SAN JUAN ISLANDS AGRICULTURAL GUILD

The Ag Guild supports over 45 members in San Juan County with branding, promotion, mapping, and networking of food-related businesses to establish regional and local recognition for foods and farm products under the Island Grown label. In 2018, we worked with project partners to create a county-wide local farm and product guide and agritourism map funded by San Juan County LTAC. In 2019 we will be creating the "Eat Island Grown" campaign that celebrates local heritage and food.

The Ag Guild is working directly with new farmers to identify individual goals, experience, and assets to access affordable and fertile farmland for production. In addition, this program seeks to connect farmland owners who wish to sell, lease or transfer their farmland to a farmer who will farm the land. We received a USDA Beginning Farmer and Ranchers Development Grant until August 2019.

Facilitating system improvements between producers of island grown and made products to buyers throughout the county and the mainland. In 2018 and 2019, a team of farmers, distributors consumers, and wholesale buyers are testing online ordering and distribution systems in order to provide more efficient connections between sellers and buyers in San Juan County