Full Bloom Farm is a small family-owned and -operated farm offering a wide variety of produce, pastured chicken eggs, flowers, solar-evaporated sea salt, and dry goods sold in their farm stand on Lummi Island. Their farm stand embodies Lummi Island’s culture of community and care, as they nourish their community with fresh and local goods.
As Farm Manager Olivia shares, “The island is a special slice of Whatcom County that a lot of people don’t know about. It’s very quiet and serene, untouched and still wild.”
Part of Lummi Island’s uniqueness is due to the care and stewardship of those who live and work there – including Olivia’s parents, the people who started Full Bloom Farm. Olivia recalls, “My parents had been living on the property since 1984 and started the farm as an organic peony farm in 2001. They eventually started growing vegetables and planted a cider orchard. My partner and I had always wanted to figure out a way to get back to the farm, but we were living in the Bay Area. We were up here for our normal visit in February 2020, and then our flight back was cancelled – so we stayed. We were able to work remotely, and my partner still does. Now I farm full time. During Covid, we realized there was a need on Lummi Island to get contact-less food, especially because we’re so isolated.”
Olivia and her family began the process of expanding the farm stand to meet their community’s growing needs. “We set up an online ordering system,” she shares. “We also started bringing food to the island from other Whatcom and Skagit farmers directly, as well as the Puget Sound Food Hub. We did online sales for a while, then slowly started to expand the physical farm stand. Every year we’ve added more producers and expanded our own farm. We’re at a really sweet spot now. We prioritize carrying products from small, local producers and especially women-owned and operated endeavors.”
Full Bloom Farm’s offerings are diverse and delicious, varying with the seasons. Visitors might enjoy seasonal fruit galettes, local cheeses, beeswax candles, and fresh veggies. June and July promise to be abundant times to visit Lummi Island and Full Bloom Farm. As Olivia says, “The peonies will be here in June, and we have luscious bouquets. Our lettuce mix is also very popular. We grow whole head lettuce, and the leaves are nice and robust – people are kind of addicted to it!”
This varied array reflects the unique climate and community of Northwest Washington. Olivia shares, “The food and farming here is so diverse. We have access to incredible seafood as well as the best berries in the country. Our climate is perfect for keeping vegetables tender and flowers fresh for a long time. I love that we can grow sweet peas well into July. My partner and I farmed in California before we moved to Lummi, and it’s so much more enjoyable to farm and be outside here.”
Farming is, as many know well, a labor of love. There are elements that are deeply rewarding and deeply challenging, too. “I love working with my family and working outside all day,” Olivia reflects. “I really enjoy filling a gap that’s needed on the island. It makes me feel like I’m contributing to my community on multiple levels, and that’s important to me. I do wish more people knew that farming is a lot harder than they may think and knew how much farmers care about the land and the food they’re growing.”
Visit Full Bloom Farm to support local farmers and learn more about how food gets from the field to the plate – plus enjoy a wide variety of delicious offerings in a beautiful location! Full Bloom is also offering workshops every two weeks throughout the season focused on art, craft, and food and they have a nice vacation rental to stay in as well. Find them on the Farm to Table Trails!
All photos courtesy of Full Bloom Farm
