Cloud Mountain Farm Center, in Everson WA, grows over 75 varieties of fruit in their orchards and vineyards – but they’re not just a production farm. They’re also a non-profit education center and nursery, located on 20 acres at the foot of Sumas Mountain.
There are many ways to get involved at Cloud Mountain, but the most delicious one is through their fruit. Visit them at the Bellingham Farmers Market throughout the summer, where you’ll find a wide variety of fruit including plums, peaches, grapes, currants, pears, and apples. These aren’t your grocery store apples, though -- Cloud Mountain selects their varieties intentionally, focusing on what’s flavorful, interesting, and unique, as well as what is reliable and productive under organic management. Don’t miss the late fall Karmijn de Sonneville apples or the tart-sweet Crimson Gold’s.
While you can certainly get local fruit from Cloud Mountain at the market and on-farm when quantities allow, there are a few other options you might want to learn more about. Cloud Mountain will host two tasting events on August 24 and October 12, giving you a chance to visit the farm, learn about where fruit comes from, and share delicious food with new and old friends. Learn more about the first Fruit Tasting here and sign up now.
You’ll have another chance to visit Cloud Mountain Farm Center – and eleven other farms -- during the Whatcom County Farm Tour on September 16th from 10-4. Basil, Common Threads’ food truck, will be on-site offering delicious local food, and there will be staff- and self-guided farm tours as well as a chance to shop the nursery’s fruit tree sale.
Stay tuned for two big sales coming up in September – right after Labor Day, blueberry and raspberry plants will be 20% off. And starting on September 16th, you’ll be able to buy two fruit trees and get a third for free. By supporting Cloud Mountain’s nursery, you’re not only enhancing your own landscape and orchard – you're also contributing to their programs that work towards a robust regional food system.
Cloud Mountain’s mission is to share knowledge and resources that support a resilient, accessible, and equitable regional food system, and their programs include the Cloud Mountain nursery, their incubator farm at Lawrence Rd., their agricultural education pilot program, their infrastructure & aggregation facilities and partnerships, and exceptional fruit-growing and farm-skills workshops.
Cloud Mountain Farm Center hopes to see you at the farm, nursery, and farmers' market.
More information on the Fruit Tasting event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fruit-tasting-on-the-farm-tickets-677713237537
More information about the Whatcom County Farm Tour: https://sustainableconnections.org/whatcom-county-farm-tour/
More about Cloud Mountain Farm Center: https://www.cloudmountainfarmcenter.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloudMountainFarmCenter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cloudmountainfarmcenter/
