Alm Hill Gardens

Our fall bounty of goodies will only attend this weekend, so if you're wanting basil, tomatoes (ripe, red ones; plus a selection of paste, heirloom, sungolds, and several crates of green tomatoes, perfect for frying or roasting), shelling beans, broccoli, grapes, decorative gourds, eminently edible delicata, and festive flowers: come to the market, say hello, and load up your arms and baskets!

Fall goodies abound! Gourds, lanterns, and lavender, oh my! And Farmer Gretchen sorts cranberry shelling beans.

We're bringing all these and more this weekend to and

Come to the market, say hi to our hardworking staff, and pick out some veg to feed your family, even if you're a family of one human (plus however many four-leggeds and/or aquatic species you may or may not have).

Happy October, everyone!

Just a quick preview of some of the things we're bringing to market this weekend! Farmer Gretchen captured this picture of the grapes this morning... don't they look delicious?! (And they taste even better than they look!)

In addition to all our other produce (many , red tomatoes, , a few , , , , and almost-the-end-but-not-quite-the-end of our ), be sure to check out the lovely dried flowers and .

You can find us this weekend at and ; see you there!

Look at this lovely scoop of dirt! If you're in, or going to be in, the neighborhood and would like a scoop or three, contact us and let us know. $15 per scoop. (Great for filling in holes in your yard, adding to your garden, etc.)

Also, we still have pallets of storage crates available (40 tulip bulb crates per pallet), perfect for storing just about anything (hello, canning jars... and potatoes... and winter squash... and storage onions... We see you!) and are stackable.

Just in case you were wondering, now you know: Fall is here! (It's like mother nature said, "Oh, you want/need some rain? Here is ALL the rain!")

But don't let the rain scare you away from the markets this weekend. We are bringing lots of yummy goodness, as are pretty much all of your other favorite farmers. This is a special time of the food season where we still have summer crops and are starting to bring you the fall ones. And maybe some dried flowers, like the ones we've posted here.

Come see us this weekend at ( ) and ( ). We have basil, tomatoes, arugula, grapes, cranberry shelling beans, and even some broccoli and a few Carmen sweet peppers.

Welcome to the weekend! We will be at and with several varieties of grapes, our usual tomatoes, basil, arugula, and some blackberries. Yum!

In the meantime, check out some pics from around the farm:

1 & 2. We put netting over our grapes to discourage pests (like wasps and birds) from sucking the clusters dry.

3. A lovely view from the top of the hill near a section of grapes (varieties on hill: Canadice, Reliance, Jupiter, Neptune, Lynden Blues). Below, you can see a freshly tilled field, some of our greenhouses, and the rest of the Lynden Blues.

4. Some cranberry shelling beans ripening in the field.

5. Green beans that have started to flower in one of our tunnels.

Hello, Seattle friends and faithful followers! We won't be at today, but will be attending both and this weekend.

In addition to our usual tasty treats we will also be bringing grapes! Check out the pictures of the lovely Lynden Blues which are a Concord-style grape. They're great for juicing, making jam, or general snacking (be prepared, they do have seeds). Some of our other grapes may also make an appearance (Canadice, pictured in a previous post, is light pink and had a more complex flavor profile and does not have seeds. Also look for Interlaken, a green table grape).

Due to the drop in temps this week, tomato production is even lower than expected and we will only be attending two markets this weekend:
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However... This means that there is more basil and sungolds for these markets. Hooray!

Pic 1: some amazing hydrangeas from some of the flower gardens alongside the driveway.

Pic 2: a sneak peek of the arugula coming your way.

The season is changing, exemplified by our nearly empty walk-in coolers, and the grapes ripening on the vines. Tomato production has slowed way down, the basil plants are still pumping out around 20 pounds a week, and some of our fall field crops are looking lush and promising. (And there are some green beans growing in one of our tunnels so you can continue to enjoy them just a little longer!)

We're at Columbia City ( ) today, which starts at 3, and currently plan on being at our three weekend markets. Hope to see you there!

There's a little bit of all our tomatoes for our three farmers markets this weekend ( and ).

Sungolds, Stupice, Blush, Albenga, Big Beef, Early Girl, a few Black Krim, and some salsa quality tomatoes. Yum!

Plus: basil, blueberries, limited cilantro (to add to that salsa you're gonna make!), green beans, and potential other items that may jump in the van when we're not looking.

See you at the market!

Tomato season is in full swing and we just can't get enough! This week we'll also be bringing some of our "Salsa" tomatoes to our usual neighborhood farmers markets.

Reasons we grade out "salsa" tomatoes and sell them for less:

* They are ultra ripe and need to be consumed right away
* They generally look unsightly and have weird blemishes
* They're sunburned and may or may not be 100% the preferred tomato texture
* They have a small gouge and should be consumed very soon
* They have cracking along the shoulders and should be consumed very soon so they don't mold

We've done a pretty good job with our tomatoes this year and don't have a ton of salsa quality, so be sure to get to the market early to take advantage of what we've got.

See you at tomorrow!

Just look at all this lovely produce! All these things (also, can you believe we've picked nearly a half ton of tomatoes this week?!), plus blueberries, basil, a few raspberries, and whatever else happens to sneak into the vans this weekend hoping to go to market camp.

We can be found this weekend at the following markets:
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Holy camoly, Seattle! It's officially the beginning of our tomato season! Today's tomato poundage count: over 225 pounds. Plus 15 half-pints of Sungolds and 3 half-pints of blush cherry tomatoes (they're yellowish, elongated, and have lovely pink stripes). Not to mention 18.5 pounds of basil. That's a lot of picking!

And our blueberry pickers were working for a while today too, so we will definitely be bringing your favorite goods to you this weekend at the following markets:
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Quick fun facts about our produce to put it all in perspective: we are growing over 1,000 tomato plants and around 400 basil plants. Our blueberry field is about three acres. Everything is picked and packed by hand

Wowie zowie! We sure do have a lot of blueberries to bring to market this weekend! Basically, two carts' worth. That's a lot of blueberries and our pickers have done an amazing job so far this season.

This week's blueberry menu*:
5lb. bags $25/bag
$4 per half pint, $6 per full pint
$25 for a half-flat

Blackberry menu*:
$3 per half pint, $5 per full pint
$20 for a half-flat

Raspberries are very limited and we're coming to the close of that berry's season, so come to the market early to snag some.

And basil! We're bringing some of that to all our markets.

Where to find us this weekend:
( and )
( )

*Prices subject to change

The tomatoes are starting to actually produce (small quantities still), and we're bringing them to along with some blackberries, hydrangeas that look way better in person (lighting and colors can be tough to capture on camera when you're in a hurry), a bunch of blueberries, and a few lingering raspberries. Hooray!

Here we are at the weekend again... What delicious things are you making with your weekly market haul?

While we don't have enough tomatoes to bring to market this week, we're hoping that next week we can add some of them to what we display on our tables next to the basil, blueberries, blackberries, and sunflower shoots. Nom nom nom!

This weekend you can find us at:
( ) and ( )

Happy hump day! We'll be at the today from 3-7pm! We're bringing some berries, corn, basil, and a little bit of this, that, and the other (so to speak). The blackberries are starting to ripen, but they may not have ripened quickly enough for mid-week; so if we don't have them today, look for them this weekend!

Sungold alert! They are slowly ripening and we are bringing the first harvest of them, piddly amount though it may be, to market. And soon: regular-sized tomatoes!!! The first few sets are sitting pretty heavy on the vine and we can't wait to bring them for your eating pleasure.

This weekend we will be at:

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We are bringing and a few actual sunflower blooms as well!

Happy 4th of July weekend, everyone! We are headed to University District for the Saturday market with a little of this, a little of that, some ears of corn, and A LOT of basil. We're bringing about 20 pounds of basil with us and will be selling them in quarter pound bags for $5/bag. Make some pesto, or chop it up and add it to salad, or make some strawberry jam and throw some basil in just because (talk about flavor!).

Corn for the 4th of July! We know the saying goes "knee high by the 4th of July", but our plants are well over six, even seven(!!!), feet tall. And many of the ears are ready to eat (so tasty fresh off the plant)!

In other news, it's been really hot at the farm during this heat wave, with several days reaching highs over 100°. Our tomato tunnels are happy to have shade cloths and seen to be doing okay, but our raspberries, like many berry farmers' berries, are suffering and basically turning into jam on the vine (can be tasty to eat but not good for transporting, bringing to markets, or shelf life).

Stay tuned for a late-week update on which markets we will be attending this holiday weekend, and show the farmers in your life some extra love and support.

Sunflowers, raspberries, peas, and basil are coming to tomorrow (Saturday)!!!

Seattle market folks, we love you all dearly and will see you again during the 4th of July weekend.

Regardless of what market(s) you attend, it's gonna be hot. 🥵 Stay hydrated, keep cool, and shop your market early to beat the heat!

Look what's ripening up in our raspberry tunnels!!! These may have been consumed shortly after being photographed...and they were super tasty (totally non-biased opinion 😉).

Look at this set of tomatoes: small and green and absolutely full of potential! This greenhouse is so lush it makes us excited for when we get to start bringing ripe tomatoes to the market (we have our fingers crossed for Fourth of July weekend, but it might not be until the weekend after...we'll have to wait and see what kind of weather happens between now and then). We have a second greenhouse full of tomatoes and basil but it's nowhere near as lush as this one (we gave the plants in there a mixture of stinky fish fertilizer the other day and they're already responding).

We also have corn sending out tassels, raspberries forming berries, and blueberries doing their slow ripening dance.

In the meantime, our main flower season is almost over and we will be at just a few markets this coming weekend. You'll be able to find us at ( ) this Saturday and ( ) this Sunday. See you there!

Welcome to the weekend! If you've been contemplating bringing some peonies home from your favorite local farmers market, they'll only be around for a couple more weeks. Tulips too! And hyacinths. A fun selection, for sure. 😁

We will be sending a bucket or two of mixed bouquets (mock orange, peonies, tulips, and an array of greenery) to each of our neighborhood markets this weekend as well.

Come find us and say hello!


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Good things come to those who wait...and plant early in greenhouses! Check out how tall that corn is compared to crew member (and Instagram curator) Michelle's 5'2"! Pretty soon she'll be able to get lost in the corn.

Tomatoes and basil have been planted, and there will be photos coming soon.

For now: check out the Flash Point tulips growing outdoors and showing off in the sunshine.

Come say hi to our staff this weekend at our usual markets and get some peonies, tulips, and mock orange bouquets to take home with you!



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Peony season is here!!! It's so amazing watching these marshmallow-sized buds unfurl into these dramatically glorious blooms. Wow!

Also, asparagus: the spears are growing so quickly right now and are so tender and delicious. Yum!

Come find us this weekend at our usual farmers markets and take some home with you (additionally, more tulips are ripening and we may also have limited mock orange):


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Lots going on at the farm today, and an amazing offer on bulk asparagus pre-orders. But first: thank you to everyone who came out over the Mother's Day weekend and bought flowers from us!!! We sold out at multiple markets and our coolers look mighty empty. (Don't worry, we'll have peonies, lilacs, and a small selection of tulips this coming weekend.)

Pictures:
1. Asparagus - we have an abundance/plethora and would like to offer a pre-order bulk deal of $20 for 5 pounds for this coming weekend. Just DM us, or send an email to [email protected], with: your name, the market where you will pick up your order, and the amount of asparagus you would like (5 pound increments). Pre-order closes this Thursday at 8 pm. Grill up asparagus for your building/neighborhood, make asparagus every night for your family, or take advantage and start this season's canning/pickling adventures!
2. The Meyer Lemons are leafing out!
3. And the orange tree is beginning to bloom!
4, 5, 6. We had some pallets of tulips taking up space on our big walk-in cooler. Today we finally pulled them out, separated the crates as best we could (sorry little tulip buddies that you got so scrunched for space!), and laid them out on the ground. Including Ysenia and Eduardo, there were four people working for multiple hours on this project!
7. Greenhouse #1 is getting prepped for tomatoes!!! Most of the holes are dug, amendments tossed in, and irrigation laid out. We will plant around 660 tomatoes in this greenhouse.

It's nearly Mother's Day weekend and our staff has been working hard this week getting ready for all our markets. Farmer Ben has been harvesting some of his prized peonies, and Farmer Gretchen and crew have been picking lilacs and processing them to make sure they don't wilt. Some of the ways we do this is to strip the leaves and pound the ends so they take up the water in the buckets. We also briefly dip the pounded ends into a hydrating solution, and add a preservative to the buckets of water.

To take some of these lilac and peony beauties (and maybe a few tulips!) to Mom, or to your own home this weekend, come find us at:

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Say hello to Sarah, a new member of our farm staff this spring! She works both at the farm and at weekend markets in Bellingham and Seattle. She's holding a teaser bouquet of some of the lovely peonies we will start bringing to markets this weekend.

Other photos include additional peonies from our peony tunnel; lilacs (these will also start to make a limited appearance this weekend); and a quick recent view of our tulip field. Not pictured, but also amazing and delicious, is our asparagus which is coming with us to multiple markets. Keep an eye out, as we've recently begun harvesting and our asparagus season lasts for 6-8 weeks (we stop around then so we don't over-harvest and affect future years' yields).

Come find us this weekend at:


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While we've been enjoying the warm, sunny weather, the field tulips have been going bonkers. With the majority of our crew at markets over the weekend, picking the field lovelies may have gotten away from us juuust a leeeettle! Who needs to visit tulip fields elsewhere?! 😉