Growing Practices

Rising Sign practices regenerative farming, a way of farming that enhances, rather than degrades, the health of the environment. Our growing practices are above and beyond organic. We are focused on building healthy ecosystems that not only grow healthy and delicious food, but also support vast mycelial networks, sequester carbon, reduce common food system waste, and provide habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. If you have any questions, please email us.

Low-till: Our commitment to building healthy soil begins with low-till farming techniques. We use a permanent bed system, hand tools, and shallow tillage to build soil health and grow healthy plants.

Limited plastic: From starting seeds to packaging produce, we are working to limit single-use plastics. For example, we use soil blocks instead of plastic trays for seeding, do not use plastic mulch in our fields, sell plant starts in recycled pots, re-use CSA boxes, and offer compostable produce bags at the market. We encourage you to bring your own produce bags when you shop, too!

Fertilizers: Growing plants takes a lot of nutrients, and Rising Sign is committed to using natural fertilizers that are friendly to the environment and to animals. This means we do NOT use: synthetic fertilizers, fertilizers made from dead animal products (fish meal, bone meal, etc.). We DO use cover cropping, plant-based compost, composted animal manure, and other natural fertilizers such as kelp meal.

Integrated pest management: Rising Sign does not use any chemical sprays on our plants. Instead, we work towards building a healthy, balanced ecosystem to help us manage pests. For example, we use diversification and crop rotation to reduce pest populations, interplant flowers between veggie rows to deter pests and attract beneficial insects, and use remay (a cloth cover) to protect plants from some flying insects.

Seed: Whenever possible, we purchase certified organic seeds that are open-pollinated and grown in the Pacific Northwest. We never use GMO seeds.

Solidarity Economy

Rising Sign farm is a radical, queer farm business invested an equitable and healthy world. We put our politics and beliefs into action through practicing solidarity economics. As we continue to learn and grow and strive to do better, please feel free to send ideas and feedback our way!

Sliding scale: Our CSA is offered on a sliding scale, where the members who are able to pay more, directly supporting healthy food access for members who pay less. This is income redistribution on a very small scale! See our CSA page for more info.

Real rent: Rising Sign Farm occupies Coast Salish land, and we recognize the history of white supremacy that enables our farm to exist here. Our propagation house and markets are located on Duwamish land, and our farm field is on Snoqualmie land. We pay Real Rent to the Duwamish, equal to our yearly lease on the land. If you are located in the Seattle area, you can find more information about paying real rent here.

Know Your Farmer