The seeds were first sown for Full Circle Farm when CEO Andrew Stout interned on a Minnesota farm in 1995. A year later, Andrew and his future wife Wendy Munroe found themselves farming five rocky acres at the base of Mount Si in North Bend. The couple raised money to start up their farming enterprise by selling homemade organic eggrolls at Grateful Dead shows. In 1998, the co-founders traded their North Bend location for their Griffin Creek property, which remains the center of their farming operations. Full Circle Farm received Salmon Safe certification in 2004 for this acreage, 135 acres of which is cultivated, as Griffin Creek is the Snoqualmie River’s biggest producer of Coho salmon. Outside of this farmed acreage, much of Full Circle’s land remains in a natural state, providing riparian habitat for native plants and wildlife, and beneficial insects. Full Circle acquired their second parcel of land in 2006, their Ames Creek farm, which is located adjacent to—in fact, just across Ames Creek from—Growing Things Farm. In 2010, Andrew opted to add their third property, 70-acre Willows Farm, located near Redmond. All three parcels are located on what was previously dairy pasture. In total, Full Circle has about 450 acres in land holdings, 400 of which they cultivate.
Full Circle’s produce is Certified Organic, containing no chemical pesticides, fungicides, or fertilizers. Instead, Full Circle concocts its own fertilizer in a giant compost pile located at their Griffin Creek location, which creates enough to return nutrients to the soil at all three farms, ensuring that Full Circle’s employees work in a chemical-free environment. Andrew’s business model is based on transparency and creating connections with customers. But the Full Circle mission is much bigger: Andrew and Wendy’s goal is to change the food system by changing the way food is grown and acquired. At the same time, they recognize that this will need to be done meticulously: one person at a time. Full Circle offers a sustainable, fresh, organic alternative to the industrial food system. In addition to picking up their produce at the Carnation Farmers Market, you can find Full Circle’s product at local grocers and in fare at a variety of Seattle restaurants. Full Circle’s trademark service is their customizable Farm-to-Table organic delivery box, bringing a wide variety of produce, fruit, and goods from artisan producers and other partners to customers across Washington, Idaho, Alaska, and the San Francisco Bay area.
Full Circle Farm produces about 200 varieties of 50 rotating crops, ranging from carrots to chard to lemon cucumbers. You’ll find this fare at the Carnation Farmers Market, where Full Circle has been selling their produce since 2007. Following their focus on transparency, you can also visit Full Circle’s Griffin Creek farm on a guided tour, where you’ll start off at the 1903 barn. You’ll hear all about how Andrew and Wendy, first generation farmers, have made an enterprise that’s making big changes to the way food is grown and produced.
Visit Full Circle Farm online to learn more about tours and their box program at www.fullcircle.com.