We, Annie Jesperson and Nathaniel Talbot, have raised vegetables, seeds and flowers together on Whidbey Island for 14 glorious farm-seasons. We moved from Portland, OR, where Nathaniel played in bands while working in environmental ed and Annie helped folks on the streets to maintain permanent housing through an organization called JOIN. In spite of our love of Portland, we caught the farming bug and started taking as many organic gardening, seed saving, and urban farming courses as we could.
Still, our interest in ag wasn’t sated in the city. So in 2010, we moved to Whidbey for an 8-month, farm-training program where we gleaned the technical and business skills needed to run a farm. After the training, we leased a small, certified-organic farmstead in need of some short-term managers. Since it was already a functional farm biz with an irrigation system, greenhouses, and well-loved soil, it was an ideal place to grow our business and save money so we could eventually buy a farm of our own.
A multi-year land hunt and long-shot letter writing campaign to local landowners led to us finding a beautiful, sunny 20-acre parcel overlooking Mutiny Bay with a willing seller. Still, we couldn’t have sealed the deal without the help of a passionate realtor, loans from the Farm Service Agency and NW Farm Credit Service. In the spring of 2015, we bought a 10-acre farm, in Freeland, WA. We’re so grateful we were able to build a home, barn, and greenhouses; and plant hedgerows, fruit trees, and perennials on a plot that is well suited for decades of farming. For us, the farm life is the good life and we couldn’t be happier to provide organic seeds, produce, and flowers for our supportive and beloved community.