Community Corner
From the Neighbor's Yard to Your Table
A young Edmonds couple in the first year of selling their homegrown produce hopes to popularize the suburban farm movement.
“It’s a very large garden, or a very small farm.”
Mike Mearns is standing amidst low rows of beets and green leafy squash plants of Rubberneck Farms, showing me the produce he sells at their location on Maplewood Drive.
Mearns walks deftly among the rows, occasionally reaching down to pluck a rogue weed or push aside some foliage to show me the beginnings of tiny colorful squash. He is completely at home along the lines of produce. I’m worried I will step on the beans, or accidentally crush some important leaves. Mike’s wife Melissa follows us, knowledgably chiming in about the various vegetables, soil conditions and what’s been growing well.
Find out what's happening in Edmondswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Turns out, quite a lot is growing well. The newlywed couple began cultivating the 3,000 square foot garden in February, and sold their first harvest of crops in May. The aptly named Rubberneck Farms (the couple laugh when they talk about the amount of attention the farm gets from the passing cars) grows seasonal vegetables using organic methods. Although they aren’t actually certified, an expensive process that takes time, the Mearns’ don’t use chemicals or pesticides, and only aid plant growth with natural fertilizers. They also have a greenhouse where they are working on tomatoes, peppers and basil.
Although there is a current craze for organic locally grown produce, Rubberneck Farms is not just a jump on the bandwagon.
Find out what's happening in Edmondswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“Both of us had been trying to do something like this for a long time, but Melissa is the brains behind the growing,” Mike revealed.
His wife received a BA in Ecology and Conservation from the University of Washington, and on a trip to Brazil she began learning about permaculture, which looks at setting up human and agricultural settlements based on relationships found in nature.
“I was working for the Seattle Urban Farm Company,” she explained, “and when we lived in Edmonds for the first time we saw all these huge lots that everyone is sitting on. We thought it would be cool to get our hands on something and start growing.”
Mike grew up in the area, and his parents still live on the lot behind the farm. They purchased the large property, which had been untouched for years. The large boat (a distinct eyesore) was removed, much to the relief of the neighbors. According to the couple, who rent the land and the house that came with it from Mike’s parents, when they started tilling the lot to create the garden, people in the area were initially worried that a housing development was behind erected.
“Everyone was so happy when they realized that it wasn’t going to be a bunch of houses,” Mike said with a laugh. “We now have at least 10 to 15 families in the neighborhood who buy a considerable amount of their produce from us.”
Rubberneck Farms offers everything from beans and beets to squash, zucchini, kale and salad mix. According to Mike, certain products they thought were going to be popular, such as kale, haven’t been big sellers. Carrots, onions and beans on the other hand, are always a big hit. The stand sells out of produce every weekend.
“Initially we were just trying to feed ourselves and our neighbors,” Mike said. But it’s turned into something more. “We’re trying to propagate the suburban farm movement, and show people that you can grow food and not just lawns.”
In the future, the suburban farmers would like to expand their idea and make it a cooperative program. The idea would be that people would donate land in their yards, and the Mearns’ would cultivate it, growing the crops, paying for the water used, etc. In turn, the owners of the land would get boxes of fresh organic vegetables. Eventually, the Mearns’ would like to start a program similar to a CSA (Community-supported agriculture), where people pay to get a new box of seasonal produce every week.
But for now, they are focusing on getting the garden ready fall, settling in their new married life and enjoying the positive response to their agricultural endeavor.
“We’re just so excited about the future possibilities with the farm,” Mike said. “It’s really interesting to see how much want this in their life. I feel like we could sell almost as much food as we grow. I feel like there is a desire in people to have a local source of food. To be able to walk up and see exactly where their potatoes and carrots and coming from, people really seem to love that.”
Rubberneck Farms is located at 20310 Maplewood Drive. The stand is open on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.