About Cloud Mountain Farm Center

Photo courtesy of Connor Harron

Cloud Mountain Farm Center

Cloud Mountain Farm Center is a production farm, non-profit education center, and nursery located on 20 acres at the foot of Sumas Mountain. Founded in 2011, our mission is to share knowledge and resources that support a resilient, accessible, and equitable regional food system. We believe in farmers as leaders in community and climate resilience, and we believe that agriculture is for everyone. Our programs include the Cloud Mountain nursery, our organic fruit production, our agricultural education pilot program, our infrastructure & aggregation facilities and partnerships, and our exceptional workshops and events.

Learn more about us and our programs on our programs page.

Mission

Cloud Mountain Farm Center’s mission is to share knowledge and resources that support a resilient, accessible, and equitable regional food system. A production farm for over 40 years, our 20 acres at the foot of Sumas Mountain are home to innovation, inspiration, possibility, and open sharing. We believe in farmers as leaders in community and climate resilience and in the capacity for flourishing, productive landscapes from the micro to the ecosystem scale.

Vision

Healthy, productive ecosystems and good land stewardship form the backbone of our region and our communities. Individuals and institutions are reliably and nutritiously fed by a regional food system built on equity, efficiency, and ecological well-being.

Our History

Cloud Mountain Farm Center was started in 1978 as Cloud Mountain Farm by Tom and Cheryl Thornton (pictured). This 20-acre farm in Everson, Washington has evolved over the years, starting as an apple orchard and garlic farm, and expanding into vegetable crops and nursery production. Cloud Mountain was known for researching, propagating and growing the best varieties for the Pacific Northwest – as well as for our internship program that supported beginning farmers. We merged with Sustainable Connections in 2019.

Today, Cloud Mountain Farm Center is dedicated to providing hands-on learning experiences to aspiring farmers, experienced farmers, and home gardeners. In addition, we work with new and experienced farmers to create cooperative accessibility with the goal of developing and expanding markets for locally grown fruits. Learn more about our current work on our programs page.

Sustainable Connections

In 2019, Cloud Mountain Farm Center merged with Sustainable Connections to provide high quality education and technical assistance for farmers, home gardeners, value added food producers, distributors, restaurants, caterers, grocery retailers, farmer’s markets, and food serving institutions. Our continued partnership is a growing opportunity to connect the dots from local farms to community plates.

Tom Thornton has shared some thoughts about stepping down from the leadership of the organization and you can find answers to frequently asked questions about the merger on Sustainable Connections’ website.