about the farm
A little bit of background
Gracie's Greens was started in 2018 by Zoe Marzluff and Keller Cyra (along with sweet pup Gracie) as a microgreens operation in Keller's family's garage. Since then it has grown to supply the local Vashon and West Seattle communities with microgreens and in 2020 expanded to a 1/2 acre plot to grow many different vegetables. As first generation farmers Keller and Zoe have learned farming through internships, youtube, books, other farmers, and trial and error.
One of our first farmers markets on Vashon Island.
Gracie sleeping on a pile of compost, our biggest fertility input on the farm
A little bit about the farming practices
Gracie’s Greens is a low to no till farm focused on building up the incredible resources of the land it’s on instead of taking away from it. Zoe and Keller see themselves as stewards of the land they farm and therefore endeavor to increase the biodiversity, ecosystem services, and the long term sustainability of the land. The farm is not certified organic, but organic principles (as well as no till, biointensive, regenerative and ecological practices) are the framework for the ways the farm is managed. This is a small farm and most of the work is done by hand. Weed and pest control is managed by hand (or hand tools) and tarps (no herbicides, no pesticides). Fertility, plant, and soil health is managed a wheel barrow load of compost at a time and many hours walking through the beds and observing the health of the plants.
As the farm and soil develop over the seasons the rewards of these practices are becoming more and more visible. The soil is becoming easier to work each spring as the soil system critters are allowed to do the work of aerating and nutrient conversion; there is more and more mycelium present as beds are being covered more; there are less and less perennial weeds each year since the soil is hardly disturbed; and the plants themselves are better able to resist disease and pest pressure.
Uncovering beds, far left, that had been under a silage tarp, now they’re ready for a quick power harrow, and planting of garlic!
a biointensive (full, dense beds), no till greenhouse. Pathways are mulched with woodchips while beds are permanent.
Hand tended and well loved crops. We do all of our harvesting and packing by hand, hauling one bin out of the field at a time.
We grow all our own starts so our veggies are truly cherished and cared for from seed to harvest.
We are able to do all of this careful, human powered work with an incredible crew every season.
A little bit about the farmers
Zoe is the full time farmer at Gracie's Greens, she runs the markets, plants the veggies, manages harvest days, and communicates with customers. Her favorite farm activity is tomato care and smelling all the melons. She's almost always got a podcast or fantasy novel going when she's working and loves to commute to the farm by run. Keller, her partner, is a part time farmer. He works full time for the local land trust and works for the farm on harvest days and as the big projects builder. He’s a reluctant, but invaluable root washer and loves moving big silage tarps at the farm (JK, no one likes that job…) and if he's not listening to a podcast it's probably KEXP's positive vibrations show. Gracie, the most important member of the team, is a sweet farm pup dedicated to keeping the farm rodent free and giving her farmers important breaks for snuggles.
#1 farm pup