Our fertile valley inspires growth.

After running a dairy operation with about 100 milking cows in Mount Vernon and raising a family on his farm, Ron Eerkes decided it was time to retire from dairy farming in 1986. In doing so he sold the farm to Skagit Valley native Rod Juntunen and his wife Mari. Together the two transformed much of the estate into well-manicured gardens that remain the basis for the estate’s design today.

Later, the Juntunen’s moved on and sold the farm to a foreign investment company. The property sat mostly idle for five years before Mount Vernon natives Patti Ward and her daughter Rachael Ward Sparwasser decided to buy the property in 2019 to realize and expand its potential. The Sanctuary Estate was born.

Together, the mother/daughter duo’s mission is to create a welcoming place for people to gather, celebrate and create their own experiences and memories – all enhanced by the abundant beauty made possible by the fertile Skagit Valley soil.