Photo: Connor Harron
Cloud Mountain Farm Center is an agricultural and horticultural non-profit located on 20 acres at the foot of Sumas Mountain. Our orchards and vineyards encompass about 4 acres of production and research, and our retail nursery specializes in regionally adapted fruit and ornamental varieties to inspire growers at all scales. Our organic farm produce and nursery sales support our regional food system work as a whole, including our agricultural education pilot program, infrastructure and aggregation facilities and partnerships, and our exceptional workshops.
You may have stopped by our nursery once or twice before. Perhaps it’s an annual tradition, or maybe you’ve never been out here – in which case, please stop by! Our nursery has the best selection of fruit trees in the maritime Northwest. All of our plants, including ornamentals, native plants, and fruit trees and shrubs are selected for their drought resistance, ecosystem services, minimal to no spray requirements, and/or nutritious food production.
While browsing, you’re supported by our passionate, informed, and enthusiastic team, who are experts at making recommendations for your specific planting needs. Purchases made at the nursery support our other programs – which work towards a regional food system built on equity, efficiency, and ecological well-being.
Photo: Em Blood of Sonder Farmstead teaching Cold Processed Soap Making
Our workshops are one of our most beloved offerings. In 2023, over 270 people attended these workshops, learning to grow their own fruit, reduce pesticide use, and manage productive, ecologically-sound landscapes featuring perennial plants. Our first season of Community-Led Workshops in 2023 drew almost 250 enthusiastic participants, prioritizing and uplifting the expertise of others in our regional food- and fiber-shed. And feedback from instructors and students has been excellent. As one participant in a recent fleece preparation class raved, “It was the best workshop I’ve ever attended!”
We’re also working to build the next generation of farmers with Northwest Educational Service District (NWESD) 189 and Career Connect WA. Our Agricultural Career Exploration (ACE) – Whatcom program connects local high schoolers with local farms for career exploration. Allison Mitchell, a biology teacher at Nooksack Valley High School, shares, “I love the opportunities ACE-Whatcom is providing for our students to extend what they are learning in the classroom, applying the learning to life applications and building relationships with community members”.
Photo courtesy of Alluvial Farms
Small Acres’ fermented goodies, which are processed in our facilities
To develop and grow the regional food system, we completed the build of a storage freezer and blast freezer unit, as well as shared-use processing upgrades, including a Processing Facility home to anchor tenant Puget Sound Food Hub. This year to date, Puget Sound Food Hub’s processing program has sold 14 different types of wholesale products, bringing $37,000 to the local food system.
We’re not saying buying one fruit tree will change the entire regional food system. But we are hoping that it’s a small piece of a bigger picture – one in which individual actions really do contribute to the ecosystem we want to support, the food we want to grow and eat, the skills we want to learn, and the future generations we hope to support and empower.
