Help Darlene’s Vision

Could you help me provide fresh mushrooms and produce to local families and small businesses? I’m Darlene and I need help purchasing equipment for 3 Visions Farm. I'm passionate about connecting quality local foods with people in a way that feels doable, natural and fun. But to meet our needs, we'll have to expand our current plot to 1 acre, fence it and gather indoor mushroom cultivation supplies. But first you might wonder; why do I do this?

My fondest memories are in the kitchen with my parents, grandparents and great grandmother turning crops into love on a plate. I am grateful they let this quiet kid peer from the corner to learn all she could until she was asked to wash her hands and pitch in. I am equally grateful for the hours spent in the garden picking ripe vegetables on the porch snapping beans, shucking corn, every step in the process of preserving the precious nutrients that warmed the winters in rural NC. I come from people who know how to grow, and what to do with it. As soon as college, it was clear to me not everyone had the same experience.

My GI cancer diagnosis in 2019 and the myocardia I survived one year after I completed chemotherapy shifted my shifted my relationship with food from a foodie hobby to a driven purpose. I had to think about every bite that went into my body when I was able to eat at all. I found all the answers I needed were in the gardens, plants and trees, just like when I was young. I found my health and my mission.

My plan was to use my school curriculum training to build in school nutrition programming. My immunity is not as strong as before, and with COVID my plans had to shift to outdoor activities. We have found a home in Washington state, formerly Nisqually land with 2 acres just right for a market garden, with a stand of fruit trees. I’ve spent the last 2 years taking classes in business management, marketing, and agriculture sustainability. In May 2020, the first plants went into our soil. I had the immense pleasure of planting some heirloom seeds lovingly sent by family in NC.

The unprecedented extremes of the heat domes in the Pacific Northwest this summer scorched plants, and stunned the area growers. We were able to harvest a modest beginning crop but not everything survived. Our peach tree, loaded with large juicy peaches cooked on the tree. A harvest that usually lasts weeks produced one basket. The importance of a diversity of crops was hammered home. It is more important than ever we look at a combination of indoor and outdoor cultivation to keep products consistently available.The deer enjoyed the rows of beets, beans, and squash. We simply didn’t have the resources to protect everything. This problem can be solved with proper deer fencing..

It is no secret the profit margins for agriculture are razor thin. Year-round mushroom production can add revenue regardless of season. We have a shed on property the perfect size to house the needed grow tent and equipment. Late winter into early spring is the perfect time to regroup, plan and prepare for a successful full season. I have found a farming community that is keen to have another vegetable and mushroom grower in the county. I have spoken to local small grocers who are interested in buying the local products I can offer. I know there’s a welcome space in this community for what I can offer. What I need is a hand.