Published: Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Cultivating customers
A Stanwood family farm finds success delivering produce directly to Snohomish County buyers willing to pay a bit more for organic foods.
STANWOOD - Urban sprawl isn't threatening the livelihood of Stanwood farmer Tristan Klesick. The fact that Snohomish County is growing faster than any other county in Washington state doesn't make him fear for his business. It just means he has more potential customers.
Klesick is one of many farmers at the forefront of what he calls "the changing face of farming" - the trend of bypassing food processors and wholesalers to sell produce directly to consumers.
Along with his wife, Joelle, and their seven children, Klesick owns and operates the Organic Produce Shoppe, a home-delivery business with six employees that serves 400 to 500 customers a week. Part of what the family sells is grown on its 23-acre farm; the rest comes from other growers.
"There are enough consumers in Puget Sound to support direct marketing in agriculture," Tristan Klesick said. "This county is prime to move forward in a positive way."
A number of factors have made it difficult for farms to operate in the area, which is becoming increasingly urban. Among them are environmental regulations, the departure of food processors and zoning laws that allow ever more residential housing.
But having housing developments nearby isn't necessarily a bad thing for the Klesicks, who have a history in the retail business. They used to own an organic produce store, but decided to start growing their own fruits and vegetables six years ago.
"We recognized there was more money in direct-to-consumer," Klesick said. "You have to maintain that relationship, but we like that part of the business. Being consumer-oriented is easy for us."
In a typical summer week, customers might find themselves with a brown cardboard box containing peaches, grapes, onions, carrots, zucchini, green peppers, lettuce, beans and tomatoes.
Bread, eggs and coffee also are available, and regular produce buyers can also purchase grass-fed beef as a bonus.
In the summer and fall, the Klesicks buy produce from other Washington growers to supplement what they grow themselves.
Accepting land limitations is part of making a small farm succeed, Klesick said.
"You have to look at who you are, what kind of ground you have and that the things you're doing are right for that ground," he said. "We don't grow cherries here for a reason."
But whether the deliveries were grown in the Klesicks' Stanwood fields, an orchard in Yakima or farther away, the produce is always organic.
Mike Hackett, a faculty member with the Washington State University Extension Service, said growing organically is a good choice for small farms looking for a market.
"You can add a lot of value to a crop that way," he said. "People are more willing to pay extra for that."
The price might be higher than in a grocery store - a family-sized box of assorted fruits and vegetables costs $28 - but it's a price many are willing to pay.
"We find those people all over the place, but they're mostly busy moms," he said.
Debe Franz of Lake Stevens is one of those moms. Franz, who has been buying produce from the Klesicks for four years, said the convenience of home delivery makes it easier to maintain a healthy diet.
"It kind of forces me to eat more fruits and vegetables," she said. "I love that it's organic. I also love that it's delivered, and I get a variety of food each week."
Supporting Puget Sound-area farmers is another advantage to buying from the Klesicks, she said.
"I try to support local producers. I could go to a grocery store and do that, but this feels like it has more of a direct impact on a local family, and I like that."
 Dan Bates / The Herald Micah Klesick, 14, fertilizes fields for a fall cover crop of wheat as his father, Tristan Klesick, holds little sister Madeleine, 3. |
Klesick is one of many farmers at the forefront of what he calls "the changing face of farming" - the trend of bypassing food processors and wholesalers to sell produce directly to consumers.
Along with his wife, Joelle, and their seven children, Klesick owns and operates the Organic Produce Shoppe, a home-delivery business with six employees that serves 400 to 500 customers a week. Part of what the family sells is grown on its 23-acre farm; the rest comes from other growers.
"There are enough consumers in Puget Sound to support direct marketing in agriculture," Tristan Klesick said. "This county is prime to move forward in a positive way."
| High interest in buying direct What Washington consumers say they want to buy directly from farmers: Vegetables: 82 percent Fruits: 81 percent Eggs: 52 percent Dairy: 44 percent Beef: 36 percent Poultry: 34 percent Source: Washington State University survey |
A number of factors have made it difficult for farms to operate in the area, which is becoming increasingly urban. Among them are environmental regulations, the departure of food processors and zoning laws that allow ever more residential housing.
But having housing developments nearby isn't necessarily a bad thing for the Klesicks, who have a history in the retail business. They used to own an organic produce store, but decided to start growing their own fruits and vegetables six years ago.
 Dan Bates / The Herald Madeleine and Alaina Klesick, 9, look over squash at the familys farm near Stanwood. |
"We recognized there was more money in direct-to-consumer," Klesick said. "You have to maintain that relationship, but we like that part of the business. Being consumer-oriented is easy for us."
In a typical summer week, customers might find themselves with a brown cardboard box containing peaches, grapes, onions, carrots, zucchini, green peppers, lettuce, beans and tomatoes.
Bread, eggs and coffee also are available, and regular produce buyers can also purchase grass-fed beef as a bonus.
In the summer and fall, the Klesicks buy produce from other Washington growers to supplement what they grow themselves.
Accepting land limitations is part of making a small farm succeed, Klesick said.
"You have to look at who you are, what kind of ground you have and that the things you're doing are right for that ground," he said. "We don't grow cherries here for a reason."
But whether the deliveries were grown in the Klesicks' Stanwood fields, an orchard in Yakima or farther away, the produce is always organic.
Mike Hackett, a faculty member with the Washington State University Extension Service, said growing organically is a good choice for small farms looking for a market.
"You can add a lot of value to a crop that way," he said. "People are more willing to pay extra for that."
The price might be higher than in a grocery store - a family-sized box of assorted fruits and vegetables costs $28 - but it's a price many are willing to pay.
"We find those people all over the place, but they're mostly busy moms," he said.
Debe Franz of Lake Stevens is one of those moms. Franz, who has been buying produce from the Klesicks for four years, said the convenience of home delivery makes it easier to maintain a healthy diet.
"It kind of forces me to eat more fruits and vegetables," she said. "I love that it's organic. I also love that it's delivered, and I get a variety of food each week."
Supporting Puget Sound-area farmers is another advantage to buying from the Klesicks, she said.
"I try to support local producers. I could go to a grocery store and do that, but this feels like it has more of a direct impact on a local family, and I like that."
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