Spooner Berry Farms has secured a new location for its longtime berry stand on Yelm Highway, giving the family business a path forward after its departure from city-owned land slated for a community park.
Owners Sue and Tim Spooner signed a lease for space at 2915 Yelm Highway SE, just west of their former location, The Olympian reported. The agreement follows concerns that losing the stand after 43 years could lead the couple to stop operating altogether.
The new site is on a 9-acre property at Yelm Highway and Rich Road owned by real estate broker Tom Schrader. Other businesses there include the Buns of Glory burger truck, a Mexican food stand and a shaved ice business. The property also hosts a seasonal fireworks stand.
Schrader told The Olympian on Oct. 16 that he has known the Spooners for years and wanted to help them keep the stand operating after their agreement with Olympia expired Oct. 1.
The lease provides a place for the stand for at least a couple of years, Schrader said. Its longer-term future is less certain because he is trying to sell the property.
A future developer could incorporate the berry stand into plans for the site, he said, though another move could eventually be necessary. Schrader described the agreement as flexible and said it includes a fee, but he declined to discuss financial details.
New location follows dispute over berry stand’s future at Olympia park
For Sue Spooner, the move offers an opportunity to turn attention back to farming and serving customers.
“We just like to raise our berries, sell our berries, and so we found a new spot,” she told The Olympian.
The relocation follows a public dispute over the stand’s future at the planned Jolene Unsoeld Community Park. Olympia purchased the 86-acre property at 3327 Yelm Highway SE in 2018 for $10.7 million.
The Spooners had leased land from its previous owners, the Zahn family, and continued leasing a portion after the city’s purchase. They never owned the park property.
In September, the couple warned that removing their main stand could jeopardize the business. Nearly a dozen supporters addressed the Olympia City Council, arguing that the stand and park should coexist.
Sue Spooner said she had understood the stand would remain, even though the U-pick strawberry field would not be included in the park. The strawberry field closed after the 2023 season.
City staff said construction permits require closing direct access from Yelm Highway and rerouting traffic. They also cited restrictions associated with state and federal grants funding the park.
The city offered space for a mobile stand in the future park plaza and hired a relocation firm to identify alternative sites. It also offered to cover relocation costs.
New lease keeps berry-selling tradition alive as park development proceeds
The park is expected to include athletic fields, pickleball courts, a playground, basketball courts, a dog park, and a satellite maintenance facility. Development is estimated at about $20 million, with an opening planned by late 2028.
The new lease gives the Spooners an alternative to closing their main sales location while that work proceeds.
Sue Spooner said the community’s support helped motivate the couple to continue growing and selling berries. She said they know customers look forward to the harvest each summer.
Although the new site’s long-term availability remains unresolved, she said the family hopes to work with Schrader to stay beyond the initial couple of years.
“You know, we want to keep this tradition going, and we are,” she said.
Manda Factor is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. Follow Manda on X and email her here.