PORT TOWNSEND — From permaculture farms to a greenhouse growing bananas to fleece farms, East Jefferson County embraces a mixed bag of agriculture.
“We have an incredible range of farms,” said Aba Kiser, lead organizer of the Jefferson County Farm Tour. “We really run the gamut.”
Kiser expects about 2,000 people will participate in the 15th annual self-guided tour across 19 farms and farm-related facilities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The tour celebrates locally grown food, fiber and farm-made products.
A suggested donation of $10 per carload goes back to fund the tour every year.
Farm Tour Central, where visitors can get refreshments and directions, is at the Chimacum Farmstand, 9122 Rhody Drive.
On Sunday, the ReCyclery will host a ride of the tour. Those interested in participating can meet at the ReCyclery, 1925 Blaine St., at 9 a.m. or at the Chimacum Farmstand at 10 a.m. for the 25- to 35-mile ride.
Although it falls on the same weekend as the Port Townsend Film Festival and Quilcene Fair and Parade, Kiser feels optimistic that attendance will improve with the additional festival- and fairgoers — and vice versa.
“We’re hopeful the more, the merrier,” she said. “People can get out into the county, have lunch on the farm and then go into town and see a documentary film they’ve never seen before.”
Farms open both Saturday and Sunday include Wilderbee Farm, 223 Cook Ave. Extension, Port Townsend; Port Townsend Vineyards, 3406 Jackman St., Port Townsend; Amity Fiber, 5761 Cape George Road, Port Townsend; One Straw Ranch, 6456 Flagler Road, Nordland; Marrowstone Vineyards, 423 Meade Road, Nordland.
Also, Sunfield Biodynamic Farm, 111 Sunfield Lane, Port Hadlock; Chimacum High School, 91 West Valley Road, Chimacum; Finnriver Orchard &Cider Garden, Organic Seed Alliance and Friends of the Trees Botanicals Farm, 124 Center Road, Chimacum; Compass Rose Farm and the Dirt Rich School, 1463 West Uncas Road, Port Townsend; Kodama Farm, 42 Tall Tree Lane, Chimacum; Jacob’s Fleece Farm, 3940 Leland Valley Road West, Quilcene; and Serendipity Farm, 141 Cemetery Road, Quilcene.
Farms only open Sunday include WSU Twin Vista Ranch, 6456 Flagler Road, Nordland; Red Dog Farm, 406 Center Road, Chimacum; Dharma Ridge Farm, 780 Boulton Farms Road, Quilcene; and the Chimacum Farmers Market, 9122 Rhody Drive.
The Port Townsend Saturday farmers markets also will participate along with the Port Townsend Vineyards tasting room, which is the newest addition to the farm tour.
The tasting room will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for wine tasting, food and live music at its 2640 W. Sims Way location. On Saturday, the tasting room also will host a grape-stomping competition at 5 p.m.
The vineyard location at 3405 Jackman St. also will be open for vineyard tours, more music and more grape stomping.
Kodama Farm will show off a greenhouse where the farm is growing bananas.
The Dirt Rich School at Rose Farms and Friends of the Trees Botanicals Farm are both permaculture farms.
Chimacum High School will offer a look at its garden. The school was named the first “high school bee campus” in the United States due to the three hives maintained on campus.
After Saturday’s tour, Finnriver will host a pie party, complete with a pie walk and pie-eating contest, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Whole pies and pies by the slice will feature berries from local farms.
“We started the pie party three years ago, and it just kind of stuck,” Kiser said.
For a map of participating farms, go to tinyurl.com/getonthefarm.
