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14th Annual San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit – Growing Resilience
February 27 - February 28
The San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit is a cornerstone gathering for farmers, food producers, land stewards, and community members working together to build a resilient local food system.
In 2026, we return to San Juan Island with the theme “Growing Resilience” — a call to deepen our collective response to climate, land, and economic challenges, and to celebrate what’s possible when island communities come together.
Growing Resilience reflects both the challenges and the opportunities before us. Across the islands, farmers, producers, and partners are adapting to shifting markets, climate change, and pressures on land and water—while cultivating innovative practices and strong community networks.
This year’s theme highlights our shared commitment to strengthening local agriculture—food, fiber, and beyond—protecting ecosystems, and ensuring that island-grown products continue to nourish our community now and into the future.
We’re delighted to announce Helen Atthowe as the keynote speaker for the 2026 San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit. With more than 35 years of experience linking farming, food systems, land stewardship, and conservation, Helen is a national leader in ecological farming. She and her late husband, Carl Rosato, pioneered pesticide-free fruit production and developed no-till, living-mulch systems that build soil and habitat.
Her recent book, The Ecological Farm: A Minimalist No-Till, No-Spray, Selective-Weeding, Grow-Your-Own-Fertilizer System for Organic Agriculture, has become a go-to guide for farmers seeking to reduce inputs, eliminate synthetic and organic pesticides, and work in partnership with natural systems. Drawing from decades of on-farm research and teaching, Helen offers practical methods to build resilient, self-sustaining farm ecosystems—embodying the “Growing Resilience” theme of this year’s Summit.
