Gibbs Organic Farm celebrates 50 years of growing

LEAVENWORTH — This year, Gibbs Organic Farm is celebrating 50 years of providing healthy vegetables, meat and eggs to the community.

Grant Gibbs and co-founder (and then-wife) Chris Rader purchased the Freund Canyon property in 1975 for $30,000. Using logs from the land, the couple built a shop to live in with their sons Woody, Rusty and Ivan, while building a house and a barn. Gibbs and Rader planted and sold organic fruit trees, alfalfa hay, and row crops. Today, Gibbs can be found at the Leavenworth Farmers Market.

“Grant is a back-to-the-lander who never lost his ideals,” said family friend Corky Broaddus. “He was one of the first local members of the Tilth Alliance, supporting sustainable agriculture, and has mentored many aspiring farmers over the years.” 

Over 300 people gathered at the farm on July 19 to commemorate 50 years of successful organic farming. The celebration included food, games, storytelling, live music, and a reunion of those who have helped along the way. 

The event was a group effort by both family and friends, highlighting the farm’s home grown specialties and decades old relationships. Ivan Gibbs grilled over 350 hamburgers made from beef raised on the farm. Bosket Bread and Caravan Woodfired Pizza used whole grains grown and harvested from the farm to make buns and pizza dough. The Caravan Woodfired Pizzas were also topped off with fresh farm produce. 

Woody and Danielle Gibbs, owners of Sage Mountain Natural Foods, donated additional food items, with over 200 t-shirts for tie-dye donated by Gibbs Graphics owners Rusty and Amanda Gibbs. A jam session was led by a family friend Sergio Cuevas and Chum Lillies. About 15 six-person teams engaged in a farm-style scavenger hunt and relay race, leaving them covered in dirt, cherries, chicken feathers and cow pie stains. 

“I was blown away by all who showed up to celebrate our farm, and all the love and laughter,” Grant Gibbs said, in a press release. “We’ve made a lot of friends over these 50 years, and it made me so happy to bring them together. It was a great party – and I plan to keep farming the rest of my life!”