Gettin' Dirty with Mother Earth

By: Benita Ki | July 06 2011
Posted in Seattle - Grow It - Seattle

A view of the fields at Mother Earth Farm. Photo by Benita Ki

Tucked away in Washington's Puyallup Valley, Mother Earth Farm is an eight-acre organic farm that produces tons of fresh produce every year. A part of the Emergency Food Network, the farm distributes all of its harvested food to 65 local food banks, soup kitchens, and hot meal sites. Developed just eleven years ago, Mother Earth Farm is a source of inspiration: serving to feed the needy, the food from the farm often reaches clients at Pierce County feeding programs within hours of harvest. The result? Those who need food most receive fresh, organic, locally-grown produce.

Mother Earth Farm produces over 35 different crops. These range from various fruits to tomatoes, corn, and onions. Carrie Little, manager of Mother Earth Farm, says she has asked people standing in food bank lines what types of food they would like to eat. The most common response is "greens." Greens can mean different things to different people, but Mother Earth Farm strives to accommodate requests; in this case, the farm produces both salad greens as well as Asian vegetables, which appeal to the area's Southeast Asian population.

Education is also a vital part of the program at the farm. The farm relies almost entirely on volunteers coming in from the community every month. These volunteers are students from all over Pierce County, college students, church groups, corporate and civic groups, and individuals who just want to get down in the dirt at Mother Earth. And the hope is that every volunteer who comes in to work will learn something, whether it's the importance of saving seeds, or studying various fruits and vegetables. The farm also provides job training for inmate women from the Washington Correctional Center for Women at Purdy.

A short trip to Mother Earth Farm had me sold; I'm ready to start farming, especially if the proceeds go to the hungry. Little, who has been with the farm since the project began, embodied a vibrant, kind-spirited passion for fighting hunger. "My ultimate goal," Little warmly says, "is to have you gardening, to have everyone gardening." As more and more people grow their own food and share it, she says, eventually there won't be a need for the Emergency Food Network. And the more conversations people have about food security and local hunger, the more advocates, donors, activists, and volunteers will rise to join the fight against hunger in Pierce County.

Volunteers are welcome any time, and there are organized work projects every other Saturday. Mother Earth Farm is located at 15208 102nd St E, Puyallup, WA 98374. Learn more about Mother Earth Farm in our video interview with Carrie Little. 

Benita is a recent graduate from the University of Puget Sound, avid ultimate frisbee player, coffee addict, and food fanatic.