Hilda’s Farming
Hilda Sandoval
In a town right outside of Bellingham, on the foothills of the Cascades, sits a small backyard farm rented by Hilda Sandoval.
You might wonder why a woman with a degree in business administration would work long hours in the heat and rain to bring produce to neighborhoods all around Washington. Once you meet Hilda, it's easy to see why. Her enthusiasm for her work is palpable.
She holds up a clump of soil in her hands and crumbles it to show how soft it is. Then she pulls up a small dormant cilantro plant to show how pliable the roots are and how well formed. The roots of the plants can take hold with ease.
She doesn’t need to spray them with chemicals as she and her small team weed by hand. This allows them to discriminate between destructive plants and cover crops like grasses and clover that help support water retention and soil structure. She doesn’t use self-powered heavy machinery. Only hands and hand tools so the soil doesn’t get compacted and hard.
“It all makes a difference in the taste!” She says, “I try and gather natural seeds as much as possible too. I don’t like modified ones.”
Her love of food and family are at the center of what she does. She has fond memories of farming in Mexico with her dad whom she misses dearly. She is the only one of eight siblings who went back to farming. She and her husband have made a family of their workers, whom she refers to as farmers, and shares her profits generously with them.
Here she gently instructs one of her newer farmers, Ernesto, on her preferred method of garlic planting in her new hoop house. The soil was soft and receptive.
“I feel free here.” -Hilda Sandoval
She sat and showed our small team photos of the women that support her during the busy season of planting and harvesting. She beamed as she shared their stories while she made us tea and shared an apple pie her friend had made with apples from her front yard.
Her generosity pours over into all she does, including the way she runs her business and grows her food.
You can find Hilda at Capitol Hill and Magnolia or online on Instagram @Hildas_Farming.
