Channing Family Farm

The beautiful organic green garlic in your farm box is grown by our farming partners, Channing Family Farm, in far northern Washington, about 100 miles from the Canadian border. We wanted to tell you a bit more about this amazing family and their unique farming operation!

The Channing brothers, Teague and Kosma, and their families raise garlic and other storage crops using low impact farming methods. In 2013, they moved to Washington from the mountains of New Mexico, took over a certified organic farm and immediately planted garlic. The climate being similar, Teague knew they could raise and cure mature garlic as their primary crop. In addition, they grow green garlic, yellow potatoes, onions and scallions. Their choice of crops was in part due to their Polish heritage and trips they had taken to the old country, learning how these fall and winter vegetables were grown.

Green garlic is immature garlic, similar-looking to scallions, that can be eaten raw or cooked. Mature garlic heads need to be cured after harvest, so they can store for many months. The Channings used to hang the garlic up in their barn to dry. Now that they grow about 6 acres of garlic, Teague explained that they place it into apple and cherry bins with the heads facing out and stack the bins outside in the open air under shade to let cool air flow through as the outer layers dry.

Living in a sustainable way for the Channings means not just farming organically, but also using teams of draft horses and mules for much of their field work. Teague does most of the training of the young animals, teaching them to pull trailers and equipment. Once they are mature at around 4 years old and used to it, the whole family can handle the teams and help with harvest, making hay, and cultivation (weeding).

The Channings grow a little grain for their livestock and also mill some of it for their own use. They have cows for milk, homemade yogurt and farmstead cheeses and raise their own meat. Asked how they acquired all these skills, Teague laughed and said, “the learnings never quits!” While the summertime days are long and full of hard work, Teague summed it up with, “I enjoy it all. To have the opportunity to live on the Earth and work with nature and its cycles.”

How To Add Farm Stand products to Your Delivery:
Full Circle members – head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. Market is open from noon on Thursday until 6pm on your cutoff date. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button “Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products” to add farm products to your delivery.

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