of low – no income

o Pre-payments of a certain amount may receive a small credit for doing so

- Weekly cost of share will be approximately $25

Thank you for your interest! We are looking forward to next season, and hope that you will be a part of it!

tahomafarms@gmail.com

(253) 376-8604

Tickets Available for Harvest Celebration BBQ and Barn Dance

2009-09-07T15:46:00.000-07:00

Get your tickets now for Tahoma Farms harvest celebration and barn dance! Saturday October 3rd after the Harvest Fest. Join us for foot stomping music and a BBQ dinner featuring grass fed beef burgers and vegetables from the farm.

Music is from 4pm - 9pm. (featuring The Siderailers, The Blackberry Bushes and more TBA, check back soon for details).

Dinner is from 5pm - 7pm.

Tickets are available here for $25. Children 5-12 are $10. Under 5 are free. Please help us plan by buying your tickets in advance! Tickets will be available the day of the event for $30.

Non-alcoholic beverages are included in the ticket price; a cash bar will also be available or you are welcome to bring your own beverages.

Join Us For Harvest Fest

2009-09-07T15:39:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it is already this time of year - the greenhouses are empty, we are preparing ground to plant cover crop seed for the winter and ordering garlic seed. The summer season is over - it's time to celebrate the bounty of the year!

On Saturday, October 3rd we are hosting a harvest fest event at the farm! Come join us to take a tour of Tahoma Farms, pick your pumpkins out of the pumpkin patch, stock up on greens and fall veggies, warm up with some homemade tamales and apple cider.

We've been waiting all season long for the time of year when we would be able to step back, take a deep breath and enjoy all of the accomplishments of the last 6 months. We hope we can share it with you!

Hours:
10am-5pm

Location:
Tahoma Farms
21108 Orville Rd E
Orting, WA 98360

Contact:
tahomafarms@gmail.com
Kim (253) 376-8604
Amy (360) 829-7000

Farm Photos

2009-09-07T15:18:00.001-07:00

The Easiest Way to Sign-up for a CSA Share

2009-07-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

When you sign up for the Tahoma Farms CSA through our sister company, Terra Organics, we will allow you to pay week-to-week, substitute items with other vegetables grown by the Tahoma Farms crew, and put your account on hold if you go on vacation. You can choose to pick up your share on the farm in Orting or have it delivered to your home for no additional charge.

The traditional CSA model has required “members” to pay in advance for a season’s share of the harvest. Expenses are greatest in the spring for farms, and a pre-payment is the best way for the farmer to cover the costs of production until crops are ready to harvest. We still prefer pre-payment, but we understand this is an obstacle for some of those that would otherwise like to be CSA members.

So head on over to www.terra-organics.com to sign up for your share today! It's not too late to get started and each week more and more veggies are being harvested for our CSA boxes. Here's a sneak peek at this week's offerings (all of this for just $25):

1 bunch	Collards
1 bunch	Arugula
1 bunch	Spinach
2 pounds	Summer Squash
1 bunch	Basil
1 bunch	Purple Carrots
1 head	Speckled Head Lettuce
1 1/2 pounds	Broccoli
1 each	Cucumbers

Farmers Markets

2009-07-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

(Kim at Puyallup Market on July 11th)

Come see us at the markets! We are currently attending 4 farmers markets: Tuesdays 3:30-7:30pm at 6th Ave in Tacoma, Wednesdays 3-7pm at Steilacoom, Saturdays 9-2 at Puyallup in Pioneer Park, Orting and Bellevue.

(Our stand at the Orting Market on July 11th)

Farm Babies

2009-07-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

We have a couple of babies lurking around here at the farm. Miss Lyla and Miss Gabriela. Neither can get enough straw chewing time. Watch out girls, cause as soon as those teeth come in, its nothin but carrots and cucumbers for you!

Tahoma Farms appears in July's PCC Farmland Trust Newsletter

2009-06-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

This e-newsletter went out today with photos of our very first farmers' market day. We are excited to be working with PCC Farmland Trust, and look forward to years of mutual support and friendship.

Please visit their website.

You can view the July newsletter here.(pdf)

Yes, we tweet

2009-06-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

Knee High by the Fourth of July

2009-06-23T20:22:00.001-07:00

We're gonna make it! Growing up in southern Indiana ingrained in me this 4th of July motto. If the corn ain't knee high by the fouth of July, the harvest wouldn't be worth squat. I NEVER thought it could be possible to make it so up here in the northwest. I am again amazed at the power of Tahoma Farms.
Stay tuned for more tales from our summer season.

Tahoma Farms CSA information

2009-04-20T15:19:00.000-07:00

TAHOMA FARMS 2009 COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE INFORMATION
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a way to directly link farms with customers. CSA “members” purchase a share of the farms harvest in advance of the growing season, when the farm incurs the bulk of its costs. In exchange for this "seed" money, members enjoy fresh packed boxes of farm produce every week during the growing season. CSA members enjoy a weekly selection of what the farm has to offer (between 6 and 10 items). In exchange for member support the farmer commits to working hard, providing weekly shares of the harvest to members, and developing connections between farm, farmer, and members. This community effort helps makes small scale agriculture viable.

Tahoma Farms Pledge to you
In return for your committed membership we will provide:
 The best of farm harvests each week of the growing season.
 Priority registration for future CSA shares and farm offerings.
 Customer service that is reliable and prompt.
 A farm connection that is local, friendly, and open for visits.

Is it a fit for you?
CSA doesn’t work for all lifestyles and eating habits. Before making a commitment, please think over the following questions:
 Do you like surprises? Each week as yields and seasonal availability shifts so will the contents of your box.
 Do you like to cook? We always try to provide favorite quick foods like salad greens and carrots. However, many ingredients are best used with prepared meals.
 Are you a creative cook? Can you use unusual and/or unfamiliar produce in your meals? Do you create menus based on what is in your kitchen?
 Do you support local, organic agriculture? Your support of the development of our young farm may be one of the biggest rewards of membership. Thanks.

Member Responsibilities:
Tahoma Farms needs members who will:
 Tell us what you think- Your feedback on share quantity, quality, and selection will allow us to make improvements. We can’t improve if you don’t tell us how!
 Provide support and encouragement- Growing food is always unpredictable. With weather, pests, trials of new varieties, and our own learning curve as farmers we don’t promise perfect produce. However, your support allows us to continue to improve on the quantity and quality of food we provide to you and work towards increasing the sustainability of our overall farm system.
 Be reliable- Timely payment is critical. Pick up your box without multiple reminders and arrange for a friend or neighbor to pick up your share if you will be out of town. Your farmers appreciate it!

Logistics
 The 2009 season will run for 18 weeks, from June 29th through October 26th.
 Pick-up days are Thursdays at a pick up location in Tacoma, or on the farm, 4pm – 7pm. You can also have your share delivered for a surcharge of $5 per week through our sister company, Terra Organics.
 Cost of the share is $450. Pricing for the 2009 season is based on a $25 average value per box.
 Storage share of squash, potatoes, and root crops available the 1st week of November for $50.

Thank you for your interest and support,

Your Tahoma Farms Farmers:
Amy Sills and Agustin Moreno
Kim and Dan Hulse

Please call or e-mail Kim with any questions: (253) 376-8604; tahomafarms@gmail.com

CSA membership sign-up

2009-04-20T15:16:00.001-07:00

Please send the following information to Tahoma Farms, or e-mail us for an application in document form.

2009 CSA Registration Form

Name: __________________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________

Phone: ________________Email: _____________________________________

Thursday Pick-up Location:

_____ The farm, 21108 Orville Rd E, Orting, WA 98360

_____ Tacoma (central location TBD)

_____Please deliver my share to my home for a $5 surcharge per week

(available only in Terra Organics current delivery area; we will contact you with the logistical information for this option)

Share Options:

_____ $450 paid in full due by first distribution. $200 deposit due at the time of registration.

Storage Share:

_____ $50 storage share of potatoes, winter squash and pumpkins, root crops.

Total enclosed: $_________ Check # _______ Date: _________

____ please contact me to pay by debit or credit card (you can also pay by credit or debit card at our website: www.tahomafarms.com)

***All 2009 Tahoma Farms CSA members will also receive a poster of our logo for free!***

Please complete the registration form and return it with payment/deposit to:

Tahoma Farms

PO Box 5966

Tacoma, WA 98415

More notes regarding CSA membership: you are committing to a seasonal share of the harvest; if you have vacation plans, please make arrangements to have friends or family pick up your share; no refunds are given; no substitutions are made; Tahoma Farms projects to harvest some of the following for the 2009 CSA season: basil, green beans, beets, bok choi, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, cilantro, collards, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, escarole, fennel, salad greens, kale, lettuce, melons, parsnips, potatoes, turnips, spinach, radishes, rutabaga, summer squash, winter squash, pumpkins.

Terra Organics customers can be CSA members too!

2009-04-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

If you are a current Terra Organics customer, you can still support Tahoma Farms! Simply contact Tahoma Farms to set up your membership and arrange for share payment. Let us know that you are a current Terra Organics customer, and we will take care of the rest!

Pay For Your 2009 Tahoma Farms CSA Membership Through Paypal

2009-04-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

More Photos

2009-04-20T14:43:00.001-07:00

Tilling!

Seeding/Play area

The first seeds planted...

Update

2009-04-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

We are in escrow! The purchase and sale agreement was signed on April 3rd, now it's all in the hands of the lending agencies. We have an estimated closing date of May 15th.

In order to have a growing season this year, we needed to get onto the farm much sooner than May, however, so we signed a lease with the sellers and started operations last week. It's so exciting and fun to be farming! Amy and Agustin have been spending every day out there, getting lots of work done. So far, we have about 6 acres plowed, have erected a hoophouse for starts and started thousands of seeds to transplant in a month or so into the field.

We are finalizing the plans for the CSA share this season, so if you are interested in becoming a member and receiving a box of super fresh veggies grown just for you, check back here soon for more information, or contact us directly to let us know!

Breaking Ground

2009-04-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

Founders' Dinner Success!

2009-03-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

A huge thank you to everyone who helped to make the Founders' Dinner a success! From our friends, family, customers and farm advocates who purchased tickets, to the local businesses that donated food and items for goodie bags, bluegrass bands The Southern Skies and the Blackberry Bushes, the planning committee that put it all together and those who weren't able to attend but have sent in donations anyway, THANK YOU!

The day started out by transforming the student center at Bellarmine Prep from a high school cafeteria into an elegant hall, with a barn twist, for a dinner party. Duo the Southern Skies started playing music just as guests started arriving, and appetizers were laid out to enjoy along with McGavick wine, Fish Brewery organic beer and raspberry cider.

Dinner, catered by Margaret's Cafe, was a delicious assortment of seasonal salads accompanying slow roasted pulled pork with salsa verde prepared by Primo Grill (with pigs donated by Cheryl the Pig Lady). I think everyone had a hard time deciding what their favorite dish was!

After everyone was seated for dinner, Melissa Campbell from the PCC Farmland Trust started off with a few remarks about the Orting Valley Farms project and PCC's involvement in it. Then Mary Embleton of the Cascade Harvest Coalition spoke passionately about the need to engender the next generation of farmer's, as well as promote production and consumption of food locally.

Dan and I were the third and final "speakers" lined up for the evening. I touched on why we want to help protect this farm and grow food on it for our community. Dan gave a virtual tour from Bellarmine out to the farm via Google Earth, and then gave further details on the project itself: how a conservation easement works, what some of our capital and operating expenses involve, etc.

Then The Southern Skies got back on stage with the Blackberry Bushes and they sang and picked the night away with some great music!

Our fundraising goal for the evening was to net $75-$100 per ticket sold. We sold 90 tickets for a total of $6750. Our expenses were $45.36 per ticket, or $4082.40 for a net of $2667.60 on ticket sales. So far we have had $6660 made in donations, for a net of $9327.60, or $103.64 per ticket!

We are very pleased and grateful for the financial support of our community towards this project. But we also are excited about how our community has come out to support us in countless other ways - this farm is vital to the health of Pierce County and its residents know that and are doing what they can to make sure it succeeds. Thank You!

Founders' Dinner Menu

2009-02-02T20:52:00.000-08:00

Comforting Seasonal Fare Featuring Local Food From Local Farms...

Appetizers
Pickled Seasonal Vegetables
Smoked Salmon Cheesecake with Herb Toasts
Hummus with Pita Chips

Wood Fire Oven Slow Roasted Pork

Chopped Winter Vegetable Salad With Citrus Vinaigrette
Roasted Golden Beets with Balsamic Vinegar and Sea Salt
Potato Salad with Garlic Aioli
Herb rolls

Rosemary pear cake

Beer, wine and apple cider from the Northwest

Valhalla Coffee, Mad Hat Tea

Why Local Farms Are So Great

2009-01-19T21:16:00.001-08:00

By attending the Founders' Dinner and/or making a donation to Tahoma Farms, you are making an investment in your community by helping to preserve working farmland in Pierce County, contributing to the health of the local economy, supporting environmentally friendly practices, and creating the opportunity for your food to be grown locally.

Preserve Farmland

The Orting Valley Farms preservation project will save 100 acres of prime agricultural land in Pierce County; the land will be placed under a conservation easement which severely limits development and requires organic and salmon safe certification
The Orting Valley Farms preservation project is creating the opportunity for at least 5 farmers to make their living farming in Pierce County
If Orting Valley Farms is not preserved as farmland, Pierce County will lose 3.6% of its working farmland
5% of the land in Pierce County is used for farming

Support Local Economy

Locally directed spending contributes two to three times more to community income than spending at non-local businesses
Agriculture helps keep Pierce County's economy strong; it is comprised of stable, local businesses whose owners live here and are committed to our future
Farm-direct marketing is a strong contributor to the Pierce County economy
The average per-acre dollar value of annual farm production in Pierce County is $1,638 nearly 5 times the statewide Washington average of $348.

Help the Environment

Working farmland protects our environment and provides open space for recreation and scenery
Eating local is better for air quality and pollution than the alternatives
Our best opportunities to restore salmon habitat are in the streams that run through our region's farms
It takes 10 calories of fossil fuel energy to produce 1 calorie of food
17% of global fossil fuel use goes to fertilizing and transporting food

Eat Locally Grown Food

Locally grown food is higher in quality, safer and has better nutritional value than foods shipped long distances for processing or mass marketing
Locally grown produce is fresher
Local food tastes better
Eating local keeps us in touch with the seasons

Create Community

Farms generate important values not reflected in the cost of the goods they produce: increased water quality, aquifer recharge, riparian and upland habitat for fish and wildlife, migration corridors; keeping farms in production reduces environmental regulations, taxes, costs for public infrastructure
Farms pay more in taxes than they cost in community services – saving expenses for every other taxpayer (according to the American Farmland Trust, for every dollar of tax revenues generated by farms, they only require 51 cents in public services; residential development, on the other hand, requires $1.25 in services for every dollar of revenue generated)
Saving farmland in Pierce County improves the quality of life of residents in the urban areas of the county/ helps insulate us from the stress of urban life

Founders’ Dinner Invitation: You Are Invited!

2009-01-16T11:09:00.001-08:00

You are invited to

The First Annual Founders’ Dinner: A Community Barn Raising to Support Tahoma Farms

The Founders’ Dinner will include food and beverages sourced from local farms and businesses.

Speakers will focus on farmland preservation and the Orting Valley Farms project, the local food economy, and the vision of Tahoma Farms.

Bluegrass band Southern Skies will provide entertainment.

Saturday, February 21, 2009 ~ 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Bellarmine Preparatory School ~ Student Center ~ 2300 S Washington ~ Tacoma, WA 98405

$75 per guest
Purchase tickets at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/52989,
or call 253-376-8604 by February 11.

If you are unable to attend, but would like to make a donation, checks can be sent to:

Tahoma Farms
PO Box 5966
Tacoma, WA 98415

What is the Founders' Dinner?

2009-01-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

We are hosting the Founders' Dinner, dubbed "A Community Barn Raising" in an effort to raise the funds to help us purchase 45-acres of the 100 acre Orting Valley Farms and start production of certified organic vegetables to sell in Pierce County in the 2009 growing season (that's this year!).

In the traditional sense, a barn raising is a project that an entire community comes together for because each individual in that community knows the family raising the barn can't do it on their own, and the construction of the barn will not only benefit the family who owns it, but in the end will benefit the whole community.

In that same sense, we are asking our community to come together to support our effort to purchase land and start Tahoma Farms so that in the end you, and future generations, will all benefit from its existence.

The Founders' Dinner is not only a fundraiser, but it is also an opportunity for the community to celebrate our good fortunes and enjoy each others' company. It is the "First Annual" Founders' Dinner, and you can rest assured that next year, we will have an even bigger reason to celebrate.

We need to raise $20,000. On our own, that is a huge amount of cash to come up with (especially during these economic times...). However, if 200 of you donated $100 to Tahoma Farms, we will reach our goal. If 400 of you donate $50, we will reach our goal. And so on.

So come together, our community of Pierce County, Terra Organics supporters, friends and family, lovers of good food, the environment and local businesses! Let's use our incredible power for something good!

Tahoma Farms formation

2009-01-04T15:17:00.000-08:00

Kim and Dan Hulse formed Tahoma Farms, LLC in December of 2008. It is their goal to purchase 45-acres (2 parcels) of the Orting Valley Farms and start production of organic vegetables and small fruits for the 2009 growing season.

Kim and Dan also own Terra Organics, LLC, a produce home delivery service in Tacoma, Washington. Currently, Terra Organics delivers seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables to about 400 customers each week. Tahoma Farms will sell much of its product to Terra Organics, as well as through a traditional CSA and a farmer's market.

Orting Valley Farms

2009-01-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

Orting Valley Farms is 100-acres in Orting, Washington that has been divided into 5 parcels through a process to sell the development rights and place a conservation easement on the property.

In 2006, the owner of Orting Valley Farms inquired with Pierce County's Planning and Land Services department about her options to sell the land while at the same time preserving it from development. Although there is not currently a funded land preservation project in Pierce County, forces came together to secure county and matching state grants to buy the development rights and place a conservation easement on the land.

Among other things, the easement requires that the land be kept in certified organic production and limits the amount and size of development.

The 100-acres was split into 5 separate farm parcels and offered for sale to new and beginning organic farmers in December of 2008.

contact us

2009-01-04T13:11:00.001-08:00

Tahoma Farms, LLC
Kim and Dan Hulse
PO Box 5966
Tacoma, WA 98415
(253) 376-8604
tahomafarms@gmail.com

You can also visit our website for Terra Organics, our produce home delivery service:

terra-organics.com

Founder's Dinner

2008-12-30T18:27:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Tahoma Farms blog! It's been a long process to get to this point, and there's still a lot happening right now to get the farm up and running for the 2009 growing season, but stay tuned for posts about the Orting Valley Farm conservation project, planning for the 2009 season and the upcoming fundraiser: the First Annual Founder's Dinner. To be held on Saturday, February 21st at Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma, WA at 6pm. Tickets will be $75 and will be available to purchase through brownpapertickets.com shortly. Donations can also be sent to:

Tahoma Farms LLC
PO Box 5966
Tacoma, WA 98415

Questions? E-mail tahomafarms@gmail.com or call (253) 376-8604