FARMER FROG: RUNNING FOR A CAUSE

By Hanson Lee, Running Coordinator at SHOES-n-FEET 

The Farmer Frog Trail Running Festival will be taking place on Saturday, October 5th at Paradise Farm in Woodinville, Washington. The event is co-promoted by SHOES-n-FEET and will be the first annual running event put on by the Farmer Frog community.

Farmer Frog is a non-profit organization that began back in 2009. It all started with a lone food garden in South Everett and now has become a widespread community with the mission of sprouting simple change, growing kits, cultivating community and nurturing habitat for all living things through real food. The organization aims to work in urban and rural areas, developing farms, programs, gardens, and hands-on learning experiences for communities alike.

“Farmer Frog is a community, it’s a place for donations and a place for providing food and giving to those who are in need,” said Zsofia Pasztor, executive co-director for Farmer Frog. “We want to celebrate community more than anything else.”

Paradise Farm welcomes a vast wildlife habitat, and Pasztor expressed that the goal of the event is to ultimately increase awareness of the animals and creatures that surround us so close to home. By putting on the annual Farmer Frog Trail Running Festival alongside SHOES-n-FEET, Pasztor hopes that participants become more conscious of wildlife habitats, not just in the area, but everywhere.

“When we have the run, it’s important that people know they are in wildlife territory,” Pasztor said. “I would tell everybody to make noise and don't be afraid to let the critters know you’re around.”

A few of the residents at Farmer Frog in Woodinville, WA.

The Farmer Frog Trail Running Festival will feature a scenic half marathon, 5K, and Kids 1K with the hope of bringing people together and promoting the importance of wildlife preservation. Registration is open, so come out and have a positive impact on the environment that embodies our local communities.

For Pasztor, being able to work with SHOES-n-FEET to help promote this movement through running is what her non-profit organization is all about. 

“We believe that we are an organization that thrives on building connections,” Pasztor said. “We don’t compete, we collaborate.”

To learn more about Farmer Frog, visit their website at https://farmerfrog.org/