The Orcas Farms project was conceived as a magazine with text by Sharon Baskind. It was, however, never published. The twelve images in this portfolio are grouped in pairs, one from each of Orcas’s six organic farms. Click on this link [provide link here] to download pdfs [of the images? Of the magazine layouts?].
The Coffelt Farm Preserve is now run by the Lum family and features their popular farm store. Maple Rock ceased production in the late 2010s. Morning Star Farm and the Bullock’s Permaculture Farm are still in operation as of 2024.
For many years Warm Valley Farm was run by Bill and Barbara Humes. The couple planted over 200 trees on the property, including western red cedar, hybrid cottonwoods, Norway spruce, sequoia and redwoods. Over the years they raised black sheep, beets, chickens, fruit, and a variety of garden produce.
In 1979 Barbara put an ad in the Islands’ Sounder announcing a meeting to gauge interest in starting an Orcas Island Farmers’ Market. She and Bill arrived early to greet attendees only to open the door to a room already filled to capacity with enthusiastic islanders. This meeting proved to be a formative moment in the history of Orcas agriculture. Since then the Farmers’s Market has not only provided growers with a venue for selling directly to the public (which is more lucrative than wholesale accounts), it’s also become a popular hub for the island’s community and visitors alike.
Today Warm Valley Farm is run by Annie McIntyre and Joel Stewart, and also features its own farm store. The property’s beautiful pastures and orchards, situated on the road to the ferry landing, are still a welcoming landmark for all who drive or stop by.