Caroline V
l ID:
557
Interested In:
For Lease
Preferred Acreage: 1-5
Description:
My name is Caroline and my partner’s name is Sebastian. We have had an enthusiasm for farming since we were children. Sebastian and I are looking to start our own vegetable and flower operation.I grew up in NW Washington and I participated in 4H; during college I organized events on campus and took courses related to sustainable agriculture; I worked as a farmworker on organic vegetable, flower, and livestock farms in Washington for the past three seasons; and I have completed a course in small farm business management from Viva Farms. Sebastian grew up on a 40 acre homestead on the Central Coast of California where he started gardening at a young age.
The first farm I worked on operated on between 10-15 acres and grew vegetables and raised pigs and chickens. I was a part of the field crew and completed the sort of tasks most field crew members complete such as transplanting, weeding, setting up and maintaining irrigation systems, harvesting, washing, packing, and so on. I was specifically responsible for the laying hens tasks such as feeding, watering, collecting eggs, and cleaning eggs. I was also responsible for managing the tomato hothouses, completing tasks such as trellising, pruning, de-suckering, watering, and harvesting. The second farm I worked on operated on between 10-15 acres also and grew vegetables and flowers. In addition to the regular tasks of a field crew member, I was the packshed lead, ensuring food safety protocols were followed and that wholesale and CSA orders and farmers market items were packed accurately and efficiently. The third farm I worked on operated on around a half acre of land and was a no-till operation. While there, I was the propagation house manager and completed tasks such as seeding, watering, thinning, and hardening off. I also entered seeding, planting, harvest, and sale records into spreadsheets for organic certification record keeping. At each of the farms I worked at, I took every opportunity to ask questions to learn more about organic farming and business management.
The course in small farm business management from Viva Farms was weekly for three months. During this course, we covered topics such as business planning, marketing, organic records keeping, farm finances, water rights, and finding farmland. The last assignment was to develop our own business plan, including a crop plan.
Sebastian and I are flexible in our vision, but we are particularly looking for something long term in Western Washington. We would like to start with vegetables and flowers, but eventually move into livestock like chickens and sheep as well. We are currently looking to lease, but are working towards being ready to buy in the near future.
Farm Business Type:
- Row Crop
- Livestock
Intended Farming Practices:
- Sustainable and Organic Practices
- Certified Organic
