Friday Workshops
Dive Deep Into Direct Marketing
Friday, February 27 / 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Have you ever sat down to reflect on your farm’s customer (or desired customer) demographics? What about how your products might solve a problem that your customer has? Do you have a good pitch for why someone should purchase from your farm? What sets you apart from the rest? And once you know your customers and their needs, what strategies are you using to reach them?
In this 2.5 hour interactive session we’ll dig in to help farms understand their value propositions (the why), customer demographics (the who), and marketing strategies (the how) for greater success in a constantly evolving marketplace.
Participants will be provided with an overview of key concepts, time for self-reflection, small group conversations, and 1:1 support with marketing experts Micha Ide (WSDA Regional Markets) and Maressa Valliant (Eat Local First).
Marketing topics covered will range from tried-and-true core strategies like farmers markets and email marketing, to new techniques for navigating an increasingly AI-centric digital marketplace.
SPEAKERS :
Micha Ide – WSDA Regional Markets Program
Maressa Valliant – Eat Local First
LOCATION: FH Brickworks, 150 Nichols St. Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Plant Pathology for Growers
Friday, February 27 / 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Learn to effectively identify, understand, and manage the pests and diseases that threaten your plants. This session will provide a comprehensive look at the diagnostic techniques used to unlock the secrets of plant health, along with practical strategies for effective disease and pest control. Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your plant knowledge with expert guidance!
SPEAKER: Jenny Glass – Extension Coordinator, WSU Puyallup Plant & Insect Diagnostic Laboratory
LOCATION: San Juan Island Grange, 152 First St N, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Livestock Vet Care & Handling
From Chute to Checklist: Safe livestock handling facilities, routine vet exams and on-farm care, current health regulations and building a reliable farm vet kit for your farm.
Friday, February 27 / 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Dr. Melissa Guard and Dr. Blake Guard, both of Guardian Veterinary Hospital, Friday Harbor, WA will demonstrate safe and effective livestock catching, handling for vet analysis at Lori Ann David’s Aurora Farms. Sheep will be run through a squeeze shoot for common vet exams or livestock checks (ie preg check, feet/hoof care, worming, etc). Experienced veterinarian review on topics such as regulations around antibiotics, do’s and don’ts in livestock health & safety, and what to stock in your home vet kit.
SPEAKERS : Dr. Blake Guard, DVM, Dr. Melissa Guard, DVM
LOCATION Aurora Farms: Valley Farm property—85 Aurora Farm Rd (end of Lampard Rd)
Effective Systems for Any Farm
Effective Task Management Systems for Any Farm: Gemba and Kanban
Friday, February 27 / 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Running a farm often means juggling dozens of moving parts — and it’s easy for the daily work to feel chaotic. If you’re craving a system that brings clarity, flow, and confidence to your operations, this workshop is for you. Zach Chan of New Hannah Farm will show you how to run a “gemba field walk” to capture real-world tasks, build a “kanban bulletin board” to track and manage work, and create strategic game plans for both individuals and teams.
SPEAKER: Zach Chan – New Hannah Farm
LOCATION: New Hannah Farm, 3148 Bailer Hill Road Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Leadership and Change Making
Friday, February 27 / 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
This is a time of great transition for landowners, land seekers, and those working to make our farming and food systems more sustainable and equitable. We need to engage new generations to guide the development of systems that support healthy food, sustainable land use, and resilient communities.
A leader is someone who motivates others to work toward a common goal through their personality, strengths, and skills. Leadership is the ability to influence and inspire others to act. Strong leaders are self-aware, empower others, are solution-oriented, and communicate clearly. Understanding the impact of different leadership and conflict-management styles is essential to building your leadership capacity.
In this 2.5-hour workshop, we will explore a set of skills—the Lominger Competencies—and identify areas of strength as well as those we’d like to cultivate. Participants will have time for individual reflection and small-circle conversations. We will also explore how we learn and communicate as individuals, and introduce foundational conflict-resolution skills. Through personal assessment, experiential learning, and group discussions, we will broaden your insights into your leadership strengths and areas for growth.
This session is facilitated by Anne Schwartz, a longtime organic farmer and respected agricultural leader, and Gretchen Krampf, an experienced organizational development consultant and leadership coach. Together, they bring deep practical knowledge of food-system work, collaborative leadership, and guiding groups through change.
SPEAKERS:
Anne Schwartz – Blue Heron Farm
Gretchen Krampf – Leadership San Juan Islands
LOCATION: FH Brickworks, 150 Nichols St. Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Pruning Clinic for All Levels
Pruning for Healthy & Productive Fruit Trees
Friday, February 27 / 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Join expert arborist, Greg Meyer for a comprehensive, hands-on workshop designed for growers with all levels of experience. This workshop will cover basic principles of tool selection, the fundamentals of ‘why, how, when, where’ of pruning for various fruit varieties to ensure plant health and longevity and help growers hone their skills to encourage fruit production, improve air circulation and manage for pests and diseases. Whether growing a few trees for personal use or a production grower, participants will gain the knowledge and confidence to maintain strong, healthy, and beautiful trees. Demonstration trees include several varieties of apples, pears, peaches, plums, cherry and fig.
Greg Meyer – The Planted Pantry
LOCATION: Myers Family – Little Lizards Farm 384 Emmerling Place, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Waste to Worth:
Turning Mortalities and Meat Waste back into Nutrients through Composting
Friday, February 27 / 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Dr. Rachel Wieme (WSU Extension) and Sarah Lemon (WSDA Regional Markets) will demonstrate how proper composting can turn livestock waste—including mortalities, manure, waste wool, and meat or poultry processing byproducts—into a safe and valuable soil amendment.
Designed primarily for farmers and ranchers managing animal waste at a production scale, this workshop will cover the fundamentals of making safe compost, including meeting Processes to Further Reduce Pathogens (PFRPs) and understanding updates to Department of Ecology solid waste handling rules for organic materials. Participants will gain practical guidance on managing feedstocks, achieving proper temperature and moisture, and reducing risk while building soil health.
The principles shared are also directly applicable to small-scale producers and backyard livestock keepers who want to responsibly incorporate manure, bedding, or limited processing waste into their compost systems.
The session will include brief lectures, discussion of different feedstocks, and culminate in a hands-on pile building demonstration.
Target Audience:
- Farmers seeking to compost livestock waste safely and effectively
- Producers looking to strengthen or refine existing composting systems
- Small-scale and backyard livestock owners wanting to apply farm-scale best practices at home
Dr. Rachel Wieme – WSU Extension
Sarah Lemon – WSDA Regional Markets Program
LOCATION: Aurora Farms
Deep Observation
What to look for in your fields & orchards
Friday, February 27 / 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Join Helen Atthowe for an immersive orchard and field walk at Sweet Earth Farm. Through her practiced eye, you’ll learn to observe the farm ecosystem with greater depth and intention. Helen will share the tools and systems she uses to evaluate soil health and the effectiveness of pest suppression strategies. Together, we’ll explore practical methods for measuring and monitoring soil vitality, as well as identifying beneficial insects and parasites that support a thriving farm environment.
SPEAKER: Helen Atthowe—Woodleaf Farm
LOCATION: Sweet Earth Farm
Saturday Keynote and Conference Sessions
Keynote: Grow Your Own Fertilizer to Build Soil and Habitat, Plant Health, and Farm Resilience
Join Helen Atthowe for a deep dive into small-scale ecological farming. Helen will present on-farm research into farm-grown fertilizer that multi-tasks as habitat for beneficial soil microbes and insect predators/parasites. Leave with some new strategies to strengthen the “immune system” of your organic farm while balancing soil health, plant nutrition, fertility, crop yield, and making a living!
Speaker: Helen Atthowe
Virtual Fencing
Saturday, February 28 / 11:00AM – 12:15 PM
Learn how to better utilize your pastures with facilitated rotational grazing. Virtual fencing is an alternative to traditional fencing and involves placing electric collars on animals and managing paddocks virtually to break up larger grazing areas. Speakers will discuss an overview of the technology, costs, and strategies for small-scale virtual fencing, including grazing in or near sensitive areas such as wetlands and forests.
SPEAKERS:
Brian Allen – UC Cooperative Extension
Rory O’Connor – Oregon State University
LOCATION: Friday Harbor High School, 45 Blair Ave. Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Buckwheat Breeding and Agronomy Research – WSU BreadLab
Saturday, February 28 / 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
This session offers an inside look at ongoing buckwheat (Fagopyrum sp.) breeding and agronomy research at the WSU BreadLab, with a focus on organic and small-scale production. Erik Spitzer will highlight agronomic and ecological benefits of integrating buckwheat into crop rotations— including weed suppression, phosphorus mobilization, and extended pollinator support—along with current efforts to develop new varieties for Western Washington and beyond. Participants will learn about novel self-pollinating, perennial, ornamental, and culinary-class buckwheat types under development, and what these innovations mean for diversified farms. Hands-on display plants will be available.
SPEAKER: Erik Spitzer – WSU Researcher
LOCATION: Friday Harbor High School, 45 Blair Ave. Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Island Allies of Indigenous Lifeways
Saturday, February 28 / 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Traditional Foodways has become a cornerstone of the Ag Summit, so why is this workshop not being offered this year? Hear from organizers Jaime Beechum and Caitlin Leck about why they chose to invoke the pause in order to come back stronger and with a more effective program in the years to come. You will hear: personal stories of tending the Traditional Foodways space in the Ag Summit, and beyond; how that work elucidated the need for a stronger organizational foundation and a deepening of community education; and the formation of Island Allies of Indigenous Lifeways and the Curriculum of Place. Come dream into what could become possible when we deepen our learning and coordination, and grow into how we can all show up as Island Allies.
SPEAKERS:
Caitlin Leck – Island Allies of Indigenous Lifeways
Jaime Beechum – Island Allies of Indigenous Lifeways
LOCATION: Friday Harbor High School, 45 Blair Ave. Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Agrisolar in Practice & Policy
Saturday, February 28 / 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Can solar and farming work together in the islands? This session shares highlights from Washington’s agrivoltaics feasibility study and focuses on what matters for San Juan County farms. Learn about land suitability, crop considerations, and farmer perspectives, plus practical design ideas and policies that could support local adoption. Join the conversation on how agrisolar might fit into our agricultural future.
SPEAKERS:
Addie Candib – American Farmland Trust
Max Lambert – The Nature Conservancy
Angela Broderick – San Juan County Dept of Environmental Stewardship
LOCATION: Friday Harbor High School, 45 Blair Ave. Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Growing Fiber in the San Juan Islands
Saturday, February 28 / 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Want to achieve better quality fiber from your sheep or alpacas, or curious about starting your own fiber flock? Join a roundtable discussion with island fiber producers, Angie Freeman Shephard, Sarah Pope, Jenny DeWitt, Amy Lum, and others. They will explain their operations and how they have evolved over the years. We’ll cover the care of fiber animals in our particular climate, their health, nutrition, and grazing needs, plus best practices for shearing, skirting, and prepping raw fiber for the mill. Imagine using your own sheep’s wool to insulate your house, dress your children, blanket your bed, use in your vegetable garden or sell in your farm store. The San Juans have a strong and vibrant local food system… let’s talk about growing local fibers as an important part of our agricultural landscape. The talk will emphasize Q&A to tailor it to participants and also include hands-on handling of various types of fleeces as time allows.
SPEAKERS:
Angie Freeman Shephard – Honeycomb Farm
Sarah Pope – San Juan Woolworks
Jenny DeWitt – Indigo Moon Farm
Amy Lum – Lum Farm
LOCATION: Friday Harbor High School, 45 Blair Ave. Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Balancing Soil Health, Tillage, Fertility, Plant Nutrition, & Yield
Saturday, February 28 / 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Helen shares her 40 year journey to reduce tillage and manage cover-crop and living mulch based soil fertility systems for vegetable and fruit crops while still making a living. Helen will present on-farm research into farm-grown fertilizer that also multitasks as habitat for beneficial soil microbes and insect predators/parasites. She will explain her successes and mistakes as she learned when and how to reduce tillage, and how to work with the ecological processes involved in managing different cover crops and living mulches. The details include understanding residue quality and application timing to enhance microbial function, optimum residue decomposition, nutrient uptake and cycling, and pest suppression.
SPEAKER: Helen Atthowe—Woodleaf Farm
LOCATION: Friday Harbor High School, 45 Blair Ave. Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Food Sovereignty and Thriving Indigenous Plant Communities
Saturday, February 28 / 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Indigenous stewards from across the Salish Sea come together for a grounded conversation on restoring and sustaining culturally significant plant communities. Presenters will share ongoing efforts to protect and revitalize Indigenous food and plant relationships, and discuss what meaningful stewardship requires in partnership with Indigenous families and harvesters. Participants will gain deeper insight into the cultural and ecological history of island farmland, and learn how Traditional harvests and culturally important plants can thrive alongside sustainable island agriculture. Cohosted by the Indigenous Plants Forum, PKOLS, and Kwiaht.
SPEAKERS:
Morgan Brown – Indigenous Environmental Educator
Josiah French Feld – PKOLS
Tiffany Joseph – Rematriate Stewardship
Dr. Jeffery Wall – WSU Department of Horticulture
LOCATION: Friday Harbor High School, 45 Blair Ave. Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Reducing Plastic Waste in Ag
Saturday, February 28 / 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM
This presentation offers practical insights into plastic use and waste reduction opportunities within farm operations. We will explore current knowledge, new technologies, research findings, and ways you can be a part of sustainable changes in your community and farm. You will have the opportunity to join a community science project to test and evaluate biodegradable and compostable plastic products.
SPEAKERS:
Katie Fleming – Solid Waste Program Coordinator, San Juan County
Dr. Carol Miles – Professor, Department of Horticulture, Washington State University
Nayeli Campos – Community Outreach and Policy Coordinator, Zero Waste Washington
LOCATION: Friday Harbor High School, 45 Blair Ave. Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Strategies for Livestock & Pasture Management
Saturday, February 28 / 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM
Join three experienced island farmers—Angie Freeman Shepard, Amy Lum, and Sara Jones—for a dynamic panel discussion exploring the diverse decisions that have shaped their individual farm systems. From livestock species selection to pasture management and overwintering strategies, each farmer brings a wealth of knowledge and unique perspective. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and through their stories, you’ll gain insight into how they’ve adapted their operations to suit their land, resources, and management styles.
SPEAKERS:
Sara Jones – Jones Family Farm
Amy Lum – Lum Farms
Angie Freeman Shephard – Honeycomb Farm
LOCATION: Friday Harbor High School, 45 Blair Ave. Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Dry Farming in the PNW: Principles and Practice
Saturday, February 28 / 3:15 PM- 4:30 PM
Join Matt Davis, researcher with Oregon State University, and Anthony Reyes, Agriculture Program Manager at Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center, for an introduction to dry farming—an approach that produces flavorful crops with little or no irrigation. Matt will cover the core principles of dry farming, including site suitability, soil management, and crop and variety selection, with a focus on dry-farmed tomatoes. Anthony will share a brief case study from Oxbow Farm, offering a Washington-based perspective on how these principles are applied in practice. Together, the speakers will explore the opportunities and constraints of dry farming in cool, maritime climates like the San Juan Islands.
Participants will leave with both scientific context and practical insights for evaluating whether dry farming is feasible on their farms—and how to apply these methods to improve crop resilience and flavor with minimal irrigation.
SPEAKERS:
Matt Davis – Oregon State University researcher
Anthony Reyes – Oxbow Farm Agriculture Manager
LOCATION: Friday Harbor High School, 45 Blair Ave. Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Food System Plan for SJC: Advocacy and Coordinated Action
Saturday, February 28 / 3:15 PM- 4:30 PM
How do we build on the work already happening across San Juan County’s food system—and use the Food System Plan to strengthen and align our collective action? This interactive session connects advocacy, engagement, and on-the-ground problem solving through the lens of the completed Food System Plan for San Juan County.
The session will begin with brief framing remarks on opportunities for food and agriculture advocacy—from local to state and national levels—followed by an overview of the San Juan County Food System Plan (FSP), its goals, and recent progress. Leaders from the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild and the San Juan Islands Food Hub will share current projects and goals for the upcoming year, then we’ll move into breakout groups to dive into the goals of the FSP and to integrate participants’ experiences at the Summit.
This session is designed for farmers, food producers, advocates, organizers, and community members who want to engage more deeply in shaping and advancing a resilient, values-driven food system in San Juan County.
SPEAKERS:
Anne Schwartz – Blue Heron Farm
Caitlin Leck – Food System Team
Lauren Bigelow – San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild
Sarah Pope – San Juan Islands Food Hub
LOCATION: Friday Harbor High School, 45 Blair Ave. Friday Harbor, WA 98250
The Future of Agritourism in WA
Saturday, February 28 / 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM
Agritourism continues to be a powerful driver of real economic development and community engagement across Washington. Small farm specialist Micha Ide and ag marketer Jenn Tate will discuss legislative recommendations from the Agritourism Study & Report commissioned by the Dept of Commerce, and what the future of agritourism could look like in the San Juans and beyond.
SPEAKERS:
Micha Ide – WSDA Regional Markets Program
Jenn Tate – Earth & Sky Studios
LOCATION: Friday Harbor High School, 45 Blair Ave. Friday Harbor, WA 98250