Today’s Sunday Visit is with our dear friend Kara Marie Gilbert over at Vibrant Valley Farm. Vibrant Valley Farm is a group of dedicated farmers committed to exploring innovative solutions to enliven the current food, floral and fiber systems. Vibrant Valley Farm is also the muscle behind the marigolds we sell on Botanical Colors!
Located on Sauvie Island, just outside of Portland, Oregon, Vibrant Valley Farm has been committed to exploring innovative solutions to enliven the current food system, both locally and globally. As part of that local and sustainably grown angle, they never use pesticides or herbicides.
Kara says, “We treat our flowers as we do the vegetables with the utmost care for the earth and for those that are handling and enjoying them as well.”
In addition to growing the most beautiful flowers for us, we just love Kara. She is one of the most honest and funny humans you will ever meet. We can’t say enough about her good energy and has been an incredible partner as we grow our raw dye materials with U.S. farmers.
We caught up with Kara to learn a little more about how she got into farming and what the farm of the future looks like to her. Here’s what she had to say…
How did you get into farming and were flowers your first crop?
I got into farming through an urban farm class at University of Oregon that promoted travel and farming and inspired me to volunteer on farms while exploring the world. From there I went to grad school and studied garden education and while completing my masters, I was eager to bring education to a larger scale and farmed with my friend for three years. From there I started Vibrant Valley Farm with my best friend and we developed systems and models that included vegetables and flowers. We farmed far more vegetables until this past year when we shifted our scale and focused on flowers and dyes.
When did the turn happen that you got into natural dye flower farming?
In 2015 Wildcraft Studios was teaching natural dye classes at Vibrant Valley Farm and connected us with Rowland Ricketts and we dove head first into the world of indigo and exploring natural dyes.
You have a new baby, how do you teach both of your children to appreciate nature?
We teach our babies about nature and the appreciation of its beauty, vastness and integral part of the living sphere by daily immersion and spending as much time outdoors as possible. It regulates their minds and the expansive space is so important for their playtime. I believe that if we spend time and learn about the natural world, we build a relationship and inherently respect and appreciate it.
What does a farm of the future look like to you?
A farm of the future to me looks like a place where there is diversity in the crop rotation, business outlets and ways in which we work and learn about soil. But ultimately, a farm of the future is subsidized by government agencies and enables small farmers to make a living.
What’s your favorite dye to work with right now?
My favorite dye to work with is indigo because I have hit a stride with my vat work and maintenance, especially celebrating the terroir of our pigment grown and processed here on the farm. Yet today, because I am preparing a dye bath, I would say marigolds! The depth of the color is extraordinary and I love working with them dry and fresh!
Learn more and support Vibrant Valley farm by doing a few things:
Shop their marigolds on our site so we can buy more!
Follow them on Instagram
Visit their website to see their own shop + delicious (food) recipes
Be on the lookout from something super exciting we’re launching soon involving more than just their marigolds…