We gathered on Election Day wanting to believe we would win, but afraid to hope too much, fearing our hopes would be dashed. (PTSD from the 2020 election. That evening when results were rolling in, we saw positive trends on the national scene but had our hopes plummet on the state and local front. Again. The roller coaster continued and we saw the map getting redder and redder as we experienced hope rising and then to sweep all the swing states, win the House, Senate, and popular vote, was just SO MUCH WINNING!
We THANK GOD for this victory and for sparing our nation from what could have been the end of the republic. This Thanksgiving will be especially memorable as we thank GOD for His mercy. May we be found faithful, for there is no resting upon this victory.
Let’s look back on Nov 5th to the fantastic day we enjoyed and met some new friends.
The program was a feature of “Women in Agriculture in Whatcom County”. The goal was to highlight women who play significant roles in their farms and businesses and learn what they do. Each one was unique in their roles in a family business and their passion was evident.
Our first speaker was Kim DeBruin of Pacific Growers which was started by her grandparents, Dave and Annemiek VanWingerden, who moved from the Netherlands to WA state and started the VanWingerden Greenhouses with his brother in 1988. Their great-grandparents grew flower crops outdoors in the Netherlands. Pacific Growers is now a large family business with all six children fully involved in running it. Each year they plant and produce more than 100,000 hanging baskets and over a million bedding plants and annuals. Most of their business is wholesaling, but they are open to the public a few times a year. Click here To Learn More Kim provided ten beautiful poinsettias for our raffle. Thank you, Kim!
Next, we heard from Julie Enfield, with Enfield Farms being a very familiar name in our county with their many berry fields in the north part of the county. Julie is involved with research and development in the business. Her mother-in-law, Linda, also was present. It was she and her husband Marvin who established Enfield Farms in 1977 when they began farming 80 acres of raspberries. Marv discovered that both blueberries and raspberries thrived beautifully under the wet PNW climate and soil conditions. He continued expanding his farm, growing to the size it is today: over 1000 acres! It is still a family business. See A Very Berry Journey Julie donated a generous box of chocolate-covered frozen raspberries for our raffle. Thank you, Julie!
Brianna Widen, co-founder of Windor Farms shared the story of how she and her husband began their dream of a custom butchery. She says, “From asphalt to gravel, from neighborhoods to pastures; we traded suburban sidewalks for real ranch life.” For years they saved, prayed, worked, and learned, then in 2017 God stepped in and it all began and has only continued to grow. They live on their farm with their 3 children. Their family takes pride in the livestock they raise on the ranch. They have Angus cattle that graze in the pastures, heritage breed hogs roaming their fields and woods, a flock of Icelandic sheep, and busy chickens. They strive to feed their customers the highest quality food directly from their farm. Their Ranch Store is located on the farm and open to the public every Saturday from 10-2 pm in Custer. Check out their products
Got milk? Shannon Smith of MyShan Dairy does! Shannon and her husband Mylon started their dairy first as a 4-H project that got out of hand. She retired after 27 years of nursing and now is a dairy woman and busy mom. They began building their herd in 2009. They serve a specialty niche with their premium Guernsey whole milk, also one of only a handful that is certified non-GMO. Guernsey cattle are unique because beta carotene (Vit A) is passed into the milk, which gives the milk its golden hue. Shannon noted the cow’s A2 beta-casein is the reason for the rich silky pour. Guernsey’s A2/A2 gene has health benefits and makes it easier to digest - perhaps even for people who are lactose intolerant. MyShan Dairy sells more than 1000 gallons of milk weekly, available locally at Haggans, Green Barn, Grocery Outlet, and other places. Small dairy, big on quality
Ashton Beanblossom shared the story behind Beanblossom Acres. She grew up on a dairy farm and loved the farm life, but when her dad decided to sell the herd she was not quite ready for that. So the retired cow dairy was revamped into a goat dairy in 2020 and is still a fourth-generation farm. Ashton is milking 95 goats of various breeds and raising another 110 doelings to join the herd in the next couple of years. She sells her milk to Grace Harbor Farms for their many goat milk products. Ashton says that her goats love being out on pasture with the fresh grass and soaking in the sun! See Ashton featured by Whatcom Conservation District You can also enjoy her YouTube videos Beanblossom Acres
Our last speaker was just as enthusiastic about her farm, Legacy Custom Ag, Kara Teachman. Kara works with local cattle farmers to care for their “newborns” to ensure they get the best possible start. On her property is the nursery for their first three months. She loves caring for these creatures and sees this as caring for God’s precious creation and is often reminded of the scripture which says God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. In addition, Kara raises water buffalo. Yes, you heard that right. She had a lovely display with lots of fun pictures of these hairy bovines. The aspiration for this herd is that they have very unique milk with highly prized enzymes that make superb cheese, well known in Italy.
Thank you Appel Cheese and Twin Sisters for your raffle donations!
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS and NEW JOINS - ARE NOW OPEN!
We are stronger together and our upcoming year will be local elections for school boards and city councils. It will also be invigorating to experience optimism together on the national scene. We must continue to fight the battle to promote and preserve conservative values. Please renew your membership now for 2025.
You may do so online or by mailing a check made out to RWWC to
P.O. Box 433, Custer 98240
This will be a fun, festive social! There will be some extras including a GIFT for each member and music with Nancy. We will briefly overview our club committees. Members will elect and install the new board of officers for the next two-year term. Let’s celebrate WINNING together! Make your reservation now IF you are a 2024 or 2025 MEMBER.
Membership can be paid online or you can mail a check
“Enter His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give THANKS to Him and praise His Name.”
Ps 100:4
Strong Women, Strong Values
Jennifer Sefzik
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