Bountiful harvests but low dairy prices

Mother Nature was good to La Conner-area farmers this year.

“It was a perfect summer,” said Dean Swanson of the Swanson Family Farm.

A wetter spring and early summer warmth meant seeds could germinate and young plants could get established without irrigating. “The crops got a really good start,” said Ray de Vries of Ralph’s Greenhouse.

Swanson grew “the best corn we’ve had all year” with no irrigation. Unless there is an early freeze, he will be picking through October 20. A “super long” berry season also meant lots of good weekends at farmer’s markets.

The weather has been good for planting wheat and harvesting potatoes. “The potatoes look solid, but they would like a little more moisture,” said John Thulen of Pioneer Potatoes. “When it’s too dry, they bounce and bruise and topple off the trucks onto the road.”

Early moisture and summer heat helped Beth Hailey of Dona Flora grow some great garlic. Then Oregon wildfire smoke in September affected her dahlias. “When there’s no sun, there are not as many flowers,” she said.

La Conner-area farmers blame that smoke for cow corn running a week late, pasture grass growing slightly more slowly and a harvest day that shrank from eight hours to three because nothing could dry.

Cows did not like the smoke either. “They don’t move around as much and they try to stay in the barn,” said Chelsy Mesman of the Mesman Dairy. “But it doesn’t affect the flavor or quality of the milk and meat.”

“The potato guys are happy, my corn is getting a good average, and we had a phenomenal grass year,” said Jason Vander Kooy. “Overall it’s been a good year, despite everything else.”

“All we need now is a mild winter to finish things up and then we’re good to go,” said de Vries.

Sales and markets are mixed

If perfect describes the weather, pivot describes market conditions for La Conner-area farmers.

The Hedlins dropped farmers markets altogether and dialed down sales to wholesalers like Charley’s Greenhouse. Rather, they focused on their farm stand, the Skagit Valley Food Coop, and the Puget Sound Food Hub.

They also provided more produce to companies that prepare home delivery boxes of farm products.

Many items sold to the Food Hub went to the Bellingham Food Bank, which over the summer received 12,000 boxes of food grown by Food Hub member-growers through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“People still need to eat,” said farm manager Kai Ottesen. “While the channels people are buying through have changed a little, we are still seeing demand.”

Ralph’s Greenhouse also packed 7,000 boxes of produce for the Food Hub. Their overall sales are about the same as usual, with fewer sales to restaurants.

Swanson stuck with his family’s stand and farmers’ markets in Redmond and Everett, but social distancing measures pushed sales down 30 to 40 percent. “If no major farm machinery breaks down, if you’re conservative and if don’t buy anything, you can still make it,” said Swanson.

The Thulens are betting on the retail market for their potatoes and brussels sprouts. Thulen hopes to benefit from glitches in Canada, where eastern drought and a labor shortage are lowering potato production.

Low dairy prices continue to challenge Skagit dairies, which sell fluid and powdered milk. Much of the powdered milk goes to Mexico and Asia, where it ends up in energy bars, protein drinks and other food products that include whey protein.

For the Mesman family, which sells to Organic Valley, sales surged at the beginning of the pandemic but “flatlined again” because people preferred butter, yogurt and cheese, said Ben Mesman.

But Skagit dairies soldier on. The Vander Kooys recently replaced the Calhoun Road calf barn destroyed by a fire in February 2019. “It’s so much nicer for employees, and it’s better for the cows too,” said Jason Vander Kooys.

The Mesmans, who already sell organic beef, recently welcomed 20 chickens and a flock of sheep to their farm. Next spring they hope to add eggs and lamb to their product list.

“We are so lucky that we can grow such diverse crops in this valley,” said Hedlin. “With 80 different crops of commercial significance, we have a lot of buffer. No question we have done a lot better than farmers in other places.”