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Farming and Archeology – For People Who Like To Dig

Last modified on 2008-10-01 05:06:39 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Broken Ground Farm Grows Local Food In Kitsap

Marty Simpson and Tara Prendergast are a perfect example of the type of young couple going into farming these days.  Neither grew up farming but both love farming and want to keep their farmed acreage relatively small with quality produce targeted for local markets.  They also want to adhere to natural organic farming methods as much as possible.

The couple met while students as Western Washington University where he hailed from New York and she from Seattle.  Marty’s degree in archeology eventually took them to New Mexico for employment in a dig but he says he ultimately ended up going to work apprenticing for then working with Rich Pecoraro,  well-known Seeds for Change founder. And one of those seeds planted was that of a new, young, dedicated farmer.

“My dad grew up on a commercial farm in North Carolina and couldn’t wait to leave it but some of my fondest memories were of visits to the farm,” says Simpson. “I don’t think my dad is real happy that I’ve gone in to farming.”

The couple moved back to Washington State in 1996 where Jan Silver let them lease a farm patch in Indianola. Their first crops were ready for farmers markets in 1998. Marty also began landscaping for a living and the pair purchased a home on 2.5 acres off the Old Hansville Highway in 1991, which led to the formation of their own farm, Broken Ground.  They are also leasing an acre to farm on someone else’s land in Kingston on Purcell Road.  And during this time span, additions were also made to the family – son Rowan, 9, and daughter Willow, 7, were born.

Broken Ground is now in its sixth successful season of selling at the Kingston Farmers Market and it supports 15 full shares and three half-shares in their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Tara does a lot of the harvesting and packaging for the CSA but she is also involved in teaching children about farming and gardening through their children’s’ school, the North Kitsap Option Program at Richard Gordon Elementary.

“The children love planting and gardening and I’m hoping to get a little more room and expand this program more at the school,” says Tara.

Broken Ground is a lovely little farm, tucked away on a back-road in Hansville.  It’s adorned with some of the pretty flowers daughter Willow sells at the market and neat rows of colorful heirloom lettuces, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, peas, broccoli, peppers, leeks, garlic, onions, cabbage and squash are among the large variety of produce offered here.

They are also growing a number of herbs and do “companion” planting with plants that attract beneficial bugs …“who eat the bad bugs” says Tara.  Some medicinal plants such as the calendula for a balm Tara makes are also planted. Two very tall poles are laden with beans and 17 fruit trees grace the farm along with a kiwi trellis.  Composting is also done as much as possible.

Marty continues to help support the farm with his landscaping business but the couple has some ambitious future plans to lease an additional five acres to farm in nearby Eglon and to construct  heated green and short tunnel houses. So it looks like full-time farming may be coming in the near future.

“Like most of the other farmers, we were about a month to a month and a half behind this year with that cold spring but having heated greenhouses will help and with this added acreage, we’re going to have our work cut out for us,” says Marty with a grin.