Agriculture

Oxbow supports a healthy food economy by operating a 30 acre farm (actively growing on about 12 acres) using sustainable farming practices. Our farm provides produce to local grocery stores, restaurants, hunger relief agencies, and schools, as well as directly to local consumers through a Farm Stand and Farm Share Program. Learn more about where to find our produce!

The farm has been in operation since 1999.

Farming Practices

We cultivate a variety of different crops well-suited to the Snoqualmie Valley floodplain, and maintain a crop rotation to allow our soil to recover and regenerate. We also strategically remove fields from our production each year and leave them fallowed in cover crop. Fallowed fields protect our watershed and allow fields to rest and build up nutrients, and manage weeds, pests, and diseases.

Our fertility management plan is customized to the deficiencies of specific fields and each plant family’s cultural needs using only certified organic, naturally occurring nutrients. We manage our pest populations with an intricate biological approach, incorporating Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices such as beneficial insect release and insectary habitat plantings. By avoiding the use of chemicals through these methods, we nourish our members and our land.

We also partner with agencies, organizations, and academic institutions to conduct agricultural research that leads to innovative ways to increase crop yields while preserving the local ecosystem. Research promotes growth within the field and the community, which directly impacts King County’s citizens and natural resources.

Certifications

Oxbow is a Certified Organic and Certified Salmon-Safe farm.

 

Get down and dirty with the Farm

Get to know your food and farmers by becoming a Farm Shareholder.

Oxbow’s Farm Stand is open Wednesdays through Saturdays year-round.

Explore all of the farmers markets, grocery stores, restaurants, and hunger relief agencies we work with to bring fresh Organic produce to the greater Seattle area.

Learn all the ways to volunteer in our gleaning efforts, whether it’s once, or for the whole season.