For some, it’s tough to choose between a perfectly sun-ripened summer tomato and a juicy strawberry—but not for my three-year-old. Tomatoes, always tomatoes. Especially one that he has picked directly off the vine, on a working farm filled with fresh produce, chickens, and pigs. As the juice dribbles down his chin, and the sound of bees buzz around us, I feel fortunate that he gets to experience firsthand where his food comes from and to make such a direct connection with the land.

The Organic Farm School, on Whidbey Island, is a learning center. Established in 2009, the organization offers apprenticeships for beginning farmers, agricultural workshops, and community potlucks. What drew my family to the property was the Farm Stay experience, an opportunity to learn about where produce, eggs, and meat come from, be a part of the farm-to-table movement, and eat really good food. Though my five-year-old and three-year-old sons have been to many farmers markets around Seattle, there was still a missing link between seeing food displayed nicely on tables and plucking it straight from the ground.

Harvesting crops, from cauliflower to kale, is one activity that brings visitors closer to the land.

Photo by Kyle Houck / Embrace Whidbey and Camano Island

The cozy, yet modest accommodations at the aptly named Feed and Seed are a welcome respite from city life. With space for up to eight guests, the house let our small family of four enjoy the novelty of bunkbeds, a wraparound porch, and the smell of a woodstove fire. But we came for the food, not the digs, and the spread did not disappoint. Upon arrival, our fridge was already filled with ready-to-go dinner and breakfast, focused on seasonal ingredients picked from the farm. Squash gratin with gruyere cheese, salad greens with vinaigrette, and freshly baked cardamom biscuits anchored our dinner, while overnight oats and buttermilk pancakes topped with a berry compote filled our tummies at breakfast.

The Farm Stay experience caters to each guest’s desired learning experience. There are opportunities to feed animals, pet cows, visit a green house, check out beehives, and walk the garden grounds. Visitors are encouraged to learn about the farm’s mission, which is to support ecological, economic, and social regeneration. A highlight for me, brought to life by our wonderful tour guide and organization executive director, Judith Feldman, was the focus on not being overly idealistic. While the Organic Farm School strives to reduce tillage, use diverse crops instead of monocrops, and employ noninvasive weeding practices, they are the first to claim that they are not perfect.

Vegging out.

Photo by Kyle Houck / Embrace Whidbey and Camano Islands

While exploring, we had nearly two hours to observe and ask questions, and we never felt like we were being preached at. One of the refreshing conversations we had with Feldman was around buying fresh produce. It’s easy to assume that an organic farm would double down on the concept of only buying from the farmers market or solely selecting organic fruits and veggies. On the contrary, Feldman recognized how unrealistic that approach is for most people and gave us some tips for our next shopping trip. Buy what’s in season when possible; most grocery stores have very knowledgeable produce managers who can steer you in the direction of the freshest items. Create special occasions to make farm-to-table meals rather than expecting to eat that way all the time. Thank purveyors at farmers markets and pass on your appreciation for their goods. Many farmers feel underappreciated, and a little recognition can go a long way towards motivating them.

Friday night means a community potluck, with an emphasis on local, seasonal eats.

Photo by Kyle Houck / Embrace Whidbey and Camano Island

Every Friday evening during the summer, the Organic Farm School holds a potluck, where the community and visitors of Whidbey Island can come together around a wood-fired pizza oven and share a delicious meal. Guests have the opportunity to leave with a bundle of produce from the adjacent farm stand or pick some fresh herbs to go. What I loved most about our visit was seeing how comfortable my kids were roaming around. They kicked their shoes off and played in the dirt.  They learned about electric fences that keep predators out of the chicken coop, and what the heat of a greenhouse feels like. Yes, they have had the luxury of picking fresh vegetables from our modest raised garden bed at home, but plucking strawberries from a field of seemingly endless options was eye opening for them. “I never want to leave this farm,” our older son told my wife.

As a steward of the land, it felt like Sher’s gentle nature permeated the farm, making the earth a sanctuary of tranquility.

I also loved meeting Ron Sher, the property owner who has generously allowed the Organic Farm School to operate rent-free on 10 acres of his land for the past decade. In his eighties, Sher bikes around the farm constantly, picking weeds here and feeding animals there. The night before our farm tour, he took us to his sheep corral, something our kids delighted in (minus the experience of stepping in sheep poop). As a steward of the land, it felt like Sher’s gentle nature permeated the farm, making the earth a sanctuary of tranquility, rather than the dirty, smelly, machine-ridden plot of land that many of us think farms are these days.

Driving away from our weekend oasis, I couldn’t help but think about what it takes to be a farmer. There’s a lot of uncertainty, constant challenges, and unpredictability, especially given our ever-changing climate. It’s certainly not for me. But my appreciation for farming grew tenfold in just a matter of hours. While I can’t say I will only buy organic produce or join a Community Supported Agriculture buying program just yet, I can agree that eating directly from a farm is delicious, that getting to know the people who work there is mind-expanding, and that seeing the smiles on my kids’ faces when they bite into a perfectly fresh farm tomato is absolutely priceless.