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Thanks, Victoria, for bringing this issue up via our contact page: Well, yes, we do have good news. We began accepting EBT cards about a year ago through our sister company, Terra Organics. As the distribution partner for our farm, Terra Organics has the authority through the USDA to accept EBT cards. Which means that the farm can’t (yet) take EBT at the farmers’ markets, but you can use EBT to pay for our CSA. To find out more, please call us at 253-627-1581 Thanks! This question came in via our contact form, but the sender’s email address was not valid, so I decided I’d post it here in the hopes that she returns to our site again but also because it may be an issue that others have wondered about. So here it is: I am very much interested in organic farming and supporting those who grow organically. However I also like to make sure that the farms that are growing my food are making sure to take care of the soil that they use. I was wondering how your farm ensures that there is little to no top soil loss. How do you take care of the land when you are done with a crop, do you till? If you do till how do you ensure that their is no top soil loss? Thank you for your help with these questions. I look forward to And, my response: Hi Patricia, Thank you for contacting us. We just put the comment feature on the site and it’s great that it’s already proving helpful. We strive to maintain good soil health and fertility since it’s the backbone of the operation. First, I should say that we are a new farm, going into our third growing season. We have not yet had to amend the soil since it is an old dairy and nutrient levels were extremely high when we started cropping in 2009. Since then, we have applied, when feasible, rye and vetch as a cover crop. Since we farm year-round, there are always portions of our field that are still in a crop – and therefore bare – or that had a crop harvested after October 1, which is the latest you can seed a cover crop for the winter. Top soil really doesn’t move around a lot on our farm. Drainage is excellent so there’s not a lot of run-off and the organic matter is so high, and the soil relatively heavy, that it doesn’t blow around either. We are tilling once in all fields just before seeding or transplanting, but after that we use discs and other tools to cultivate. There are pieces of equipment out there that can prepare the ground better than a tiller, but we don’t have any of them yet. In addition to the green manures, we will be using a mixture of chicken manure and straw that is composted before it is applied to the fields, to continue to give back and build up the soils. Thanks for your interest and let me know if you have any additional questions. Sincerely, Production Manager Tahoma Farms Tahoma Farms is a 40-acre, diversified organic farm located 30 miles southeast of Seattle in Orting, WA. We grow mixed vegetables and small fruits for wholesale, grocery, home delivery CSA (www.terra-organics.com) and farmers markets. Tahoma Farms was established in 2009. The production manager at Tahoma Farms oversees crop production, coordinates sales, and works in cooperation with the field manager to bring crops to market. The ideal candidate is willing to make a multi-year commitment to the farm. A minimum of a one year commitment is required, beginning as early as January 1. Workweeks range from 40-50 hrs per week March-December and 30-40 hours January-February. 2 weeks of paid vacation is provided in the first year. This position’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Desired qualifications include:
The production manager’s weekly schedule is variable depending on the season, but typically runs from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday. Candidates who are also available to work on Saturdays, or who have flexible schedules to accommodate the farm’s varying needs, are preferred. Salary depends on experience. Year-end profit sharing based on the outcome of the year’s profitability. Interested applicants should submit:
Send application packet to: e-mail: dhhulse@gmail.com mail: Tahoma Farms PO Box 5966 Tacoma, WA 9841 Contact Dan Hulse for more information: (253) 314-8813 On May 17th, we had a great turn out for the first ever kids day at Tahoma Farms. Despite the threatening rain, rain puddles, and mud, we were able to venture out into the field and tasted test the first carrots of the season, wander through the greenhouses and look at the baby plants, and plant sunflower seeds in the Children’s Garden. A lot of fun! I hope more of you can join us for the next kids day on June 24th at 10am. We will be talking about the summer solstice and how it affects growing food, as well as getting our hands dirty in the newly planted Children’s Garden. Good times are sure to be had by all (especially if you bring rubber boots and maybe a change of clothes for the little ones!). Title: Terra Organics Community Day Title: Kids Day at the Farm Bring a snack or lunch to eat after the formal gathering time is over. Title: First CSA Harvest of the Season and Farm Tour Title: Tour Orting Valley Farms While more and more signs at the farm are pointing towards summer and the warm weather to come (it will come!), this week has had us bundling up in blankets and drinking lots of hot tea! While the Cream of Jerusalem Artichoke Soup I made last night was delicious, I’m really looking forward to moving beyond winter soup weather and into summer grilling weather. A few of the hopeful signs of warm weather around the farm:  Future Strawberries! Hopefully will start producing sometime in June.  Future Tomatoes! Should be ready to harvest in late July. |
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