FARM Fund – Growing San Juan County Food System
2026 FARM Fund Awards Have Been Announced!
The San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild FARM Fund (Food, Agriculture, Relationships, Markets) is excited to announce the distribution of $39,770 in grants to support community-oriented agricultural production in San Juan County. These grants were made possible by generous gifts from local community donors and foundations, including but not limited to Mike Halperin, Jodi Green, Francie Rutherford, the Pleiades Foundation, and beer sales from community events – every dollar counts.
The 2026 FARM Fund grants will support projects that strengthen and develop regenerative, commercial agriculture in San Juan County, while increasing the supply and availability of local food. The FARM Fund is committed to pursuing innovative ways to create a more resilient local food system while promoting the economic growth and viability of San Juan County farmers.
Nineteen applicants submitted grant proposals for $1500 – $2,500, with a total of over $43,481 in requested funds. A seven-member committee ultimately chose to partially or fully fund all 19 high-impact projects that will regenerate our local ecosystem through agriculture and unlock new economic opportunities for island farmers.
Please join us in celebrating their hard work and dedication to feeding our community! Recipients include:
Lopez: Goosefoot Produce/Ladybird Farm, Indigo Moon Farm & Fibers, Midnight’s Farm, Still Light Farm, Stonecrest Farm and Graziers, Sunnyfield Farm, Sweetbriar Farm, Watmough Bay Farm
Orcas: Crozier Farm Orchard and Apiary, Long Duck Farm, West Beach Farm, West Beach Produce and Flowers, Wise Owl Wellness Farm
San Juan: New Hannah Farm, Talking Horse Farm, Three Dogs Farm LLC, Amaro Farm and Mia’s Garden
Waldron: Nootka Rose Farm
The FARM (Food, Agriculture, Relationships, Markets) Fund provides critical capital to farmers, producers, processors and distributors to implement projects that strengthen our local food economy. The Fund is committed to pursuing innovative ways to develop regenerative agriculture, increase the supply and availability of local food, and promote the financial viability of San Juan County farms and food businesses.
Grants
The FARM Fund will work with community partners to identify gaps in San Juan County’s food system and provide critical capital to farmers, distributors and producers in order to meet those needs.
This grant process supports building the capacity of San Juan County’s farms to make more local food available to our communities. The FARM Fund Grant Committee is committed to the principles of good grant-making, due diligence, and applying an equitable and transparent process. Awards are made for projects that are well-conceived and likely to be successful in meeting the above stated goals. Awards are made for projects that are able to begin immediately and that will positively impact the current growing season.
Background
The FARM (Food, Agriculture, Relationships, Markets) Fund was founded in 2015 by the Orcas Food Co-op and is now a county-wide program of the Ag Guild. The fund transitioned over to the Ag Guild from the Orcas Food Co-op in 2020 in line with long range goals to shift management of the fund to a neutral third party and make it a countywide program. Management by the Ag Guild has made it possible to accept tax deductible donations, helping to grow the fund’s impact through a combination of private donations and foundation grants, along with 1% of produce sales from the Orcas Food Co-op. The Ag Guild and Orcas Food Co-op continue to work together, collaborating with community partners to provide critical capital to farmers.
Past projects funded include hoop houses, trellis systems, fencing, farm tools, irrigation equipment, cool storage, and more. See past grant and loan awards here.
Donate!
The FARM Fund is actively seeking philanthropic gifts to fund future grant cycles to support our farming community. The FARM Fund is looking to expand the program and welcomes additional financial support.
To learn more, please email farmfund@sjiagguild.com or donate below.