The farm
Lowlands Farm is a small 5-acre flower and produce farm located in beautiful Snohomish, Washington. We use organic and sustainable farming practices to care for the land and resources, ensuring that only the highest quality products reach our customers. Stewardship of the farm means not only caring for the land, but also cultivating community and providing a living wage for our farmers and staff.
Our produce and flowers are grown using organic farming practices, but we choose not to be Certified Organic. We practice sustainable farming techniques by utilizing integrated pest management, organic soil amendments, cover crops, crop rotation plans, efficient water usage, and lean farm management principles. We are happy to talk about our growing practices with you if you have more questions!
Community is at the heart of Lowlands Farm. In a time when our interactions with food are becoming more convenient and less personal, we have a vision to create a thriving, active community around our farm: connecting people with people, with nourishing food, and with the patterns of the changing seasons. We want to transform the way our community cooks and eats at home.
OUR VALUES
We’re a values-driven business, and people are the heart of our farm and work.
At Lowlands, we celebrate diversity, consider the care of our crew to be our greatest responsibility, and are continuously working to create a safer and more inclusive workplace, and provide better, more fair wages for staff.
While prioritizing our staff may not seem revolutionary, agriculture in the US is deeply rooted in slavery and exploitation, and present-day labor is still typically the most undervalued component of our food system. We feel like orienting our farm around our crew is a really important start to making measurable changes.
We also acknowledge that we are working on the traditional lands of the Skykomish, Stillaguamish, and Coast Salish peoples. Stewardship and environmental responsibility includes understanding the past and recognizing our privilege.
We recognize that food access is a human right and a powerful tool for social justice and equality. We acknowledge that in order to act on our values (care for staff, the environment, and serve our community) our products won’t be affordable for everyone and we are working to address this where we are able.
Accountability is important to us, and we’re happy to discuss our priorities and action items at any time.
We welcome feedback as we continue to learn and turn words into meaningful action.
Your Farmer
Alice VanderHaak grew up working on dairy and berry farms here in Washington’s Whatcom County. Despite a strong resolve to find a more urban career, her passion for healthy eating and the environment led her right back to farming and her love of people is what keeps her here! In-between becoming a Registered Dietitian and completing a MA in Nutrition, Alice spent 10 years working on, managing, and co-owning small scale vegetable farms before starting Lowlands Farm in 2018. From the day-to-day manual work of harvesting and weeding, to creative problem solving and establishing efficient systems, to managing budgets and spreadsheets, she finds deep joy and fulfillment in all aspects of producing beautiful, quality produce and flowers for the community.