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.

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 2008, 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.

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
Friends of the Fields
Betsy
Telephone: 360-683-7750

Clark County
WSU Clark County Extension
Doug Stienbarger
Telephone: 360-397-6060

Grays Harbor County
WSU Grays Harbor County Extension
Don Tapio
Telephone: 360-482-2934

Island County
Karen Lennon, Whidbey Island Conservation District
Telephone: 360-678-4708
Olivia Forte-Gardner, WSU Island County Extension
Telephone:  360-678-7992

Jefferson County
WSU Jefferson County Extension
Katherine Baril
Telephone: 360-379-5610

King County
WSU King County Extension
Telephone: 206-205-3206

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

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

Pierce County
WSU Pierce County Extension / Friends of Family Farmers
Carrie Sikorski
Telephone: 253-798-3276

Seattle Tilth
Liza Burke
Telephone: 206-633-5045 ext 1

Skagit County
Skagit Valley Farm Tour
Telephone: 360-421-4729

Snohomish County
Snohomish Festival of Pumpkins 
 
Sky Valley Fall Farm Festival 
Roxanne Hussman
Telephone:  360-793-1996

Farming Yesterday and Today
Connie Foster

Harvest Jubilee
Vivian Henderson
Telephone: 360-652-2569