Submitted by the San Juan Island Visiter’s Bureau
Join fellow farmers, regional experts and local food and farm advocates this Feb. 10 through 12 for two-and-a-half days of education, inspiration and camaraderie at beautiful YMCA Camp Orkila on Orcas Island. The theme for this year’s summit, “Gather &Sow,” highlights community and the sharing of information, and will offer something for farmers, gardeners and food lovers alike. Engage in workshops, sessions, roundtables and panel discussions focusing on the issues and ideas essential to creating a sustainable food system.
Friday Workshops &Taste of the San Juan Islands
On Friday, attend one of several hands-on workshops, including Farm Business Planning and Funding, Permaculture Design for the Farm and Homestead, Managing Soil from Compost to Forage, Food Safety, Seed Cleaning and Production, and others.
There are fun activities after the workshops, Friday evening, beginning with a seed and scion swap from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Enjoy an evening of delicious food from farms and chefs from Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Island at the special event, Taste of the San Juan Islands, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., which is open to the public. Tickets to the Taste can be purchased with summit packages, as well as at the door.
Saturday Sessions
Saturday will begin with an inspiring discussion from Agrarian Visionaries including Anne Schwartz, John Navazio, Tom Thornton and Don Tipping. Choose from more than a dozen compelling Saturday sessions led by regional experts: Building a Seed Production Cooperative, Food Safety, Innovations in Local Cuisine, Agricultural Resiliency in the face of Climate Change, Models and Tools for Farmland Access, Pest and Disease Identification and Organic Management, Coast Salish Perspective, and more. Following the sessions a panel of local elected officials will discuss food and agricultural activism. Saturday will conclude with dinner and a social with live music, drinks and a chance to connect with fellow summit participants.
The summit will wrap up Sunday morning with opportunities to recap and discuss findings from the summit through informal discussion groups. This will also be a time for participants to come together and formulate a plan for moving forward.
For more information about the summit schedule and to register go to http://sjcarc.org/summit/. Questions? Contact summit@sjcarc.org.
The San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit 2017 sponsors and partners include the Agricultural Resources Committee; the Agricultural Guild; WSU Extension; the Northwest Agriculture Business Center, the Orcas Food Co-op, Camp Orkila, the Conservation District, the visitors bureau and San Juan County.
