Nooksack Farmers Co-op producers pack snap peas

On Monday evening March 14, a group of ten family farms in Whatcom County voted to form a new producer-owned co-op. Organizing documents were forwarded to Washington State on Thursday, March 17. The Nooksack Valley Farmers Cooperative is being formed in order to market, aggregate, prepare, and distribute fruit and vegetables.

Participating farms include Alm Hill Gardens, Broadleaf Farm, Cedarville Farm, Cloud Mountain Farm, Moondance Farm, Nooksack 9 Farm, Osprey Hill Farm, Rabbit Fields Farm, Spring Frog Farm, and Terra Verde Farm.  This group of Whatcom County row-crop and tree fruit growers will be launching a multi-farm Community Supported Agriculture program with Peace Health-St. Joseph's Hospital beginning in mid-June.

The group elected Michelle Zehr of Nooksack 9 Farm as President, Mike Finger of Cedarville Farm Vice President, and Amy Fontaine of Terra Verde Farm Secretary-Treasurer.  Zehr states, "In this group, we have put competition aside to grow as a community of farmers. Through this cooperation, we believe we will be able to better fill the ever growing demand for locally grown produce."

The process of organizing was supported by NABC, Sustainable Connections Food & Farming Program, the WSDA Small Farms and Marketing Program, and Whatcom Community Foundation's Sustainable Whatcom Fund.  NABC, an established Cooperative Development Center, provided cooperative and organizational development assistance through the support of a Rural Cooperative Development Grant provided by the USDA Rural Development Department.

NABC, through its Puget Sound Food Network project, introduced Diana Ambauen-Meade owner of Scratch and Peck Feeds, to the management and buying staff for the Whatcom Farmers Co-op's four stores in mid-April. WFC's customers had been clamoring for Scratch and Peck products and the store managers were excited to bring the product in.

WFC took its first delivery of 5 lb., 25 lb. and 50 lb. bags of Scratch and Peck's soy-free poultry feeds the last week of April at the same time WFC brought in their flocks of new chicks. Diana visited each of the stores and spent time with the customers providing information and educational materials about the quality attributes of her products, where she sources her grains, and the methods she uses to process her high quality feeds.

"Our shoppers are really excited about Scratch and Peck feeds. The like that it's GMO and soy-free and made using organic ingredients, states Sharon Weathersby, Store Manager for the Ferndale store. People really care about the quality of the food they're feeding their chickens and Scratch and Peck really makes the grade."

NABC will be providing a value-added food production course in fall of 2011. This course will be presented in six classes over a four month period from November 2011 through February 2012, and will provide key resources necessary to help producers to successfully launch new value-added products into the market.

NABC Project Manager Jeff Voltz will be leading this effort which will support producers in the areas of market feasibility; business planning and cash flow management; product and brand development; packaging; food safety; and marketing, promotion, product launch, and continuous shelf management. Consideration is currently being given to targeted product development trainings by product categories. These categories include value-added meat products; dairy products; ethnic and culturally oriented traditional foods; small grains and baking; and prepared preserves, sauces, and dressings.

Within these categories NABC is working to secure instructor resources that will help producers with smoked, cured, processed and frozen meat products for human and pet consumption; dried or liquid soup bases; dairy by-products including yogurt, cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese and butter; small whole grain products, baking mixes, and baked goods; tamales, empanadas, salsa, hummus, tzaztiki, and other traditional foods; and jams, preserves, sauces, syrups, and dressings.

Past participants in NABC's value-added courses include Vickie Brown of Little Brown Dairy, Mary Goit of Belly Timber Bars, Rhonda Gothberg of Gothberg Farms, Richard Sakuma  of Sakuma Brothers Farms, and Ryan Haldane of Skagit Valley Organics. Ryan Haldane was very pleased with what the course provided. "One of the greatest values the courses offered was the connection to top-notch regional resources. I met the staff of Northwest Farm Credit who helped me to finance the opening of our processing kitchen and facility here in Sedro Woolley.  Also, the course offered follow-up meetings with NABC project managers who helped me complete my marketing and business plans."

Arlington's Red Rooster Route, a agriculture marketing association, is pleased to welcome 19 new sponsors to the program this year.  The non-profit association showcases family-friendly activities through a self-guided tour of Arlington farms, open to the public during harvest season. When local businesses took notice of the draw these farms created for tourism, many signed on to support the effort to build interest in area attractions.

 Among new participants in the Red Rooster Route program is the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians.  Currently offering school tours and visitor education at their Fish Hatchery on Harvey Creek, north of Arlington, the Tribe is also developing an education center at their Buffalo Farm and BankSavers native plant nursery.  John Miller, Executive Director of the Tribe, said "We're excited to partner with the Red Rooster Route farms and be a part of the coordinated effort to grow visitorship to this region. The Tribe has recently purchased ag land in the floodplain of the Stillaguamish River and will be looking at options for making that land productive."

For more information about the Red Rooster Route, farms and hours, 2011 participating sponsors, and calendar of activities, please see www.redroosterroute.com