Meet Celia!

Crazy couponer, sweepstakes champion, entrepreneur, globetrotter, wife and mother. And, let us not forget, the owner and founder of Farm Fresh Market! Celia and her husband, Tom, started Farm Fresh Market in 2009 with their own blood, sweat, and tears. Their vision and dedication has turned this once small farm-direct online market into a thriving natural food store.

Can you give us a brief history of Farm Fresh Market and it’s evolution?

Tom and I bought property in Chehalis and started poultry farming. We realized there weren’t many outlets to sell our products, so we came up with the idea of Olympia Local Foods, an online farmers market. It was an easier way for farms to connect with the community. For the first few years we were basically an alternative to a CSA. Farmers would post what they had available, customers would shop online and we would package it. It was good for the farms because they could harvest exactly what was sold and good for the customers because they could choose the farms they wanted to buy from. When customers picked up their orders they would want other products, so we just kept expanding our selection. It was customers requesting more and more products that they couldn’t find anywhere else. It just sort of developed into a local, natural, organic food store.

How would you like to see Farm Fresh Market evolve for the future?

More square footage! But I don’t want the store to get too big. I want people to be able to walk in and see the whole store. I’d like to offer more prepared food, organic fried chicken, fries cooked in coconut oil, a larger meat selection, organic soft serve, fresh cold-pressed juice, smoothies, a bulk department, books and magazines and a butcher counter where you can order sliced deli meat!

What do you do in your spare time?

Hang out with my kids, Sammy, who’s 7 and Jacob is 3. We cook together, and read a lot. Sam really likes mysteries and encyclopedias. I also love gardening when the season is right and watching TV…

What show are you into right now?

Dexter, I’m obsessed with it. I’ll stay up late watching it in bed on my phone!

What drew you to natural foods?

It’s funny, we didn’t start out as a natural food store. I was actually one of those crazy extreme couponer people. It wasn’t health food. It was packaged stuff. I feel like I’ve learned so much from my customers. I learned how to eat healthy and started reading more about it.

Are you a native Washingtonian?

No. Native Californian, from Sacramento. I moved in 2003 to go to Evergreen and then just stayed. I Met Tom at a party while at Evergreen and the rest is history.

What’s your favorite thing about working at Farm Fresh Market?

I love the customer interactions. I learn a lot everyday. I love helping people learn how to cook healthy and teaching them about the different squash or how to cook vegetables they’ve never heard of.  

Do you have any products that you absolutely love?

Jalisco corn tortillas from Shelton! They are a staple in our house. We eat a ton of tacos and taquitos. It’s our go-to meal. Also, Dungeness Valley raw milk from Sequim and my kids love the Tunawerth Dairy yogurt from Tenino.

What is your favorite seasonal fall produce?

I really love delicata squash. I recently learned you can eat the skin!

Do you have a specific recipe for the delicata?

Yes! Cut it lengthwise into little moon shapes. Cover it with olive oil and salt, then roast it in the oven. You can just eat the whole thing with the skin and everything. It is so good! 

When life gives you cranberries.... 

make cran-raspberry chia jam!
 

I don't know how things are at your house, but cranberries are always the last lingering Thanksgiving leftover around here. Not this year, though! Things are going to be different for cranberries this year. That's because cranberries are my jam. Literally. 

If you've never made chia jam before, it's crazy simple. There's less sugar in it than regular jam and more protein and fiber. You can substitute other fruit for the cranberries, of course. What do I know, maybe cranberries are the first thing to disappear from your Thanksgiving table. All fruit will break down at different rates when boiling, so just adjust your cooking time as necessary. 

ps: It's absolutely delicious with leftover rolls!


 

• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1/4 cup honey or preferred sweetener (coconut sugar or maple syrup would work well)
• 3 tbsp chia seeds

1. Add cranberries, raspberries and honey to medium-size sauce pan and cook over medium heat. You can add less honey to begin with if you want your jam to be more tart, then add more sweetener later to get just the right taste. 
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fruit begins to liquify, about 10 to 15 minutes. Allow the fruit to come to a boil, continuing to cook until the fruit breaks down to a sauce constistency. You can help the process along by mashing the fruit with a fork or whisk. This should take another 5 minutes.
3. Once the fruit has reached your preferred consistency, taste to see if you want more sweetener. Remember add only a little at a time. It's easy to add, but you can't take it away!
4. Add chia seeds and cook for another minute or so.
5. Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. If the jam is too thin stir in another tablespoon of chia seeds and let sit for another 10 minutes. Remember the jam will continue to thicken as it cools. 
6. Spread your jam on a roll and give thanks!
7. You can store the jam in an airtight container in your fridge for two weeks or put it in your freezer to enjoy a taste of Thanksgiving for up to two months.

There are so many wonderful things to love about fall. The cool, crisp air has us reaching for cozy sweaters and scarves, lighting our wood stoves and baking comforting treats. Along with the changing weather we often find our lives slowing down from the hectic, packed schedules of summer. It's the perfect season to take a break with a warm cup of cider and reflect on all of the things we have to be grateful for.

At Farm Fresh we are grateful for so much this year! Our business keeps expanding with longer hours , an ever increasing selection of products, and our growing family of employees and customers! We're so thankful for each and every one of you and for your help making our business thrive. In the spirit of thanksgiving we would like to take the time to share with you what we are celebrating this fall!

Celia: My favorite thing about this time of year are the gorgeous fall colors and all the different colors of winter squash. I'm thankful for my family and for my health.

Allison: My favorite things about fall are hot toddys, pumpkin pie made from scratch, listening to the wind blow at night and netflix!

Jessalyn: I'm thankful for time spent with friends and family and I love all the fall colors!

Gavyn: Pie! Lots of family and all of the feasts involved with the holidays.

Stephanie: Thankful for my endlessly patient husband, and well-seasoned cast iron pans. I get excited in the fall for winter squash, long walks, and curling up by the fire.

Lucy: My favorite things this time of year are hot spiced cider, sweaters, haunted corn mazes, cozy wood fires, and squash.

Zach: I'm thankful for Thanksgiving leftovers!

Erin: I love walks on crunchy, colorful leaves and I'm thankful for so much love and support in my life.