Jefferson County Farm Tour goes virtual for 2020

Posted

Spurred by the ever-present shadow cast by COVID-19, the Jefferson County Farm Tour will be stepping into the virtual realm to connect locals with the people who make their food happen. 

On Saturday, Sept. 19 and Sunday, Sept. 20, the newly dubbed Jefferson County Virtual Farm Tour — the 18th iteration of the popular celebration of soil-centricity — will feature “tours” in the form of six online presentations from local farms and a veritable cornucopia of information from producers and sources of local foods.

While organizers for the free event were careful to note that participating farms will not be open to the public during the farm tour weekend, participants can still check out live-streamed presentations from the likes of Kodama Farm & Food Forest, Finnriver Farm & Cidery, Jacobs’ Fleece Farm and others. Participants will also have the opportunity to peek at the behind-the-scenes operations at more than 20 participating local farm sites throughout JeffCo.   

“This year’s Virtual Farm Tour is featuring more farms than in years past in part due to the event being virtual,” said Justine Gonzalez-Berg, coordinator for the farm tour. “Several participating farms would not be able to host visitors on their farms but they are excited to share their stories and products with the community!”

“Hopefully, people will learn about at least one farm that they have never heard of before,” Gonzalez-Berg added.

While the farms may not be open to the public, some will have special offerings to mark the occasion, like Finnriver Cidery, which will be offering a special pairing for the farm tour weekend. For $25, you can get a jar of local carrot jam, warm spiced butter and fresh artisan bread along with a bottle of Finnriver’s Forest Ginger Cider.   

“More than ever, this year has reminded us about the immense value that our local agriculture brings to Jefferson County, in the sense of food security, beautiful open spaces, and open air markets to buy food from,” Gonzlez-Berg added. “It is also a more important time than ever to support the local farming community — and participating in the Virtual Farm Tour is a great way to start.”

To donate, or for a full schedule of events, visit theproduction
alliance.org/events/jefferson-county-farm-tour.

Online presentation schedule

SATURDAY, SEPT. 19

10 to 11 a.m. Kodama Farm & Food Forest - Cultivating an Indoor Tropical Food Forest

Noon to 1 p.m. Center Valley Animal Rescue - Who We Are & What We Do

2 to 3 p.m. Finnriver Farm & Cidery - Orchard Tour with Finnriver’s Orchard Manager

SUNDAY, SEPT. 20

10 to 11 a.m. Jacobs’ Fleece Farm - All About Jacobs’ Sheep & Small Time Farming

Noon to 1 p.m. Sunfield Farm - A Visual Tour of Our Land for Learning

2 to 3 p.m. Quimper Grange Food Bank Farm - Celebrating the Grange & Cultivating Food Security

 

Participating farms

Blue Wheelbarrow Farm

Blue Wheelbarrow Farm is a micro farm on just over one-quarter acre in Port Townsend that uses regenerative and organic techniques to improve the soil and give back to the land as it grows chemical-free, pollinator-friendly blooms. Blue Wheelbarrow specialize in dahlias and other deer-resistant flowers.

 

Center Valley
Animal Rescue

Beginning in 2002 as a small grassroots effort to find foster and permanent homes for unwanted dogs and cats in the greater Chimacum area, founder and director Sara Penhallegon’s efforts to garner support within the local community created the no-kill domestic rescue and wildlife rehabilitation center that exists today.

 

Chimacum Valley Dairy

Licensed as a Grade A raw milk dairy since 2014, Bruce Gleeman and Amy Rose Dubin, built this dairy around raw milk and naturally rinded cheeses made in small batches by hand in Jefferson County using traditional methods.

 

Colinwood Farm

Certified organic and family-owned Colinwood sits on 4.68 acres in the middle of Port Townsend with
14 greenhouses and a 24/7 farm stand stocked with farm fresh season produce. Farmer John Gunning has been building the rich soil on Colinwood Farm for more than 20 years to bring the community organically grown foods.

 

Compass Rose Farms

This 40-acre bio-diverse farm raises Icelandic sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and various native and cultivated ecosystems. The farm also hosts the Dirt Rich School which promotes community and teaches permaculture, sustainable food production, preservation and modern homesteading skills. Space Twins Provisions also operates onsite and produces seasonal food for the Port Townsend Saturday Market.

 

Finnriver Home Farm

This 33-acre organic farm on Chimacum Creek,
3 miles south of the Finnriver Orchard, is operated by a small team of farmers who are enthusiastic and passionate about growing nutritious vegetables and (arguably) the best blueberries in the world. The form incorporates chickens and ducks into its operations to increase soil fertility, and decrease weed and pest pressure. The farm is committed to land stewardship practices that enhance the quality of habitat, soil, water and community.

 

Finnriver Farm & Cidery

The Finnriver Farm & Cidery is focused on farming and fermentation across its combined 80 acres of certified organic farmland and orchard in the rural Chimacum Valley, in the traditional territories of Chemakum and S’Klallam peoples. The two farm locations (the 33-acre home farm and the 50-acre orchard) are 3 miles apart but both border salmon-bearing Chimacum Creek and both are permanently protected as farmland forever with conservation easements from the Jefferson Land Trust.

 

Heartwood Nursery

Heartwood Nursery is a small-scale, low-tech, bare-root nursery specializing in edible perennial plants. Heartwood Nursery is less than ½ acre yet home to more than 1,000 trees. The nursery propagates and grows a variety of fruit trees, fruiting shrubs, and nut trees. Trees are grown in deeply mulched permanent beds, which require zero plastic pots and dramatically less water to stay happy. Deep mulch also transforms into vibrantly rich soil that feeds the plants.

 

Hopscotch Farm
& Cannery

Heirloom produce, artisan pickles and preserves are the business of this outfit, started in 2017 and currently farming on three small plots just outside of Port Townsend. Hopscotch sets its sights on human-scale, organic and sustainable production methods with the goal of creating a regenerative growing system that focuses on soil health, environmental health, and nutrient dense produce. Hopscotch maintains permanent beds, and incorporates crops that attract pollinators and beneficial insects and grows mainly open pollinated varieties to promote biodiversity. 

 

Jacob’s Fleece Farm

Jacobs’ Fleece Farm is located on 8 acres just north of Quilcene. Jan Gillanders raises and maintains a small “spinner’s flock” of Jacob sheep, naturally and chemical free. “As my flock grew, so did my passion for spinning, knitting and felting,” Gillanders said. “Given the opportunity to work with fiber from start to finish, I soon discovered a great appreciation for the process of creating something from the ground up. The journey from sheep to shawl — pasture to pullover is awesome. Each one of my sheep has a distinct personality that often comes through in the finished product. Over the years I have expanded my business to offer, quality, prize-winning raw fleeces, washed and carded roving (ready for anyone to spin), hand-spun yarn and many finished knitted and felted items. I also custom spin my wool for knitters who don’t spin.”

 

Kodama Farm
& Food Forest

This 45-acre permaculture and market garden style farm grows a large assortment of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Kodama also raises chickens for eggs and goats for their milk, which they use to make soap. A one-of-a-kind tropical greenhouse is also sited on the property, where they grow a variety of citrus, bananas and other tropical fruits. K2 Clay is also onsite, crafting hand-thrown pottery and planters that are for sale at Kodama’s weekend farm stand.

 

One Straw Ranch

Raising cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, and quail, all of One Straw’s animals are pasture-raised and fed without any additional hormones or unnecessary medications, resulting in delicious, wholesome food. Beef, pork, and lamb are on offer by-the-package or as custom whole/half animals. Beef and lamb are 100 percent grass-fed and the non-GMO grain consumed by One Straw’s pigs and chickens is sourced locally. Yarn, roving, and raw fiber from the ranch’s One Straw’s Romney sheep are available as well as luxurious old fashioned soap crafted from their own small-batch rendered lard and beef tallow.

 

Quimper Grange Foodbank Farm
and Garden

The Food Bank Farm & Garden project and leadership team believe that everyone should have access to healthy, fresh food.

 

RainCoast Farms

Located close to Port Townsend, the grounds RainCoast are a private, magical escape. A stroll through the vineyard, orchard, flower garden and old growth cedar forest will instantly bring delight to mind, body and soul.

 

Sailor Vineyard

Wine from Sailor Vineyard is made solely from their own grapes in its traditional gravity winery. Sailor Vineyard grows 3 acres of grapes;
–2 acres of which are Marechal Foch, and the remainder Dolcetto, Pinot Noir and table grapes.

 

Shy Acre Farm

A new multi-use demonstration farm in the heart of Port Townsend, Shy Acre is a diverse family with an agricultural background. Small yet impactful, Shy Acre Farm has three demonstration gardens as well as a blooming lavender field and also provides a sanctuary for pollinators within its orchard of plums apples, pears and figs.

 

SpringRain Farm
& Orchard

A 28-acre certified organic family farm located in the heart of Chimacum, co-owners John Bellow and Roxanne Hudson have worked with their farm team to develop an ecologically-based diversified production system. SpringRain grows orchard fruit and raises 10 different kinds of berries along with mixed salad greens, tomatoes and other warm weather crops, and winter greenhouse production. SpringRain is focused on producing ethically-raised protein and raise chickens, ducks, and rabbits and have integrated conservation hedgerows and riparian buffers throughout the farm to provide habitat for birds, reptiles, amphibians, and native pollinators.

 

Sunfield Land
for Learning

Sitting upon 81 acres of fields, forest, wetlands and school campus in Port Hadlock, the nonprofit organization offers a biodynamic certified farm, Waldorf School, and community education programming. The farm cultivates a multitude of plants and animals. The Waldorf School provides education for students newborn to Grade 8. Sunfield Community Education Programming offers field trips, tours, and classes in biodynamic agriculture and Waldorf education.

 

Port Townsend Vineyards

Located in a part of Port Townsend known historically as Portuguese Hill, planted in 2015 on an original homestead site and former cattle ranch, Port Townsend Vineyards had its first harvest in October 2017. The vineyard on Portuguese Hill reflects a mission to keep things natural, local and community-oriented. Grape varieties grown in the 11.5-acre vineyard have been carefully selected to produce a collection of still wines that pair well with local shellfish and produce. They include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Siegerrebe, Madeleine Angevine, Auxerrois, Ortega, Rondo, Garanoir, Muscat of Norway and Iskorka.

 

White Lotus Farm

Situated on 69-acres in Beaver Valley, White Lotus Farm strives to regenerate the land by diversifying soil, plant and animal life. This farm is dedicated to enhancing the well-being of the community by producing and sharing quality farm products such as sourdough made with locally grown grains; wild-range chicken eggs; pasture raised meats and raw, unfiltered honey. White Lotus is always exploring ways to expand its offerings while prioritizing the needs of the local economy and ecosystem.

 

Wilderbee Farm

Family-run and organic, Wilderbee Farm in Port Townsend offers U-pick lavender, flowers, blueberries, and pumpkins. Wilderbee also raises honeybees and a conservation flock of rare British Soay sheep for wool. Lavender essential oils distilled and bottled onsite are available at the farm store, along with seasonal fruits and unique woodcrafts. The Mead Werks at Wilderbee Farm is a small batch meadery producing and selling handcrafted meads right at the farm.