Oxbow Organic Farm and Education Center started out in 1999 under the care of husband and wife team Luke Woodward and Sarah Cassidy, known as the heart and soul behind the farm. Their young daughter Pearl is often found hustling behind one of them as they work their way through their 25 cultivated acres. Farmer Luke gets an extra hand from Farmer Adam McCurdy, who joined Oxbow in 2007 to manage operations and was featured as a 2012 Tractor Man of the Snoqualmie Valley (Mr. September, if you’re curious). Backing this leadership team, Oxbow hosts a hoard of interns each year, who you’ll often find manning the Oxbow stand at the Carnation Farmers Market.
Oxbow’s Education Center opened in September of 2010 to help to teach younger visitors about organic farming and environmental conservation. The center organizes tours, field trips to the farm, and summer camps that allow for ample time in Oxbow’s beautifully maintained Children’s Garden. Certified Salmon Safe, Oxbow takes the view that farming and fishing don’t have to counter one another, and they’ve been working with Stewardship Partners since 2001 to restore a diverse mix of native plants to the riparian areas on the farm. Luke is particularly enthusiastic about the restored area where the invasive plants have been removed alongside an oxbow lake bordering the farm, and giving it its name. The oxbow lake is fed by the nearby Snoqualmie River, which separates Oxbow Organic Farm from Growing Things Farm. The Snoqualmie River also provides water for crop irrigation at Oxbow, as does a well that taps into the underlying aquifer. The morning fog you’ll find in the valley helps to water the fields as well, and the weeds intermixed with the rotating crops hold the moisture in and protect what would otherwise be barren ground. Oxbow’s crops are diverse and plentiful: you’ll find everything from garlic to fava beans to parsley, and that’s without mentioning their sweet raspberries and strawberries. If you wait another 20 or 30 years, their nut trees will start producing too.
Oxbow brings their Certified Organic vegetables, tree fruit, and berries to the Carnation Farmers Market, and has been doing so ever since the market started up. During the off-season, the Oxbow crew is still hard at work: their interns are with them through December, and by January and February, it’s already time to begin seeding starts. These are nurtured in Oxbow’s greenhouses and eventually transplanted in the fields every two to three weeks, allowing for continuous harvests throughout the season. Farmer Luke finds it rewarding to grow food for our society, and says that his days on the farm are never dull as he strives to ensure that sustainable farming can be a viable career option in the 21st century. Luke enjoys being part of the local community, and you’ll catch him once in awhile joining his interns for a minute or two at the Carnation Farmers Market.
Learn more about Oxbow’s CSA program online at www.oxbow.org, and see where you can find Oxbow’s produce at local restaurants and independent grocery outlets.