Bode Farms Since 1902

Welcome to:
Bode Farms

Farming For You Since 1902

Located in Ferndale, Washington 
Whatcom County

Safe Food From Our Family To Yours

Bode Farms - 6th generation Family Farm operating since 1902.  We currently produced Certified Spray and Chemical Fertilizer Free Hay and Blueberries. Historically the farm produced up to 350,000 lbs. of Willamette Red Raspberries and 30,000 lbs.of Blueberries, annually.  Our products are shipped worldwide. Our soil contains the rich mix of peat, sand and Tromp Loam - the richest combination of nutrients in the world.  The farm has produced an average of 10% more production per acre than the published Washington State averages for more than two decades and our Hay crops rate at the top of Relative Feed Value charts.

We developed customer loyalty with major world corporations and we have custoemrs who have visited the farm for more than 45 years.  We built this reputation through quality control and dedication to providing a safe food supply for a world market. Our Raspberries, packed in 28 lb. containers, regularly tested as an "A grade" pack, usually only achieved in small 16 oz. containers. Our small family farms gave us the ability to rapidly process high quality raspberries earning us a great reputation among our Japanese buyers: Mitsui, Kewpie and Blue Flag Corporations.  Mitsui informed us, "Everyone on the Island is fighting for your product" .  We also provide berries for US buyers: Northwest Cold Pack, General Mills, General Foods, Kerr Concentrates, Chiquita Brands, Whole Foods, PCC, Cascadian Farms and Sakuma Brothers.

We feel fortunate to be have worked closely with Mitsui, Blue Flag and Kewpie corporations as well as Northwest Cold Pack, Brian Quigley, Brian Sakuma, Cascadian Farms and thousands of local families.

Donna Bode also works as a consultant with both farms and major corporations in the US and Canada, completing project work for: Microsoft, Sound Transit, Law Firms in Seattle, the BC Film Industry Vendors, Authors, Actors, Construction Companies, Hospitals and Agricultural Heroes (Farmers). "I am proud to bring my degrees in International Business and my Farm experience to clients providing a common sense approach to business in many fields".

In the Bode family we strive to teach the next generation how to stand together, support each other, build trust, and step up to help our Community when needed. We work hard to teach our grandchildren these traits. The barn was built in 1931 by a group of neighbors working with our Great Grandparents, Great Uncles and Father, Ernie Anderson. The neighbors could not build a barn individually but together they could build barns all over the community, and build they did. The barn fell down in a wind storm a few years ago but the basic family/neighbor/community lessons remain strong in our family.

On Mother's Day  my sons showed up to surprise me and repair the driveway. The driveway had been paved one week earlier but their thoughtfulness and pride remains a sweet gift. Farm life built character for generations in our family and continues today with the 6th generation.

We strive to teach cooperation, work ethic, and support for our community. We have had as many as 330 employees who returned each year for more than 30 years. We had the sincere honor of working with hundreds of migrant farm families and treasure those friendships. Those families taught our sons how to work while helping them become fluent in Spanish.  My children and grandchildren  continue to benefit from the ethics, values and work skills that the families and "Dolores", our manager, taught them.

We feel fortunate to work and play in the Pacific Northwest and continue to educate ourselves on cultures around the world. It has been a great honor to work with families from Mexico, Central America and buyers from across the US, Japan, Germany and Australia. We are very proud to have President Obama represent us on this world stage and are proud American Farmers. 

Thank you for the many years of support. We look forward to expanding to meet your needs in the future. Watch for Announcements and Notices when crops are ready for harvest. In 2014 we'll expand our production adding Raspberries, Strawberries and Vegetables.  Taste tests on the blueberries have proven that flavor is also lost with conventional farming and we look forward to showing you produce grown on chemical free land.  Watch this site, Facebook and Twitter for updates


Thank you,

The Bode Family
2424 Zell Road, Ferndale, WA 98248
bodefarms@gmail.com
(360) 920-3789

Weather remains ideal for Blueberries

With the cooler weather the crop is heavy.  We are open Sunup until Sundown Seven Days a Week with an anticipated close date of October 10th.  Please bring paper bags and cardboard boxes.  Blueberries do not do well in plastic.  Come and enjoy our 6th generation Family Farm.   Upick 1.00 per pound.  Picked Berries $2.00 per pound.

Condition of the Berries - Perfect This Week

Our Blueberries are in great condition this week.  The Cooler weather firmed up the fruit and now we are in the peak of the harvest.  We welcome you to also bring your picnic lunch and come and enjoy the farm.   Call ahead and you can even reserve our 6 or 9 acre fields for your church or school baseball game.....360.920.3789

Bode Family

Farming For You Since 1902

We Are Open......360.920.3789

U pick this year is $1.00 per pound and delivered berries are $2.00 per pound.  This is the 23rd year without fertilizer or sprays and there are 3000 bushes to harvest.

Crop is beautiful this year.  We have a great group of students and assistants to help you find a good spot to pick.  Bring your picnic and come and enjoy the farm.

Tip:  Blueberries are best transported and stored in paper/boxes etc. until ready to freeze.  Plastic is fine for freezing but softens the berries.   Farming for you since 1902 - 112 years of safe food from our family to yours.

Bode Farms

2014 Crop Harvest

Blueberry harvest will begin approximately July 15th this year.  We normally begin at the end of July but the warm weather is pushing the harvest to mature quickly. We continue to maintain a Fertilizer free, Spray free crop of both Blueberries and Hay.

We were not able to fill all of your orders last year due to the damages to the crops from extreme heat.  We intend to fill those orders first this year and thank you for your patience.

The Team at Bode Farms

Safe Food From Our Family To Yours Since 1902

Crop Losses

This season was the first time in 50 years with a 75% crop loss.  The heat and dry days in early August "cooked" the berries, dehydrating both the fruit and the bushes and they just never recovered.  It was neither expected, nor something we've experienced before.  We always close October 10th with the first frost but our season ended August 15th .....we kept checking the fields thinking they would "come back", we continued to fill our order books with orders and walking the fields for 8 more weeks, waiting for the berries to plump, ripen, and size.  Nature taught us a new lesson this year.  Those of you who are still waiting for berries will be first next year.  Sorry we could not fill your orders....we too have an empty freezer this year.   Thank you for the ongoing support.  We are continuing with our plan to plant several acres of vegetables next year and we expect the produce to be both tasty and safe.  Watch this site for more information.  You can also find Bode Farms on Face book.  Safe Food From Our Family To Yours For 110 years.

The Bode Farms Team

September Harvest

The berries are still not plump and sweet.  We've been waiting for the slightly "dehydrated" fruit to both size and ripen.  That extreme heat we had in mid August has created significant problems in the fields.  We have more than a ton of orders to fill and the berries are not sizing.  They are sour and dry right now.   We've never seen this before.  The Maple trees on the farm have shriveled leaves and we've never seen that before either.

For those who got their berries early, please enjoy them.  We'll keep trying and we'll keep you posted.  We can't figure out what's going to happen next.  We usually harvest for 4 more weeks until the first heavy frost in mid October.  We shall see.......