Deep Harvest Farm is a certified-organic seed, vegetable, and flower farm on Washington State’s Whidbey Island. We grow over 140 varieties of Certified Organic, Open-Pollinated, & Non-GMO seed while providing fresh vegetables to our community from June to December. We believe that a thriving local food system starts with regionally-adapted seed. The majority of our varieties are grown on Whidbey Island and all are well-adapted to the soils, climate and disease pressures of the Pacific Northwest. Ecological soil management techniques such as minimal tillage, cover cropping, and building organic matter are the farm’s guiding principles. We’re constantly seeking opportunities to further learn from the land, soil and seeds. Through yearly expansion of native hedgerows, flowering perennials and fruit orchards, we strive to provide as much habitat for pollinators and wildlife on the farm as possible.
Our Story
We, Annie Jesperson and Nathaniel Talbot, have raised vegetables, seeds and flowers together on Whidbey Island for fourteen glorious farm-seasons. We moved from Portland, OR, where Nathaniel worked as an environmental educator and musician and Annie worked at a non-profit called JOIN. JOIN helps folks on the streets get into and maintain permanent housing. After years of Portland life we caught the farming bug. We took as many organic gardening, seed saving, and urban farming courses as the city could provide. Still, our interest in agriculture couldn’t be sated in Portland. In 2010, we moved to Whidbey for an 8-month, hands-on farm-training program. Here we gained the technical and business skills necessary to run a farm business.
After the farm training, we leased a small, certified-organic farmstead that was temporarily in need of stewards. Since it was already a functional organic farm, it was a perfect setting to grow our business and save money toward buying a farm of our own. A multi-year land hunt and long-shot letter writing campaign to local landowners resulted in us finding a beautiful, sunny parcel of raw pasture in Freeland, WA. With the help of FSA loans, we purchased our own farm in winter of 2015. Woohoo! We’re so grateful to have been able to build a home, barn, and greenhouses; and plant hedgerows, fruit trees, and perennials on a plot we’ll steward for decades. For us, the farm life is the good life! We couldn’t be giddier to be providing organic seeds, produce, and flowers for our supportive and beloved community.
Our Crew
We are nothing without our incredible crew of co-farmers.
Kevin Holton is the newest, dreamy member of our farm crew. He arrived at Deep Harvest as a seasoned farming professional after two years at the Organic Farm School. Kevin brings a passion for cooking and health to our field and lunchtime conversations. His shiny spirit and can-do vibes make him an amazing co-conspirator of the veg and seed biz.
We’re so lucky Claire Botcher joined the crew in 2023. She brought loads of relevant farm skills from her time at a farm and floral shop in the Chicago area and her farm training at the Organic Farm School. Along with an incredible work ethic, Claire’s got a level head and positive, chill vibes (thanks to her pilates training?). Her attributes are beyond valuable in the hectic farming times of summer.
