Boldly Grown Farm: Really Into Radicchio!

In 2015, with the help of Viva Farms, Amy Frye and Jacob Slosberg started Boldly Grown Farm on one acre of land in the fertile Skagit Valley. Now, with just over 25 acres of crops, Amy and Jacob’s dreams for their farm continue to grow. 

Boldly Grown Farm was built upon a very specific vision and followed a strategy that few first-time farmers take. Amy and Jacob decided early on that they would focus on wholesale relationships rather than try their hand at farmers markets and retail-direct sales. They also made the decision to grow exclusively fall and winter crops. While this meant that their harvest season would last only from September through March, the narrow focus on cold-weather crops meant that they could explore a diversity of varieties within each family, each with its own marketing stream that hit different customer interests. 

In addition to brassica crops, the chicory category presented a plant group with incredible depth, which Amy and Jacob could explore and perfect. 

OGC was pleased to sponsor this year’s Chicory Week event, hosted by the Culinary Breeding Network, which brought growers and seed breeders to Boldly Grown Farm and other chicory growers in the Skagit region for a deep dive on these intriguing varieties.

Through seed trials and a few seasons of experimentation, Amy and Jacob have expanded their offerings to include more than seven different chicory varieties, from familiar favorites like the standard round Chioggia radicchio and elongated Treviso to colorful and often speckled show-stoppers such as bright pink Rosalba and purple Costarossa.

Big changes are on the horizon for Boldly Grown Farm as they have recently acquired their own land, a former dairy farm they’re currently working to convert to meet their needs. With this expanded acreage and ownership the couple is looking forward to managing a whole ecosystem, experimenting with grains and exploring warm-weather crops. And of course, growing even more radicchio!

Now’s the perfect time to bring in an array of delicious, organic radicchios and chicories from our friends at Boldly Grown Farm. Be sure to ask your Account Representative what’s available now!