Buckthorn Farms

[Beau]

Basic Farm Information and Operations

Buckthorn Farms is situated in central-eastern Washington in the Palouse region. Its working fields make up about 800 acres of land, which are dedicated to harvests of winter wheat and lentils. A small heirloom apple orchard is also maintained on the property.

We have recently started offering farm shares, tours, field trips, and are anticipating opening a SpurBnB location by SY25.


Nearby Towns

Buckthorn Farms is located west of Madrone, Washington. Madrone was initially founded as a small community in the 1920s, but became incorporated in the 1950s after more people moved to the area to establish businesses to serve the farming community. Madrone has a small community college, with minors offered primarily in agricultural and veterinary sciences. The town has a diverse population due to the large number of immigrant and migrant communities that have collected in the area over the decades. Because of the stunning views of the Palouse, and nearby State Parks, Madrone's "small town" atmosphere caters to visitors and tourists with rustic, family-friendly places to stay and activities to partake in.

Farm History

Buckthorn Farms has been in place for over 100 years, maintained by the Thorne family over five generations. The farm was first settled in 1894 by Fionn (more commonly known as "Finn") Thorne, an Irish Traveler and immigrant who came to the region along with his wife and four children. The farm is now run by Beau Thorne, daughter of Cara Thorne (deceased) and her husband David Enbom.

In its founding years, the farm was simply known as the Thorne Family Farm. It was around 300 acres, harvested by scythe in partnership with other neighboring farms. During those years, winter wheat was followed by spring barley.

The farm was passed into the hands of its second generation, Nóe Thorne, in 1911. Nóe chose to rename the farm Buckthorn Farms, as a nod both to his family name and to the native Cascara Buckthorn that was found growing in the region. During this era, Nóe was an early adopter of a team of draft horses that helped pull the massive harvesters in the region in a collective harvesting effort.

Set to inherit the farm next, Nóe's oldest son Garett was instrumental in shifting the farm to yet another advancement in harvesting, with a harvester that could be pulled by a smaller team of horses - making the farm self-sufficient in harvesting its own wheat and barley.

Garett's inheritance, however, was interrupted by World War II. Garett's service took him to the European Theatre, where he was killed in battle. The loss was devastating, and before the war came to a close, Nóe had passed away and the younger son, Eric, found himself in charge of the family farm.

This third generation of the Thorne farm legacy was the dimmest in its history. Due to financial pressures and changes in technology, the team of horses were sold, and a small, modified harvest-tractor was adopted instead. Eric had no sons, only three daughters, and two were resistant to staying on the farm when the modern world called to them. Eric's middle daughter, Cara, was enamored with the family farm, and put in every ounce of work to the farm, even quitting high school to work on the farm full time. Buckthorn Farms still struggled to survive through the 1960s and 1970s, facing disease and drought.

In 1984, Cara Thorne - joined by her freshly wedded husband, David - took over the farm operations. She chose not to take her husband's name in order to honor her family legacy, to which David surprisingly agreed. Cara proved to be sharp at business and agriculture once given the reins. She shifted the farm's spring crops from barley to lentils, expanded its acreage through gradual purchases, and continued to invest in the farm's growth.

In 1997, after the farm had truly "bounced back," Cara finally decided to relax and turn to raising a family. That year she gave birth to Beau - a daughter who inherited the same love for the farm as her mother. Unfortunately, Cara died of a malignant cancer just seven years later - leaving the farm, and Beau, in David's care.

In 2024, David officially handed the management of the farm to Beau - who has grand visions for its continued success in a wildly changing world.

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