Over the course of the farm stand, we’ve built substantial partnerships with BIPOC farmers that come from a variety of backgrounds. These farmers are the backbone of our mission, allowing us to provide Rainier Beach with produce that is both culturally relevant and grown locally. In this piece, we hope to shine some light on who some of these farmers are and provide you with a couple quick facts about each one!
Black Farmers Collective (YES Farm):
Farm Founder/Name of Farmer(s): Ray Williams, Hannah Wilson, Masra Clamoungou
Location: 727 Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98104 (Yesler Terrace)
Types of Produce Ordered From Them: Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Arugula, etc.
Fun Fact: BFC is composed of two farms—YES Farm and Small Axe Farm (Sammamish Valley)
Alvarez Organics:
Farm Founder/Name of Farmer(s): Hilario Alvarez, Steve Alvarez
Location: 300 Murray Rd, Mabton, WA 98935 (Yakima Valley)
Types of Produce Ordered From Them: Corn, Japanese Eggplant, Zucchini, Dried Beans, etc.
Fun Fact: This family farm has been certified organic for over 20 years
Umoja n’inguvu:
Farm Founder/Name of Farmer(s): Beatrice Shimirimana
Location: SeaTac, WA
Types of Produce Ordered From Them: Swiss/Rainbow Chard, Amaranth, Cucumbers, etc.
Fun Fact: Her farm name means “Unity is the power or force”, a Swahili saying
Kamayan Farm:
Farm Founder/Name of Farmer(s): Ari de Leña
Location: East of Seattle on Coast Salish and Snoqualmie People’s land (Carnation, WA)
Types of Produce Ordered From Them: Tomatoes, Bittermelon, Peppers, Snap Peas, etc.
Fun Fact: Kamayan is Tagalog for “with hands” and refers to the ancestral way of eating for Filipinos
Jacobs Agro:
Farm Founder/Name of Farmer(s): Mark Jacobs
Location: 1301 Orting Kapowsin Hwy E, Orting, WA 98360 (Pierce County)
Types of Produce Ordered From Them: Collard Greens, Kale, Swiss/Rainbow Chard, etc.
Fun Fact: This family farm has been operating since 1929
Nurturing Roots:
Farm Founder/Name of Farmer(s): Nyema Clark
Location: 6218 Beacon Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108 (South Seattle)
Types of Produce Ordered From Them: Collard Greens, Swiss/Rainbow Chard, Kale, etc.
Fun Fact: NR hosts many workshops, giveaways, and events for all ages throughout the year