About the CTK Farm
CTK Food Share and Farm exists to use the vehicle of food to bring hope to the hungry people in Whatcom County and help volunteers become more like Jesus.
A glimpse into the hunger crisis in Whatcom County:
1 in 4 families access food organizations in Whatcom County on a regular basis.
1 in 5 children struggle with getting enough to eat which leads to many difficulties in other areas of life such as stress, struggling to focus at school, and health concerns.
2 out of every 3 community college students in the US are food insecure and unsure where their next meal is coming from.
Americans throw out 30-40% of the food that we create.
39% of families in Whatcom County do not make that basic cost of living wage. Basic cost of living for a family of 4 in Washington state is $62,000.
Whatcom County is the largest area of need in Washington State with 50% of the resources available in other counties.
These statistics are shocking and motivates our work with 30+ partners to help tackle hunger in Whatcom County. Our goal is to help fill some of the holes in the local food safety net system that God has equipped us to fill.
Farming
For 18 years we have been farming a piece of donated land in Whatcom County on the corner of Hemmi and Hannegan.
This part of our ministry is where we utilize the most people serving alongside us. We are passionate about following Jesus's calling to feed the hungry and put our faith in action to grow exactly what our partners need. We are passionate about putting our Faith in Action and working with our partners to grow exactly what they need.
Each year we deploy over 150 volunteers to work directly in our fields planting, harvesting and even weeding to produce over 100,000 lbs to be given away to our local partners here in Whatcom County.
If you are interested in serving at the Farm head over to our “Get Involved” page to find out how!
Food Drives
Non-perishable items are also a huge part of what our partners need each and every week so we also do consistent and ongoing food drives.
This part of our ministry has grown substantially since 2020 and has become an integral part of what we’re doing at the Food Share & Farm.
Each Month we select a specific item for our Item of the Month Club participants to donate for one of our specific partners but we also always take all miscellaneous items sort them in our small pantry then redistribute them in helpful quantities to local school pantries, food banks, meal programs and more!
If you would like to participate you can join the Item of the Month club by texting ‘food’ to (360) 800-4173 and we’ll text you the link to the online wishlist for that month’s item as a friendly reminder.
Gleaning
Whatcom County is full of different types of farms and especially berry farms many of which cannot harvest all there is to harvest.
So, we use a volunteer coordinator and tons of volunteers each year to glean berries and other fresh foods from local farms or backyards. In 2024 we gleaned over 4,000 lbs of fresh produce using over 170 volunteers!
If you are interested in being a part of our gleaning team or have a place you would like us to come glean please contact our Food Share and Farm Director, Faith Whaley.
Business Donations
Since we work with over 30 different organizations in Whatcom County, many businesses have loved partnering with us to donate their extra food.
This partnership means they don’t have to do all the research on where the best place to take it or who can use it is. They just give us a call and we arrange pick up or a drop off time and take it from there.
We have several businesses that donate a few times a year to some that donate each week. Receiving these extras has has been such a blessing to our partners!
If you own a business or are interested in donating to us through a local business please reach out to our Food Share and Farm Director, Faith Whaley.
Field Trips
This part of our ministry is all about engaging younger folks into what we are up to out at the Food Share and Farm!
We host all ages from preschool to High Schoolers and more. Each of these trips is planned between the teachers/admins and our director to best meet the needs of what that specific group is looking for.
We have students come out to serve and work in the fields, or to learn about farming or even an indoor can sorting project! If you have any size group you would like to bring to the farm we would love to chat with you to see how we can make that happen.
Our groups have ranged from 10-190 kiddos so we are able to make alot of different things happen! If this is something you would like to do please reach out to Faith and she will work with you to see if we have an opportunity to come together.
Hosting Serving Events
Building community and sharing what we do with those around us is a huge driver of our work.
Each year over 6000 hours of work goes into all of our different aspects of what we do. To pull this off we host lots of different serving opportunities for small groups, schools, families and more.
Each of these events is planned based on who is showing up and what needs to be done out at the farm. Honestly these are some of our favorite parts being able to share the story of why we love what we do, what Jesus is doing through us, and allowing those around us to experience it right along with us!
If you are looking for a serving opportunity for your small group, school group, or business, reach out to Faith Whaley, our Food Share & Farm Director. We would love to find an opportunity for you!
Hosting Community Events
The farm is a beautiful place and we love hosting community events there.
We have hosted staff or volunteer appreciation events, participated in local organization Farm Tours, hosted Tie dying parties for our partners and more!
We love what we do and love to share that with the community around us! Contact Faith Whaley for more information on hosting an event.