Skagit Sun berries are grown and packed in the Skagit Valley by Kruse Farms, a family farm in the berry business for over a quarter of a century. Our fields are located in the rich Skagit Valley delta flats that lie between La Conner and Mt. Vernon, Washington. From over a hundred acres of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries we select only the cream of the crop and deliver them fresh every day direct from farm to market. Many of the varieties we grow have been around so long they can be considered heirloom. We have stuck with them because we feel they are still unsurpassed in flavor and sweetness. (For more information on our varieties please refer to the "Our Berries" page of this web site.)
The berries that are not picked for fresh market are sold to our local processor. This valley is world renown for the excellence of its berries and supplies such quality manufacturers as Hagen Daz and Breyers. Kruse Farms also grows a large quantity cucumbers that end up in jars labeled Nalleys, Farmans and Steinfelds. If you've bought any of their pickles you've probably sampled some of our cucumber crop.
We take an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) approach to farming. We feel through monitoring and proper cultivation techniques the use of chemicals can be kept to an absolute minimum. We believe in stewardship of the land and are strong advocates of farmland preservation.
In 1989 myself and a few other farmers created Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland. Today that organization is recognized nationally as being in forefront of the farm preservation movement. SPF was instrumental in the creation of the Farmland Legacy Program which buys the development rights to critical farmlands. In 2002 Kruse Farms participated in this program by putting a conservation easement on 46 acres in the lower valley, thus ensuring that it will be farmed for generations to come. Thus far SPF succeeded in preserving over 2300 acres of this rich delta soil. For more information on SPF go to www.skagitonians.org.
Of course the real key to farmland preservation is economic viability for the family farm. Buying local produce is the best way to ensure not only that you are getting the freshest available but also supporting family farms and the continuance of local green open space.
The rich soil and cool maritime climate of the Skagit Valley provides a bounty of wonderful foods and we are pleased to contribute by offering you our fresh, delicious strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. The season is short and the berries are incomparable in flavor and sweetness. We hope that you seek them out in the many markets we supply throughout the Puget Sound Region.
Bon Appetit!
- Don Kruse
