Columbia Resident Introduces Neighborhood to Sustainable Farming

            Neighborhood Harvest, a farming program that will begin selling and delivering organic vegetables to the Columbia neighborhood and surrounding Whatcom county neighborhoods  for the first time starting the end of May, and will continue until October. Community members have the opportunity to purchase a half share that will cost $275, and provide about $13.75 worth of vegetables a week, or a full share that will cost $550, and provide about $27.50 worth of vegetables a week  to be picked up by the customer or delivered for an additional weekly charge of $3. Purchased shares will provide 20 weeks of boxed vegetables.

Columbia neighborhood resident Mary von Krusenstiern owns and operates Neighborhood Harvest, a community supported agriculture. Community supported agriculture works as a farm that is supported by community members who purchase an annual membership, a share, in exchange for produce throughout the vegetable and herb growing season. Community members who have purchased shares will receive fresh vegetables, “at their peak of ripeness,” she said.  Shares are available to anyone in Bellingham she said, with the hopes of selling 50 to 60 shares.  Von Krusenstiern said most of the shares already purchased are from the Columbia neighborhood where she lives.

Neighborhood Harvest will use three separate plots of land to grow vegetables and herbs on. One acre is being leased on Rural Avenue where the majority of the vegetables will be grown. The garden in the Columbia neighborhood on Henry Street has a seed germination house and will be used to grow some annual vegetables. The third garden is on Logan Street in the Broadway Park neighborhood and will be used to grow perennial herbs.

Von Krusenstiern grew up in the Columbia neighborhood, and gained her farming experience from working on farms in Alaska, New Hampshire and Washington. Von Krusenstiern said she wanted to return to her home town and is looking forward to her first year of harvesting. Not only is von Krusenstiern harvesting organic vegetables, but she has also been using some recycled materials to build her greenhouses according to Dan Gilmer, a customer at Carlson Steel Work and community member. “I think it’s great what she is doing, and would love to help,” he said.

At this time Krusenstiern is the only farmer heading Neighborhood Harvest. She said when she needs she will hire part time help.

The Columbia neighborhood is community that likes to support local projects. Mike Mulcahy, the son of locally owned Supreme Bean Coffee Café, said “We are big on community; we like to support those kind of things.”