Seven years ago we bought a 1.3 acre property (that consisted of a house and field) and we developed it into the Green Bee Farm. Our plan was to grow some good food for our family, sell some product at our on-site market and donate the remainder to Spokane area food banks. We are entering our seventh season of growing, harvesting, selling, and donating veggies and other products but an honest look at how much we can do in the space we have needs to change.
For the first 6 seasons. we increased the amount of veggies, jams, purees, and chicken eggs that we grew and sold at our farm stand. By the end of year four, we had donated almost a half ton of product. But the last 2 years, the heat waves destroyed much of the summer crop (especially last summer) and we had very little to donate.
In fact, all produce donations to area food banks were way down the last two years (and demand was higher) and the weather is not likely to improve for the foreseeable future.
We are developing some plans to help mitigate the heat effect on our plants (more cover and heat resistant plant varieties). The farm is mostly under cultivation, so much so, that it is at our physical limit to plant and maintain. And, alas, as we age, our energy level is diminishing and the summer heat is more punishing.
So, we are making the decision to end our retail sales, which will free up enough time to let us concentrate on growing plants, taking care of our bees and chickens, and increasing our donations to area food banks.
We will miss interacting with our customers but you might find us some weekday nights at the Barn and Blossom Nursery (https://www.barnandblossom.com/), enjoying their delightful beer garden.
We hope you will patronize some of the other farms on the South Spokane Farm Corridor (https://www.southspokanefarmcorridor.com/) or any of the other farm markets around town.
Thanks for all your support and have a great 2023,
Your fellow gardeners,
Judy and Bruce
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