Waxwing Farm: 1st Generation Farmers

According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, the average age of a US farmer is 57.5, as compared to 50.5 in 1982. And while there are certainly multi-generational farmers who will likely step into the shoes of the farmers before them, there is a need for a new crop (ha, pun intended) of farmers to ensure that we’re all fed with healthy, organic plants.

Meet Arielle Luckman and Taylor Barker, two young, first-generation farmers who are doing just that, farming on organic farmland right here in Skagit Valley. While neither Arielle nor Taylor grew up on a farm, they both found their passion for farming through various jobs and life experiences.

While Arielle was performing and teaching music in Chicago, Taylor was in the Washington Conservation Corps. Following Arielle’s move back to Bellingham and Taylor’s work stint at Snow Good Produce, the two met when they were both working at Rabbit Field Farms. It was then that they made the decision to get into business with one another.

While Arielle is the marketing, social media, and bookkeeping wizard for Waxwing, Taylor manages the day-to-day fieldwork. Currently, they’re farming on a few acres just 2 miles from the Co-op, and right around the corner from Mt. Vernon Christian School. Because Waxwing is situated right next to a school, students get the unique opportunity to witness the process of farming, season after season, all from the school bus ride in.

At the Co-op, Waxwing stocks our shelves with everything from the sweetest, most poppable cherry tomatoes to bright and beautiful rainbow chard. In addition to supplying us with some of the best produce in the Valley, they also have their own honor-system farmstand where you can pick up some super-local produce grown just footsteps away. And if you’re all about trying all the fruits and veggies, Waxwing also offers a seasonal CSA to keep you stocked up, all year round.