On a farm overlooking beautiful blue Penn Cove, Steve and Wendi Hilborn are working hard to make their dream of running a small family farm a reality.

They know they have a hard row to hoe, so to speak. Family farms are disappearing all over the nation as small farms are gobbled up by giant agri-business corporations, aided by government subsidies that somehow end up in the pockets of big business.

But the Hilborns have added creative, modern twists to the tradition of family farming. They have diversified their business. They custom raise heifers for Skagit County dairy farmers. They turn the cows’ manure and bedding into quality compost, which they sell — along with screened top soil — to local residents.

With the help of other family members, they also run Penn Cove Organics each summer. It’s an example of community supported agriculture (CSA), a business model that is becoming more and more popular across the nation. The idea is that people buy “subscriptions” and receive a share of the fruits and vegetables grown on the farm.

This is the third year the Hilborns have been involved in the produce business. Three years ago they started selling produce at farmers’ markets on Whidbey and in Seattle. Last year they started the CSA, in addition to working the markets.

This year, they are even more ambitious. They hope to have about 60 subscribers. They’re going to continue to go to farmers’ markets, perhaps including the Oak Harbor market. They also plan to put up a roadside stand.

“Many of our customers want organic produce,” Wendi Hilborn said. “Others just want fresh, locally-grown vegetables.”

Wendi said subscribers who are used to eating supermarket fruits and vegetables are in for a surprise. Each week, from June through October, they will receive a box of certified organic produce. They will have to learn to “eat with the season,” as people did before everything was trucked in from Mexico and California.

Subscribers will discover a large variety of vegetables in their boxes, including many things you won’t ever find at Safeway. According to Wendi, the family plants a big variety of greens, including “every kind of lettuce anyone could imagine.” They grow purple broccoli, something called “orach” and romanesco broccoli, which is a weird-looking cross between cauliflower and broccoli.

Then there’s fava beans, cucumber, summer and winter squash, corn, beets, leeks, peas and more. They even add strawberries from Bell’s Farms and apples from a local grower.

Subscribers are often surprised by the quality of the produce. “It really does taste different,” Wendi said. “Our produce is picked the day before, not the month before.”

But be warned: Joining a CSA usually means a lot of cooking. While much of the produce can be eaten raw in salads, much of it needs to be prepared more extensively.

“It really requires that you learn to cook,” Wendi said. “The thing about vegetables is that you can’t just throw them in a microwave.”

The 80-acre farm is owned by the couple and Steve’s parents, Ray and Ulrika Hilborn of Seattle. According to Wendi, Steve first became enthralled by the farming life when his family visited their cabin on Whidbey and he got to know and worked for the Muzzalls, a dairy farming family.

While Wendi said her mother-in-law first started the produce business more as a “hobby,” it has become an important part of their farming business. They have had their six acres of gardens certified as organic through the state. They built a mini-greenhouse to start hundreds of plants from seed.

Of course, growing vegetables, raising 350 heifers, planting fields for feed and managing compost operations means a whole lot of hard work. Wendi half-jokes that she rarely sees her husband anymore.

But it’s the life they love. Fortunately, their 11-month old son, Matt, has no problem with spending his days outdoors.

“It’s the ideal way to raise children,” Wendi said.