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.

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 2009, 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 29,000 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
Marcia Green
Telephone: 509-548-6784

CLALLAM COUNTY

12th Annual 100-Mile Harvest Dinner
September 25, 2011 - 6:30 pm
Friends of the Fields
Telephone: 360-417-1815

The North Olympic Peninsula is one of only a few places in the U.S. that can actually offer a unique dining experience like the 12th Annual 100-Mile Harvest Celebration Dinner.  In the hands of talented local chefs, and under the auspices of chef Gabriel Schuenemann of the Alder Wood Bistro in Sequim, an amazing array of fresh local ingredients, procured from within 100 miles of Sequim, will dazzle your palate in one of the most delicious and unusual dinners ever!  The dinner will also feature a fabulous and elegant dessert auction, live music, local beer and wine, and the warmth and camaraderie that have made the Sequim community famous.  Social hour starts at 5:30pm.  Dinner is at 6:30pm. 

Tickets are available online through the North Olympic Land Trust or by calling 360-681-8636.  Seating is limited and no tickets will be sold at the door.  All net proceeds go to protect farmland in Clallam County.

Harvest Celebration Farm Tour
October 1, 2011, 10 am - 4 pm
WSU Clallam County Extension
Telephone: 360-417-2279

Tour local farms throughout Clallam County! Details coming soon.

CLARK COUNTY

Harvest Celebration Day
September 17, 2011, 10 am - 3 pm
WSU Clark County Extension
Matt Vesh

WSU Clark County Extension invites the public to the 13th annual Harvest Celebration Day tour.  Tour local farms throughout Clark County showcasing the bounty and variety of agriculture in Clark County.  Interact with farmers; purchase fresh produce, cut flowers, and farm products; see alpacas, sheep, chickens, goats, and other livestock; tour fruit orchards and vegetable gardens.  Click here for farm descriptions and tour map or pick up a copy from the WSU Extension office at the 78th Street Heritage Farm in Vancouver on or before September 1st.  

GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY

Harvest Celebration Farm Tour
September 24, 2011
WSU Grays Harbor County Extension
Don Tapio, Telephone: 360-482-2934

39th Annual Farm City Dinner - September 20

The Montesano Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with WSU Extension host Annual Farm City Dinner at the Montesano Moose Hall.  Call for details, 360-249-5522.

Grays Harbor Harvest Celebration - September 24

With a theme of South Beach Bounty, this year's tour stops include viniculture at Westport Winery; Lily Lane, home to the largest daylily collection in Southwest Washington; Ocean Cold and Ocean Gold, which process seafood; and a commercial food composting facility at Stafford Creek Corrections Center.  The tour lasts approximately four hours, buses depart at 8:00 am and 9:00 am from Grays Harbor Chamber in Aberdeen. Reservations for the tour can be made by calling the Grays Harbor Chamber office at: 360-532-1924.  Cost is $5.00 per person or $10.00 for a family of four.  This tour made possible by WSU Extension, in collaboration with the Grays Harbor Chamber and Columbia Pacific RC and EDD.

ISLAND COUNTY

Whidbey Island Farm Tour
September 17 & 18, 2011, 10 am - 4 pm
Whidbey Island Conservation District
Telephone: 360-678-4708
WSU Island County Extension
Telephone: 360-240-5558

Please check the guide as some farms only open on Saturday.  A FREE self-guided tour of 18 working farms on beautiful Whidbey Island featuring locally grown food and products.  Click here for more information and printable map of participating farms.

JEFFERSON COUNTY

Jefferson County Harvest Celebration Farm Tour
September 18, 2011, 10 am - 4 pm
WSU Jefferson County Extension
Telephone: 360-379-5610

Enjoy a special, fun-filled and educational day with animals, farmers, food, and friends, reconnecting with where your food comes from at the WSU Farm Tour!  Visit  the farm tour website for a complete list of participating farms, details on activities, and a printable farm tour map!

Seattle Tilth Harvest Fair
September 10, 2011, 10 am - 4 pm
Chris Iberle
Telephone: 206-633-0451 ext 103 

Join in the fun September 10th from 10 am - 4 pm behind the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. Enjoy gardening classes, chickens, goats and bees, compost demonstrations, Seattle's original organic farmers market, plants and sustainable goods, workshops, community orgnaizations, delicious food, live music and more fun than you can stand! Click here for details and activities.

Celebrate Organic! Snoqualmie Valley Farm Tour
September 17, 2011, 10 am - 3 pm
PCC Farmland Trust
Telephone: (206) 547-9855

Tour Snoqualmie Valley farms that use sustainable and/or organic methods to produce healthy food for their communities.  Family-friendly activities, local food, live music, and a chance to see working organic farms in action.  Vist the website to download the farm map.

Duvall Heritage Festival: A Trip into the Past
September 24, 2011, 10 am - 4 pm
Duvall Historical Society & Duvall Cultural Commission

Bring the whole family and be a pioneer for a day at the Duvall Heritage Festival which will be held at the historic Dougherty Farmstead at 26520 NE Cherry Valley Rd in Duvall on Saturday, September 24 from 10 am - 4 pm.  Fun for the family includes tours, antique displays, demonstrations, children's activities, and musical entertainment.

Activities include:
 - Butter churning, rope making, corn grinding, and clothes
   scrubbing.
 - Folk music by the Big Rock Candy Mountain Band, local
   folk songs and story telling by Bob Antone, and square
   dance music by Tinker's Drum.
 - Blacksmith, spinning, and mule plowing demonstrations.
 - Tours of the National Landmark Dougherty Farmhouse,
   bunk house, tool shed, and milk house.
 - Antique tractor and quilt displays.

This free celebration of our history is co-sponsored by the Duvall Historical Society, City of Duvall, and Duvall Cultural Commission.  Everyone is welcome.  Parking at Holy Innocents Catholic Church.  Handicapped parking available on site. 

King County Harvest Celebration
Snoqualmie Valley/East King County  - September 24, 2011, 10 am- 4 pm
Vashon Island - September 25, 2011, 10 am - 4 pm
WSU King County Extension
Joan Weiss

The King County Harvest Celebration and Pierce County HarvestFEST offer three days of free-range farm adventures on September 24, 25, and October 1. The combined events feature 28 farms paired with fun kid's activities, chef demonstrations, wine tastings, farm stands, pumpkin patches, farm animals, a fiber arts show, historical exhibits and other educational events.  King and Pierce residents can experience local food and farm economy firsthand by meeting farmers and discovering farm-fresh products during the farm tours.    This event is FREE, with a $5 suggested donation to help make the farm tour tradition possible.

Visit the website or facebook for details and to download your guide!  Check out special events at King County farms such as Oxbow Farm, Jubilee Farm, Fall City Farms, Island Meadow Farm, Sun Island Farm, and more.

PIERCE COUNTY

Harvest Celebration
October 1, 2011, 10 am- 4 pm
WSU Pierce County Extension
Joan Weiss

The King County Harvest Celebration and Pierce County HarvestFEST offer three days of free-range farm adventures on September 24, 25, and October 1. The combined events feature 28 farms paired with fun kid's activities, chef demonstrations, wine tastings, farm stands, pumpkin patches, farm animals, a fiber arts show, historical exhibits and other educational events.  King and Pierce residents can experience local food and farm economy firsthand by meeting farmers and discovering farm-fresh products during the farm tours.    This event is FREE, with a $5 suggested donation to help make the farm tour tradition possible.

Visit the website or facebook for details and to download your guide!  Check out special events at Tahoma Farms, Scholz Farm, and more.

KITSAP COUNTY

The kids are back in school, the air is turning crisp, and it’s time for some harvest fun! October is a great month to visit a local farm! Whether you’re in the mood to venture through a corn maze or pick the best pumpkin ever, these farms offer exciting adventures! While you’re at it, check out the bounty at your local farmers markets, too!

Check dates and activities at participating these participating farms:

Minder Farm Corn Maze

Pheasant Fields Farm

Sunrise Hill Farm

Creek House Farm

MASON COUNTY

WSU Mason County Extension
Kirsten Workman
Telephone: 360-427-9436

Details coming soon.

OKANOGAN COUNTY

Partnership for a Sustainable Methow
Dana Visalli
Telephone: 509-997-1050

Details coming soon.

SKAGIT COUNTY

Skagit Valley Festival of Family Farms Tour
October 1 & 2, 2011, 10 am - 4 pm
Festival of Family Farms
Telephone: 360-421-4729

Come on out for acres of fun for everyone at the 13th annual festival from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, October 1 and Sunday, October 2.  On this weekend, you can have a hands-on-experience learning what it takes to run a farm, from growing crops to feeding animals.  It is an opportunity to talk to your farmers and follow your food from the fields to the table.  Our participating farms offer fun-filled festival activities for everyone including: educational exhibits, farm tours, harvest markets, free samples, kids activities, corn and hay mazes, animal exhibits, pumpkin patches, shopping, scenic tours, and more.  Click here for downloadable tour map.

SNOHOMISH COUNTY

Harvest Jubilee
September 24, 2011, 10am - 5pm
Vivian Henderson
Telephone: 360-629-0562

Over 12 farms will be open for tour with everything from produce (corn, pumpkins, apples, fruits and vegetables) to alpaca, poultry, and beef.  Additionally there are two specialty nurseries participating, one an orchid farm which also raises superfruits and the other hosting a juried fuschia show and geranium blossom fest.  There will be drawings and activities on all farms.  Downtown Stanwood is the festival hub, featuring local food and craft vendors, live music, antique tractors, and wagon rides.  There are also educational talks and demonstrations, including "Small Livestock for Small Farms--You Too Can Do This."  Over at the Floyd Norgaard Cultural Center, there will be a juried fine Harvest of Art show where original oil paintings, water color, 3-dimensional artwork typifying farms, fields, and foliage is available for purchase. 

Visitors can start the day with a farm breakfast at the Stanwood Community Senior Center or one of the many local restaurants sourcing local products.  Seek out Swedish pancakes with strips of thick, crunchy, local bacon, highlighting the two custom meat markets on the tour that process local meats, and specialty ham, sausage, and fine cuts.  Folks can round out the day with a Farm Dinner at a local restuarant showcasing preparations of local products.  Visit the Harvest Jubilee website for all the details.

Sky Valley Fall Farm Festival
Roxanne Hussman
Telephone: 360-793-1996

Farming Yesterday and Today
Connie Foster

Details coming soon.

WHATCOM COUNTY

Lynden Harvest Festival
October
Whatcom Farm Friends
Cheryl DeHaan
Telephone: 360-354-1337

Details coming soon.

2011 Corn Maze
Open September 2  (weather permitting) through end of September
Lynden FFA Corn Maze
Telephone: 360-354-4401

Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, Opening September 2, 2011 (weather permitting).  Open Labor Day Weekend through the month of September.  Friday 6 - 10 pm, flashlight maze after dark.  Saturday 2 -10 pm, flashlight maze after dark.  Sunday 2 - 6 pm.  Labor Day 2 - 6 pm. Located just South of Lynden on Hannegan Road.  Prices: Adults $6 (7th grade & up), Students $4 (K - 6th grade), Pre-school FREE, Family rate $18 (2 Adults & 3 Kids). Click here for more information. 

Whatcom County Farm Tour
September 10, 2011, 10 am - 5 pm
Sustainable Connections
Sara Southerland
Telephone: 360-647-7093 ext. 114

13 Tour stops -- pick up Farm Tour maps and the September Eat Local Month Guide starting August 29 at the Community Food Co-ops, Haggen stores in Whatcom, Bellingham Farmers Market, and other local businesses or get it online!