The Community Food Co-op works with many local growers to get healthy, nourishing food into the hands of community members. Their partnership with Sunseed Farm helps accomplish this by providing access to locally grown, high-quality, organic plant starts grown with care right here in Whatcom County.
About Sunseed Farm
Sunseed Farm is the home and livelihood of Nick, Saheli and Asa Guilford. Tucked away on 42 acres in Acme, the Guilfords have been using organic growing methods since starting the business in 1997. Sunseed Farm obtained organic certification from the USDA in 2001. Today they grow organic garden starts available at Community Food Co-op, as well as organic produce such as berries, tomatoes and vegetables which they sell at Bellingham Farmers Market.
Since the beginning, Sunseed has strived to tend to the earth and to the community in thoughtful, responsible ways. In fact, a portion of their field is dedicated each year to growing starts specifically for donation to the Bellingham Food Bank.
Starting Plants out Right
Because many plant starts are chemically raised, they can have a hard time being transplanted into home gardens. They struggle since they are no longer being fed a nutrient solution every day like they were in the nursery. According to Sunseed, their organic starts come with a longer-lasting nutrient base in the pot which helps mitigate transplant shock and provides an earlier, more abundant yield.
Sunseed also grows their garden starts alongside the plants they grow for vegetable and herb production. This ensures that the plant starts you buy at Community Food Co-op are the same quality the farmers use to grow produce for market.
And because Sunseed has been growing starts in Whatcom County since 1997, they have plenty of experience with gardening in our (sometimes challenging) climate. They have used their experience to select varieties of crops that are most likely to succeed here in Whatcom County.
Gardening Resources
Sunseed’s website is full of great resources for home gardeners, complete with gardening tip sheets and planting schedules. Here are a few tips to make sure your transplants thrive.
- Plant your starts within one week of purchase. If you aren’t able to transplant them immediately, keeping them moist and between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit will help them stay healthy until you can give them room to grow.
- Soil preparation should begin well before planting time. Ideally, the soil should be forked, shoveled or tilled to break up clods and work in compost, manure, minerals, etc., at least two weeks prior to planting.
- Give plants room to grow by spacing them out according to their tags. Can’t find how far apart to space your plants? Contact Sunseed or get help at your Community Food Co-op Garden Center.
- Make sure the entire root ball and top of the potting mixture is covered with garden soil, giving it a firm pat into place. Keep your transplanted starts moist but not soggy and make sure to keep an eye out for slugs (Sunseed says dusk, dawn and rainy days are the best times to scout for them).
Find Sunseed Farm’s organic plant starts at either of the Community Food Co-op’s two locations and get your garden started right!
Community Food Co-op Downtown Store
1220 N. Forest Street
Bellingham
Community Food Co-op Cordata Store
315 Westerly Road
Bellingham
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