Illinois Ave Urban Farm

Illinois Ave Urban Farm Looking for healthy heirloom and specialty vegetables and flowers grown in the living soil of our urban Bemiss/Logan/Chief Garry Park neighborhood?

Freshly picked, beyond organic produce grown right in our northside Spokane Washington USA neighborhood. This page and our stand offer the seasonal bounty of the Earth, unusual and heirloom produce, occasional culinary recipes old and new, a little bit of local food network philosophy and classes, and hope for a more sustainable future amidst an increasingly urbanized global environment.

When the farm stand umbrella is up in our driveway and you are looking for locally grown goods, just knock on the front door or holler at the back gate! Proprietors Kathleen Callum and Robert Sloma are currently restoring a 1928 California style bungalow, advocate for Food Not Lawns on their own lawn and community garden, are archeologists, and have one son. Both grew up gardening, have helped the family make maple syrup at the Callum Sugarbush in New Hampshire, sold produce at a farmer’s market in New Hampshire, and a boutique organic restaurant in Vermont. They volunteered as community garden managers on Spokane’s northwest side, prior to its development by the non-profit who owned the land. Both are grateful to a V.A. loan, thanks to Kathleen’s service in the military, used to purchase their 1928 California Craftsman, which they are restoring.Now besides gardening on their own urban lot, and gleaning from their old Italian neighborhood trees, they rent a plot at the Chief Garry Community Garden. Robert Sloma’s parents immigrated from Poland. He missed speaking Polish when he moved to Washington State, so was inspired to bring together Polish-Americans in the Inland Northwest through Spokolonia (an amalgam of Spokane and Polonia). Robert is passionate about heirloom tree fruit, works for a local tribe as an archeologist, and graduated from S.U.N.Y. Plattsburg and University of Leicester, England in Anthropology and Historical Archeology. One of his favorite facebook posts videos, , narrated in both Polish and English, demonstrates how to make caraway and juniper berry flavored naturally fermented sauerkraut the traditional way. Kathleen graduated in Geology and Anthropology from University of Montana and Quaternary Studies from University of Maine (now the Institute for Climate Change), retired from U.S.D.A. after suffering a stroke, specializes in early agriculture and horticulture, is the President of Inland Northwest Community Gardens, volunteers as one of the WSU Master Gardeners-Spokane County, and is one of the Spokane County Master Composters/Recyclers. She is passionate about growing the local food network, community sustainability and resiliency, and . Gardening and taking care of Earth’s bounty helps inspire her and keeps her going.

02/20/2026

Celebrating the life and legacy of visionary Dr. Elaine Ingham whose transformative work has revolutionized soil science and showed a new way to exist harmoniously with natural systems. She was a groundbreaking microbiologist and a vibrant leader in the regenerative agriculture movement who developed the concept of the Soil Food Web. Dr. Elaine championed the critical role of microorganisms in building healthy, sustainable ecosystems. As a researcher, educator, and mentor, her innovative studies and tireless advocacy empowered farmers, scientists, and environmentalists worldwide to restore and sustain soil health.

Dr. Ingham founded the Soil Food Web School whose mission continues to be empowering individuals and organizations to regenerate the soils in their communities. She served as the Soil Food Web School's Principal Ambassador, Science and Research Advisor. Today the school is a thriving part of her living legacy, teaching soil science and empowering growers, consultants and lab-techs with the skills to support careers in the field.

Connecting the microscopic world of soil with the larger world of gardening and farming has literally changed the world. Dr. Elaine Ingham built bridges with her Soil Food Web approach between many communities of practice and regenerative movements including organic food production, agroecology, agroforestry, permaculture, holistic land management, biodynamics, regenerative agriculture, and ecological restoration.

Venerated by the global permaculture movement, Dr. Elaine's Soil Food Web approach has levelled up the practices, strategies and techniques for soil regeneration in all climates and contexts.

To continue her life’s work, her family requests planting a tree or making a donation to the Soil Food Web Foundation.

Photo by Grace Solkinson

08/23/2025

A HEATWAVE IS EXPECTED IN OUR AREA!
HOW PLANTS RESPOND TO HIGH TEMPERATURES
The growth rate of plants increases in response to temperature. Once temperatures exceed 86°F, the growth rate of most plants begins to slow. This happens because the rate of photosynthesis reduces when temperatures soar into the 90s and 100s. Respiration, however, continues day and night despite temperatures. If extreme heat continues for weeks at a time, the result may be death due to a depletion of food reserves.

High temperatures can also cause severe water loss (desiccation) when transpiration (the process by which leaves release water v***r to the atmosphere) exceeds moisture absorption by the roots.

WHAT TO DO IN EXTREME HEAT
-Water in the morning
-Baskets may need water twice daily
-Check soil moisture before watering
-Mulch the soil with organic mulch such as wood chips, soil or leaves to prevent excessive water loss
-Provide shade by moving plants or utilizing shade cloth
-Do not fertilize as this creates additional plant stress
-Wait to transplant or propagate
-Protect the gardener with a hat and adequate water

Open the link for more suggestions :
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/managing-garden-extreme-heat
Image of cucurbita plant exhibiting heat stress via OSU

08/13/2025
We will have a few seasonal packages of freshly harvested Jaune du Poitou leek pearls at the Illinois Ave Urban Farm sta...
08/06/2025

We will have a few seasonal packages of freshly harvested Jaune du Poitou leek pearls at the Illinois Ave Urban Farm stand this weekend. Leek pearls are the “truffles” of the allium family: rare, a unique taste, and unfamiliar to many in the culinary world. We’ve been seed saving dor two decades this rare a south France varietal originally obtained from Heirloom Vegetables author William Woys Weaver. Here’s a good post about them!

Rare and hard to find, leek pearls are the "truffles" of the allium family

Minutes a day!
08/04/2025

Minutes a day!

It could be the burnout relief you have been looking for.

Did you know that Red Tornado Cockscomb Celosia is both edible and showy? Interested in the fun chemical changes and hea...
07/18/2025

Did you know that Red Tornado Cockscomb Celosia is both edible and showy? Interested in the fun chemical changes and healing properties of Asian Blue Pea Tea? Got room for the rare, tasty, and productive Tyborowski Plum tomato (one of the few growers in the world) in your garden? We've got edible plant starts for you! Gimme, gimme some good lovage? These biodegradable lovage straws are The Best for Boody Marys and non-alcoholic tomato drinks!

Looking for a fresh bunch of mojito mint, mint julep, peppermint, orange mint, applemint, pineapplemint, spearmint or chocolate mint? Be a sage and get the freshest sage in town at our farm stand! How about sprinkles of edible flowers or dried edible flowers on your salads and baked items?

We search for, grow, and seed save edible, rare, boutique, heirloom vegetables, herbs, and flowers so you can experiment with just one or two more plants and edibles in your garden and kitchen! Illinois Ave Urban Farm stand open tomorrow! Saturday and Sunday from about 10 am to 4 pm!

Address

1817 E. Illinois Avenue
Spokane, WA
99207

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