Friday, February 28^th 2025

On a beautiful Friday morning, the volunteers of the Whidbey Island Farm School gathered at their community property off Maxwelton Road for a little farm tender, love, and care day.

With great delight, a little tease of springtime is upon us. The sun is shining and it’s nearly in the 60s. What better time to get our hands dirty than at the farm school’s “Do Something” Friday meetup?

The impromptu Friday meetup welcomes those who want to get some fresh air amidst the chaos of today’s world. My partner and I joined the gathering to learn a bit more about general gardening for produce and to explore all that Whidbey Island Farm School offers—a little food for thought if you will.

Many of us may not have the light to foster garden growth (me!) or enough knowledge to begin a garden (also, me!) so what better way to get to know Mother Earth than by popping by the farm? The group joined a discussion from Master Gardener, Matt Giroux from 2-3 pm outdoors to learn all the tips for starting your own food garden, pest/rodent maintenance, and seasonal planting.

Another way of acclimating to the farm is general garden cleanup, by picking up bits of plastic tarps that often end up shredded after their initial use in laying the farm foundations. A tedious task, that can be surprisingly reflective… just like weeding! Executive Director Judith Feldman also offered first-timers to enjoy walking around the track to get familiar with the grounds.

For those looking to connect with the Farm on a deeper level, they offer an intimate, hands-on program. Members enjoy exclusive perks, including field-to-fork dish pickups, access to special tastings, and early event announcements. They have limited memberships starting at $500 per household and are renewable annually. Membership benefits are available year-round, with peak offerings from June through November.

There are so many moving parts to the Whidbey Island Farm School that facilitate deep and hands-on learning. The farm offers one-month Summer Block intensives, a 7-month farming apprenticeship, Whole Systems Kitchen classes, Farm Stays, and various types of workshops on gardening and farming. Their community presentations are “Dishing up the Dirt” which are ticketed by donation, and offer meaningful conversations between Eaters and Growers.

In full, a sense of community and belonging is all we strive for, and what better way than to get connected to the Earth? The Whidbey Island Organic Farm School is respected for its thoughtful researchers and their dynamic approach to organic farming values. With an emphasis on community building, social regeneration, and ecological and ethical farming practices, the farm school is strengthening our relationship with local food systems and stimulating island communities in economic growth!  

To learn more about the Whidbey Island Organic Farm School’s community activities sign-up for their newsletter to get all the details – the farm’s “Do Something” Fridays are set to happen once a month. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities available.