The second annual Whidbey Island Grown Week runs September 28-October 7. Throughout the week, island farmers, specialty food purveyors, chefs and artisan producers will join forces to create a 10-day celebration of local products and experiences. The Northwest Agriculture Business Center has been actively involved and supportive of Whidbey Island Grown since its creation in…
Twin Sisters Market had a record day of sales on Saturday, August 4. The markets sales have exceeded $1,000 every Saturday since June 30, and year-to-date sales are up by 75% over last year. According to Chris Elder, the market’s Founder and President, there is a noticeable uptick in Canadian shoppers who own time-share properties…
By Sera Hartman, NABC Project Manager Sixteen years ago, Joan Schleh had had enough of trying to cram urban fresh air fun sufficient for three kids into the family’s tiny Ballard back yard. Friends in Mount Vernon told them about a pretty farmhouse for sale on a couple of acres up in their Skagit Valley…
A new team member has joined the Puget Sound Food Hub Cooperative: Sales Account Manager Mark Whims. Mark has over 20 years of value-added food service experience working with strong local brands Wilcox Farms and Starbucks Coffee Company. His long-standing connections to key regional buyers, brokers and distributors will help drive the Food Hub’s aggressive…
Agricultural organizations came together from all over San Juan County to review work done in the past year, share their visions for the future, and to discuss priorities for helping shape the County Comprehensive Plan, which informs County Code. San Juan County is in the midst of a 20-year update of its Comprehensive Plan as…
Late last year NABC announced that it would be expanding its services to help the Latino community. We strive to help provide the opportunity for farmers to increase farm profitability, to evolve, innovate and flourish through value added products, and to advance the legacy of thriving and lucrative agriculture for future generations. Recently this occurred…
While every farmer knows that time during the summer months slips by in a flurry of picking and packing, an overcast Wednesday at the end of June pulled a group of farmers from their fields for the first segment of NABC’s Wholesale Farming Success workshop series. Farmers came out from Nash’s Organic Produce, Boldly Grown…
Chickens and other poultry can be a great addition to a farming enterprise, whether commercial or hobby level. Processing itself can be a mystery to the newcomer however, and regulations and food safety can be daunting. To encourage more farmers to try their hand at poultry, NABC set out to offer a straight-forward, practical master…
This summer NABC’s Jeff Voltz presented two 3-hours marketing and branding workshops for students attending Whidbey Island’s Organic Farm School. Topics covered included: • Market Feasibility and Choosing Viable Market Channels • Brand Development Marketing and Outreach • Pricing Concepts-Understanding Business Costs, Gross Margin, and Establishing Sales Projections • Marketing Plan Concepts In case you…
