Welcome

This site is a little bit for everyone.  Farming fruit/vegetables (peas,  beans    elephant garlic ,  garlic, zucchini, eggplant,  peppers, tomatoes, squash melons watermelons stone fruit) in central Washington has its unique problems.   The weather, pests and high cost of supplies and labor are just the start.  The USDA has a program which helps small farmers.  That money that was allocated to help has of course been used up by thinking about the problem.  What is the answer for small farmers?  First they must band together.  Second, they need to market their produce.  U-pick, Roadside sales,  and develop house packed products.  Large buyers Safeway, Wal-Mart, Albertson,  IGA  etc., are  interested in their bottom line without regard  for production costs. Direct Marketing is an answer.  

This is a  bin dump made for apples/ pears.   We use it for cucumbers, green and  red bell peppers, tomatoes, acorn squash,  apples, and ornamental gourds.  As you can see, this is in the open air.  The rest of the packing line is located in a metal building.  This does work well.  We continue to produce a good looking product.   Produce buyers, both local and warehouses, demand clean washed produce.