Urban Farming at the York Community Farm

When you’re driving down the I-5 freeway through Bellingham, you’d never know that halfway through town, on the other side of that noise barrier, sits a vacant plot of land that the community has turned into a local farm.

The land is owned by the Department of Transportation and for years it sat vacant, collecting mattresses, busted up shopping carts, thick bushes, and garbage. Neighbors used to take turns picking up the debris and keeping the blackberry bushes under control.

Today, the land is home to more than 30 fruit trees, raised and mounded vegetable beds, compost bins and a soon-to-be solar-powered watering system. This year marked the 5th official growing season of the York Community Farm and Trayvax was there to lend our support with harvesting and getting things ready for Fall.

We knew the rain was forecast to come later in the day, so we got a good start early in the morning. Brady and I consolidated a couple of compost bins to make some room since the farm was smack dab in the middle of harvest time. The focus is on winter crops, so the Yukon Gold potatoes, squash, and dry beans were ready for the picking!

After moving around some compost, we went to digging for potatoes. It’s like a scavenger hunt. You just need to get down and dirty and start digging around in the dirt. It was just like being a kid again.

After the potato hunt, it was time to shovel some manure. We got about halfway through the pile when the rain started to come. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see some rain!

Once the rain set in, it was time to get under shelter and pull beans from pods, and cut down more compost. We had a great time shooting the breeze under the covered area and getting to know Mary, the garden’s coordinator. The mail lady even stopped by to chat and take a few photos for us. It was great being able to connect with our local community.

At the end of the day Mary hooked us up with some fresh vegetables and memories to last a lifetime. A big thanks to Mary and all the volunteers at the York Community Farm. You’ve manage to convert an eye sore that sat underutilized into a farm that provides fresh fruit and vegetables for the entire community. We’re happy we could support the cause!