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 is a 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 for shipment worldwide. Our land contains the richest mix of peat, sand and Tromp Loam - one of the richest combinations of nutrients in the world.  The farm has grown an average of 10% more production per acre than the published Washington State averages for more than a decade. Due to the soil conditions our Hay crops rate at the top of the Relative Feed Value charts.

Hard work, that is both effective and productive, has been a strong family trait. We developed customer loyalty with major world corporations and seniors who have visited the farm for more than 40 years.  We built our 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 ability to rapidly process high quality raspberries earned us an amazing 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 and Sakuma Brothers.


This hard work, along with a heavy involvement in community sports, taught us all skills that we continue to contribute in our community.  We feel fortunate to be able to work closely with Mitsui, Blue Flag and Kewpie corporations as well as Northwest Cold Pack, Brian Quigley, Brian Sakuma and Cascadian Farms.

Donna Bode also works as a consult with both farmers and major corporations in the US and Canada, completing project work for: Microsoft, Sound Transit, Law Firms, BC Film Industry Vendors, Authors, Actors, Construction Companies, Hospitals and Agricultural Heroes (Farmers). "I am proud to bring my degrees in International Business and Economics as well as 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 others when needed. We work hard to teach our grandchildren these traits and in this family we never turn our back when others are in need. The barn on our farm was built in 1931 by a group of neighbors working with my Great Grandparents, Great Uncles and, as a child, my 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  our sons showed up to surprise us and level our 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 our community how to cooperate, work ethically, and support each other in our endeavors. We have had as many as 350 employees who returned each year for more than 30 years. We had the sincere pleasure and honor of working with hundreds of migrant farm families and, to this day, treasure those friendships. My children learned to work side by side as the families taught them how to work.  They learned fluent Spanish from the farm manager "Dolores" and continue to benefit from the ethics, values and work skills the families 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 to be American Farmers. 

Thank you for 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 2012 we'll expand our berries adding Raspberries and Strawberries and vegetables.  Taste tests on the blueberries have proven that flavor is also lost with conventional farming.  We know you will be enjoy the quality and benefit from the 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