SpringRain Farm & Orchard
SpringRain Farm & Orchard
Acres Preserved:
21
Year Conserved:
2008
Category:
Conservation Easement
Natural Features:
We think of ourselves as an ecological farm, so there are annuals and perennials, herbivores and predators, and all the elements you would think about if you were considering functional ecology.
– John Bellow, Farmer and co-owner, SpringRain Farm & Orchard
A Birds-Eye View
SpringRain Farm & Orchard is a 26-acre organic family farm in Chimacum that strives to develop a farming model that mimics a natural ecosystem. Farmers John Bellow and Roxanne Hudson founded SpringRain in 2006 with a systems-thinking philosophy, in which the entire farm is regarded as a complex of integrated natural systems that interact and affect one another.
John and Roxanne are a wonderful example of how farmers are often the best stewards of our local lands and waters. In addition to their thoughtful and informed management of the farm’s historic agricultural land, they’ve also been proactive in the restoration of the 1000+ feet of Chimacum Creek that runs through their property, where the creek’s mainstem meets the east fork.
SpringRain produces an abundance of organic food to nourish our community: berries and vegetables, antique varieties of apples and pears, and ethically raised eggs and meat from chickens, ducks, and rabbits. Along with a crew of weeder geese, these free-ranging animals help control pests and weeds as they graze in the orchards and fields.
The Preservation Story
When John and Roxanne were looking for farmland in the early 2000s, they reached out to Jefferson Land Trust, and we helped them locate the property that is now SpringRain. In 2006, when they purchased the farm, it was one of the last remaining properties available for commercial agriculture in the Port Hadlock area. The property has a long history of agricultural use going back to at least the 1930s. With a look to the land’s future, John and Roxanne generously donated a conservation easement to Jefferson Land Trust as a way of ensuring that the land would remain undeveloped and open for agriculture forever.
Jefferson Land Trust’s conservation and restoration efforts in the Chimacum watershed span more than two decades. Working with willing landowners, granting agencies, and many friends and partners, Jefferson Land Trust has helped protect more than 2000 acres here to date. John and Roxanne have gone above and beyond to push forward Chimacum Creek restoration efforts on their land, adding their farm to this major conservation legacy.
From 2008-2010, they worked with the Jefferson County Conservation District to develop a project to improve stream habitat conditions. The conservation district obtained a Coastal Protection Fund grant from the Department of Ecology to remove the berm that had been added to the creek sometime in the 1900s, allowing the creek to connect with the floodplain once again. The grant also enabled the addition of woody debris to the creek, creating critical shade and cover for salmon and other wildlife.
Through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), a USDA/Washington Conservation Commission Program, the farmers enrolled a 50-feet buffer on each side of the creek. CREP "rents" the stream buffer for 15 years and provides funding for necessary improvements like fencing, tree planting, and maintenance.
The Protected Property Today and Tomorrow
SpringRain Farm & Orchard has gained a loyal local following thanks to their innovative farming philosophy, active involvement in the local food system and conservation community, and of course, their delicious organic products, which can be found at the Jefferson County Farmers Markets as well as local restaurants and shops.
In addition to growing vegetables in their unheated greenhouses, the farmers pride themselves on offering “unusual, old fashioned fruit that has stood the test of time,” such as red and white currants, gooseberries, and antique varieties of apples and pears difficult to locate outside SpringRain’s orchards. The farm is also known for their value-added farmstead products: small-batch jams, pestos, tomato sauces and more made onsite from their own organic fruit, vegetables, and herbs.
The farm’s systems-thinking philosophy affects every level of operations. The chickens, for example, are a valuable part of this approach. As they roam the orchards, the chickens are effective predators against insect pests and weed seeds. As they graze on these natural food sources, the chickens are not only consuming fresh available food and keeping down weeds and pests, but also adding manure to the orchards, fertilizing the trees. And the trees’ fruits will never go to waste — anything left on the ground or on the tree is fed back to the chickens.
Practices like these conserve resources, lower costs, reduce the need for harmful pesticides and herbicides, and (as many farmers will attest) result in higher yields and higher quality products across the board: richer eggs, meat that’s more flavorful and higher in fat, and tastier fruit and berries.
The same year they founded the farm, John and Roxanne founded an intern program to empower the next generation of farmers. They created FIELD (Farmer Innovation, Education and Leadership Development) to attract and educate young people who want to be agricultural entrepreneurs and learn sustainable farming practices.
Meanwhile, thanks to restoration efforts and ongoing maintenance, the creek is returning to a healthy state. The public can see it for themselves thanks to the Rick Tollefson Memorial Trail, a walking and bicycling trail connecting Chimacum and Port Hadlock that runs through SpringRain. An 80-foot pedestrian bridge across SpringRain’s section of Chimacum Creek offers a place to watch salmon seasonally and observe nature year-round.
More Information:
The SpringRain farmstand is open from dawn til dusk 365 days a year at 187 Covington Way, Chimacum.
Visit the SpringRain Farm & Orchard website for the most up-to-date information.
