Mission:

Maha Farm and Forest enhances the South Whidbey environment by growing farm and forest products with environmentally positive practices that produce a sustainable harvest. We share resources and experiences with our communities.

People:

Anza Muenchow and Marc Wilson, have almost 40 years experience between them growing food, flowers, bushes and trees, mostly in an urban setting. Anza has been teaching urban food gardening, composting and recycling to adults and children for over 15 years. She currently teaches food growing at the Calyx community school at the South Whidbey Tilth Sustainability Campus.

Place:

Maha Farm and Forest is located near the southern end of Whidbey Island, at 4328 Glendale Road. Our land is 40 acres of forested land, shaped like a saddle with high points in the northwest and southeast. The farm is located at the northwest high point along Glendale Road. In the seat of the saddle is a series of wetlands, draining northeast to Glendale Creek and southwest to other wetlands. From the highest point to the lowest is approximately 80 feet. The soil is a glacial outflow plain on top of glacial till, mostly sand with other constituents varying by location, including gravel, rocks, boulders, silt and clay. The glacial till landform forms a series of small ridges, peaks and scooped out areas.

The 2nd growth forest was logged in the early 1990’s and replanted in Douglas Fir, many of which are over 60 feet. There are older trees scattered throughout the land, and many seedlings, most commonly alder and second most commonly cedar. Common trees and shrubs are Himalayan Blackberry, the native Creeping Blackberry, Evergreen Blackberry, Salmonberry, Salal, Evergreen Red Huckleberry, Deciduous Huckleberry, Sword Fern, Bracken Fern, Red Alder, Douglas Fir, Red Cedar, Hemlock, Elderberry, Willow, Bitter Cherry, White Pine, and Big Leaf Maple.

Vision:

We grow a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and flowers on a few acres. The rest of the land forms a forest managed to foster a diverse ecosystem of native plants and animals, including sustaining and enhancing existing wetlands. We grow and harvest forest products in a low impact, sustainable way. Trails provide access to the different ecosystems for education and recreation. Programs and curriculum for studying sustainable farming or forest ecosystems are available for educators and the general public.