Every farm has a story
Submitted by The San Juan Islands Food Hub
The San Juan Islands Food Hub brings people and food together on Lopez, Orcas and San Juan. Rebecca Anglin grows her mushrooms off the grid in the forest, seeking out small microclimates to maintain the growing temperatures and humidity needed for her beautiful Shade Maiden Mushrooms. Shannon Hoffman and Doug MacInnis share their passion for travel and culture through each delicious cup of coffee from Wanderlust Coffee Roasters.
An incredible seed-to-table food cycle takes place all year round, almost as if by magic, passing with love through the hands of numerous islanders, and it is the Food Hub’s mission to bring it all together. It is a joy for the Food Hub staff and volunteers to work with the amazing food producers and islanders who make this possible. We all know that life on the islands is challenging when it comes to food, and the SJIFH works to remove as many barriers as possible so that we can all enjoy the islands’ bounty on our tables.
The Food Hub is an online system where you can order and pick up fresh local produce from locations on Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Island. First, producers enter their produce into an online system weekly and set their prices and quantities available Friday through Sunday on the Food Hub. Customers order what is available and orders are then made fresh to order and transported on the ferries between the islands. So it is possible to enjoy a salad with vegetables from Lopez, goat cheese from Orcas and meat from San Juan on one plate. The Food Hub proudly accepts SNAP/EBT. We are excited that you can now shop at the Food Hub in Spanish! Elija switches between English and Spanish at the top of the screen when she starts the session.
The selection of seasonal products is varied: fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, honey, jam, goat cheese, baked goods, prepared meals and much more. Here you will find staples, unique fruits and vegetables that are often not available elsewhere and premium cuts of meat.
The unique stories are part of our island community and we try to share them all: Emily Deason found a way to combine her values and design background with growing thousands of vibrant and colorful baby power microgreens. Bruce Dunlop started raising sheep by accident and hasn’t looked back with Lopez Island Farm. Emma Carter and Sam Dillingham, both sweet gays with they/them pronouns (not coupled together), run Goosefoot Produce with the support of their family. Eric and Shanley Loss have outgrown their family garden and now share the harvest from Beaverton Garden.
We invite you to join these talented farmers and support our local food system by placing an order today. Compare the results and let us know what you think. After all, it is a system built by islanders for islanders with beautiful stories about the local food system. You can buy what you want, when you want, and there is no membership fee. If you want to read more stories about local farms, follow us on social media or subscribe to our weekly newsletters: https://sjifh.com/.
Top, left to right: Lori Ann David/Aurora Farms; Zach Chan/New Hannah Farm; Rene Beachem/Green Beat Kitchen. Bottom: Roger Ellison/Thornbush Farm; Felicity Milne/Cakes by Felicitations; and Derek Eisel & Abe Gates/Watmough Bay Farm
