Forest Creek Farm

FARMER FOCUS SERIES

Carol and Doug Wick are Enumclaw small farm owners who consider themselves "ancient farmers who are still employable." Carol was raised on a grain farm in North Dakota where her family grew vegetables and fruits, and raised chicken, cattle and pigs. Those were the days of the "first organic gardens: chemicals were never used, only manure," says Carol. Doug was also raised in the Red River Valley of the Midwest, but in the city. He spent his summers helping cousins and uncles on the family grain farms.

Both Doug and Carol graduated from the University of North Dakota then moved to what they consider the beautiful Northwest. Doug worked at Boeing as an electrical engineer and Carol at the University of Washington. Her on-going education and careers have been in both occupational and physical therapy. She opened the Enumclaw Physical Therapy Center in 1974.

Carol and Doug wanted to live and raise their family in the country so they moved, in 1974, to a 25- acre site in Enumclaw. After learning about all the chemicals in food and how foods are processed, they wanted to grow something wholesome on their land----something they enjoyed------blueberries. In 2005, after attending their first Eco-Farm Conference in Monterey, CA they planted a variety of early-, mid-, and late-fruiting blueberries. Now the 1350 blueberry plants are a full-time job for Doug, as well as his retirement exercise. Carol puts on her "farming hat" after each day's work as a physical/occupational therapist. Both of their daughters help some with the farm and want to do more. One daughter is organizing and selling her folks’ blueberries at the new Maple Valley Farmers' Market this year.

Occasionally the farm is opened to U-pick, with prior instructions required. The organic blueberries I picked there last year were large, succulent and absolutely delicious!! The Wicks have a wait-list of 30 people wanting U-pick. Someday their blueberries may be CSA. Presently you can purchase their certified organic berries through CountryFarmers Market on Highway 169 and the Maple Valley Farmers' Market.

After successfully farming blueberries for a few years, Doug and Carol began thinking of pasture management. In 2008 they decided to raise beef to graze on their other 24 grassy acres. They purchased Dexter Beef from Ireland, and are planning to certify them Organic. As a child, Carol expressed concern to her dad about having to kill their cattle. He told her, "We bring them into the world and we take them out. Killing well (humanely) is what is important."

The Wicks don’t see their small farm as a potential money-making operation. "It’s certainly not lucrative and provides a modest income at best." Their investment is more philosophical. They say, "We want to make use of the land we live on, and help the country switch over to better food sources." Do they foresee additional crops in the future? They may grow organic hops because there is a scarcity of them. Because they have a green house and have planted hundreds of NW native plants, Carol also hopes one day to be using and selling edible plants.

FOREST CREEK FARM--Carol & Doug Wick
(Their website is under construction at forestcreekfarm.com)
They can also be found on Facebook with fans and followers