Ever wondered where your food comes from? This farm has the answer
Published 1:30 am Friday, July 10, 2026
EVERETT — Rachel Vaughn, an urban farmer, reaches into a bucket of dirt and pulls a handful out for me to inspect.
Wiggling through the clump of compost are around 10 worms of varying sizes.
The compost area and the invertebrates that call it home are a favorite for the kids who visit the Vaughn’s Teaching Farm and Kitchen, she said. Even more surprising than a handful of worms at 8 a.m., the starting hour for the Early Bird Thursdays open house, is the farm’s location.
The farm is nestled alongside a neighborhood of houses in Lynnwood. Despite being sandwiched between an HOA and the roaring freeway, the teaching farm is, as Vaughn coined it, an “oasis in the city.”
“The target audience is people who want their kids to play in the dirt, but don’t have the space for it,” she said.
That rang true during my visit on June 18. It’s easy to forget you’re technically in the city while walking the forest trails. Take a left; you’re at a squash patch, which, come fall, will be a hay maze. Take a right, and you’ll find yourself in a faux kitchen where the only thing on the menu is mud pies.
The Vaughn family has lived in Lynnwood for more than 30 years, according to the farm’s website. Vaughn and her husband got into urban farming because they wanted their kids to be more connected to where their food comes from.
As her kids grew up, Vaughn decided it was time to think about what she wanted to do.
“Turns out I was already doing it,” she said.
Now, Vaughn helps other families learn about where their food comes from and create hand-to-heart connections with the animals and plants on the farm.
The farm is geared towards ages 1 to 6, meaning many activities are focused on gross motor skills and sensory play.
“When it’s built at their level, they can manipulate more and be successful,” she said.
Young kids can get a sense of farm life by milking a wooden cow’s udder, fashioned from a squeezable food dispenser, taking a ride at the stick horse “coral,” or learning about the equipment that keeps it running.
“Everything is a teaching opportunity,” Vaughn said.
But if you’re on the hunt for a more authentic farm animal experience, Vaughn’s farm is home to goats, chickens, bunnies and more. If you’re lucky, you may even spot the turkey, Roxanne (Yes, like the song), roaming the farm.
For many people, Roxanne is the first time visitors see a Thanksgiving turkey outside a grocery store, Vaughn said.
At a food and farm stand, visitors can fuel up with walking tacos or mini donuts, perfect for a mini farm, Vaughn said. Located at a spot with good visibility for the rest of the farm, parents can kick their feet up in the outdoor “living rooms.”
“A relaxed parent is a happy parent,” Vaughn said.
The farm runs from Easter to Christmas, with seasonal activities like the kid-friendly spooky forest in October and visits from Santa in December. Although families can also stop by for open house days, camp programs and Smore’s nights on the farm.
Megan Beach first discovered Vaughn’s farm while looking with her husband for a place to get Santa photos of thier daughter, Elsie. Vaughn’s Christmas On The Farm offered an alternative to waiting in line for mall Santa photos.
“Santa played with her, and they ran around in the candy cane forest, and it just felt like this one-on-one special time where they just connected and talked to her,” Beach said.
Since then, the family has continued to visit the farm’s various events for around three years. It feels like a second home, she said.
“I see huge leaps and bounds, and just growth in my daughter since we started going there,” Beach said. “Especially with empathy towards animals, she created such a community.”
If you go
Vaughn’s Teaching Farm and Kitchen is located at 2504 191st Pl SW in Lynnwood. You can learn more about upcoming events, such as the ladybug release on July 18 and 19, on the farm website www.vaughnsfarm.com.
Jenna Millikan: 425-339-3035; jenna.millikan@heraldnet.com; X: @JennaMillikan
