Nestled in the northeast corner of the Sammamish Valley is a little farm and store called Minea Farm run by the Goff family.
The farm has been around for decades, but Pamela Goff said her family only bought it a couple years ago.
Goff works in the tech industry, along with her husband who also helps run the farm. They also own a winery in Walla Walla.
“We knew a lot about dealing with juice, it used to be grape juice, and now it’s apple juice too,” Goff said.
An understanding of biochemistry helps, too, as the family makes its own apple cider, syrup and sometimes vinegar.
Customers who pull into the parking lot, located immediately off State Route 202, pass by a selection of pumpkins as they walk into the main shop.
The farm sells a wide variety of goods, many from local farmers. These include cider, jams, honey, cheese, baked goods, vegetables, pumpkins, gourds and more.
Especially during winter months, while many farmers markets on the Eastside shut down, the Goffs showcase and sell local farmers goods.
“We help the farmers sell their things,” Goff said.
Some of their hottest items are pies, which they receive on Friday and are almost always sold out by Sunday.
They also grow apples, tomatoes and pears on their 4-acre property and are thinking of expanding to vegetables and flowers in the future.
A sampling of the apples grown include Spartan, Lodi, Chehalis and Liberty apples.
But one of the most striking features of the shop, which is located in the same 100-year-old barn as the store, is an even older apple press that can be seen through a wall of windows.
Goff said the press originally came from a prison in the area where prisoners made cider.
Retaining the feel of both the farm and the valley was one of the reasons the Goffs decided to purchase it in the first place.
“We’re just trying to keep it historic,” Goff said.
The family had lived next door to the farm and asked the previous owners for the right of first refusal when they sold.
When it came on the market, the family decided to buy it.
Goff said they’re trying to preserve the agricultural history of the valley alive. While the farms in the center are still operational, Goff said she and other neighbors didn’t want to see the land along the sides of the valley developed and its character changed.
For now, the family is working on some renovations, including trying to get a pond functioning on the property, as well as making some adjustments to the store.
They also try and source new items every month for customers. November will see hand-painted Christmas ornaments from the valley being sold in the store.
Aside from that, Goff said she hopes to continue to keep the farm afloat as a side job for the family for now.
“We call it going from high tech to high touch,” she said.
She and her husband, Greg, work at the farm along with her son and daughter.
Minea Farm is located at 13404 Redmond-Woodinville Road N.E.