Meet the Farmer
Meet Sarah: owner, grower/farmer, maker, and toolsmith at Northwest Willow. She and her three boys have a fun, crazy, joyful time running the willow farm and living life in rural southern Washington. They work as a team to grow and harvest willow rods for basketry and heritage crafts, and love sharing the process, projects, and moments that make this work meaningful. Sarah not only cultivates and harvests the willow—she also designs and makes hand tools for basket weaving, crafted to support fellow weavers and preserve traditional techniques.
The Story
Meet Sarah—owner, grower, farmer, and maker behind Northwest Willow. In rural southern Washington, she and her three boys run a willow farm rooted in hard work, muddy boots, and deep joy. Together they grow, harvest, and sort willow rods for basketry and heritage crafts. Along with her father, she makes the tools needed for a variety of types of weaving. What began as a leap of faith has become both livelihood and legacy.
Sarah has always been a maker. From woodworking and painting to ceramics, fiber arts, baking, gardening, and weaving, her hands have long been her compass. But it was willow that found her at a pivotal moment. During a much-needed trip to the Cotswolds in England, she learned basket weaving from incredible basketmaker Norah Kennedy. In that quiet rhythm of weaving, something reignited. What started as a class became a calling.
Returning home, Sarah was determined to continue weaving—but quickly discovered how scarce quality basketry willow can be. You can’t simply order it online and expect it to work. Foraging offers uncertainty. Fellow weavers rarely have extra to spare. In the Pacific Northwest, however, there is something even more valuable than surplus: community. Through cuttings, classes, and generous mentorship, Sarah began planting the beginning of what would become her own willow farm. All while navigating divorce and helping her three young sons adjust to profound changes in their world.
With the support of her parents, her energetic boys, and Maggie the ever-faithful farm dog, Sarah packed up her life and purchased an old cow field near a truck stop. There, Northwest Willow took root.
She often says, only half joking, that willow weaving pulled her out of a fifteen-year fog. The act of growing and weaving willow didn’t just restore her creative spirit; it reshaped her life. Today, her farm is both sanctuary and workshop. Her sons are growing up with dirt under their nails and pride in their work. Sarah is building something lasting with her hands. Strong, flexible, resilient, like the willow itself.
What began as a week in the Cotswolds became a new future. And every day, woven into each basket, bundle of rods, or new tool, is gratitude for the unexpected path that led her home.
