Heyday Farm family branches out as longtime managers depart

Published 10:48 am Friday, April 1, 2016

Heyday Farm managers Alice and Craig Skipton will be stepping down this month after having managed the island agricultural institution since 2011, farm owners Steve Romein and Ty Cramer have announced.

In addition, several new hands will join the team in various capacities as the farm continues to pursue new and improved ways to continue with its enduring vision of sustainable — environmentally, financially, and ethically — small-scale farming.

“They were a development team with Ty and me,” Romein said of the longtime farm manager husband/wife team. “We had a broad concept, but Craig and Alice were our full-time development managers to get what is a full, working, sustainable, ‘pasture-dance’ type of farm going.”

“Pasture dance” refers to what is called a “Closed-Loop Nutrient Management” system, one that brings nutrients from the soil into plants and from plants to animals and, ultimately, to humans.

The Skiptons designed Heyday with this approach, which allows the farm to capture and process farm waste back into a healthy source of nutrients for plants and livestock alike while protecting water quality and conserving resources.

“[The Skiptons] did the hard work, from research to purchasing to processing,” Cramer said. “That part of their legacy is really critical. They built it up, and now it’s ready to roll into the next phase.”

To that end, Romein and Cramer have announced several additions and expansions to the farm which will better integrate its four separate, but intertwined, enterprises: Heyday Farm, Heyday Farm Creamery, Heyday Farm Store and Heyday Farm House.

Brian McWhorter of Butler Greens will take charge of agriculture, eggs and meat at Heyday Farm. He has deep roots in farming, many years of experience and first met Romein and Cramer five years ago while serving on the board of Friends of the Farms. He visited Heyday when it was first conceived, and said he is pleased to be partnering with them now.

“It’s pretty amazing what Alice and Craig and Steve and Ty have accomplished,” he said.

John and Vicky McGarrity, operators of Hansville Creamery, will merge their 7-year-old operation and their herd with Heyday as they begin managing the farm’s creamery.

The McGarritys were aware of Heyday and were interested in expanding their small operation, Romein and Cramer explained. As founding members of Kitsap Fresh, an organization that promotes products from local farmers and craftspeople, they are steeped in the local food culture and committed to developing relationships that make small farms sustainable.

When they were invited to visit Heyday and to consider working the dairy, Vicky said, “It was right in line with what we wanted to do already, but didn’t have the room to do. The facility itself is state-of-the-art.”

“They built a wonderful operation.” John agreed. “It took our breath away when we saw it for the first time. We’re just glad to be a part of it.”

Tadao “Tad” Mitsui, a native Bainbridge Islander who grew up farming, fishing and foraging, will continue to lead the Heyday Farm House, cooking meals, catering special events, preparing food for the Heyday Farm Store and managing the overnight guest rooms.

According to the owners and managers — old and new — when it comes to small farms, the concept of sustainability must include the nurturing of the human resources that bring the food to life, and bringing experienced and dedicated professionals into a partnership where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Each of these individuals will bring their own perspectives, their own energy and their own ideas for cooperative ventures, Romein and Cramer agreed.

“I’m excited about the synergy,” Romein said. “Each operation has a professional that’s really excited about their contribution. They’re all trying to make a living off their piece, but they are all very appreciative of the greater vision and how the parts will contribute to the greater good.”

Islanders can expect to soon see more produce, meat, cheese and eggs on local menus and in the Heyday Farm Store (4569 Lynwood Center Road NE).