Sarah Cassidy of Oxbow Farm crouches beside the entrance to the Gourd Tunnel with two children who enjoyed the Living Playground. Photo by Anne Laughlin First things first. Let’s be clear: fall arrived on the heels of spring, not summer. The farming community in the Lower Snoqualmie Valley agrees.

All of the farms we surveyed recently said that the growing season this year was “short, cold and wet.” That brings us to our second point: even with the challenges of an ongoing La Nina weather pattern, our local farms are thriving - even throbbing - with activity. It is unanimous: Fall Harvest 2011 is a success.

On the first real weekend of Fall Harvest, under patchy blue skies, thousands of families converged on the valley floor at Oxbow, Gamehaven, Jubilee, Fall City and Remlinger Farms. Up and down the valley, farms were a hub of activity, filled with the sounds of laughter and the smells of fresh-pressed apple cider.

(L-R) Granddaughters Chloe Haack (8), Kenzie Haack (11) pose for a picture under the Gamehaven sign with mother, Kristina Schmoll and farm owner, Susan Schmoll. The farm has been family-run since 1950. Photo by Anne Laughlin Over time, we’ve gotten to know these farms, their families, their work ethic, philosophies and their deep sense of connection to the land - past, present and future.

The County’s Farm Report delivers statistics, economics and projections which are vital to understanding the future of farming in the valley. We learn about the toll flooding takes on the agriculture industry here and ask, ‘Why would anyone stay on in the face of such odds?’

The answer is clear: it’s you. These farmers do what they do, day in and day out, sun-up to sun-down because, at heart, they are providers, teachers and firm believers that they can give you and your families a leg-up on good health and living well. They can also give you an experience you will never forget, one that carries over generation to generation. We got the sense that, take away the people, take out the interaction and teamwork, and these farmers might just find something else to do. But that won’t happen. People are increasingly curious about our local farms. Programs like Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a subscription-based program that exchanges produce for a chance to till the land for an afternoon, draw participation and awareness. Farmers markets throughout Puget Sound offer our local farms the opportunity to serve as ambassadors, spreading the word about what makes their produce special. There are a growing number of venues with an ever-expanding audience of consumers who are wondering ‘where and how did my food grow?’ that is driving a deeper connection to the person who grows their produce.

We surveyed visitors to the valley. Adults invariably told us they drove out (from Seattle, Maple Valley, Issaquah) to absorb the experience of being on a real working farm and to offer their kids something they couldn’t get in town. Kids were consistently in it for the ‘fun.’ Mesmerized toddlers carried tiny pumpkins out of patches, weaving their way around gourds at least twice their size. Elementary school-aged kids ran after a pumpkin thrown by Jubilee Farm’s trebuchet and then fed bright orange shards dripping with seeds to the pigs.

Many of the families we talked with said they were planning to visit several farms that day. Others said they were thinking of returning next weekend. It was clear: our valley farms were sending families home with smiles and good stories to tell the neighbors. They were our very own ambassadors of our local farming industry.

So, after this long preamble, let’s get down to detail. What follows is our day-long tour of five valley farms to give you a glimpse that will whet your appetite for more and, just possibly, edge you and your family closer to visiting these farms in October.

So, start the tour with us on Page 4!