Well, just ask Andrea Wigglesworth, owner of Finn Hill Farm in Poulsbo.
After the birth of her son, Jake, in 2002, Wigglesworth and her husband, Greg Gonzales decided they wanted to get out of the rat race and move someplace with a quieter pace and different life style to raise their son. Though she says she had been in television production since her high school days, Wigglesworth was ready to give it up and put her considerable energies into working in the soil instead.
“I’ve always been interested in farming and gardening so when my parents moved up here, we soon followed to take a look around and we loved it too,” says Wigglesworth. “I’m extremely grateful to those who let me farm apprentice with them and I can’t even begin to tell you how much more gratifying farming is as profession.”
Needing to learn about farming from the ground up, Wigglesworth apprenticed under well-known farmers Brad and Barb Green at Abundantly Green Organics and Nikki Johansen at Pheasant Fields. She also got involved with the operation of the Poulsbo Farmers Market and began share cropping with Shawna Lambert on her Red Rooster Farm.
But for the past two seasons, Wigglesworth has been operating as sole proprietor of Finn Hill Farm and has grown her own crops on about 1.5 acres at Red Rooster Farm. As with all Northwest farmers, this season has had a number of challenges, especially the lingering cold, damp spring weather with its particularly chilly nights.
“With that spring weather, I think I was about a month and half behind in production” says Wigglesworth.
She says this was particularly true for her specialty – open-air pollinated heirloom salad greens. The industrious farmer grew more than 40 varieties of these greens and she sells out almost every Saturday at the Poulsbo Farmers Market. Her bouquets of lettuce heads are gobbled up immediately. Shoppers need to come by her booth at the 9 a.m. opening to get their choice of the popular grower’s greens. She also offers heirloom carrots, scallions, potatoes and a few other crops.
“I specialize in things to put in your salad,” says Wigglesworth with a chuckle.
In addition to her desire to introduce consumers to the look, feel and superior taste of heirloom produce, Wigglesworth also wants to educate the public about the food value and nutrition of freshly-harvested, locally grown products.
“I think there are three things we should be aware of: with the influx of more heirloom products, people will get used to them and their characteristics such as their lack of uniformity in appearance; people are becoming more adventurous in their tastes; and more and more people are bringing their own reusable bags as part of the “green” awareness,” says Wigglesworth.
She hasn’t escaped her entertainment background altogether though. Wigglesworth heads up the excellent weekly entertainment at Poulsbo Farmers Market, laughing when she says she wants to bring in “sustainable, local talent too”. It’s been very diversified talent…such as Kitsap opera teacher, virtuoso soprano, and jazz singer Valerie Williams. Williams will present a variety of songs, including performances by some of her students tomorrow at the Market.
So what does the future hold in store for Finn Hill Farm? Wigglesworth says she wants to stay small with only heirloom, open-air pollinated produce. She grew several varieties of Asian greens this year and says her baby bok choy was especially popular. She wants to expand her Asian green selection next season and plans to try some new varieties along with beets and possibly a few other products as yet to be determined.
What a lovely story about Andrea. She’s the best. Thank you.
Nice to see you are doing such good work Andrea, with the same energy and dedication as always.