TWO GALS & A DREAM
Daydream Farm is a no-till, one-acre, Certified Naturally Grown Farm nestled next to the Nooksack River in Everson, Washington.
Founded in 2021 by Emma Arnold and Maddy Chitwood, Daydream Farm is exactly that, our dream. After going to school for Sustainable Food Systems, Emma worked on organic farms, both large and small, learning as much as she possibly could, and falling more in love with farming every step of the way. After learning about the no-till farming movement, Emma decided she was ready to start a farm of her own, using low-disturbance practices and focusing on soil health. This is where Maddy came in, a graphic designer turned farmer. Our shared love of cooking and seasonal eating drives the vision of our farm. We eat what we grow. And we love talking about it.
OUR APPROACH TO FARMING
We’re a no-till farm. We farm by hand, without a tractor, minimizing soil disturbance as much as we possibly can. This promotes a living soil, filled with diverse communities of beneficial soil organisms that aid in growing more nutrient-dense crops that are resistant to disease and pests. Our farm is next to the Nooksack River, so our soil is sandy. We use a permanent bed system to build layers of organic matter, which leads to decreased erosion and better water retention. While these practices might be considered a “new” approach to farming, they aren’t. Indigenous communities used these methods to preserve soil health and steward the land for thousands of years.
We’re Certified Naturally Grown, a more affordable, farmer-to-farmer certification for diverse vegetable growers growing at organic standards. We don’t use any chemicals or pesticides in our fields. We weed by hand, hoping to decrease weed pressure over time as our soil health improves with the addition of organic matter.