About the San Juan Islands
Agricultural Guild
Island Roots
A community response to a county-wide need
For thousands of years, Coast Salish peoples have tended and stewarded the present day San Juan Islands. They continue to maintain an active presence and access traditional foods. In the 1800s, Coast Salish lifeways were interrupted by the arrival of European-American settlers who introduced new plants and animals into the landscape – the marks of both Coast Salish peoples and early settlers are visible across the islands.
Today, thousands of people ferry over to the San Juans every year to experience the beautiful natural environment, pastoral views, and amazing local food. The island’s waves of change have brought many wonderful people to the county – it has also continually accentuated challenges for island farmers.
The San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild seeks to bridge those challenges, by expanding opportunities for farmers and nurturing a resilient local food system.
The Guild Is Born
From advocacy to action
In late 2007, farmers, county agencies, and local food advocates came together to recommend the formation of the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild to secure a permanent home for the San Juan Island Farmer’s Market.
What emerged was a massive community effort that resulted in the purchase and renovation of the historic building, Brickworks, in downtown Friday Harbor.
From Abandoned to Repurposed
Brick by brick
In 2010, the Ag Guild purchased the historic brick building on Nichols Street in Friday Harbor. As a community, we raised over $1.6 million dollars. Grants from state and federal sources, donations from nearly 400 individuals, and more than 30,000 hours of volunteer time from people who showed up, season after season, because they believed in what it would become.
That year, Brickworks opened as the permanent, year-round home of the San Juan Islands Farmers Market and grew into a community kitchen, an event venue, community gathering space, and a hub for the food economy it was built to serve.
How We've Grown
Roots that reach
Since those early years, the Guild has expanded considerably. We now offer direct programs for farmers, coordination for county-wide food system teams, and resources to help the public find and learn more about local food.
Some of our core programs include:
Farmers-to-Farmland
Connecting aspiring farmers and ranchers with land, mentorship, and resources.
FARM Fund
Putting capital directly into the hands of commercial farmers who need it to start, strengthen, or grow their operation.
Island Grown
Connecting eaters to local foods through events, stories, education and local food finders.
Our Leadership
At the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild we are guided by a volunteer board and a small but dedicated staff team. Organizational stewards come from across the islands and include farmers, food business owners, advocates, and community builders who care deeply about the future of local food, farmers and farmland. Together, we bring the perspectives of each home island to the table, helping ensure our work serves communities across San Juan County.
Lauren Bigelow
Executive Director
Breton Carter
Assistant Director
Ande Finley
Co-Chair, Lopez Board Member
Ande has lived full-time on Lopez with her husband, Scott since 2009, where they grow vegetables in their large forest garden. She is a co-founder and current steering committee member of Transition Lopez Island and has been active in the Lopez Locavores, Community Rights San Juan Islands, and Huddle Lopez Island. She is a passionate advocate for eating locally and seasonally.
Wendy McClure
Co-Chair, Lopez Board Member
Wendy moved to Lopez Island in 2020, after nearly a lifetime enjoying her family’s island cabin as an off-islander. On the mainland, she worked in public service and non-profits, encouraging community collaboration, community food security, and civic engagement for over 40 years. During the 1990s, she co-owned and farmed a small, certified organic CSA in Snohomish County. Currently Wendy serves on San Juan County’s Agriculture Resource Committee, and Wendy continues to grow food gardens with friends. Member since Feb 2025.
Laurie Bullock
Treasurer, Lopez Board Member
Laurie currently lives on Lopez and works as the Operations Manager at Taproot Community Kitchen. She is an avid gardener and advocate for all things nature.
Henryk Hiller
Lopez Board Member
Henryk worked as a land use lawyer and served as legal counsel and VP for a small internet company. He was a Northwest Conservation Philanthropy fellow in 2017, focusing on sustainable local agriculture. He has served on numerous boards and is a member of the Sustainable Communities Funders, a collaborative focused on projects at the intersection of environmental sustainability, equitable inclusion, and economic opportunity in Western Washington. Henryk and his wife, Melora, have had a home on Lopez since 2002 and have lived there full-time since 2020.
Tim Barrette
San Juan Board Member
Co-owner, with his wife, Laurie, of The Market Chef. Tim and Laurie started their business as vendors at the San Juan Island Farmers Market and have been long-time supporters of local farms and food as providing the freshest ingredients for their fine fare.
Bailey Quishenberry
Orcas Board Member
Hato, Bailey Quishenberry is a Shawnee farmer and artist, co-founder of Long Duck Farm, and has worked in local Orcas businesses for years. Bailey also currently works as an illustrator for the Shawnee Tribe. They are passionate about farming, being involved, and fostering strong relationships with land and all the peoples that share it.
Amanda Sparks
Orcas Board Member
Amanda has served as the executive director of the Orcas Island Food Bank since 2021.
The Work Ahead
The future of agriculture in the San Juan Islands will be shaped by the choices we make today. As our communities grow and the needs of farmers continue to evolve, so must the systems that support them. Join us in supporting emerging needs and building a resilient future for local agriculture across San Juan County.