Issuu

Whidbey Island

Farm Tour Guide 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Saturday, Sept. 12, & Sunday, Sept. 13

Celebrating a decade of Whidbey Farm Tours

A supplement to the Whidbey News-Times, The Whidbey Examiner and South Whidbey Record

Welcome to the 10th year of the Whidbey Island Farm Tour! We are excited to bring you 11 sites to visit this year, nine farms and two value-added agricultural product processing businesses. Ten years ago, in 2005, a group of volunteers working with the Whidbey Island Conservation District identified the need for the public to see first-hand the many great benefits that local farms were bringing to our island community. Growing local food and fiber and utilization of farm land which provides open space and adds to the economic viability of the county are just a few. The goals of the Farm Tour are 1) to educate the community about farms and the good stewardship practices employed by our local farmers; 2) to promote the benefits of locally grown food, fiber, and other products; and 3) to assist our local farms in their sustainability, marketing and publicity efforts. 2005 was a difficult era for farmers who were realizing there was much suspicion about the practices they were employing on their farms. As is often the case, there was much more suspicion than reality and the farmers on Whidbey welcomed an opportunity to be more transparent to the public. Opening a working farm to the public is no small task, especially during the time of year when farms are operating at peak production. Farmers go to extra effort to make sure their farms are not only presentable but safe for the public while telling the story of what they produce and how they produce their products. Whidbey Island has a wide range of farms, some which market direct to the public and others that market through other channels. Generally, the farms most enthusiastic about participating in the farm tour are those who have products to sell direct to the public. For some of the farms who market through CSA’s — Community Supported Agriculture programs — and at farmer’s markets, the Farm Tour offers an opportunity for their customers to come and spend part of a day visiting the farms that supply their local food. The changes in agriculture over the past 10 years have been dramatic. The cow dairy farms that used to be a driving agricultural engine on Whidbey Island, producing and consuming large volumes of locally produced forage and grain crops, no longer exist. The forage produced on these large open agricultural fields on the island is now marketed to beef cattle, the growing equestrian population, sheep, goats and others. A diversity of crops grown for seed production marketed domestically and globally, also exists. Many small vegetable farms and vineyards are popping up in the landscape, and we see these farmers selling their produce at our farmers markets. We have many more farmers in total number, now. The local food movement is strong and the image of farmers seems to be much more positive for the public. This is perhaps because the farmers are interacting more closely with the public. The Farm Tour has been an important part of this evolution over the past 10 years. We look forward to the Farm Tour as it exists today, and to its evolving and adjusting to the new face of farming to accommodate the needs of the farmers and those of the public and the growing tourism population into the future. — Whidbey Island Conservation District

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Farm locations Whidbey Island Farmers are growing and raising over 300 varieties of veggies, herbs, fruits, flowers and livestock for food, fiber, and fun! They are also producing value-added products using sustainable practices and providing educational opportunities to students from near and far. Come learn about Whidbey’s local agriculture, taste truly fresh foods and check out the wide variety of products from our producers. New this year, learn about the history of agriculture on the island from presettlement up to our modern era. Learn the stories of farms that are over 100 years old, as well as those that are fresh new faces to our agricultural community. Many farms will host food purveyors, activities and entertainers, so bring the kids and spend the day “down on the farm.” Or make it a weekend and stay at a bed & breakfast and feast at any of the fabulous Whidbey restaurants featuring foods from local farms. The tour is free! You can start anywhere and visit as many or as few farms as you like. Please note that some farms are offering events at specific times and a few are open Saturday only.

WILDWOOD FARM Heather Carder – 2326 Happy Valley Rd., Oak Harbor, WA 98277; (360) 6793474; www.wildwoodfarm.com Directions: From SR 20, turn right on Whidbey Avenue if heading north or left if heading south. Turn left onto Regatta and turn right onto Crescent Harbor, which becomes Reservation Road after a sharp turn to the right. Turn left onto Happy Valley Road and continue up the hill and through the gates to the farm and follow signs to parking.

HUMMINGBIRD FARM NURSERY AND GARDENS Lori and Lee Spear – 2319 Zylstra Road, Oak Harbor, WA 98277; (360) 6795044; lee@hummingbirdfarmnursery. com; www.hummingbirdfarmnursery. com or visit us on Facebook.

Directions: From SR 20, turn left onto Swantown Road if northbound, right if southbound, then left at next light on Fort Nugent Road. Go two miles and watch for the blue barn on the right at the intersection with Zylstra Road.

WILLOWOOD FARM Georgie Smith – 399 South Ebey Rd., Coupeville, WA 98239; (360) 929-0244; willowoodfarm@gmail.com; http:// willowoodfarm.wordpress.com Directions: From SR 20, turn onto Ebey Road, left if northbound, right if southbound. Turn right onto Cook Road. Go approximately 1/4 mile and turn left on the farm road (marked with Farm Tour signs) to the big barn and follow parking signs. NOTE: Willowood Farm is not accessible off of Ebey Road.

ROSEHIP FARM & GARDEN Linda Bartlett & Valerie Reuther – 338

WHIDBEY ISLAND FARM TOUR Fort Casey Rd., Coupeville, WA 98239; (360) 678-3577; Find us at www.localha rvest.org; rosehip@whidbey.net Directions: From SR 20, turn left onto Terry Road if heading north or right if heading south. Turn left onto Fort Casey Road and continue for one mile. The farm is on the right.

GREENBANK FARM & ORGANIC FARM SCHOOL (GUIDED TOURS SATURDAY, SEPT. 12, ONLY) Judy Feldman - Executive Director, Jessica Babcock - Organic Farm School; 765 Wonn Road, Greenbank, WA 98253; (360) 222-3151; operations@greenbank farm.com; www.greenbankfarm.org Directions: From SR 525, turn right onto Wonn Road if northbound or left if southbound. Turn left into the first driveway. The Organic Farm is at the north end of the parking area near the Jim Davis House (Building E).

STRAWFIELD HOUSE (OPEN SUNDAY, SEPT. 13, ONLY) Aracely & John Knox – 2604 North Bluff Rd., Greenbank, WA 98253; (360) 678-1747; aracely@127beach.us Directions: From SR 525, veer right onto North Bluff Road if heading north or, if heading south, turn left onto Wonn Road and then left onto North Bluff Road. Continue about one mile and turn left onto the gravel road just after the Mercer sign on the right and before the Pronkin’ Pastures sign on the left. Strawfield is on the left at the end of the drive.

SOUTH WHIDBEY TILTH SUSTAINABILITY CAMPUS Susan Prescott – 2812 Thompson Road, Langley, WA 98260; (360) 544-2278;

We Our Local Farmers! Gifts from the Heart Food Bank would like to thank our local farmers who donate thousands of pounds of fresh, healthy, locally grown produce to the food bank each year.

Thank you!

Gifts from the Heart Food Bank

P.O. Box 155 Coupeville, WA 98239 360-678-8312 giftsfromtheheartfoodbank.com

46 S. Ebey Rd. Coupeville, WA

SEPTEMBER 2015 info@southwhidbeytilth.org; www.south whidbeytilth.org Directions: From SR 525, turn onto Thompson Road, right if northbound, left if southbound (turn when you see the scarecrow!). Then left at the Tilth entrance sign.

525. The farm will be on your left. If southbound on SR 525, turn right onto Cultus Bay Road and go 1.5 miles, then turn left on Deer Lake Road. Turn right on Holst Road and go 1.3 miles.

GLENDALE SHEPHERD

WHIDBEY ISLAND DISTILLERY

The Swansons – 7616 Glendale Heights Rd., Clinton, WA 98236; (360) 579-1955; www.glendaleshepherd.com

Beverly & Steve Heising – 3466 Craw Rd., Langley, WA 98260; (360) 321-4715; bev@whidbeydistillery.com; www.whid beydistillery.com

Directions: From SR 525, turn left onto Cultus Bay Road if heading north or right if heading south. Continue 3.5 miles, turn left onto Glendale Road and continue for 1.5 miles, turn right onto Roseberry and proceed about 300 feet, then turn left through the Swanson Tree Farm gate onto the gravel road. Stay to the right for 0.75 mile to the farm. Note: the farm road is one lane and may require using a turnout to allow others to pass in the opposite direction.

Directions: From SR 525, turn left onto Coles Road if heading north or right if heading south. Turn right on Craw Road. Distillery is first driveway on the left.

ABUNDANT EARTH FIBER MILL (OPEN SATURDAY, SEPT. 12 ONLY) Lydia Christiansen – 6438 Central Ave., Clinton, WA 98236; (360) 969-2187; Lydia@AbundantEarthFiber.com; www. AbundantEarthFiber.com

HISTORIC EBEY’S RESERVE PRAIRIE OVERLOOK

Directions: From SR 525, turn onto Deer Lake Road, left if northbound, right if southbound. Turn left onto Commercial Street and turn right onto Central Avenue. Abundant Earth Fiber Mill is on your right.

Historian on site to share info & answer questions: 10:00 a.m. to noon and 1-3 p.m. Sat & Sun, Sept 12 &13; Learn about thousands of years of agricultural history on Ebey’s Prairie.

FERN RIDGE ALPACAS: Due to unexpected circumstances, Fern Ridge is unable to participate in the tour. Farm will be closed on tour dates.

SHIPKI FARM ORGANICS 7331 Holst Road, Clinton, WA 98236; (360) 579-2416; www.shipkifarm.com

Directions: From SR 20, turn onto South Sherman Road, left if northbound, right if southbound. Bear right on Cemetery Road for 0.2 mile to the Prairie Overlook pullout.

ART SHOW “When Your Plow is a Paintbrush: Artists Interpret the Farm III” art show at the Bayview Cash Store

Directions: If northbound, turn left onto Deer Lake Road from SR 525, following the left bend onto Holst Road, traveling a total of 2.8 miles from SR

Friday, Aug. 28 - Sun., Oct. 4. Hours: Monday - Sunday, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. 5603 Bayview Road, Langley, WA

360.678.4675

Join us at Sherman’s Farms for our PRAIRIE FARM TOURS Saturday and Sunday, Weekend of Sept. 12 and 13, 2015 Farm opens at 10 a.m. Each tour ride costs $5. One tour each hour lasting about 45 minutes beginning at 12 p.m., ona ﬁrst come, ﬁrst served basis– last tour starting at 4 p.m. Dale Sherman will give a little bit of history on the tour as well as showing where we grow and what kinds of things are grown on the prairie. Liz Sherman will answer your questions about the farm, lead a tour of our processing plant, the barns and our produce stand. Come to enjoy all the Whidbey Island Farm Tour activities and learn about your local farmers!

Grown for more than 90 years on historic Ebey’s Prairie on magnificent Whidbey Island, our naturally sweet, healthy and delicious sugar hubbard squash is a true customer favorite. Please browse around our farm to find out about our fall pumkin patch, harvest festival activities, produce stand hours and upcoming events.

facebook.com/SPFProduce www.shermanspioneerfarmproduce.com

RECORD SOUTH WHIDBEY

WHIDBEY ISLAND FARM TOUR

SEPTEMBER 2015

Page 3

Greenbank stop highlights organic farm school By DAN RICHMAN

drichman@whidbeynewsgroup.com

Farm Tour visitors to the Greenbank Farm Organic Farm School can expect to see a farm in miniature, with a dozen crops growing, a few sheep grazing and some broiler chickens pecking around their coop. What they won’t see is the intensive education of eight hard-working students going on at the seven-year-old program. “Our students are serious when they get here, educated when they leave and engaged from then on,” said Judy Feldman, executive director of the Greenbank Farm Management Group, during a recent walk around the school. “They really take it to heart.” Each year the school runs a 7.5-month intensive farmtraining program for fewer than 10 students, who are typically 22-34 years old, Feldman said. An optional second year is available, focusing on administration and management. “Other programs make farm training part of their curriculum, but they’re aware many of their graduates will become policy-makers, edu-

cators or culinary professionals,” she said. “We’re about teaching you how to be a farmer.” On Saturday, the students will offer a walking tour of the fields, answering questions about what’s growing. On Sunday, tours will be selfguided. Students pay $5,200 for the first year of the program, which runs mid-March through mid-October. That doesn’t include room and board on the farm or within the community. During that time they’ll learn planning, cultivation, weeding, harvesting, marketing, processing, packaging, selling and even keeping the books for a small farm, Feldman said. They’ll slaughter, process, cool and market the lambs and broiler chickens. And they’ll study the development of organic seed, an essential for reducing risk and increasing predictability in organic farming. Learning takes place in a small classroom and in the school’s 10-acre field. The focus is on certified organic mixed-vegetable farming, but field trips take students to farms that grow flowers and herbs, for example.

Photo by Dan Richman

Jessica Babcock, right, is the sole full-time instructor at the organic farm school at Greenbank Farm. “We want students to have as broad a diversity of experience as possible, so that when they leave here they’ll have a vision of what they want to do next,” Feldman said. This year’s students hail from Illinois, Nevada, New York, Oregon and Wisconsin. Seven are in their first year and one is in her second year. Whidbey Islanders are “of course welcome,” but they seem to prefer to take internships with Rosehip Farm & Garden or Willowood Farm,

both in Coupeville, Feldman said. When the program’s students settle on the island afterward, as sometimes happens, it enhances the local farming community. A tour of the school in late July found the fields planted with collards, Napa cabbage, flowers, kale, potatoes and radishes. Students were making their customary Monday “rounds,” when they inspect the growing crops for progress and problems. Jessica Babcock, the program’s sole instructor, led the group,

assisted by second-year student Amber Keeney. “I want to start Green Keeney Seeds, an organic seed company,” said Keeney, 27, of Jackson, Calif. “I’m in the planning stages right now. I learned how to grow seed here and it turned into a bit of an obsession.” The school sells its produce to 50 community members who have prepaid for it, and to the Star Store, The Goose, the farm’s cafe, the Coupeville farmer’s market and at its own farm stand. It

sells its own line of organic seed and offers gleaning rights to South Whidbey Rotary, which brings the food to the Good Cheer food bank. The school functions with just one full-time instructor, one part-time administrator and one part-time grant writer. It has managed to cover its expenses “so far,” Feldman said. The school’s lease on its field ends in March 2017, and with the Port of Coupeville’s July 8 vote to assume management of the farm on Jan. 1, the school’s future may be in question. “That decision seems to have been made quite quickly, without a lot of thought for a plan moving forward,” Feldman said. “We want to be sure we don’t do the same thing” with regard to the school. “We want to be as thoughtful as we can be, so it’s not an abrupt end or shift. Now is the time for a lot of deep, reflective thinking.” The management group has said it will take no students in 2016 so it can take time to restart the program, at the farm or elsewhere, in 2017.

CUSTOMER Visitors are welcome to come visit & enjoy our winery... Bring your out-of-town guests for a mid-week tour, or a glass of wine. We’ll be happy to show you around! Just give us a ring.

5881 Maxwelton Road, Langley

(360)661-6226 • www.spoileddogwinery.com

OWNED. CUSTOMER DRIVEN. We’re a customer-owned financial services cooperative and your trusted source for: Real Estate Financing Operating Lines of Credit Country Home & Lot Loans

willowoodfarm.wordpress.com • willowoodfarm@gmail.com Follow Farm Tour Directions • Find us on Facebook

Crop Insurance* northwestfcs.com | 800.548.2699

• Info on successful winter growing • Hay bale maze for kids • • Guided tours - learn about winter growing 11 and 2 • • Many seasonal veggies for sale in our historic barn. • Self-guided tours of our greenhouses, farm fields and barn are available

*Serviced through Northwest Farm Credit Services Insurance Agency. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

A. Oak Harbor Farmers’ Market B. 3 Sisters Market C. Coupeville Farmers’ Market D. South Whidbey Tilth Farmers’ Market E. Bayview Farmers’ Market F. Langley Second Street Market G. Clinton Thursday Market

MADR

Y. ONA W

CO PENN

20 OLD

RD.

Breakfast, Lunch, Catering Pacific NW country Style Menu

THE BRAEBURN

prima bistro

525

RACE RD.

ER RD

R ESO

IN Y

BUSH PT. RD.

BA Y

CLASSIC RD.

TOMCHUCK LN.

525

PLANTATION DR.

LAGOON PT. RD.

CHRIS TIANSON RD.

GREENBANK

BAKKE N RD.

6 5

. RD ON UST HO

ST EA

DOW RD.

LANCASTER RD.

R O RB HA

FREELAND HR FIS

1 PO LNE LL RD.

HAPPY VALLEY LLEY RD.

EE N

G R

BRAINERS RD.

ANDREASON RD.

D 7 E

THOMPSON RD.

MILLMAN RD.

GOSS LAKE RD.

EWING RD.

BAYVIEW

KS OO

SILLS RD.

HIL

MORTLAND DR.

SW ED E

HIL

G A

SA RA TO

ELL RD

10 11

CLINTON

BOB GALB

DEER LAKE RD.

CAMPB

SPRINGWA TER LN.

FRENCH RD.

525

LANGLEY

405 S. Main St. | Coupeville | 360-678-6616

Comfortable family setting, large menu selection, Lunch counter, 30-item salad bar, daily specials, and our popular Sunday breakfast buffet.

TYEE RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

107 S. Main Street, Ste B-101 | Coupeville | 360-678-3200 coupeville.pizzafactory.com

Dine-in, Take-out or Delivery. Pizza, salad bar, sandwiches and more! Open Mon- Sat 11am - 9pm, Sunday 12pm - 8pm

PIZZA FACTORY

901 Grace Street | Coupeville | 360-678-0683

Simply good Food

THE OYSTERCATCHER

12 NW Front St. | Coupeville | 360-678-2900

Specializing in chili featuring gumbo, sandwiches and quiche. Open for lunch 11:00 am–4 pm. A simple menu for simply delicious homemade food.

MOSQUITO FLEET CHILI

4 Front Street | Coupeville | 360-678-5431 www.kneadandfeed.com

KNEAD & FEED

Rich, freshly-baked cinnamon rolls, delicious breakfast and lunch daily. Two levels open for dining with great water views.

200 S. Main Street | Coupeville | 360-682-5832 www.coupevillecoffeeandbistro.com

The place for coffee, friends and a bite to eat on Whidbey Island. Eclectic Northwest cuisine, delicious breakfast & lunch.

COUPEVILLE COFFEE & BISTRO

101 Coveland St | Coupeville www.bayleaf.us

Voted “Best Wine Shop, 2014” Whidbey News Group Readers Choice Awards

BAYLEAF

PRIMA BISTRO 201 ½ First Street | Langley | 360-221-4060 www.primabistro.com

CRESENT HARBOR RD.

SILVER LAKE RD.

RD. DE VRIES

705 SE Pioneer Way | Oak Harbor | 360-240-0250 valleazuloakharbor.com

360-321-4120

WELCH

MORRIS RD.

SLEEPER RD.

. RD

Working with local farmers and ranchers to keep “eating local” affordable. Try our Whidbey Island pasture-raised beef burger! 14485 Hwy 525 | Bayview (just outside Langley)

CASE RD.

S NE JO

RD. STAD

FRO

FAKKEMA RD.

TROXELL RD.

We offer authentic Mexican cuisine made from the finest and freshest ingredients in a comfortable and family-friendly atmosphere.

VALLE AZUL

31640 SR 20, Suite 3 | Oak Harbor | 360-675-1105 www.seabolts.com

Fresh Smoked Wild Salmon. Voted Whidbey Island’s best Seafood, best Clam Chowder and best Fish & Chips. Open Mon-Sat at 9 a.m., with food service beginning at 11a.m., Sunday open at 10a.m.

SEABOLT’S SMOKEHOUSE

EWING RD.

NEIL’S CLOVER PATCH CAFÉ

9324 SR 525 | Clinton | 360-341-2828

Home of the Best View

WELCOME TO HONG KONG GARDENS

1642 East Main St | Freeland | 360-331-9945 www.whidbey.com/freelandcafe

“Since 1974”

FREELAND CAFE AND LOUNGE

CHARMERS BISTRO 1675 East Main St | Freeland | 206-353-0721

D. RE R O PATM

WANAMAKER RD.

2780 Marshview Ave | Langley www.bayviewfarmandgarden.com

A Y. ER W PIONE

PATMORE RD.

COUPEVILLE

PARKER RD.

EN SC

OAK HARBOR

FLOWER HOUSE CAFE AT BAYVIEW FARM & GARDEN Never enough coffee. Never enough flowers.

HILL RD.

TERRY

VE RD.

ARN

197 2nd Street | Langley | 360-221-3211

LIBBEY RD.

DARST RD.

HASTIE LAKE RD.

FORT NUGENT RD.

WHIDBEY AVE.

CROSBY RD.

270 SE Cabot Dr Ste 1 | Oak Harbor | 360- 679-4141

RD.

Farmers’ Markets

1. Wildwood Farm 2. Hummingbird Farm Nursery & Gardens 3. Willowood Farm 4. Rosehip Farm & Garden 5. Greenbank Farm & Organic Farm School 6. Strawfield House - Sunday Only 7. South Whidbey Tilth Sustainability Campus 8. Whidbey Island Distillery 9. Abundant Earth Fiber Mill - Saturday Only 10. Fern Ridge Alpacas 11. Shipki Farm Organics 12. Glendale Shepherd

Farm (open both days) Farm (open one day only)

whidbeyfarmtour.com

10th Annual Whidbey Island Farm Tour Saturday & Sunday, September 12 & 13 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

TO W N

SW AN

CROSBY RD.

AULT FIELD RD.

31810 WA-20 | Oak Harbor | 360- 679-6100

WEST BEACH RD.

Farm Guide

Full-service chain bar & grill providing hearty American eats in an informal setting.

A BE T ES W

ACH RD. .

WEST BE RD CH

ZYLSTRA RD.

DE GRAFF RD.

APPLEBEE’S

MONROE LANDING RD.

HELLER RD.

FORT CASEY RD.

ZYLSTRA RD.

GOLF COURSE RD.

ENGLE RD.

OAK HARBOR RD.

HEIGHTS RD.

DR. ATT A

REG

32170 WA-20 | Oak Harbor | 360-679-3219

. RD EY EB

TON RD. ING RR HA

SMU

RACE RD.

GRATEFUL ACRE PL.

GOLDIE RD.

Delivery and carryout offering a wide range of pizza, plus chicken wings & other sides.

MIDWAY BLVD.

KEYSTONE HILL RD.

DOMINO’S

E RD COV LER 'S

Looking for a tasty place for lunch? Sandwich, soups, salads, shakes, sundaes, banana split. Located inside Island Drug. Monday-Saturday 11am to 5pm | Sunday 11am to 2pm

DE VRIES RD.

APPLE A DAY CAFE

DAY RD.

2015 Whidbey Island Farm Tour

LONE LAKE RD.

STRAWB WBERRY PT. RD. EAST HARBOR RD.

RESERVATION RD.

OON BAY YM RD . DOU BLE

Y BAY

LU FF RD .

G CO

BAY VIE

UG 'S

MUTIN

BAYVIEW RD.

SM R LE

LUCY LN.

RD.

COLES RD.

MAXWELTON RD.

AMBLE RD.

Restaurant Guide

RD.

XWE LTO N

LANGLEY RD.

ST.

CULTUS BAY RD.

H ST EA

RD.

MAIN

FORD

RF AC

. RD

RD TAYLOR

CRAW

HOLST RD.

TAYLOR RD.

GA TO RA SA

WILKINSON RD.

D. ATH R HUMPHREY RD.

NORTH BLUFF RD.

SCATCHET HEAD RD.

USELESS BAY AVE.

RD .

MADR

Y. ONA W

CO PENN

20 OLD

RD.

Breakfast, Lunch, Catering Pacific NW country Style Menu

THE BRAEBURN

prima bistro

525

RACE RD.

ER RD

R ESO

IN Y

BUSH PT. RD.

BA Y

CLASSIC RD.

TOMCHUCK LN.

525

PLANTATION DR.

LAGOON PT. RD.

CHRIS TIANSON RD.

GREENBANK

BAKKE N RD.

6 5

. RD ON UST HO

ST EA

DOW RD.

LANCASTER RD.

R O RB HA

FREELAND HR FIS

1 PO LNE LL RD.

HAPPY VALLEY LLEY RD.

EE N

G R

BRAINERS RD.

ANDREASON RD.

D 7 E

THOMPSON RD.

MILLMAN RD.

GOSS LAKE RD.

EWING RD.

BAYVIEW

KS OO

SILLS RD.

HIL

MORTLAND DR.

SW ED E

HIL

G A

SA RA TO

ELL RD

10 11

CLINTON

BOB GALB

DEER LAKE RD.

CAMPB

SPRINGWA TER LN.

FRENCH RD.

525

LANGLEY

405 S. Main St. | Coupeville | 360-678-6616

Comfortable family setting, large menu selection, Lunch counter, 30-item salad bar, daily specials, and our popular Sunday breakfast buffet.

TYEE RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

107 S. Main Street, Ste B-101 | Coupeville | 360-678-3200 coupeville.pizzafactory.com

Dine-in, Take-out or Delivery. Pizza, salad bar, sandwiches and more! Open Mon- Sat 11am - 9pm, Sunday 12pm - 8pm

PIZZA FACTORY

901 Grace Street | Coupeville | 360-678-0683

Simply good Food

THE OYSTERCATCHER

12 NW Front St. | Coupeville | 360-678-2900

Specializing in chili featuring gumbo, sandwiches and quiche. Open for lunch 11:00 am–4 pm. A simple menu for simply delicious homemade food.

MOSQUITO FLEET CHILI

4 Front Street | Coupeville | 360-678-5431 www.kneadandfeed.com

KNEAD & FEED

Rich, freshly-baked cinnamon rolls, delicious breakfast and lunch daily. Two levels open for dining with great water views.

200 S. Main Street | Coupeville | 360-682-5832 www.coupevillecoffeeandbistro.com

The place for coffee, friends and a bite to eat on Whidbey Island. Eclectic Northwest cuisine, delicious breakfast & lunch.

COUPEVILLE COFFEE & BISTRO

101 Coveland St | Coupeville www.bayleaf.us

Voted “Best Wine Shop, 2014” Whidbey News Group Readers Choice Awards

BAYLEAF

PRIMA BISTRO 201 ½ First Street | Langley | 360-221-4060 www.primabistro.com

CRESENT HARBOR RD.

SILVER LAKE RD.

RD. DE VRIES

705 SE Pioneer Way | Oak Harbor | 360-240-0250 valleazuloakharbor.com

360-321-4120

WELCH

MORRIS RD.

SLEEPER RD.

. RD

Working with local farmers and ranchers to keep “eating local” affordable. Try our Whidbey Island pasture-raised beef burger! 14485 Hwy 525 | Bayview (just outside Langley)

CASE RD.

S NE JO

RD. STAD

FRO

FAKKEMA RD.

TROXELL RD.

We offer authentic Mexican cuisine made from the finest and freshest ingredients in a comfortable and family-friendly atmosphere.

VALLE AZUL

31640 SR 20, Suite 3 | Oak Harbor | 360-675-1105 www.seabolts.com

Fresh Smoked Wild Salmon. Voted Whidbey Island’s best Seafood, best Clam Chowder and best Fish & Chips. Open Mon-Sat at 9 a.m., with food service beginning at 11a.m., Sunday open at 10a.m.

SEABOLT’S SMOKEHOUSE

EWING RD.

NEIL’S CLOVER PATCH CAFÉ

9324 SR 525 | Clinton | 360-341-2828

Home of the Best View

WELCOME TO HONG KONG GARDENS

1642 East Main St | Freeland | 360-331-9945 www.whidbey.com/freelandcafe

“Since 1974”

FREELAND CAFE AND LOUNGE

CHARMERS BISTRO 1675 East Main St | Freeland | 206-353-0721

D. RE R O PATM

WANAMAKER RD.

2780 Marshview Ave | Langley www.bayviewfarmandgarden.com

A Y. ER W PIONE

PATMORE RD.

COUPEVILLE

PARKER RD.

EN SC

OAK HARBOR

FLOWER HOUSE CAFE AT BAYVIEW FARM & GARDEN Never enough coffee. Never enough flowers.

HILL RD.

TERRY

VE RD.

ARN

197 2nd Street | Langley | 360-221-3211

LIBBEY RD.

DARST RD.

HASTIE LAKE RD.

FORT NUGENT RD.

WHIDBEY AVE.

CROSBY RD.

270 SE Cabot Dr Ste 1 | Oak Harbor | 360- 679-4141

RD.

Farmers’ Markets

Farm (open both days) Farm (open one day only)

whidbeyfarmtour.com

10th Annual Whidbey Island Farm Tour Saturday & Sunday, September 12 & 13 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

TO W N

SW AN

CROSBY RD.

AULT FIELD RD.

31810 WA-20 | Oak Harbor | 360- 679-6100

WEST BEACH RD.

Farm Guide

Full-service chain bar & grill providing hearty American eats in an informal setting.

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ACH RD. .

WEST BE RD CH

ZYLSTRA RD.

DE GRAFF RD.

APPLEBEE’S

MONROE LANDING RD.

HELLER RD.

FORT CASEY RD.

ZYLSTRA RD.

GOLF COURSE RD.

ENGLE RD.

OAK HARBOR RD.

HEIGHTS RD.

DR. ATT A

REG

32170 WA-20 | Oak Harbor | 360-679-3219

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TON RD. ING RR HA

SMU

RACE RD.

GRATEFUL ACRE PL.

GOLDIE RD.

Delivery and carryout offering a wide range of pizza, plus chicken wings & other sides.

MIDWAY BLVD.

KEYSTONE HILL RD.

DOMINO’S

E RD COV LER 'S

Looking for a tasty place for lunch? Sandwich, soups, salads, shakes, sundaes, banana split. Located inside Island Drug. Monday-Saturday 11am to 5pm | Sunday 11am to 2pm

DE VRIES RD.

APPLE A DAY CAFE

DAY RD.

2015 Whidbey Island Farm Tour

LONE LAKE RD.

STRAWB WBERRY PT. RD. EAST HARBOR RD.

RESERVATION RD.

OON BAY YM RD . DOU BLE

Y BAY

LU FF RD .

G CO

BAY VIE

UG 'S

MUTIN

BAYVIEW RD.

SM R LE

LUCY LN.

RD.

COLES RD.

MAXWELTON RD.

AMBLE RD.

Restaurant Guide

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LANGLEY RD.

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CULTUS BAY RD.

H ST EA

RD.

MAIN

FORD

RF AC

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RD TAYLOR

CRAW

HOLST RD.

TAYLOR RD.

GA TO RA SA

WILKINSON RD.

D. ATH R HUMPHREY RD.

NORTH BLUFF RD.

SCATCHET HEAD RD.

USELESS BAY AVE.

RD .

WHIDBEY ISLAND FARM TOUR

Page 6

SEPTEMBER 2015

Fiber mill sees success after one year at the loom By KATE DANIEL

kdaniel@whidbeynewsgroup.com

When Lydia Christiansen first opened the doors of Abundant Earth Fiber Mill in the summer of 2014, she was exhausted, yet ecstatic. After six months of mapping out plans, acquiring potential customers and purchasing equipment, her dream had finally been realized. She began by focusing on local clients — Whidbey Island farmers and acquaintances who possessed more fiber than they were sure what to make with. It was an ideal business for Christiansen, a lover of fiber and the earth, who sought to bridge the gap between “farm and yarn.” After a year of long days, and nights, spent working at the mill and cultivating her vision, Christiansen is proud to note that the mill is not only abundant in fibers, but in business. Stacked neatly upon racks inside the mill lay dozens of hefty bags of soft, cream-colored wool. Christiansen said the mill currently processes about 800 to 1,000 pounds per month. “We’ve come a long way,” she said of the business. She now has four employees to assist with work at the mill and has developed three wholesale

Photo by Kate Daniel

Lydia Christiansen, owner of Abundant Earth Fiber Mill, has developed three new wholesale lines of yarn. The business, which opened in summer 2014, has expanded rapidly over the past year. lines of yarn: Terra, Salish and Aviary. Terra is a 100 percent domestic Merino; Salish is wool

raised from Pacific Northwest ranches, primarily Targhee and Rambouillet; and Aviar y is a micro batch of yarns and rov-

ing consisting of three blends: long wool mohair, 100 percent Romney and fine wool alpaca sourced from small family farms

in the Pacific Northwest. Previously, the mill had worked primarily on custom orders with a Whidbey-based clientele. It was a good way to get the business started, Christiansen said, and the number of custom orders eventually became more than she and her staff could keep up with. In an effort to exercise her creativity more freely and to cut her time at the mill down to a more reasonable 12 hours a day, she’s shifted her focus and is currently working on expanding the wholesale aspect of the business. “I always wanted to design and develop my own yarn,” she said. “Which is why I wanted the machines in the first place, so I could have the freedom to create my own stuff.” “The creative process is alive and well in all of my products,” said Christiansen. “It’s kind of a choose your own adventure process.” The mill still processes a limited number of custom requests, though they’re also working with large clients like Tolt Yarn and Wool in Carnation, Wash. Despite the booming business, Christiansen said she doesn’t consider herself successful quite yet, though, importantly, she is proud of what she’s doing.

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WHIDBEY ISLAND FARM TOUR

SEPTEMBER 2015

Page 7

Whidbey horse farm sells equestrian experience By DEBRA VAUGHN

dvaughn@whidbeynewsgroup.com

For decades some of the fastest thoroughbred horses in the region got their start wobbling around the paddocks of a farm hidden in the evergreens east of Oak Harbor. Wildwood Farm still produces champion racehorses, but the owners have transformed it into what they call a “center for horsemanship” — a place to ride, get a lesson, board a horse, buy tack, attend a camp or horse gaze from the farm’s bed and breakfast. “We sell the equestrian experience,” said owner Heather Carder. The public can get a taste of that during the Whidbey Island Farm Tour. The farm plans to offer pony rides for a $5 donation, hay rides, self-guided tours of the flora and fauna on the trails, demonstrations by the resident trainers and refreshments. Visitors also can learn about farm practices and horse care. Carder and Gregg Lanza decided to buy the farm in 2002. They had looked at a number of farms in the Redmond area, but most of them were lean and small. Carder remembers the first time they drove up the gravel road and the 80-acre farm with its idyllic pond, barns and lush, fenced pastures came into view. “Why is this for sale?” she remembers thinking. “This should

Photo by Debra Vaughn

Jorge Ramos, a longtime employee of Wildwood Farm, brings in the horses late one recent afternoon. Wildwood Farm will be one of 11 locations on the Whidbey Island Farm Tour. be passed down. Somebody put a lot of love and work into it.” Those somebodies were Bill and Barbara Black, who established the farm in 1965. It became one of the state’s largest thoroughbred farms, producing some of the great champion race horses that pounded the track at Longacres in Seattle. When the horse race track closed

in 1992, it spelled the end of many thoroughbred farms in the region — including this one. By the time Emerald Downs opened in 1996, Wildwood’s days as a large-scale breeder were over. Carder has loved horses since she was a little girl. Her first word was “horse.” As an adult, she would escape the pressures of her job in the high-tech world by riding.

She lived in downtown Seattle and boarded her horses on the Eastside. She thought she knew a thing or two about horse care. Owning a large farm proved an education. Her philosophy is care for the horses exceptionally well and avoid the cost of vet visits. That means top-notch food and training and impeccably clean stalls and pastures. Carder knows the

horses so well, she can feel when they’re in distress. The farm, which rests within Happy Valley, does seem to produce happy horses. When they occasionally get loose, they stay on the farm. When their neighbor’s cattle get loose, they wander there too, she said. About 40 horses live on the farm -— seven are a part of the breeding program, six are used for lessons and the rest are boarders. Carder and Lanza learned it wouldn’t be enough to survive financially being only a breeder. The cost of feeding and training a thoroughbred doesn’t pencil out into big money. “You do it for the love of it,” she said. “Having babies in the fields is priceless.” Instead, the farm is multiple, interconnected businesses. Carder even operates an onsite tack and saddlery store. The farm includes three riding arenas, a covered round pen and race track and 25 acres of wooded riding trails. The recession in 2008 proved a tough time as horses -— Lanza calls them “land boats” -— are luxuries for most people. The farm survived, mainly because the partners pour every moment into making it a success. “We are very tired,” Lanza said. “We haven’t had a vacation in six years.”

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WHIDBEY ISLAND FARM TOUR

Page 8

Tractors, old rigs, expressions of island farm life and fresh food By BEN WATANABE South Whidbey Record

Beyond touring any actual working farms, the Whidbey Island Farm Tour will also offer a chance to relish in the glory of pre-1945 tractors, agriculture-themed art and farm-fresh food. The Antique Tractor and Old Iron Meet will celebrate all things mechanical and old Saturday, Sept. 12, at South Whidbey Tilth (2812 Thompson Road, just north of Bayview Road and off Highway 525). Spearheaded by antique tractor enthusiast and owner Jim Lux, the tour will showcase the simple mechanics that helped feed millions less than a century ago. “I want to keep that subject in front of people, because there’s no doubt that we’ll have a huge shift in agriculture that will feed people,” Lux said, adding that should oil prices spike or oil become scarce, utilizing low horsepower equipment will

become more sensible. In the Tilth Market description of the event, Lux noted the physical limitations of farmers. “There’s only so much human muscle can do,” he wrote. Already, he’s seen growth in the need and demand for 1.5-horsepower tractors at small plot farms and community supported agriculture. Fresh produce has become increasingly abundant from small plot farms on Whidbey Island. From tip to tip, the island is dotted with 25 farm stands identified and recently updated on the goosefoot.org website (http://goosefoot.org/ pdf/farmstands.pdf). Just south of Tilth, the Ebb Tide Produce farm has a host of seasonal goods — beets, carrots, cilantro, cucumbers, flowers, herbs, onions, leeks, lettuce, peppers, potatoes and zucchini. Farm stands are mostly unstaffed and rely on an honor system of people paying by putting money into a

lockbox. So far, the program has worked out well enough for four farms to be added to the brochure since it was launched in the summer of 2014. “If you’re talking about farming and food sustainability, you have to talk about all of Whidbey Island,” said Marian Myszkowski, director of program and fund development of Goosefoot Community Fund, which put together the brochure. Farmers markets are similarly abundant and varied across the island. Thursdays belong to markets in Oak Harbor and Clinton, Fridays to Langley, Saturdays to Bayview and Coupeville, and Sundays to South Whidbey Tilth. Seeing how and where a carrot is grown and the people who sow and reap is a way of connecting and better understanding a local food system, Myszkowski said. “Part of it is it’s something completely different for people coming from urban areas,

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Freeland 5531 Freeland Ave. 360/331-6006

Langley 223 Second St. 360/221-8898

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getting closer to their food,” she said. “It’s not only healthier for us, it’s also good for the economy,” she added. Continuing a now three-year tradition of the Bayview Cash Store and Whidbey Island Farm Tour is the “When Your Plow is a Paintbrush” art exhibit. Expressing farm life and all things agrarian, the works of 10 artists using different media will tackle the title. One artist, Karran West, dropped off a pair of pastoral watercolor paintings — Maple Syrup Farm and Midwest Farm — at Goosefoot a couple weeks before the tour. Her landscape paintings of barns, tractors, fields and farm houses were iconic in their depiction, though they were admittedly based on scenes in Wisconsin rather than Whidbey Island. “Whidbey Island’s a beautiful place with a lot of farms and farm animals, it gives artists a lot of food to work with,” Myszkowski said.

SEPTEMBER 2015

Photo by Ben Watanabe

Ebb Tide Farm in Bayview has a seasonal produce stand as do many Whidbey Island farms. Many farms operate under an honor system.