The Farm
Ceridwen Farms LLC
Ceridwen Farms is a small 5-acre veteran and family-owned farm in Bellingham Washington. Our mission is to produce sustainable, high quality, all natural herbs and edible flowers. We use our herbs and flowers to create soap, beard and body care products and other herbal offerings. When we can’t grow or produce it ourselves, where possible we use local, organic, non-GMO ingredients. We work hard at our goal of being a zero-waste farm. We try to compost our waste and return those nutrients to the soil. We also only use recyclable, biodegradable and compostable packaging in our products.
The Farmtographer
Ben Banks
My Story
I’m Ben, I was born and raised in south Louisiana. I spent the first 22 years of my life living between Louisiana and Mississippi. In January of 2000 I joined the Navy and spent the next 22 years living and traveling around the world. My final duty station was on Whidbey Island here in Washington State. My wife Rachael and I instantly fell in love with it and made the choice to retire here in Washington permanently. I have a love of all things outdoors, and Washington is a paradise for anyone looking to get out into nature. I’ve always had an infatuation with photography and the picturesque scenery here in Washington has only fueled that fire. I also have a history and passion for farming and deep fondness for our little farm. I want to share our farm, stories, and photographs. While I’m certainly not a professional photographer, I still enjoy taking pictures and sharing what I see and love with others. That’s the reason I chose to create the Farmtographer blog.
Meet our Team
Herman
Senior Leadership
Herman is our 13-year-old, old man. He’s traveled all over the country with us. He was adopted in South Carolina, moved to Mississippi and then across country to Washington. He’s definitely a southern dog, and not a big fan of Washinton winters. He’s the grumpy old man and leader of the pack.
Sam
The Intern
Sam is the big baby! We adopted him as a puppy 2 years ago and well, he’s still a big puppy! He loves to run and play and cuddle like he’s a lap dog. He doesn’t know what his job is yet, he’s just awkward and at times a bit annoying, like any good intern.
Rosey
Executive Vice President
Rosey is 5 years old; she and her brother Atlas are the newest members of the family, but you wouldn’t know it. Herman may be the leader of the pack, but like Rachael with me, everyone knows who the real boss is. Rosey pretty much runs things and makes sure everyone knows it.
Rachael
The Real Boss
Rachael is the Chief Executive Officer; she’s the real boss around here and subtly reminds me of that all the time. She lets me know I’m not in the Navy anymore and that she does not work for me. We’ve been married for 23 years, so, I’m well aware of the rank structure around here. But she is the muse and my inspiration for most of my endeavors, and so she has a lot in common with the Ceridwen of legend.
Atlas
Chief Security Officer
Atlas like Rosey was adopted here in Washington a little over a year ago and he’s settled in quite well. He’s our head of security and manages our perimeter and makes sure all the cars and birds know to stay clear of his yard. He just loves to run and will race anyone or anything.
Ben
The Farmer / Photographer
I’m Ben and I’m the Chief Operating Officer, because it sounds better than just being the laborer. I work the farm, take the pictures, write most of the posts, and do what Rachael and the dogs tell me too. I retired from the Navy in 2022. Since then, I’ve returned to my love of the outdoors and getting my hands dirty. I created the Farmtographer as a way to share what I love with the world.