The Raven and the Spade is a Washington State Certified Organic farm, dedicated to enhancing and preserving the small-farming communities of Whidbey Island. We believe it is our duty to be stewards of the land, using only natural methods of insect control, crop rotation, and the love of our land to enrich the soil that provides us with a wide variety of mouthwatering fruits and vegetables. There is something deeply right about learning to eat with the flow of the seasons.
Farm History
The Raven and The Spade started in 2005 as a 120' by 120' space that fullfilled my need to have a space that was ornamental and would feed my family and several others. I had a lot of fun taking produce baskets filled with beautiful vegetables and flowers to unsuspecting friends. After 3 years people were wanting more vegetables than my garden could provide. I took this a opportunity to expand the garden. In February of 2009 I took my drawings and with the help of husband Brad started stringing construction lines all over our front pasture. Our neighbors started to wonder about crop circles and the traffic along East Harbor Rd began to slow. Our next step was the sod cutter to draw the garden's pattern into the pasture. Amy Johnson came into the garden to help with the sod after being our employee building boats. Brad likes to say that Amy has been put out to pasture and is "Out standing in her field". During late February and March Amy and I moved 87 Thousand pounds of sod with wheel borrows to complete the gardens pattern. Next came the first delivery of 75 yards of composted steer manure that we raked into patterns within the planting beds. Oh, those steaming piles! We had a lot of fun creating the spaces in imaginative ways. After laying out the dirt work we trenched in the water lines and installed 14 hydrants. The fence came next. Made out of juniper 4x6 posts
