Our Story

Columbine Farms

Clayton, WA

Our Mission

Our mission at Columbine Farms is to provide our community with the highest quality of vegetables, fruit, honey, eggs and meat produced by using sustainable organic methods to ensure minimal impact on the environment and preservation of the land for future generations.

Columbine Farms was founded in January of 2019 after I moved from my home state of Colorado to a beautiful spot in Clayton, Washington – about 45 minutes north of Spokane. The columbine flower has a special meaning to me and was the perfect way to represent our family farm. It is the state flower of Colorado and is unique for it’s ability to thrive in extreme conditions yet is so delicate that it will wither soon after being cut from it’s roots.

I have been a backyard gardener for as long as I can remember – my grandparents and my parents all had a green thumb. At our suburban home in Colorado I turned my backyard into 300 square feet of vegetable beds and raspberries and kept backyard chickens and beehives. Though this was fun, I knew I wanted more space to expand.

In February of 2016 my younger brother died after a tough battle with melanoma that was discovered less than a year prior. Seven years before that I lost my older brother who was paraplegic and died after contracting MRSA. Through this immense loss I had the realization that life is fragile and tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. I knew that I had to use that sadness and loss to propel forward in a positive way.

In the fall of 2018 we took the plunge towards realizing my lifetime dream of owning a farm and bought 80 acres of beautiful land north of Spokane, Washington with the idea of making my hobby into a full-time endeavor. Follow our progress as we shape our new property into a beautiful, thriving farm!

Shelley McCool

Owner, Columbine Farms