By Pepper Fisher
PORT ANGELES – SisterLand Farms in Port Angeles was recently honored as North Olympic Land Trust’s 25th annual Farmer of the Year.
Located off Lauridsen Boulevard south of Lincoln Park, the SisterLand Farm is not what anyone would describe as a big operation, but that’s by design. The people who work there every day take pride in being able to grow enough food to feed around 45 families per week on less than one acre of vegetable beds, and they do it all with a scrappy attitude under the two word mission: Grow Radically.
The farm was started in 2018 by owner and lead farmer Jenson with a philosophy which puts people before profits. Jenson said they wanted their all-LGBTQ staff to be treated with dignity, their health to be priority, their opinions and ideas to carry weight, and to build a thriving community of people who believe in that work.
In the process of growing a lot of fresh food for the community, they convert tons of kitchen waste each year into rich compost, donate over 15% of their harvest to area food banks, and employs and educates a growing team of future farmers.
A news release on Friday said: “In recognition of their inspirational commitment to land stewardship, environmental innovation, community building, and local entrepreneurship, North Olympic Land Trust has honored SisterLand Farms with the 2023 Farmer of the Year Award.”
(NOLT photo: From left to right Benji, Jenson, and Eli of SisterLand Farms.)