Meet the Farming Team
We love what we do because creating healthy soils, growing healthy food,
and caring for the communities we live in is at the heart
of our farm's life and mission
Don and Jane
Having a farm has been a dream of Jane and Don’s ever since moving to Seattle in
1976. You could say it’s in their blood. Jane’s Ohio father and grandmother were
master gardeners who loved growing tomatoes, harvesting corn, and canning fruit.
Before Jane’s father died, he and a friend had an acre garden where they raised
beautiful produce mostly for the local food bank. The German side of Don’s family
came from farms in Missouri and Illinois. He too, like Jane, grew up loving the seasons and beauty of the outdoors.
Not having children of their own, Jane and Don have concentrated their energy on making their neighborhood in Seattle (where they have lived for over 40 years) and First Light Farm into communities where friendships are deeply valued.
Now with climate changes affecting our environmental landscapes coupled with the recent population growth of the Puget Sound area, Jane and Don have widened their farm’s mission to more clearly focus on sustainability and education – deep care for the soil, a financial commitment to farm staff to respect their knowledge and work by paying a living wage, care for the overall financial health of the farm itself, and an educational program to remind people that we are not separate from the Earth and all its inhabitants. We must learn to think like like a member of an ecosystem.
1976. You could say it’s in their blood. Jane’s Ohio father and grandmother were
master gardeners who loved growing tomatoes, harvesting corn, and canning fruit.
Before Jane’s father died, he and a friend had an acre garden where they raised
beautiful produce mostly for the local food bank. The German side of Don’s family
came from farms in Missouri and Illinois. He too, like Jane, grew up loving the seasons and beauty of the outdoors.
Not having children of their own, Jane and Don have concentrated their energy on making their neighborhood in Seattle (where they have lived for over 40 years) and First Light Farm into communities where friendships are deeply valued.
Now with climate changes affecting our environmental landscapes coupled with the recent population growth of the Puget Sound area, Jane and Don have widened their farm’s mission to more clearly focus on sustainability and education – deep care for the soil, a financial commitment to farm staff to respect their knowledge and work by paying a living wage, care for the overall financial health of the farm itself, and an educational program to remind people that we are not separate from the Earth and all its inhabitants. We must learn to think like like a member of an ecosystem.
Farmer Jeremy, First Light Farm's Field Manager, joined our farming team in 2019 bringing with him considerable skills as a propagator, planter and
overall farmer. His knowledge base has greatly contributed to the farm's overall mission. Jeremy's season-long "Learn and Grow" Program has quickly become recognized as a model for teaching people the skills and the knowledge to be competent gardeners, or farmers if they choose that lifestyle, in a framework built on reciprocity and participatory learning. We are grateful to have him as part of our farming family.
overall farmer. His knowledge base has greatly contributed to the farm's overall mission. Jeremy's season-long "Learn and Grow" Program has quickly become recognized as a model for teaching people the skills and the knowledge to be competent gardeners, or farmers if they choose that lifestyle, in a framework built on reciprocity and participatory learning. We are grateful to have him as part of our farming family.