Our farm story is part business model, a big love story, a little bit passion project, and a whole lotta magic!

I (Melissa) met in Jeff 2007 at Mt. Rainier base camp and we were married in our living room in 2012. Together we raised two kids (Maddie & Lily), 7 cats (Crash, Bivy, Stuart, Merlin, Spike, Snickers & Miles Davis), 2 dogs (Benson & Littles), a turtle (Frank. Not a boy as it turned out!), a business in Portland, 28 rose bushes, and our farm, of course!
Our hard-charging energy and sense of adventure brought us to Skamania County to “retire” in 2021. We enjoyed hiking, biking, climbing, swimming, and the privilege of playing in this beautiful area. Over a few beers at Walking Man we made the choice to stage our next adventure and plant some roots here.

We were committed volunteers at the Moreland Farmer’s Market in Portland. Each week we marveled at how so many amazing farmers and producers came together to work cooperatively to bring fresh food to the neighborhood.

We worked closely with the market management team to navigate the challenges of COVID 19, budget cuts, setbacks, loss of the market space, no bathrooms, no power or running water, and the complex challenges faced by an urban market. We saw the power of creating a community around food and we were hooked.

It was time to bring some market magic to Skamania County.

With Jeff’s background in advanced math and software development and Melissa’s experience in managing lawyers and accountants, farming was the next natural step. Said no one ever.

What started as a large family garden grew bigger and bigger. The first year I grew starts on a piece of plywood in a spare bedroom. That pushed out into the hallway and soon took up most of the house. Propagation moved to an outbuilding in 2025 and in 2026, Farm Happens made some big changes. We added tech & better tools and went bigger with our seeding and propagation space. We added an indoor grow tents, speed planters, and streamlined a lot of things we were doing by hand. And we learned a lot along the way!

The garden started as 2,500 square feet and a few fruit trees. It’s grown out into to a full acre of veggie growing and 40 trees, vines, and fruit bushes that are beginning to produce figs, persimmons, peaches, plums, apples, pomegranates, blueberries, mulberries, grapes. And Farm Happens continues to add more fruit and more growing space.

In 2023 we worked with Maryhill Fruit Co. to bring a steady supply of peaches, pears, apples, cherries, and watermelon to the market. I was equally jazzed to bring some Farm Happens products to Maryhill’s stand in Goldendale. A partnership was born.

In 2024 we discovered that North Bonneville was more than a Chevron station! It’s a thriving community of folks that love fresh food. We made the commitment to open a farmstand in 2026. The people of North Bonneville suit up, show up, and love on the farmstand every week. And customers started showing up from all over the county. Jeff & I are truly grateful for the opportunity to serve this community.

Together we have built a committed team of friends and family that make the Farm Happens mission possible – and fun! Our daughters Maddie & Lily help out when they can. It truly is a family business.

Jeff’s math skills come in pretty handy on the farm! Jeff manages the irrigation with water conservation at the forefront of his design. He builds fences, is the tractor Czar, and can put up a market booth in record time. He is also Farm Happens CFO and transportation director. I focus my attention on growing the food and the farm business. And I use my mad kitchen skills to develop and produce the new salads & salad dressings. I function as CEO because farming really is one big “Honey Do” list. Jeff & I co-produce all of our videos and songs on social media.

We spend their our off season geeking out on how to farm better, smarter, more sustainably, and have more fun. We take classes in farm management, growing practices, pest control, no till farming, farm accounting, and just completed Ben Harper’s “Lean Farming” course. I also completed a lettuce master class, which was a game changer! Our big goal is to inspire people to start small farms, grow their own food, grow food for others, and change the world one plant at a time. Because when you put your heart into it…farm happens!