San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild Connects Local Community to Regenerative Agriculture through “Farm Heroes for Environmental Stewardship" Project
Pictured: Tour attendees enjoy mingling with farmers and tasting freshly-made gazpacho, made with all local ingredients.
Friday Harbor, WA - The Madrona Institute is pleased to highlight the success of the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild’s "Farm Heroes for Environmental Stewardship" project, funded through the Madrona Stewardship Grant Fund made possible by the San Juan Islands Special License Plate Campaign. This initiative connected local farmers with the San Juan County community, promoting sustainable practices and community engagement.
The Ag Guild’s mission is to foster a vibrant, resilient, and sustainable food system in San Juan County. Farm tours are a very effective way to connect people to those who are stewarding land in their community. Through local farm tours and educational presentations, this project elevated participants' knowledge of regenerative agricultural practices building intercommunity relationships, and further understanding of local food systems. Farm tours were held at Sweet Earth Farm on San Juan Island and Warm Valley Farm on Orcas Island.
While the tours were offered in Spanish, one significant takeaway from the project was that there needs to be more partnerships with existing Latino programs and specific programs just in Spanish, with the Latino community dictating and deciding on content. The Ag Guild acknowledges the need for strategic partnerships with existing Latino programs and is looking into developing of tailored program specifically in Spanish for the local Latino community. It is essential that communities self-determine what they need in programming - that is the only path toward environmental justice.
“The primary tenants of regenerative agriculture encourage stewardship and a mutualistic relationship with the land. Almost everyone who left the tours learned something new about the way food was grown, or about the important role that farming plays in the fight against the climate crisis. During our second tour on Orcas Island, we had one attendee stay later than everyone else picking the brain of the farmer on both practical advice as well as philosophical opinions about regenerative agriculture. It was truly a special moment to watch both of them talk animatedly back and forth in such a meaningful way.
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What did you find interesting or valuable on this farm tour?
“Focus on building farming resilience on an island and in light of climate change”
“Learning about compost, the three sisters system, Joel’s knowledge, and warmth”
“Farming practices, compost handling, and watershed issues on the island”
- Tour Attendees
Pictured: Volunteer makes farm fresh gazpacho
More about The San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild
The San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild (Ag Guild) is a community-based volunteer organization dedicated to fostering a vibrant, resilient, and sustainable local food system in San Juan County, Washington. The Ag Guild achieves this by:
Promoting the production, processing, distribution, and consumption of healthy, locally-grown agricultural products
Sponsoring educational programs for farmers and consumers
Maintaining Brickworks as a year-round venue for the San Juan Islands Farmers Market and other community and private events
Supporting projects by local farmers and agricultural organizations that have the potential to increase measurably the county’s agricultural economy
Functioning as a community-based, county-wide, volunteer, 501(c)(3) organization to facilitate financial sustainability
More about The Madrona Institute’s Special License Plate Stewardship Grant program
The Madrona Institute empowers organizations in the San Juan Islands by offering small grants through the Madrona Stewardship Fund. These grants support initiatives that foster youth engagement, environmental and cultural stewardship, climate action, and social justice. The funding is sourced from the sales of San Juan Islands Special License plates through the Department of Licensing.
In its second year of grant-making in 2022, The Madrona Institute allocated $45,000 to local nonprofit organizations. This marks our ongoing commitment to channeling the proceeds from the San Juan Islands Special License Plate sales into impactful projects that enhance the well-being and sustainability of our local community.
2022 Grantees include:
$10,000 to the San Juan Islands Conservation District for their San Juan Islands Youth Conservation Corps program
$10,000 to the Madrona Institute for their Coast Salish Youth Coalition/Stewardship Corps program
$5,000 to the Friends of the San Juans for their Youth Environmental Mentoring Program
$5,000 to the Alchemy Art Center for their Young Environmentalists Arts Intensive Program
$5,000 to the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild for their Farm Heroes for Environmental Stewardship Program
$5,000 to Wild Orca for their San Juan Islands Naturalist Program
$5,000 to the Children of the Setting Sun Productions to support the creation of the Indigenous film series and pilot episode “The Sound”
Awards are made on an annual basis for local projects and programs that support the conservation and stewardship of agricultural, cultural, and natural resources in the islands, with emphasis on youth engagement and environmental justice.
Support These Programs and Get your Special License Plate Today!
The Madrona Institute proudly serves as the organizational sponsor of the San Juan Islands Stewardship License Plate, established on October 1, 2019 through the WA Department of Licensing.
By purchasing a San Juan Islands Stewardship License Plate, you actively contribute to the stewardship of the San Juan Islands. Every purchase directly supports The Madrona Institute's Special License Plate Stewardship Grant program, making impactful programs and projects as highlighted above, possible.
Your support through the Special License Plate initiative becomes a tangible and meaningful way to foster sustainability and community well-being in the San Juan Islands and greater Salish Sea.
