Regenerative Roots: Meet Sundowner Farm

Showcasing their fresh produce at the Olympia Farmers Market, Sundowner Farm is a testament to sustainable agriculture. Embracing organic and regenerative practices, they're cultivating a vibrant array of fruits and vegetables, nourishing their community and enriching the land for generations to come.

The Dream Behind Sundowner Farm

While still attending The Evergreen State College, Caleb Poppe started Sundowner Farm five years ago on a “leap and a prayer.” With an insatiable need to feed people nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables and minimal experience, he dedicated himself to creating his small business with the goal of providing his local community with responsibly and regeneratively grown food while respecting the soil it came from.

Caleb considers himself to be a bit of a late bloomer. Unsure of what path to take, he considered studying Forest Ecology or something similar that would allow him to work outside within natural systems. When he sat in on his first class about soil science and soil ecosystems, he was hooked by the dark mysterious world that he would eventually become part of but that he knew so little about.

He enrolled in a year-long organic farming course for undergraduates which ultimately sealed his farming fate. He knew joining a community of people who took pride growing organic produce and medicine for themselves and their community would lead him down the path of fulfillment.

A Local Farm Focusing on Sustainable Agriculture

In the short five years he’s been farming, Caleb quickly recognized that to continuously produce fresh, nutritious food from a single plot of land (Caleb’s growing area is less than half a football field), he had to at the very least give back to the soil as much as he was taking out of it. Regenerative farming (the process of restoring degraded soil) relies on a healthy balance of input and output. Similarly to how we need to eat to survive, so too do soil microorganisms that are the true growers of the food we eat. “Every time we harvest,” says Caleb, “a deficit is created within the soil.” Through cover cropping and healthy fertilization, Caleb gives back to the soil without depending on synthetic fertilizers to grow his crops.

Maintaining this balance within his farm’s ecosystem isn’t easy. It comes by creating and supporting an abundant biodiversity. Caleb is combating issues like pests and plant disease without the use of harmful chemicals that ultimately poison the soil, waterways, and wildlife that are unfortunate enough to come into contact with them, making him a true steward of the land.

For Caleb, farming isn’t a career, it’s a lifestyle. Growing food is immensely gratifying, but it can be hard, exhaustive work and can naturally lead to anxiety. Caleb admits that the nature of farming can often isolate growers from people – their friends, family, and even the people their product serves. “Within this isolation, I recognize that I’m sharing this from the perspective of a white man living in America,” Caleb shares. “I have to acknowledge the privilege that I’m given in this world solely because of the color of my skin. Seeing my own struggles as an agriculturalist, I’m humbled by t he tenacity of BIPOC farmers who battle similar struggles in addition to experiencing systematic racism. I have so much respect for these growers.”

During particularly challenging growing seasons, Caleb is inspired to continue his work by surrounding himself with likeminded people who have also devoted their lives to slowing down their process. It’s support that comes from networking with other growers that keeps him going. “Working together, we all thrive,” he says.

Where to Find Produce from Sundowner Farm

Sundowner Farm is not open to the public but is an integral part of the local farm-to-table food movement. They supply organic fruits and vegetables to local restaurants such as Chicory, Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar, Mother’s Roots at the Olympia Farmers Market, and Sofie’s Scoops.

You can find Caleb’s fresh produce at the Olympia Farmers Market (check here for seasonal dates and vendor schedules).