16 CapitalPress.com
March 13, 2015
Farm aims at creating community
By ERICK PETERSON
For the Capital Press
Harvest Farm
When Merritt Mitch-
ell-Wajeeh left her job in
Florida to become a farm-
er in Washington state,
she wanted to do some-
thing special.
As she envisioned it,
her farm would be a learn-
ing center, where people
could discover sustainable
farming practices. Aver-
age people could learn
how to plant gardens in
their yards, and young
students could learn more
about their food.
In addition, people
could get involved with
the farm, and they could
receive fresh vegetables
direct from their source.
This goal had its origins
in lessons learned from
her mother, Brooks Mitch-
ell, who would eventually
join Mitchell-Wajeeh in
Owners: Merritt Mitchell-Wa-
jeeh and Brooks Mitchell
Year started: 2007
Acres: 92
Location: Sunnyside, Wash.
Crops: Includes various
greens, carrots, beets, pota-
toes, tomatoes, cucumbers,
eggplant, peppers, beans,
squashes, melons, radishes
and herbs
Sam Wajeeh and Merritt Mitchell-Wajeeh stand with their sons
Zachary and Laith Wajeeh on Heavenly Hills Harvest Farm in
Sunnyside.
the endeavor. But this new
mission was also encour-
aged by motherhood. She
wanted to provide health-
ful foods for her children
and other people’s chil-
dren.
Also, she was influ-
enced by her education,
a master’s degree in en-
vironmental science, and
her career, having worked
as an environmental reg-
ulator. Years of study and
work put her in touch with,
and gave her information
about, farming practices.
She and her husband
came
to Washington,
where she said she had an
experience that seemed re-
ligious. She visited farms
that were for sale between
Yakima and the Tri-Cities,
Wash., and came across
the farm that she would
later purchase.
customer base is,” Mitch-
ell-Wajeeh said, explain-
ing the concept of CSA.
“You sell shares of the
farm. The dividend to the
person buying the shares is
a box of produce.”
She believes that her
farm was one of the first
in the area doing this, but
more farms in the Yakima
and Tri-Cities area have
established CSAs since.
Shareholders
have
gained an education on the
farm. While they receive
and enjoy staples such as
tomatoes, potatoes, pep-
pers, herbs, melons, let-
tuce, chard and kale, they
have also received rarer
foods. Many have learned
about foods like sorrel, an
herb with a sour flavor, for
the first time, and have eat-
en heirloom beans, melons
and more.
Also, the farm has hosted
farming workshops and has
partnered with other com-
munity organizations, such
as the Mid Columbia Fish-
eries enhancement group.
Projects are constantly in
development to educate.
“We’ve created a com-
munity here,” Mitchell-Wa-
jeeh said.
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Erick Peterson/For the Capital Press
It was a former dairy
farm that had degraded in
years of having not been
used. But when she en-
tered the barn, she saw a
ray of sunshine beaming
into the building and she
was filled with a good
feeling.
“That’s when I knew,”
she said. “This place was
it.”
Her mother, a teacher
and writer, was also ex-
cited about the farm and
joined Mitchell-Wajeeh as
an investor.
“I come from a line of
people who were always
interested in nutritious
food,” Mitchell said. “This
was even before anyone
was talking about organ-
ic.”
Being involved in this
farming project intrigued
her. She bought into it,
and she began splitting her
time between her home in
Florida and her new farm
in the Yakima Valley.
Mother and daughter
engage the public with
their farm, starting a com-
munity supported agricul-
ture program.
“This is a way for a
small farm to know who the
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