Emergency Food Network - Mother Earth Farm

The Mother Earth Farm

Formed in May of 2000, the Mother Earth Farm is an eight-acre organic farm located in the lush Puyallup Valley. The Farm produces over 150,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables each growing season—all of which is distributed

directly to local food banks and hot meal programs. Produce from the Farm is in the hands of food bank clients within eight hours of being harvested. In 2007, the Farm again reached full cultivation of all eight acres producing more than 162,000 pounds of fresh produce, herbs and honey.

This project was developed to provide a stable, internal source of fresh food for EFN and the food programs it serves. It is a working farm that relies primarily on volunteers from a cross-section of the community to operate. These volunteers prepare the land for cultivation, plant seeds, weed the fields and harvest the food throughout the growing season. Once the food is harvested it is immediately available for Pierce County feeding programs, often arriving within hours of harvesting. As a result, the clients receiving this food are being provided with a source of fresh, organic produce that is nutrient-rich and locally grown.

The Mother Earth Farm incorporates an educational component for area youth and adults. It illustrates more than any other of Emergency Food Network’s programs the diverse community engaged in the fight against local hunger. Agencies and schools, such as First Place for Children and the Puyallup School District use the farm as an opportunity to plant and study various fruits and vegetables. Six local school districts and three universities incorporate their Farm experiences into their curricula. Valuable partnerships are also in place with L’ Arche Farm & Gardens and the Washington Correctional Center for Women at Purdy providing job training for developmentally disabled adults and women inmates, respectively. The Farm also welcomes scores of corporate, civic and church work teams throughout the growing season.

The more people we welcome to the Farm, the more people we engage in the conversation of local hunger. This, in turn, brings us closer to solving the problem by creating new volunteers, new donors and new advocates.

To find out about volunteering at the Mother Earth Farm click here.

For archives of the Farm newsletter, The Bounty Buzz, click here.

For Mother Earth Farm Photo Gallery, click here.

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Last Updated April, 2008



	History Distribution Center Mother Earth Farm Cannery Project Orchard Statistics		The Mother Earth Farm Formed in May of 2000, the Mother Earth Farm is an eight-acre organic farm located in the lush Puyallup Valley. The Farm produces over 150,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables each growing season—all of which is distributed directly to local food banks and hot meal programs. Produce from the Farm is in the hands of food bank clients within eight hours of being harvested. In 2007, the Farm again reached full cultivation of all eight acres producing more than 162,000 pounds of fresh produce, herbs and honey. This project was developed to provide a stable, internal source of fresh food for EFN and the food programs it serves. It is a working farm that relies primarily on volunteers from a cross-section of the community to operate. These volunteers prepare the land for cultivation, plant seeds, weed the fields and harvest the food throughout the growing season. Once the food is harvested it is immediately available for Pierce County feeding programs, often arriving within hours of harvesting. As a result, the clients receiving this food are being provided with a source of fresh, organic produce that is nutrient-rich and locally grown. The Mother Earth Farm incorporates an educational component for area youth and adults. It illustrates more than any other of Emergency Food Network’s programs the diverse community engaged in the fight against local hunger. Agencies and schools, such as First Place for Children and the Puyallup School District use the farm as an opportunity to plant and study various fruits and vegetables. Six local school districts and three universities incorporate their Farm experiences into their curricula. Valuable partnerships are also in place with L’ Arche Farm & Gardens and the Washington Correctional Center for Women at Purdy providing job training for developmentally disabled adults and women inmates, respectively. The Farm also welcomes scores of corporate, civic and church work teams throughout the growing season. The more people we welcome to the Farm, the more people we engage in the conversation of local hunger. This, in turn, brings us closer to solving the problem by creating new volunteers, new donors and new advocates. To find out about volunteering at the Mother Earth Farm click here. For archives of the Farm newsletter, The Bounty Buzz, click here. For Mother Earth Farm Photo Gallery, click here. Back to Top