STANWOOD — Melissa Turkington’s dream of a local food hub that gives small farms a chance to compete with agricultural giants has taken some unexpected turns.
The latest landed her in the bright, open space she turned into Salt &Thistle, a specialty shop that opened Mother’s Day weekend in the Stanwood Camano Village shopping center, 7009 265th St. NW, Suite 103.
Salt and Thistle is the storefront for North 40 Farm Food, a company focused on helping small, local farmers and producers succeed in a market that is dominated by massive farms and national corporations.
Last year, Turkington landed a $98,700 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Local Food Promotion Program. She directed the money toward building a community kitchen and food processing workspace where farmers could bring their produce and turn it into a variety of marketable products, like jams, breads, candies and drinks.
She planned to open the kitchen at a property owned by Klesick Family Farm, but the construction costs were too steep. Instead, she looked for a commercial space that would be easier to convert. She found one in the shopping center, nestled among Subway, a nail salon and a fitness center.
Shelves are lined with skincare products made from goat milk and beeswax; paper laced with seeds to make it plantable after use; decorations crafted from objects found on beaches; and chocolate bars made with chunks of dried fruit, mixed and packaged on-site. The community kitchen is built into the back of the shop.
Salt &Thistle has two dining tables and a lounge area with a coffee table where people can sit and enjoy fresh pastries, quiche, soup or other snacks prepared at the shop each day.
So far, most of the store’s other products are not made in-house, though Turkington eventually hopes to make in-house vendors her focus. She has two working vendors, with two more interested. While they gather momentum and Turkington recruits more people, she’s stocked up on products that, though not made on site, are produced in Washington. Many are crafted by Camano Island artisans.
“Before the grant even, it was always my goal to have something like this,” Turkington said.
She dreamed and schemed for more than two years. It’s been six months since the grant came through, giving her the money she needed to open the store and kitchen.
Now the challenge is getting customers and new vendors in the door, Turkington said.
Kelsey Devoy, of Camano Island, stopped by Tuesday morning after finishing a fitness class next door. Her children, ages 2 and 4, were with her and she bought them candy while she explored the shop.
“I’ve been kind of watching it come together,” she said. “I love it. Super, super cute, and I notice it’s all local, Washington-made. I love supporting that kind of thing.”
Turkington plans to host summer events and work closely with the Port Susan Farmer’s Market. She started a Port Susan Grown brand that she hopes to expand. To qualify as a Port Susan Grown product, something must meet Turkington’s 50-50-50 rule. That means it’s produced within 50 miles of the shop, grown on a farm that is less than 50 acres and the vendor gets 50 percent of the profits.
“I think the big message I want to pass on to people is don’t be scared of the red tape and all the steps you have to go through (to launch a product),” Turkington said. “We will help with that.”
Turkington lives on Camano Island, where she grew up. She’s worked in the food industry for 12 years, most recently with her own at-home bakery specializing in wedding cakes. Several of the goods in Salt &Thistle, including the fruit-infused chocolate bars, are her handiwork.
She and one part-time employee run Salt and Thistle, and she plans to bring in mentors like Tristan Klesick of Klesick Family Farms to help the vendors.
She also gives customers a chance to help each other through a Feed the Need program. People can add $1 to their bill when they shop at Salt &Thistle and put a paper flower on the wall near the checkout. That flower becomes a ticket for someone else. Low-income customers can claim a flower and use it to buy one food item. Salt &Thistle takes care of the gap between the $1 donation and the price of the item.
“Our first priority is not to profit, it’s our social purpose,” Turkington said. “We want to fill this place up with local food.”
Turkington said her biggest need at the moment is more vendors. Farmers or artisans who are interested in participating in North 40 Farm Food and selling at Salt &Thistle can stop by or contact Turkington at 425-327-9831 or north40farmfood@gmail.com.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
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