Joe’s Place Farms in East Vancouver, WA
by Mighty Mouse on 08/29/08 at 11:32 pm
Joe’s Place Farms is located in East Vancouver within minutes of the Chkalov/Mill Plain Fred Meyer and I stopped in today to see what was available. Though I was raised out in the “boonies” on 110th Avenue just a few blocks from the store, I had never met Joe who was born in the little house at the entrance to the farms at 701 NE 112th Avenue.
My favorite memory of Joe’s Place was when I took my son and his two cousins to get pumpkins for Halloween one year. I told them they could get anything they could carry and it was hilarious to watch an eleven year old, a five year old and a three year old try to lug their huge pumpkins out of the field to the hay wagon that would take us all back to the parking area. This is something every parent and child should try at least once, so I decided to come to Joe’s place early this season to find out if the hayride was still a feature in the fall. You are in luck, not only do they still have hayrides to help pick up your pumpkins, but you can take a trip through a “corn” maze. These and other activities come up in October, be sure to check them out!
Joe’s Place has changed a lot since I was here the last time. They now have a kitchen…I did say it had been a while since I was here…and an eating area. They produce all kinds of goodies, including homemade candies, pies and cookies and even have their own label for jams and pancake mixes and an assortment of other fun things to eat.
They have a big selection of home grown produce; my favorites being the pickling cucumbers and large tomatoes like my Dad used to grow and their walnuts remind me of stepping on their slimy casings at my grandmother’s when I was little. I don’t know if the peaches were home gown or not but they were the largest peaches I have seen in a long time.
I really wanted a big hunk of any of their homemade fudges but I resisted the urge and bought a big gingersnap instead to share with my husband. It can take a while for the traffic to clear enough for a left hand turn so I took a right and went to see if my sister in law was available. I haven’t seen her in a while, so I took her to the Burton Road Safeway and bought her a pop. We sat in their café and brought each other up to date on our lives amid tons of laughter. We also ate that delicious gingersnap cookie, so much for sharing it with my husband.
