Bart Berg, president of Friends of the Farms (you might have known it as Trust for Working Landscapes), grew up on Bainbridge Island and remembers mowing 200 acres of fields near Meadowmeer. He’s still out in the fields, this month in preparation for the annual Harvest Fair, the island’s celebration of agriculture and living with the land.
“It always amazes me, every year, to see so many people flooding over that hill,” he said Saturday, taking a break from the work party.
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Free Shuttle
Take the free shuttle with pick-up at Bainbridge ferry terminal for each ferry arrival from Seattle, from 11:15 a.m. (10:35 a.m. sailing from Seattle) and final return drop off at 6 p.m. for the 6:20 p.m. sailing back to Seattle. Shuttle also picks up at Bethany Lutheran Church, Finch and High School Roads and Strawberry Hill Park on High School Road between Sands and Fletcher Bay roads.
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Check out the:
Food booths with a local focus
All 15 vendors were asked to include at least two locally-produced ingredients.
Local beverages
Enjoy yourelf at the beer and wine garden.
Apple cider press
Bring your own apples and learn to make cider in the orchard. It’s pasteurized and ready to enjoy!
Local farmers
Master gardeners
Sheep shearing demonstration
Watch Elizabeth Resager in a sheep shearing demonstration featuring an ewe and three spring-born lambs.
4-H petting zoo
Horse-drawn wagon
Tractor ride
Land slide for kids
Pony rides
Dog talent show
Face painting
Canning demonstration
Turkey raffle
Win one of Brian Stahl’s giant whites!
Expecting crowds of 4,000 to 5,000, the event is a celebration as well as a fundraising event for the nonprofit that supports the local farming community.
Berg said the event couldn’t happen without the contribution of “at least 100 volunteers.”
In fact, Friends’ biggest goal now is to create a half-time executive director position to organize the fair, as well as shepherd the group’s future. It’s projects are varied: Recently it upgraded intern housing to facilitate mentoring a new generation of farmers; and plans are in the works for a commercial-grade greenhouse to extend the growing season.
For more information, visit www.friendsofthefarms.org.
