Kirsop Farm Grows Vegetables with Care, Kindness

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By Lisa Herrick

kirsop farm
Colin Barricklow and Genine Bradwin of Kirsop Farm stand in front of their rye and vetch-mix cover crop on their new fields in Rochester.

The partnership between Kirsop Farm and Ralph’s and Bayview Thriftway is as natural as the products they both offer. Cultivated through a mutual appreciation of providing good food to the community from a family operated business, Kirsop Farm has been supplying vegetables to Thriftway for almost fifteen years-nearly as long as the farm has existed. The same love and care that Kirsop Farm places in growing their crops is mirrored by Thriftway in the selection of which farms’ produce to offer their customers.

Nate Conat, Thriftway Produce Manager shares, “There are lots of local farms but Kirsop Farm’s quality is phenomenal. They are renowned in our community.  Their bunched carrots are a customer favorite – the flavor is unsurpassed.”  The bunched carrots are anticipated to be available at Thriftway by mid-June. Their radishes are sublime and in the store right now.

Conat further explains, “Kirsop Farm is reliable. They consistently provide the store with quality and delicious produce year after year. This year is starting off well with the radishes.” Conat ponders what spring and summer may offer from Kirsop Farm as he describes the variety of chard they typically bring including rainbow, red and green, as well as the kale and beets. Conat confesses he has not always considered beets to be so palatable but now he anxiously awaits the arrival of the Kirsop Farm bunched yellow beets explaining “they are so sweet when roasted.” And of course, the anticipation is high for the widely sought after bunched carrots.

“We grow the most amazing and delicious vegetables. We take good care of our farmland, and we are kind to one another,” reflects Genine Bradwin of Kirsop Farm when describing the core tenets of the farm. There is no doubt that this approach to farming and operating a business has created the most delectable bunched carrots, as well as flourishing relationships through their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) customers and wholesale partners such as Thriftway. “We tailor ourselves to each other.  We grow what Thriftway customers seem to enjoy and appreciate,” Bradwin comments.

olympia grocery store
Nate Conat, Thriftway Produce Manager, shows off Kirsop Farm arugula, bok choy and radishes.

Kirsop Farm started as a small garden in Tumwater in 1996 by Colin Barricklow.  Barricklow and Bradwin soon discovered a shared love for farming, each other and providing affordable certified organic produce while preserving the agricultural heritage of Thurston County. After farming together for nearly twenty years, starting with a couple of acres then growing to twenty Kirsop Farm now produces row crop vegetables on over eighty acres.

Within the last year, Kirsop Farm expanded to five fields throughout Thurston County. The newest and largest field is located in Rochester while the remaining four are located in Tumwater. Vegetables are Kirsop Farm’s main product although they also offer pastured poultry and pork, grains and flowers.

The recent increase of land for Kirsop Farm now means that they are not limited in size. Kirsop Farm can better rest or fallow the land for a year and have two to three cover crop rotations as well as offer a few more of any given vegetable.

Bradwin says, “Now we feel free to grow further while farming even more responsibly and caring better for the soil.”  While the Kirsop Farm fields have grown in size, they remain dedicated to the same values of their family run farm. Now it is just more of a good thing. And they feel assured in knowing they have created farm land that will be producing in perpetuity through a land trust agreement.

kirsop farm
Certified organic fresh vegetables from Kirsop Farm.

Kirsop Farm acquired a historical Rochester dairy farm in partnership with South of the Sound Community Farm Land Trust, Creekside Conservancy, and Enterprise for Equity. South of the Sound Farm Land Trust promotes local sustainable farms, Creekside Conservancy will focus on improving salmon habitat while Enterprise for Equity will offer their agri-preneur business planning program to those interested in trying farming on a small scale, supportive environment where Barricklow and Bradwin will mentor.

“They are down to earth wonderful people. Kirsop Farm is a full family affair. Everybody helps out. Just like here with the Storman family, owners of both Ralph’s and Bayview Thriftway, when the kids are back in town for the summer they are here in the store helping out. And often the Kirsop Farm kids are helping out. It is a neat thing to see,” adds Conat.

There is no doubt that Kirsop Farm is neat. Neat that they are committed to sustainable farming practices, being a source of fresh organic food in Thurston County, and they value the simple act of kindness.

Click here to learn more about Kirsop Farm or join their CSA. Or visit Ralph’s or Bayview Thriftway to enjoy fresh vegetables from Kirsop Farm.

 

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