Giving thanks for island farms

||| FROM MARCY MONTGOMERY for SAN JUAN MAKERS GUILD |||

This Fall the Islands saw a great response to the annual Farm Tour. September and October saw over 500 people out visiting island farms on San Juan, Orcas and Lopez and enjoying a preceding online film and discussion. Spanning three weekends, on three islands, children, parents, and seniors explored diverse farms to see where our local food comes from and how it is produced. Each island had 9-12 sites to visit with a full weekend of immersive choices. Meeting farm animals – and protecting your buttons from gregarious goats or chasing chickens with little chance of a successful grab – were popular activities with kids. Guests of all ages enjoyed tasting fresh pressed cider, soft and creamy goat cheeses, galettes and pies made with local orchard apples, and hot-from-the-oven breads infused with local pesto or fruit. A lasting benefit was purchasing take-home farm fresh produce, meat, cheese, wine, bread and pastries, and special blends of apple juice direct from the orchard – while supplies lasted! This event saw the largest turn out for the annual Farm Tours to date and offered a great chance to participate in meaningful outdoor education and culinary experience that promote and strengthen our local food system.

Out at the historic Orcas Farm, George Orser was busy custom harvesting produce direct from his CSA garden when the demand for produce at the farm stand quickly outstripped the already harvested supply. At Barn Owl Bakery on Lopez, guests learned about the social food activism that inspires Sage and Nathan Dilts to not only bake healthy multi-grain breads but to also collaborate with local farmers to grow 50% of the grain they use in their delicious breads. On San Juan, Aurora Farm’s centerpiece was a vintage pickup truck filled with farm grown pumpkins, and at Krystal Acres alpaca farm there were also angora goats from Stillwater Ranch with the farm store selling a rainbow of yarns spun from their wools.

West Beach Farm on Orcas saw a Sunday influx of young children thrilled to witness the shearing of sheep and happy to take home produce from the market garden. On Lopez, Watmough Bay Farm shared their process of starting a new farm from scratch, while island activists on the 51 year old S&S Homestead Farm and at Midnight’s Farm discussed ways to meet climate mitigation goals by eating locally and seasonally, composting, sequestering carbon in the soil, or using renewable energy. Vineyards and wine making were featured topics and tasting experiences at Lopez, San Juan and Orcas Island Wineries, while learning to grow your own food at a kitchen or market garden scale using regenerative techniques was demonstrated at several farms.

And what would a farm tour be without delicious food to enjoy? Tim Barrette of Market Chef offered outstanding beef or zucchini burgers with local ingredients from San Juan Island and Lori Ann David of Aurora Farm hosted sold out sit-down farm grown dinners in a welcoming barn. Chef John Ratza of Setsunai on Lopez provided a convivial four-course meal in Midnight’s Farm historic 1918 barn using meat and produce from the farm. And great blends of heirloom apples were pressed into delicious cider at Slanted Apple on Orcas and Fruit City on Lopez.

To ensure people from all walks of life and abilities had access to farm tour experiences or products, the One Canoe local food access program provided produce to senior, disabled or limited income islanders including families with young children. One Canoe increased participant purchasing power through free farm stand coupons, boxed pick-ups or at-home deliveries. This non-profit program made a direct investment of $4,835 in direct purchasing from island farms during the tours and worked in collaboration with dozens of farms, senior and family resource centers, the WIC women, infants and children program, and the San Juan Islands Food Hub to ensure equitable local food access. Disabled access at farms enabled wheelchair visitors to participate and make purchases, and volunteers helped with produce pick-ups to connect food and families or delivered food to the homebound. San Juan County’s integrated food safety net was actively at work during the farm tours.

Easy ways to continue to enjoy the bounty from local farmers who are all Farm Heroes is to support Eat Local options that include:

• Purchase local produce and foods at island foods coops, farm stands and markets
• Order direct from farmers through the San Juan Islands Food hub, sjifh.com
• Participate at – or donate local-designated funding to – our island Food Banks
• Make a donation to the Farm Fund managed by the San Juan Island Agricultural Guild to help our farmers increase production, sjiagguild.com
• Join a local CSA subscription program and shop at the Farmers’ Markets in season.

The 2021 San Juans Farm Tours were funded in part by the San Juan Islands Conservation District thanks to a County LTAC grant, with additional support from the SJI Agricultural Guild and the Makers Guild, local farmers, and business sponsors. Farm Tour news is available year-round at farmtourssanjuans.com.