Local Farm Focus: Heyday Farm
There are often those times when creativity can be hard to come by. The act of sitting down and writing can feel like a chore. Last week, I was in that funk so when I found myself with a free Sunday and a chance to hang out on a farm, I jumped at it. Bainbridge Island is not far from where I live in the grand scheme of things but the ferry is not the quickest way of traveling. What it does do is offer some gorgeous views and time to get out of the car and be on water.
Situated on a 30 acre, historic, sustainable farm, Heyday Farm has put in the time and work to recreate what this piece of land could have looked like when it was first inhabited at the turn of the century, albeit with modern amenities. Honestly, I was blown away at its beauty. This land had been slated for development but during the economic downturn that idea got shelved and gave the opportunity to create something longstanding and wonderful. Heyday's model is one that could be used by many farms. After going through so much growth, they realized that just a couple of people can't do it on their own. Now, they have key people handling all the in's and outs of the business. From fresh eggs and meat, produce, cheese, and even agro-tourism with an executive chef in house, they've really dialed in what they serve and how they service it.
They were having an event based around the use of their cider press but since I didn't bring any receptacle to transport it, I didn't get any. It was still quite fun to watch and the kids seemed to really enjoy the whole process.
They were tasting their cheese and it was all quite lovely. They do fresh cow and goat milk cheese. Their Fromage Blanc had a nice tang to balance the creaminess, and the truffle and porcini chèvre was nicely flavored. I'm not usually one for truffle cheese but I love it if done right. This was pretty delicious. I would have bought some but I made the mistake of not bringing cash with me. I also made the mistake of not looking in to more things on Bainbridge because they actually have a farm shop in town where they sell all of their goodies. It just gives me more to look forward to seeing the next time I take a trip to the island.
They have handy walking maps that you can grab and take a tour of the grounds at any time and so I decided to walk around and snap some pictures. It was a great place for me to play around with my camera. The beauty is just begging to be captured.
They have lodging available to rent on the property and some above the Farm store in town. Not gonna lie, I'm tempted to take a weekend. It's so peaceful and beautiful.
Across the street from the farm is a cemetery that was built in 1880. Of course, I had to trek across and take some pics.
If you find yourself out on the island, do yourself a favor and stop by. It's a nice little jaunt around the farm.
I took the Edmonds/Kingston ferry on the way back and even though I waited for over an hour to even get in line for the ferry, this capture made everything worth it.
