Comes to us from Hayton Farms via Puget Sound Food Hub. "My great-great-grandparents, Thomas and Sarah Hayton, established Hayton Farms in 1876 on Fir Island in the Skagit Valley of Washington. They grew grain and made hay to be barged from the granary on the banks of Deer Slough to Seattle to feed the city’s workhorses. In the early 1900’s, my great grandparents, James and Maude Hayton, transformed the farm into a dairy. In the 1950’s my grandparents, Leroy and Irene, made the decision to run the farm exclusively as a crop farm, and focused on growing peas and making pea hay. My father, Robert Hayton, continues to make some hay and focus on berry, potato, and cucumber crops.
"As a child I worked on the farm and sold berries at the end of the driveway. I always knew I wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps and be a farmer when I grew up. Once I was in highschool I began selling berries at farmers markets all over the greater Seattle area. In 2016 I purchased the farm adjacent to my dad’s farm. Over the last 9 years I have been busy planting new varieties of berries. I am the most excited about the Pink Lemonade blueberries and the Hardy Kiwi. I opened up a roadside farm stand down in the blueberry field and that has been such a fun project. If you find yourself up in Skagit Valley make sure to stop by and get some fresh berries!"