Clark County farm stands offer taste of summer

Cucumbers, tomatoes, berries, garlic scapes, grapes and rhubarb fill the fields throughout Clark County every summer. Right now local farm stands are stocked with fresh produce along with other goodies like chicken, farm eggs and goat milk ice cream. Nothing says summer in the Pacific Northwest like losing track of time driving winding country roads while staining your fingers and mouth with the juice of fresh jewel-toned berries.

Before heading out, it’s good to check what type of payment is required at the farm stand you plan on visiting. Some places accept cash, check and credit cards. Others rely on payment apps like Venmo or Paypal. It’s also good to see if the farm stand is well stocked. Many farmers list their inventory through a newsletter or on social media. You can also call or email the farms to see when they stock their stand and what’s currently available. In addition, bringing a cooler to keep tender greens and other easily spoiled items helps ensure everything arrives home in peak condition.

Here are just some of the many spots in Clark County. For a more complete list visit www.localharvest.org/vancouver-wa/farm-stands.

Tillie’s Acres Farm Stand

Northwest 31st Avenue and 219th Street, Ridgefield; 360-261-9197

Tillie’s currently has eggs, plant starts and herbs. This summer, owner Ali Hutchison, plans on having fresh-cut bouquets, single-stem flowers, veggies, garlic and fruit. In the fall there will be a lot of pumpkins. Hutchison named the farm after her great-grandma, Tillie, whose family moved from Germany to become one of the early homesteaders in Ridgefield. Tillie (Meuler) Hutchison raised cows and grew crops on this 120-acre family farm in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Hours are 10 a.m. to dusk daily until November.

Red Truck Farm

3557 S. 15th St., Ridgefield; 360-852-7270

Red Truck Farm is known for greens like lettuce mix, baby kale mix, collards and arugula, but the farm store has many other items in stock. The large fridge is filled with carrots, green beans, cucumbers, beets, summer squash, pea shoots, radishes and other fresh-picked summer veggies. On a recent visit, a small bucket with bunches of lavender and bright yellow rudbeckia flowers sat on the counter. The farm stand is open every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Items can be ordered ahead of time through Red Truck’s online store (www.redtruckfarm.com). Online orders made by Sunday at 8 p.m. can be picked up at the farm stand on Wednesday afternoon.

Gather and Feast Farm

2706 N.E. 369th St., La Center; 360-768-3323

This La Center farm stand has a bit of everything. Mark Lopez, who owns Gather and Feast, is also the chef and owner of Crave Catering. The fridge has things like potatoes, greens and eggs. On a recent visit I was pleasantly surprised to find aged goat cheese from Conway Family Farms next to fresh produce, hot sauces and herb vinaigrette. Prepared foods like rosemary salt, chili oil and rose-petal infused simple syrup rest on a shelf nearby.

Heat-and-eat meals like vegetable lasagna, teriyaki chicken and Kalua pork, in addition to soups, stews and chili fill the freezer. A sign in front of the store has a map for self-guided farm tours. The farm stand is open noon to 6 p.m. daily.

Munoz Berry Farm

Northwest La Center Road near the East Fork of the Lewis River; 360-608-8409

This small family farm in Ridgefield has a roadside stand just south of downtown La Center. Boxes of strawberries, raspberries (red and black), marionberries, boysenberries, loganberries and blueberries sit on a shaded table by the side of the road. A seasonal list of berries available can be found on the farm’s website (munozberry.com). The farm stand is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Thiselle Creek Farm

26903 N.E. C C Landon Road, Yacolt; 805-272-5076

This 20-acre farm in Yacolt has produce bins filled with peaches, corn, cauliflower, cabbage, strawberries, apples, apricots and tomatoes. There’s also shelves with interesting items like Theo’s chocolate bars, Olympia Provisions salami, honey and make-your-own kombucha kits, as well as eggs and flowers. Open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (or dusk) daily.

Conway Family Farms

32116 N.E. Dial Road, Camas; 360-834-0315

Goat milk ice cream is back for the summer at Conway Family Farms. This year the Conways have added blueberry honey graham to old favorites like strawberry and white chocolate, salted caramel, mint chocolate chip and vanilla. The fridge is filled with the farm’s signature aged cheeses like Yacolt Burn laced with smoked paprika, Columbia Gorge with caraway seeds, or Boulder Creek with cumin. Jams, soaps and yarn sit on the shelves near the fridge. The farm stand is open from 9 a.m. to dusk every day during the summer.

Botany Bay Farm

13513 N.E. 132nd Ave.; 360-524-9005

Botany Bay Farm’s store has meat and eggs. Forest-raised pork, grass-fed beef and pasture-raised eggs and chickens are grown on this 34-acre multigenerational family farm. Pre-bagged organic kale and different varieties of organic lettuce are available until fall.

On a recent visit, the beef section featured New York strip steak, round roast, short ribs, back ribs and ground beef. The poultry included whole birds, breasts, wings and quarters. Pork came in various types of chops, blade steaks and ground pork. The farm stand is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.