Meet Our Farmers: Windy Acre Farm
Farmer Chris of Windy Acre Farm slingin’ produce at the Columbia City Farmers Market.
Farmer Chris runs a tight ship at Windy Acre Farm, a roughly 3 acre mixed vegetable farm nestled in Kent, WA. Windy Acre is also host to anywhere from zero to over 100 free range chickens, which are raised for eggs and sometimes meat. Chris has always run his farm with the goal of working with nature, not against it. When it became clear he faced an uphill battle dealing with a flock that had outsmarted their enclosure much to the delight of local predators, he sold the chickens off to farms where he knew they would be safer. When asked about this, Chris shrugged and said, “We’ll try again next year.”
Chris’s ability to roll with it doesn’t come from nowhere. At 25, he is still considered a young farmer, though his experience rivals that of many of his older piers. Farmer Chris started Windy Acre Farm when he was 15 years old in Enumclaw, WA. His motivation partially stemmed from his observations about hospital food during his mother's battle with cancer. He was not impressed, to say the least. Determined to change the way food is produced and viewed in his community, Chris was off and running with his mother’s support, growing produce and raising five hens. At 19, Farmer Chris was the youngest farmer at the Seattle Tilth Farm Works incubator farm, and the first to introduce turkeys to their farm in Auburn. These days Windy Acre Farm grows on land owned by his good friend Farmer Shelly of Whistling Train Farm.
“We see as a nation that our food quality is highly lacking. We decided that we wanted to be part of the change.” - Farmer Chris, @WindyAcreFarm on Facebook.
It’s no secret that farming is extremely hard work, but Chris isn’t alone in the fields. His husband Cameron lends a hand in addition to an off farm job, and their pup Kohlrabi keeps them both company in the fields. Chris’s mom is still the farm’s biggest fan.
These days, you can find Windy Acre Farm at the Capitol Hill Farmers Market. They also offer a seasonal CSA, and weekly home delivery subscription. Learn more about how you can support this lovely farm here.