CHIMACUM — A little drizzle Sunday didn’t stop people from flooding to Jefferson County farms to learn more about local fiber and food.
Throughout the county, barn doors were swung open to allow visitors to see the inner workings of farm life as art during the eighth annual Washington State University Jefferson County Extension Farm Tour.
The tour featured 17 farms that stretched from Port Townsend to Quilcene.
Leora Stein, an AmeriCorps volunteer who helped organize the daylong tour, said the rain had initially dampened the flow of people but as the weather improved, people began showing up.
Local food excitement
“We really want to get people excited about local food,” she said around mid-afternoon.
“Last year, the farm tour had about 3,000 people go through, and I hope that the rain doesn’t stop this year from reaching that goal.”
Each farm showed off its unique attributes.
Jacob’s Fleece Farm and other shepherds showed woven goods along with other products made from sheep.
Finnriver Farm near Chimacum delivered its tasty ciders and fruit wines while showing off the host of crops available.
Also available was pizza, which utilized flour that had been milled at the farm, said Crystie Kisler, who owns the farm with her husband, Keith.
Kisler said the farm grows grains, berries and apples, and raises chickens and pigs.
“We love inviting people to the farm to see what we do and especially to the tasting rooms,” she said.
The farm holds tastings Thursday through Monday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., but the tour offers a special opportunity to see the inner workings of the operation.
“Ironically, the rainy time was our absolute busiest time of the day,” Kisler said.
“We had people everywhere.”
Short’s Family Farm touted the benefits of grass-fed beef.
Roger Short who runs the farm with his wife, Sandy, and children, Kevin and Bill Short, said the microbes in the grass make for more nutrient rich beef.
“We also sell our Magic Soil,” he said.
The soil is full of the microbes, which he says are unique to the area and enrich the grass and crops grown on it.
He’s run the farm since the 1970s when it was still a dairy farm, and he transitioned into selling grass-fed beef.
“The tour is a good time to show people what we have on the farm,” he said.
For more information, visit http://ag.jefferson.wsu.edu.
The farms on the tour included:
• Brinnon — Elk Meadows Nursery.
• Chimacum SEmD Bishop Dairy, Finnriver Farm, Red Dog Farm, Short’s Family Farm, Springrain Farm and Orchard and Wild Harvest Farm.
• Marrowstone Island — Mystery Bay Farm .
• Port Ludlow SEmD Ananda Hills Farm.
• Port Townsend SEmD Compass Rose Farm, Colinwood Farm, Whiskey Hill Goat Dairy and Wildfire Cider.
• Quilcene — Jacob’s Fleece, Taylored Fibers, Old Tarboo Farm and Serendipity Farm.
Farm Tour Central was at the Chimacum Farmers Market.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
