6. Bil Thorn of Sky Island Farm

Dec 30

Creative Low Risk COVID19 Safe Markets

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Episode Description:

In this episode of the Farm Walks Podcast, we have the opportunity to talk with Bil Thorn of Sky Island Farm in Humptulips, WA about low-risk marketing outlets and food safety best practices for direct-to-consumer marketing and wholesale outlets. Bil also addresses innovative ways to find farmland and his approach to scaling up their business by expanding their market reach. To close out this episode, we get to chat with Laura Raymond, WSDA Regional Markets Program Manager. Laura shares about innovative marketing strategies and safety precautions employed by direct-marketing farms during COVID to provide our communities with local food while keeping farmers, farm workers, and consumers safe.

Sky Island Farm is a 15-acre vegetable, herb, fruit and flower farm owned and operated by Bil Thorn and Kate Harwell. Located in Humptulips, WA they grow intensively on two acres using only organic, sustainable and regenerative methods and sell through farmers markets, stores, restaurants and their CSA. Bil and Kate run Grays Harbors largest and longest running CSA with home delivery. In 2019 they partnered with Grays Harbor Community Hospital for a patient CSA program and were also a part of the farm to pantry program with Coastal Harvest. They provide clean, organic vegetables to food banks around Grays Harbor County. You can find Sky Island Farm at the Aberdeen Sunday Market, Seabrook's Saturday Market, and increasingly in restaurants and stores in Tacoma and Seattle. They have even had their blueberries featured in a special Blueberry Harvest Beer as part of a collaborative project with Metier Brewing Company! Bil and Kate believe it is important to support your local farmers and enjoy giving back to their community by hosting field trips for kids at the farm, participating in school gardens, and providing volunteer/intern opportunities for new and beginning farmers. Bil was recognized as the 2020 Farmer of the Year at the Tilth Conference in recognition for his dedication to organic and sustainable farming, building a better food system and addressing food security.

Learn More About Farm Walks:

Visit farmwalks.org to learn more about the history of Farm Walks and our pivot to a podcast and stay tuned in for the release of new episodes and interviews! You can even submit questions to farmers through the ASK A FARMER page.

Contributors:

The Farm Walks Podcast is collaboratively organized by Tilth Alliance and WSU Food Systems.

This episode is generously supported by the National Farmer Union’s Local Food Safety Collaborative. The Local Food Safety Collaborative is a network of farm and agriculture organizations providing education and training for local food producers.

Production Team:

Podcast hosted by Farmer Nicole Witham @farmernicole
Behind the scenes logistics and general wrangling by Erin Murphy and Teri Rakusin
Theme Music is, “Soil of Mississippi” by Abakis @abakismusic
Farm Walks website, logo, and pod art by Riled Up Goats @riledupgoats
Audio engineering and editing by Aaron Mason