Blood and water

We farm in a desert. A real desert.

The Columbia Basin gets less than 12 inches of rain a year and less than 24 inches of snow a year. What we lack in water, we make up for in rich soil perfect for farming.

Back in the 1930s, the Bureau of Reclamation realized the rich soil here just needed a nice, cool drink of fresh, clean water and … Hello the Columbia Basin Project. OK. There were a lot of steps in between and a great many people willing to gamble everything they had to turn our beautiful sandy loam soil into the thriving farmland it is today after adding some water from the mighty, roiling Columbia River (shout out to our Canadian friends!).

But, now, the water from the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District is the blood running through the veins of our farm through a series of ever smaller ditches, irrigation pipes, and sprinklers helping us to grow our crops. The large feeder canal, the East Low Canal, is the eastern boundary of our farm and, each spring, we watch the life-giving water it provides roll past as a sign of the busy and beautiful season to come.

We are grateful for the water that gives our farm life and, in turn, gives us the ability to do what we love.