Rachel Vaughn and her husband Eric founded Vaughn’s Teaching Farm and Kitchen earlier this year. Located at 2503 191st Pl SW in Lynnwood, WA, the farm is an agricultural sanctuary in the city. Aside from the Vaughn family, the land is home to goats, chickens, rabbits, dogs, and a duck. They grow seasonal crops at the farm as well. If you chat with Eric, he’ll convince you to try some kale fresh off the plant (and you’ll never want store-bought kale again).
With Halloween creeping up, the Vaughn’s are hosting a small pumpkin patch and a spooky forest every weekend from 10 am – 4 pm until October 31st. Though it’s not a commercial-sized pumpkin patch, visitors won’t be disappointed. There are all sorts of pumpkins and squashes, fun little outdoor games for children, and some stellar apple cider.
The spooky forest at Vaughn’s farm is ideal for children ten years and younger, as there are no jump scares but plenty of creepy things to look at, like spiders, rats, and bats. The walk is brief too, so it’s no time commitment to check it out and enjoy breathing in the fresh outdoors amidst the spooks.
Rachel Vaughn is a natural educator, explaining why “Teaching” is in the farm’s name. Whether you’re a grown-up looking to be more self-sufficient, or a child curious to know more about farm animals, there is something to learn for everyone.
“We’re a teaching farm,” explains Rachel explains, “we teach from seed to table.”
“So everything from learning how to grow, things that help it grow, from ladybugs to worms, compost. And we learn how to use that, and we do it age-appropriate at all levels,” she continued. “And we teach you what to do with what you’ve grown. So that people understand and have a better connection with their food.”
One of the central missions of Vaughn’s Farm is to connect people with their food. “You don’t get to taste things at the grocery store; they frown upon that,” she says jokingly. “So when you come to a farm, you get to see how it grows, where it grows, and you get to taste it — and you feel like you have some say in the matter. And kids and adults are more likely to enjoy things when they get to have a say in it.”
Rachel also believes that food can unite people and strengthen their sense of community. “Food is a common language between everybody,” she says. “It’s a language we all speak. Everyone bringing their food to the table connects us and unites us.”
While the season is winding down, Rachel plans on letting the farm rest. “After the pumpkins, we’ll wrap everything up for the winter. Everything that needs to grow needs to rest. Farms need to rest,” she explains.
While the farm gets to rest, Rachel anticipates being busy with planning and scheduling for spring. “We do a lot of growing classes [in the spring],” she says. “A fun one is compost and worms. A lot can be learned by sifting compost, finding worms, talking about them. They are the hardest workers on my farm.”
Those interested in learning more about Vaughn’s Teaching Farm and Kitchen can click here to visit their website and follow them on Instagram at @vaughnsteachingfarmandkitchen.
Author: Bo John Brusco
