Great Community,
Grown With Love
Close your eyes and feel those first warm rays of spring sunshine on your skin.
Ahhh, can you sense the possibilities? Out here on the farm, when winter first gives way to spring, there is so much to celebrate! The name April Joy is a tribute to these bright and hopeful months that usher in an abundance of change. April is also, of course, the name of farmer and founder, April Jones Thatcher.
A Foundation of Integrated Diversity
Located near Ridgefield, Washington, April Joy Farm is a 24 acre diversified, direct market family farm. April Joy Farm crops are 100% certified organic by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Inspired by the work of Donella Meadows and her systems-based approach, April Joy Farm is committed to building relationships and resilience for the long haul. From the cultivated annual and perennial crops, to the topography of canyon, creek and cropland, the rare breeds of heritage livestock and community of eaters it sustains, April Joy Farm is a celebration of the power and possibilities of integrated diversity.
A Working Farm, Working For Our Community
Hello! I’m April.
In 2006, I started April Joy Farm from scratch because I could not bear to see such extraordinary Ridgefield land become a casualty of urban sprawl. Did you know that Clark County has some of the best soil and climate for growing food? I’m talking in the whole, wide world. I have dedicated myself to caring for our precious soil and restoring relationships between agricultural lands and humans. I love farming because the work is fascinating, challenging, inspiring, and- let’s be real- I love to eat.
Today, I farm full-time alongside my partner Brad. April Joy Farm represents our entire livelihood; we have no off-farm sources of income. As land and community stewards, Brad and I understand that farming is not easy work, nor is it work that is ever done. We continue to build partnerships and undertake projects that filter water, improve soil health, restore native habitat, and help community members in need.
By choosing to support us, you contribute directly to the protection of farmland and open spaces, a living wage for farmers, and the regeneration of a healthy, regional food system. I adamantly believe farms like ours have the power to transform and nourish communities, but farmers can’t do it alone.
I hope the devotion and affection Brad and I have for our work will inspire you to more deeply appreciate and care- both for the rich soil that sustains us all, and for each other.
Your farmer,
Meet Your Farmers
April Thatcher
Farmer & Founder
April is the founder and heart of April Joy Farm. A visionary with a degree in engineering and an M.B.A., she built April Joy Farm from scratch. Particularly passionate about livestock welfare, healthy soil, and growing community, April is an energetic strategist and determined agrarian. She is also a writer and an engaging presenter, covering topics such as soil health, pollinator habitat, female entrepreneurship, and holistic management. She currently serves on the board of the Organic Farming Research Foundation and received the National Organic Farmer of the Year leadership award from the Organic Trade Association.
Brad Thatcher
Farmer
Since 2012, Brad has been a steady, patient presence at April Joy Farm. With a background in operations and logistics, Brad keeps refining the practices and subsequently the quality and viability of the farm. He most enjoys the bounty of the harvest, working tirelessly until the last bunch, last head, and last pound has been brought in from the field. A naturalist at heart with a generous sweet tooth, Brad is especially fond of pears, watersheds, and creatures great and small.
The Red Pig
“Working farms are loved by their farmers not singly because they feed humans. If you can sit with nature on her own terms, what you will discover is extraordinary.”
April Joy Farm was the first pork producer in the entire Pacific Northwest region to become Animal Welfare Approved. Although we no longer raise pigs, Rosie the pig inspired the April Joy Farm logo. She was the matriarch of the farm and a consummate mother to many piglets over nine years. Rosie was clever, patient, appropriately protective and boy did she love her apples. In retirement, Rosie spent her days napping in her straw-filled stall, dozing in the tall grass of her paddock, and basking in the sun while she snoozed in her wallow. She died at the farm in 2019 at age 13.
From the flock of laying hens to the donkeys, livestock animals play an important role at April Joy Farm. We often write about our animals, with the hope that by sharing their stories, we can shine a light on the many ways humans can contribute to a future where livestock animals are treated with respect and compassion and live in enriched, healthy enviroments.
Community Voices
“April Joy Farm is a 24 acre, organically certified farm on the fringe of one of the fastest growing cities in Washington State. April and Brad are continuously learning and improving, making their operation a shining example of sustainable farming, particularly under high land use pressures.”