From childhood days spent exploring her grandparents’ farm to running an organic vegetable operation of her own, Amy Frye’s connection to agriculture has always guided her path. Today, she owns Boldly Grown Farm in Skagit Valley, Washington. Amy was nominated by AgWest Farm Credit for the 2026 Farm Credit AWARD Program, created in honor of the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Learn more about Amy’s story below.
Question: What was your first memory of agriculture – planting, raising livestock or a memory from a rural community?
Answer: I grew up in Southeastern Minnesota and spent my childhood running around on my grandparents’ farm. They had beef cattle, and I loved to wander through the pasture down to the creek, help in the garden and kitchen, and play with the farm cats. I have a great love for the outdoors, and early in my undergraduate studies, I realized that if I cared about the environment, I had to care about how our food was grown. This sent me down the path of sustainable agriculture, and I spent nearly a decade working at the Center for Sustainable Food Systems at the University of British Columbia Farm in Vancouver, BC. I met my future husband here, and we eventually moved back to his home state of Washington to start our own farm.
Question: What is your role in agriculture today?
Answer: Today, I am a first-generation farmer in Western Washington, growing certified organic mixed vegetables for regional wholesale and direct market sales. My husband and I started Boldly Grown Farm in 2015 and now farm 60 acres. We are Salmon-Safe and GAP certified, selling primarily to grocery stores and distributors throughout Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and beyond. We also run a subscription CSA serving over 300 families and a year-round farm stand featuring products from over 50 Washington farms. We came to farming through our environmental values and are passionate about feeding our community with healthy, locally grown food while stewarding natural resources and creating living-wage agricultural jobs. We have two children (ages 6 and 9) who say they want to run the farm someday.
Question: What is your proudest accomplishment in agriculture or in your leadership journey?
Answer: I think the fact that we were able to purchase property and that we’re still standing 12 seasons in is a huge accomplishment. There are so many challenges we have faced as first-generation farmers trying to find land in the shadow of Seattle. We grew our farm at a rapid rate, all while having two kids and searching for and purchasing property. It finally feels like the ship is steadying, and that’s really exciting.
Question: What motivates you to keep going despite setbacks?
Answer: I’m very driven by my values. Sometimes when the going gets tough, I do have to remember why this is the path I chose, and that we are fighting the good fight in working toward a more just and sustainable food system. We also want to set this example for our kids—to show them the value of honest, hard work that is motivated by a desire to do good in the world. Though they’re no longer around, I’d like to think my grandparents—and especially my grandmas, who were two pretty badass women—would be proud.
Question: What does being selected for the AWARD program mean to you?
Answer: I was incredibly humbled to be selected for this experience. So many Americans are disconnected from agriculture that I think it’s important to equip farmers (and especially female farmers) with the tools to connect, tell their stories, and advance into positions of leadership so that people understand why farming is so critical. Broadly, I hope that I can contribute to the goal of keeping farmers farming and helping rural communities survive and thrive.
