Situated in a scenic valley of the Cascade mountains in Deming, Washington, Coldstream Farms is aptly named for the river that runs side to side in many spots throughout the farm’s locations along the highway.
The farm is home to 1800 milking cows, and three generations of the Jeff and Vickie Rainey family are involved in various capacities. Their daughter Laura, and son-in-law Galen Smith have become the majority owners, with the four Smith sons each finding their own niche on the farm.
For over a decade already, Galen Smith has been saying they were “green before green was cool.” And it’s true: Coldstream Farm is well-known for their sustainability efforts: millions of dollars invested in manure and nutrient management, soil health, recycling water, energy efficient lighting and fans, and the list goes on.
“I always think of it as a three-legged stool,” Smith says. “One circle is the environment and sustainability, another is people and animals, and the last one is the financial part of all that. When we can draw those three circles and there’s that little center portion that comes together, those are the projects we’re looking for.”
Smith sees a lot of opportunities out there that fit the bill for their well-rounded definition of sustainable decisions and projects. “If we’re not looking for those opportunities to better our farm, our animal husbandry, our feed or our people, we’re gonna get lost in the past and lose that competitiveness,” he says.
But it’s more than a competitive drive that keeps the wheels turning for those forward-thinking projects. For Smith, it’s the right thing to do.
“If we’re not doing things right: taking care of the land, our employees, what’s left for the next generation?” he says. “We don’t have to do these things. But we feel to take care of the land is what continually provides for our financial returns, and especially our people.
“So my reason for sustainability and trying to be financially viable is if we’re doing things right and we enjoy what we do, we’re making money and having fun, why wouldn’t the family want to be a part of it?” Smith adds. “They don’t have to come back and be the one milking or breeding or operating the tractor. There are so many other things in agriculture today, they can bring fresh ideas back to the farm.”
The “why” that’s rooted in family and a passionate, sensible sense of success is one that will undoubtedly continue to drive the farm forward. It creates an even more constructive lens for every decision, where anything that wears out is not only replaced but also upgraded for long-term profitability and efficiency.
Smith says this all stems from a foundation that was laid early on, with careful succession planning in the first generation. “I have to really highly commend my father-in-law. He had a vision of this farm continuing on, and he realized that in order for a transition to happen, we needed to be open and transparent. For me going from one percent ownership to 75, there was a path for that, and I could see it.”
Seeing plans for the dairy laid out for the future, and having raised four kids on the farm, Smith welcomes new opportunities with every season. “Part of that is seeing my own seasons, coming in as a young guy, maturing and trying to drive this for a while.
“I want my family to be involved and be part of it, because that’s probably more rewarding to me than anything else: spending time with my family, doing something we’re passionate about and having a financial return.
“When we can be successful, be good parents, have a group of employees that are dedicated and positive about what’s going on here, it’s just a huge win. We have to weather the storms in agriculture, which kind of bring those stresses from time to time, but I would not want to be doing anything different.”
