Cascade Harvest Coalition

Supporting Farmers

Supporting Consumers

Building Healthy Communities

Harvest Celebrations

Harvest Celebrations are a time to honor, celebrate and share in the bounty of local agriculture. Throughout the months of September and October, local agricultural groups throughout Washington work with farmers and other community members to host a wide variety of fun and educational events culminating in the statewide Harvest Celebration Day – the first Saturday in October - October 6th in 2007.

The primary goals behind these yearly events are to encourage people to reconnect to the land and the seasons, and to understand the benefits of having local farms and of eating locally grown food. As farmer/writer Wendell Barry says, “healthy community includes an acquaintance and connection between urban and rural people and the loyalty of people in cities and towns to locally-grown food.”

The events are also a time for people to experience some of the fun that can be had down on the farm. Activities include farm tours, harvest markets, educational displays, chef demonstrations, corn and hay mazes, pumpkin patches, hay rides, food, music and lots of fun.

In 2007, over 100 farms, ranches, shellfish farms, farmers markets, and food and farm businesses in 12 Western Washington counties welcomed visitors for tours, food, music and fun. Approximately 26,000 visitors participated in last year’s events. Attendance at this regional extravaganza has grown steadily since it started in 1999, when 9,000 visitors took part.

This September and October, make a special effort to visit local farmers near you. Find out what is truly good about local food and farms, and the benefits of having these resources in our communities. There is no better place to learn about local agriculture than at the farm.

Special thanks to Washington State University’s Small Farms Team for all their hard work in making Harvest Celebration Day a great success each year!

For information on local Harvest Celebration events near you contact:

Cascade Foothills Farmland Association