This is Latah, Washington looking NorthWest. Poised at the southern edge of Spokane Country and nestled in the folds of fertile Palouse loam, it nourishes farming families and suburban transplants (like me) with old country charm and solitude.

We are 30 miles south of Sprague Ave in the Spokane Valley on Pines (Hiway 27 South). Once you start South on Pines/HW27, when you encounter the first Stop sign on Hiway 27, you'll be on the East edge of Latah facing East. Continue straight through the intersection (East) 4 blocks and turn left on Wood St., which is just past the self-service gas pumps. We are the only house on the right. Visitors welcome anytime ...

This is the carrot patch. It's just one half acre. 100 feet by 200 feet. But it grows 10-12,000 pounds of carrots!! Hand seeding, hand weeding, hand watering (drip tape), hand harvesting, hand sorting, hand bagging and hand loading the cooler. Whew. And, yes, it is all-natural, organic, chemical-free and unpolluted...

This is the Drängen. That's Swedish for "farm hand". Doesn't need shade breaks or retirement plans but it does eat a little. From this slow moving platform, I seed, weed and harvest. Can be configured for one or up to 8 people. I only have seats for two though. Room for you.... If even for a little while...

Here's the new carrot washer I designed and built with alot of help. My good friend Al did all the welding and a good portion of the thinking our way out of technical difficulties. Others contributed too. I think it works well. Saves a bunch of time. I market the carrots as "rinsed", so be sure to scrub them down before you eat them, although, Latah is made out of some pretty scrumptious soil...

Here's what this year's (2004) harvest looks like in the cooler. The cooler is 14 ft by 24 ft. The Lord provided this through a friend (2003) who, after de-installing it out of a local grocery store, was just going to drop it at the recycling station. Not only did he deliver it, but he came and set it up too. Thank you, Lord!!

I started growing carrots to meet Mom's need for juicing carrots required by the Hallelujah Diet (www.hacres.com) she is on rather than submitting to chemotherapy to treat for cancer. She is doing well 6 years later. Thank you again, Lord!!

Most of my carrots are medium to large in size due to their juicing purpose, but they are crisp and sweet throughout and easily cut into kindling (pieces of eight, or something like that ;^). At the beginning of the selling season, we have some quantities of small carrots as well.

If you need food for your family and can't afford it, I will give you carrots and a frozen rabbit for meat. All I ask is that you come and visit us.

We would like to invite gleaners to consider following up the harvest crew. There usually are many carrots too small for my purposes or carrots falling off the cart. Please let us know you are coming. Harvest is expected to begin the first week of October each year, but stay in touch with us as weather and other events take precedence.