The Backyard Beans & Grains Project was started in 2008 as a response to the lack of winter staple foods available locally. I began running seed trials for dry legumes and grains in order to identify varieties that would grow well in the Pacific Northwest. I fell in love with the process of growing year-round storable staple foods and have expanded my efforts a bit every year. I started selling seed three years ago and have been farming as a full-time job for the past few years.

I farm one acre on leased land, fifteen minute drive from my house, in Everson, Whatcom County, WA. This is in the very northwest part of the state. Our summers are dry, but rarely go above 85 degrees. Our winters are generally mild and rainy, with only a few snowstorms each year, but we do get the occasional "nor-easter" with lows falling into the teens for several days at a time.

I run the Backyard Beans & Grains Project myself, with occasional volunteers, paid friends, and interns from a nearby farm who come to learn from me and help out on projects. I do the majority of the work myself. I balance the not-for-profit seed trials, research, and community education with the for-profit attempts to make the business financially sustainable. It is getting a little bit easier every year to do so, but it is still a lot of work to straddle those two worlds.

I follow all recommendations on isolation distances to prevent crossing of seed varieties. To ensure my corn seed remains free from GMO contamination, I have the seed lab tested and then hand pollinate the plants to protect them from cross-pollination.

I keep my seed strong by saving seed from early maturing, healthy, high-yielding, disease-free plants. I plant somewhat earlier than most people to select for cool-soil germination. I leave biennial crops in the ground over the winter to ensure that I am saving seed from truly cold-hardy individuals.

I grow ALL of my own seed and have direct and immediate feedback if there are any problems with germination and/or seed purity.

I have never used any chemicals on my farm or garden. I believe in low-input farming and in the integration of sustainable animal husbandry with annual and perennial crops. However, I am currently not allowed to have animals on site where I am growing my seed crops. As such, I use some fertilizer that is approved for organic agriculture but I rely as much as possible on strong cover cropping practices, crop rotations, and low-demand legume and grain crops for soil fertility.

I am not certified Organic only because of the high cost of certification. I hope to become certified in 2015 if the cost share reimbursement is still in place. I do try to purchase organic seed whenever possible and to support others who are growing seed with sustainable practices, whether certified or not.

I have been growing seed crops on a small garden scale since 2000 and on a farm-scale since 2008. I have attended several seed-production trainings from seed-breeder John Navazzio and the Organic Seed Alliance. I have learned first-hand techniques working alongside expert potato/tomato/corn breeder Tom Wagner, who has 50 years experience working with these crops. I was trained in the hand pollination of corn by WSU Mt. Vernon extension agent Carol Miles and by farmer Michael Long who spent a summer pollinating corn in Wisconsin. I attended the biennial OSA Organic Seed Grower's Conference in 2014 in Corvallis, OR, where I interfaced with numerous other seed growers, breeders, seed company representatives, grad students, and extension agents.

All of my seed-growing efforts are aimed at identifying seed varieties that thrive in the cooler climate of the Pacific Northwest. I look for early-maturity, good yields, resistance to mold, cool soil germination, and excellent flavor.