Our IMP program uses a combination of practices to manage pests and weeds without the use of chemical pesticides. Farm Happens uses natural methods of interplanting beneficial crops, creating “trap” crops where pests can happily munch away and stay away from the good stuff, and manual raking & cultivating techniques that discourage pests & weeds early. We do not use any chemical pesticides on our veggies, and you won’t find any Miracle Grow, Round Up, Rifle D, Crossbow, or any other dangerous but often accepted chemicals on our farm. We keep our soil healthy and happy so our food is healthy and happy..

Our BioChar program is on the forefront of sustainable agriculture. BioChar is small pieces of charcoal that have been “inoculated” with microbes from our compost. Each tiny piece of charcoal can host millions of microbes that do the hard work of keeping our soil alive! BioChar also helps retain water in the soil, preventing erosion and decreasing our water usage. We make our own using downfall from trees on the property, which also reduces our fire risk and need to burn each year.

Worms, worms, worms! We love worms! So much that Farm Happens has 4 active worm bins which produce hundreds of pounds of worm compost every year. Vermicomposting helps the farm manage food waste and reduce fertilizer costs by making the best use of farm scraps and discarded newspaper. Worm compost supercharges the soil with microbes that improve soil health, feed plants, and help manage disease.

Farm Happens adopted the standard set of regenerative agriculture practices from the first seeds we put in the ground. We focus on the core principles – soil health, carbon sequestration, water cycle management, biodiversity, and improvement of overall natural resource quality. These management practices help build healthy soils which mitigate climate change, produce more nutrient-dense food, and improves food resilience for our community.

When the Farm Happens team isn’t actively farming, we are studying how to farm better. In addition to reading stacks of books, listening to hours of podcasts, and consulting with experts on soil health and farm management, we have completed these educational programs.

• Washington Tilth – 2023 (Cooperative Food Systems Intensive)

• Washington Tilth 2024 (No Till Intensive)

• WSU Whole Farm Management Program

• WSDA – Wash & Pack Safety

• Growing Farmers Market Success System

• Lettuce Masterclass - Ray Tyler

• Growing Farmers Start Your Farm Intensive

• WSU Regenerative Agriculture Introduction

• Lean Farming Methods - Ben Hartman

As the world’s climate continues to change, life sustaining resources are threatened. Clean water. Living soil. Fossil fuels. Breathable air. Healthy food. Economically sustainable farming. Farm Happens is 100% committed to utilizing practices that sequester carbon, use water efficiently, minimize negative environmental impact, replenish what we take from the soil, and grow food in a transparent, sustainable manner.

We strive to find the best methods to grow the healthiest food possible using the least intervention. What does this look like? Farm Happens spends 50-60 hours per year researching our crop choices. What grows well here? What varieties are the healthiest and most resilient to our weather? Is it sustainable? Can we grow it using no-till methods? We research every input into the growing process – our compost, our soil amendments, our water, how we treat our land, the tools we use, our harvest & packing strategy, the vehicles we use on the property and to get our produce to market. If it’s not good for the planet or doesn’t contribute to healthy growing – we don’t do it.

Our most often asked question is “Are your organic?” The short answer is yes and no. We are currently not certified as organic. The certification process is complicated and expensive, involving lots of record-keeping and paperwork. It has become more political than practical and we do not have the bandwidth to do it. We have chosen instead to go the Beyond Organic route, using practices that exceed the organic certification standards and with more emphasis on the quality, nutrition, and environmental impact of the food we grow. We believe this is the most efficient and sustainable way to build food resilience in Skamania County.

Creativity is our superpower! And where our name comes from. With a little creativity you can turn Shit Happens into Farm Happens. We are blessed to have an amazing team of (mostly) retired ass kickers who help us navigate the complicated world of equipment breaking, weather, the unpredictability of growing plants, and the monumental task of being at the market. We are flexible and open to challenges, and we are always looking for that next opportunity to improve our farm.