I grew up quite literally in a food desert. The high desert country of northern Arizona, with its sagebrush and burnt orange sandstone is beautiful, but the extreme heat, sandy soil, and lack of rainfall make growing your own food a challenge. Not that it can’t be done – there were two or three large gardens that produced a few bushels-full of produce for the little farmers market in Page when I left back in 2020 – but most folks in my hometown are getting their produce shipped to them from other parts of the country and Mexico.

Fast forward three-and-a-half years and I’m enjoying fresh vegetables from my sister’s garden, and what I can’t glean from her I’m able to procure at the various farmers markets throughout Lewis and Thurston counties. I almost feel guilty about how much easier it is to access fresh produce and whole foods where I live now.

The only drawback, is that in Western Washington, our markets are only open during the warmer months (other than the Olympia Farmers Market that does stay open year-round but drops down to one day a week in the winter), and most markets are only open one day a week, and some on days and during times that make it hard for folks to sustainably source all of their produce from the markets.

This fact was not lost on Alliyah Perry, owner of Farm + Flourish in Centralia, a natural-born grower whose love affair with plants was influenced by her grandparents. “They were always growing something,” she recalls, “even if it was just a little something in a pot on the back patio.” So, Alliyah started growing things too, like tomatoes and sunflowers, until she went to college and had to put her green thumb on the back burner for a bit. “But as soon as I got my first apartment, I was growing things wherever I could find a space for them,” she says.

*Alliyah and her husband, Andrew, opened Farm + Flourish in the fall of 2023.*

In 2017 her desire to have her own farm took root, and she and her husband began looking for property. It took them three years to find what would become Green Gardens Farm in Centralia where Alliyah specializes in growing her favorites, like heirloom tomatoes, peppers, and garlic. She also grows beans, cucumbers, and ground cherries. “I’m very much the type of person that looks for the place to be right, not looking for a specific location. That right place turned out to be Centralia for us,” says Alliyah.

Talk to farmers and growers long enough and you’ll discover that they are passionate about what they do – being good stewards of the land and honoring what it has the potential to produce. You’ll also learn pretty quickly that farming is hard work – not so much the physical labor of growing things but getting people to understand the value of the product they hold in their hands.

“Some people do see the value,” says Alliyah, “but the vast majority of people don’t see the value in a $5 heirloom tomato, even though it probably cost me more than $5 to grow it. I wanted to find a way of changing not only the way people see farmers and farming, but also to give them a more easily accessible place to access those products.”

Don’t think that Alliyah is not pro- farmers market - she’s on the board of the Chehalis Farmers Market. What she saw was a need to create an opportunity for more people to access local products, and a way for more farmers and growers to get their products in front of those customers with less effort.

“I began to wonder if there was a way to make shopping for fresh, local produce more than one or two days a week, a real possibility, and if farmers and growers could drop product off for sale but didn’t have to spend the day manning a booth instead of working the farm, and the concept for Farm + Flourish was born,” says Alliyah.

Farm + Flourish is closed on Tuesdays (but folks can access fresh local products at the Chehalis Farmers Market), and open Monday, Wednesday through Friday, and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., making it easier for people to pop into the shop any night of the week except Tuesday, to grab fresh produce and locally made products. But what Alliyah is most proud of is that the store is serving so many farmers who might not have the opportunity to sell directly to the public otherwise. “They can drop off their product as often as they want, and they get a check for X amount of dollars,” she smiles. “It’s something I feel really good about.”

In addition to providing a space for farms to sell their fresh produce, Farm + Flourish also provides commissary kitchen space that local food businesses can rent out to make products they can then sell directly to markets and grocery stores.

Every farm has it’s own identity and it’s important to Alliyah that each grower is identified, even though all of their products are in the same space, so you’ll find tags that list the farm and it’s location next to their product. “People want to support their local farms,” says Alliyah, “so if I have two bins of shallots, you’ll know which farm each is from.”

What’s at the Shop

In addition to root vegetables and shelf-stable produce, you’ll find fresh lettuces, greens, and micro-greens in the refrigerated cases, as well as fresh milk, cream, and cheeses. Kombucha, salsas, fresh juices, and chicken, duck, and goose eggs are available.

Freshly milled flours and whole grains, as well as jarred condiments, sauces, and other locally-made goods are available in the back of the store, and if you’re interested in becoming a grower yourself, you won’t want to miss the wall of Maurrie’s Garden seed packets available for sale.

Pop in for an espresso and a sweet cookie or freshly baked loaf of bread and browse through the local art displays while you decide which bag of freshly roasted coffee to bring home. You’ll even find locally baked treats for your pets from Lunabones Barkery at Farm + Flourish.

If you’re not already, follow Farm + Flourish on social media (links below) to keep up with their local events, workshops, and classes.