Author: Brooke Lucy

Upcoming Granary & Farm Tours

  • Saturday, May 13th Noon – 3 PM: Open house, baked goods and pop up shop from 12-3pm. Granary Tour is from 2:00-3:00 PM. Sign up HERE if you would like to participate in the tour.

Public Drop in Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 to 4:00

We welcome drop in visitors on site Monday- Friday from 9:00 am-4:00 pm. Stop in and see our new digs and pop up shop. If you would like to request a group tour ( 10 +) of our facility- please reach out to and we will do our best to accommodate you. Our address is 19611 Hwy 20, Winthrop WA.

Pick up Box

We have a pick up box on our front porch. If you are only here on the weekend you can place your order online, choose “farm pickup” and you will not be charged for shipping. We will place your order in our pick up box for weekend and after hours pick up.

Be an Ambassador for Bluebird

Would you like to see Bluebird products in your local grocery store? We sell our ancient grain products in bulk and pre packaged to grocery stores throughout the PNW and beyond. If you are willing to do a little leg work for us, we’d love to help facilitate getting our products in your local store. Email us at the name of your store, the contact information of your store grocery buyer- including email, and phone number. We ask that you speak directly to the buyer and ask them what the process is (every store is different and It is immensely helpful to have customers request our products with their local grocery buyers).

Vegas or Bust

Our daughter Larkin and her friend Rupert Dyer saved my bacon a few weeks ago; the day before I was to travel to Las Vegas to the Fancy Food Show I tested positive (yes for the first time) for COVID. With a Bluebird Grain Farms booth set up and product waiting in the wings, Larkin and Rupert raced to my rescue. Before I had a chance to consider canceling the show, Larkin responded “I got this Mom,” and off they went to Vegas from Eugene, Oregon.

While in Vegas, Larkin and Rupert connected with many long-time customers and made new connections. Larkin took on the networking role, while Rupert, with pen and paper in hand, was the chief documenter. They sent a notebook back to me, full of leads, business cards, meticulous notes, and funny comments like “looks like Steve Martin” and “Hot lead, needs Einkorn ASAP.”

I am so grateful for my daughter and Rupert, for stepping up to the plate. This was a big ask. They worked three long days and it made me realize how much Larkin has absorbed by growing up in our family business. She has come a long way from her days of selling emmer cookies at the farmer’s market. This situation has helped me reflect on how important it is to engage and include children in what you do. Bluebird has been 30 steps from our front door throughout her entire childhood-Larkin really didn’t have a choice to not be involved. We have never “formally” trained our kids on the business. As they come into adulthood I am reminded (as are they) how much they have absorbed by just “being around,” it truly is a silver lining.

Public Hours at Bluebird

Our granary at 19611 Hwy 20, between Winthrop and Twisp, is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9-3 pm. Stop in and say hello and pick up an order of whole grains and freshly milled products. We love connecting with our customers. If your order is over 100lbs of freshly milled products we kindly ask that you call ahead and place your order in advance- we don’t have a lot of milled products sitting around- we want them delivered fresh to you. If you are not able to make our public hours to pick up your order- you can always place your order via phone or online (select “local pick up in the shipping tab”). We have a drop box outside under our porch, you can pick your order up any time of the day- we will send you an email when it is ready for pick up.

Upcoming Events

The Next Farm Bill Must Be a Climate Bill: It’s Time to Take Action

Climate change is an urgent challenge. Re-defining agriculture must be part of our bold climate action. The future of food security and resiliency will heavily depend on the next steps that congress takes in re-writing and voting on the Farm Bill. The current Farm Bill was enacted in December 2018 and expires in 2023. Nationally, there is momentum in rewriting our antiquated agricultural policies and moving toward soil health and a climate-focused future. There are a few organizations that are doing some great work in this space. If you truly care about getting good food on the table and encouraging and supporting organic regenerative agriculture, it’s time to take action. Below are three important organizations that I would like to bring to your attention:

Nationally, The National Sustainable Agricultural Association is doing some hard work. NSAC advocates for federal policy reform for the sustainability of food systems, natural resources, and rural communities. They are located in Washington DC and are actively working on making policy changes to the Farm Bill to include:

  • Advance racial equity across the food system
    • Improve access to USDA funding and programs for farmers of color
    • Increase funding for programs and policies that support farmers of color
    • Strengthen data collection and analysis to inform racial equity-driven decision-making
  • Build a climate-resilient future
    • Advance land stewardship through conservation program funding and access
    • Increase funding for sustainable and organic agriculture research programs
    • Prioritize research that helps farmers adapt to and mitigate climate change
  • Invest in healthy rural and urban communities
    • Strengthen resilient local and regional food systems
    • Expand and enhance USDA procurement programs and practices
    • Rebuild local and regional meat processing capacity
    • Ensure access to locally produced, nutritious, culturally-relevant food
  • Level the playing field for small and mid-sized farms
    • Support beginning farmers’ access to land and capital
    • Fix the flawed farm safety net and improve access for diversified farmers
    • Address corporate consolidation and restore fair competition 

Take Action: Go to the National Sustainable Agricultural Association website and Sign up online to send a direct message to congress to make these changes to the Farm Bill.

In Washington State, Tilth Alliance has a program called Coalition for Organic and Regenerative Agriculture (CORA). CORA’s Website states:

CORA is a unifying force, bringing together the multiple interests represented within the organic and regenerative community. CORA serves as a strong voice for this community, assertively advocating for policies and programs that are inclusive of all represented interests and that promote equity, inclusion, diversity, and anti-racism. CORA is actively involved in policy making at the Washington state and national level that promote and support adoption of organic and regenerative practices.

Coalition for Organic and Regenerative Agriculture

Take Action: Support Tilth Alliance and become a member of CORA. Individual memberships start at only $10.00 annually. Sign up and let your voice be heard.

In Okanogan County: Methow Valleyx Council has taken the lead in creating a Resilient Methow and the Climate Action Plan. Their website states:

Over the past year and a half the Citizens Council and over 45 other local organizations, agencies, and community leaders have been working to develop a Climate Action Plan for the Methow Valley. This is a community-driven, collaborative effort involving representatives from the agriculture, health and emergency services, infrastructure, natural systems, and economic sectors of the valley. To learn more about The Methow Valley Climate Action Plan, please visit www.resilientmethow.org.

Methow Valley Citizens Council

Take Action: Stay informed and sign up for MVCC’s mailing list. Check out their incredibly informative Pacific Northwest Climate Toolbox to see the breath of research on how climate change has and will affect agriculture, water, and fire. Consider becoming a member of MVCC. Memberships start at $25.00 annually.

Ashley Lodato, Bluebird Grain Farms staff writer. Photos by Bluebird Grain Farms.

It was logging that brought Bluebird Grain Farms Granary Manager Steve White to the Methow Valley in 1996 and it was farming that eventually brought him back. Steve was raised in Northern Idaho in a community that makes the Methow Valley seem metropolitan–only 438 people. After a career that involved logging, law enforcement, and mechanics, Steve discovered both farming and the Methow Valley through his wife, Sharee Holcomb White, a 4th generation Methow Valley resident whose family owned one of the first dairies in the valley.

Steve (who you may know as a past Liberty Bell High School football coach) ran the saw shop at Cascade Pipe in Twisp for years, but when store ownership changed he went back to Idaho and managed a saw shop there for a few years. But when Sharee’s mother got sick, Steve knew he wanted to come home. Serendipitously, Bluebird Grain Farms was looking for a millwright and granary manager. Steve had the skillset–chiefly, a strong work ethic. “I’ve found that logging and farming have a lot in common,” Steve says. “Hard work.”

Steve had lived in the Methow Valley for nearly a quarter century and says he had never heard of Bluebird Grain Farms. “I wish I would have years ago,” he says.

Bluebird resonates with Steve for many reasons, but one stands out: sense of purpose. “Sam, Brooke, and Bluebird have given me purpose in my working career,” he says. “I feel that most humans want to make a difference and I believe I can make a difference in people’s lives by providing the type of food that helps our society in so many ways.”

Steve also enjoys problem-solving, saying that every day brings the excitement and possibility of a new problem to solve. “I love learning about new things so I guess I’m in the perfect work place. I get to learn something new every day.”

The work environment at the granary doesn’t hurt, either, Steve says. “Sam and Brooke have created a special place to work. The people I work with are more than coworkers–we are actually a family.” His bosses are “ok to work for,” Steve says with a smile, his affection and respect for Brooke and Sam evident.

His favorite place in the world

On a daily basis, Steve manages “what goes in and out of the processing room.” He cleans grain, bags it, and builds pallets as well as shipping and receiving product and managing inventory. When the millwright assistant, Dan Carroll, is not at work, Steve also mills grain into flour.

Ah yes, the flour. In hiring Steve, Bluebird Grain Farms got a two-for-one deal. Once Sharee got her hands on some of that Bluebird flour, the White family test kitchen opened for business. “Although I grew up baking yeast breads and muffins and cookies and quick breads with my mom I had never used 100% whole grains. So when Steve started bringing home Bluebird products I had no idea what to do with them,” Sharee says. “I did know that you cannot substitute whole grain flour for all purpose flour in a recipe and be successful. So I started researching whole grains and after learning all the health benefits of whole grains  and whole grain flours I was so excited to start feeding my family these nutrient rich  grains.”

Sharee's whole wheat muffinsSharee was no stranger to home-grown foods; she grew up on a 40-acre farm north of Winthrop, “in the midst of but not part of the Big Valley Ranch.” Sharee’s father, Walt Holcomb, worked at Okanogan County Electric Co Op for 35 years and her mom, known to many as “Mrs. Holcomb” was a secretary for the Methow Valley School District for 30 years. “But those were just their day jobs,” Sharee says. “The real work came in the form of raising three kids on a farm as self-sustaining as possible. However, we relied on the grocery store for all our baking ingredients, including flour.”

In the farm girl spirit, Sharee rolled up her sleeves and began learning about fresh farmed grains. “The whole grains were the easy part,” Sharee says. “They are great substitute for rice in any dish. My family especially loves my Potlatch Pilaf and beet salad with lemon vinaigrette on a hot summer night or lamb stew with Organic Einka & French Lentil Blend on a cold winter day.”

Potlatch Pilaf and Beet salad with lemon vinaigretteAs far as using whole grains in baking, Sharee says she was apprehensive until she stumbled across a You Tube video on 100% whole wheat bread with freshly milled grain. She was hooked. Once Sharee learned about all the grains and what they are best used for (for example, hard wheats are for yeast breads and soft wheat like Bluebird’s Sonora is for baked goods like cakes, cookies and quick breads, while ancient grains can be used in combination with either or by themselves in quick breads) she’s a woman on a mission. “I have been converting all my families recipes that have been passed down to me over the years,” she says.

Sharee has some favorite grains, but it depends on the recipe. “Organic Einkorn Flour makes tasty muffins and pancakes, but the nuttiness of Organic Emmer Flour makes a great artisan loaf or brownies and my family loves a honey hard red wheat sandwich loaf.”

Fluffy Hard Red Wheat LoavesSharee’s family isn’t her only test audience. According to Joy Randall, Bluebird Grain Farms Marketing Coordinator, “Sharee is an excellent baker and is always sending Steve with bread and treats for us!” The test products get high marks from the office staff.

Sharee’s favorite recipes rely on the same thing as Steve’s: hard work. “I’ve found that if I put a little bit of time, effort, and knowledge together the possibilities are endless, using a food product that is not only very healthy and beneficial, but tasty as well.”

When they’re not baking or managing granaries, the Whites love to spend time with their children Levi, Brayden, and Carly engaged in activities like fishing, hunting, and camping.     

We’re opening our doors for public hours the weekend after Christmas (12/29-12/31) and invite you to come shop. We have bulk bags of flour and grains available, as well as our full line of retail items: fresh milled flour, whole grains, and handcrafted blends. Come enjoy the warehouse shopping experience.

HOLIDAY BREAK PUBLIC VISITING HOURS :

Thursday 12/29 from 10:00-3:00

Friday 12/30 from 10:00 – 3:00

Saturday 12/31 from 9:00- Noon.

Come say hi, bring a friend, and celebrate the holiday cheer with us!

We are thrilled to be able to officially open our doors to all of our friends and neighbors who have patiently waited for the green light to visit.

We would love to welcome you to visit any time between 9 am and 3 pm on Saturday, November 19th to say hi, pick up some products, or take a peak at the new site.

If you want the grand tour, show up (and RSVP please!) at 10 AM or 2 PM to secure your spot in the crowd that gets the behind-the-scenes look.

If you’re feeling inspired, we’d be honored if you want to bring some Bluebird small bites / finger food to celebrate! We’ll have drinks, Bluebird snacks, and shopping opportunities available. Bring a friend, and RSVP below if you’re coming to a tour.

This event is now closed for RSVPs.

The new granary with a fresh layer of early snow!

As we’ve grown and evolved, we’ve been very aware of our local and online community’s part in making Bluebird successful. We’re grateful for the recognition and excited to see what else 2022 has in store for our expanding business. And big thanks to the Washington State SBA for creating this video clip for the SBA awards that were held in May of 2022.

The SBA Seattle District celebrated National Small Business Week on Wednesday, May 5. Hosted by SCORE and supported by the SBA Resource Partner Network, the event took place at the Museum of Flight and was attended by more than 300 SBA resource partners, small business lenders and small businesses. The annual event, which typically takes place during National Small Business Week has not been held in person during the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

An evening full of awards and recognition for local small businesses and resource providers was kicked off by keynote speaker Dr. Lisa Brown, Director of Washington State Department of Commerce. SBA Seattle District Director Kerrie Hurd greeted the audience in the spirit of “collaboration across our ecosystem of small business supporters.” Acknowledging the SBA resource and lending partners in attendance, Hurd thanked everyone for the tremendous undertaking and collective teamwork that has taken place to deliver SBA COVID Relief Programs and small business funding across Washington state and northern Idaho.

Lew Blakney, SBDC representative, presents the rural business award to Brooke and Sam Lucy.

The evening culminated with the presentation of awards to small business winners in 4 categories. The award for 2022 Rural Small Business of the Year was give to Bluebird. Brooke and Sam Lucy attended the event with  Okanogan County SBDC representative Lew Blakney, who nominated Bluebird in December.

SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise for small businesses. Some of the guidelines for SBA recognition include growth in net worth and business expansion, increase in jobs and sales, innovativeness of products or services, response to adversity and contributions to community-oriented projects.

Bluebird  has  worked with the SBDC services over the years for education and planning purposes. During the pandemic, Bluebird utilized SBA resources to provide funding to hire more employees during the baking and cooking boom, and to help transition to Bluebird’s new facility which they are scheduled to move into next month.

Dining in the Museum of Flight.

This week Bluebird Grain Farms has teamed up with the non-profit organization, World Central Kitchen, to help bring food relief to people of Ukraine. Now through April 3rd, 5% of our  proceeds via our online store will be donated to World Central Kitchen’s relief efforts and the chefs of Ukraine.

World Central Kitchen posted the above phot of their website of chefs cooking paella in their kitchen.  They state “The new WCK Relief Kitchen is located in Przemysl, a polish city just several miles from the  order with Ukraine that is receiving tens of thousands of refugees every day.  From this kitchen, our team has the capacity to scale up and cook 100,000 meals per day utilizing 12 massive WCK paellea pans and 12 large ovens.”

When faced with a devastating war so far away, it is hard to know what to do or how to help. We love food, we love chefs, and we love and believe in democracy. This effort felt like a simple way that we can help.  Our goal is to raise $2000 to donate to WCG.org by April 3rd.  As of 4/1 we have raised $1050.00.  Will you join us?

To learn more about WCK and to read about  their boots on the ground efforts visit: WCG.ORG

You can follow them on instagram @wckitchen / #chefsofukraine

Shop now and 5% will be donated.

Ends April 3rd, 2022, 11:59 PM

Good Food Awards Announces the 244 Winners of 2022.

 

We are honored to have our Cracked Farro Porridge as one of the 244 Good Food Award Winners of 2022. Our Cracked Farro Porridge is finely cracked, from our whole grain Emmer Farro. Just one ingredient, pure and simple.  Always cracked, fresh, to order. Cracked Farro Porridge can be used as a hot cereal or be prepared as a polenta, savory style, or used as a soup enhancer, as shown in our Cauliflower soup recipe. In celebration of our award we are offering 15% off all of our cracked farro porridge items, now through February 6th. For recipes and information about our Cracked Farro Porridge, please click HERE.

“The Good Food Foundation exists to celebrate, connect, empower and leverage the passionate and engaged, yet often overlooked, players in the food system who are driving towards tasty, authentic and responsible food in order to humanize and reform our American food culture.” To Find more information about the Good Food Foundation please click HERE.

For the first time, a live pop up shop stocks the award-winning food and drink from 39 States & D.C. through January San Francisco, CA (January 14, 2022) – The Good Food Foundation is thrilled to introduce the 244 exceptional crafters of food and drink from 39 states and Washington, D.C. who rose to the top to become 2022 Good Food Award Winners. With safety in mind, the Awards Ceremony has been postponed to Friday, March 4, and will be preceded by the San Francisco Good Food Mercantile on Thursday, March 3 (tickets here). To mark the announcement of the Winners today, both Alice Waters and René Redzepi, legendary chef of Noma, sent congratulatory videos. Speaking to the sustainability and social responsibility practices of the Winners, Redzepi noted: “I believe it is our collective efforts that can turn the tide and ensure our shared earth will survive. You are the champions of the future, and you are leading the way.” This year’s Good Food Award Winners hail from 39 states and Washington, D.C. Chosen in a blind tasting from thousands of entries before passing a further sustainability and social responsibility vetting process, nearly half of the Winners are first-time awardees. 56% of the Winners are woman-owned businesses and one in six are BIPOC-owned businesses. Across 18 categories, each recognized crafter demonstrated exceptional taste and a deep commitment to building a more sustainable, just food system.

For those eager to taste these extraordinary products, over 100 of the winning food and drink – many not typically available in the Bay Area – are stocking shelves for a limited time only at the two-week Good Food Shop in the Ferry Building (within The Epicurean Trader storefront, January 15-30). THE FULL LIST OF 2022 GOOD FOOD AWARD WINNERS CAN BE FOUND HERE.