Foggy Hill Farm

Alanah studied health in college and had an internship at a nonprofit in Houston, Texas where they did gardening, nutrition, and cooking classes, where she fell in love with being outside and getting her hands in the dirt. The following year, during an AmeriCorps stent in Little Rock, Arkansas, she got a job working farmer’s markets for a local farmer. She knew she wanted to farm full time after that, and worked on farms in Arkansas and Texas before arriving on Whidbey. On the island, she worked on Willowood Farm and Foxtail Farm before starting her own. She says, “I love the community I’ve built here and am excited to be managing my own farming operation thanks to my amazing friends and mentors on the island!”

We asked Alanah a series of questions about herself and Foggy Hill Farm. Read on to learn more about one of your local producers!   

Why do you farm? 

I love being outside and I love showing people where their food comes from. Being involved in local food systems is important to me - you can really connect people to food through farming. You can teach people about a lot of different types of foods and you can advocate for paying the right amount for that food. Farming allows you space to get creative and make a positive impact.

Foggy Hill’s Farming Practices: 

I use sustainable and organic growing practices even though I’m not USDA certified organic. Being a one woman show, I do some tilling here but keep it to a minimum. I use row cover to limit pest pressure and silage tarps to keep the soil covered and suppress weeds. Sustainability is my long term goal - I’m always looking for ways to be good to the land. Ideally, I’d like to do some cover crops but because I’m leasing this space, I’m doing what makes sense right now.

What's growing at Foggy Hill? 

I focus primarily on growing lots of greens - plants that you can get multiple cuts off of. I try to grow what people want, what people like - things that I feel will sell well on the island. This year I’ve been super experimental! 

Veggies & Flowers: Arugula, mustard salad mix, baby greens, beets, carrots, kale, chard, squash, leeks, onions, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, sprouting broccoli, microgreens, herbs, sunflowers, dahlias, and dried flowers.  

My goal is to grow veggies and flowers really well together. I’m trying to be pretty diverse for such a small space.

Favorite crop to grow?

Shishito peppers - They are so tasty if you blister them and then drizzle with olive oil + balsamic vinegar + sprinkle with sea salt 

Carrots - I pretty much eat them year round. I like to roast them! 

Flower - Ranunculus (very stunning and similar to a rose)

How has the Food Hub impacted Foggy Hill?

The food hub has been super helpful - it’s easy to navigate, a great avenue for marketing, and expands my reach to folks on the north end of the island. It’s good to know that my veggies are getting out to people every week through the hub.

Fun Facts about Alanah:

Favorite musician: Mac DeMarco

Favorite TV show: The Office

Hobbies outside of farming: Biking, exploring nearby places like Port Townsend and Bellingham, painting, and hanging out with my friends.

Favorite spot on the island: Ebey’s Landing State Park. I love the view of the Olympics and in fall and winter the sunsets here are spectacular.

Favorite Meal: Breakfast tacos! Growing up in Texas I’d eat this all the time… I love it.

You can buy from Foggy Hill Farm on the Food Hub and at their farmstand. During the main growing season, they sell at multiple farm stands and restaurants on the south end. Follow them on social media for dates and times the stand is open, and for other places their products are being sold.

They offer a CSA (learn more about Community Supported Agriculture heres://eatlocalfirst.org/csa-faq/) for both vegetables and flowers, available through their website here.

Producer Feature by Rachel Joseph