Stories about Local Champions

The Local Champions Blog highlights some of the amazing work our community accomplishes and motivates us all to work better together. We are lucky to work with so many champions who are a model for positive behavior change and influence us to go the extra mile. Our local champions are building connections within the community every day. Filter our stories by categories listed below or browse them all. We hope you’re inspired by the local champions in our community, too! 

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Build a Tiny House and They Will Come: A Farmstay at Oostema Farmstead

Build a Tiny House and They Will Come: A Farmstay at Oostema Farmstead

Located on 117 acres in Whatcom County, Oostema Farmstead is a working Wagyu Cattle farm raising their herd using sustainable and natural methods. Lisa and Glen Oostema’s love for farming shows in the food they produce, as well as the way they share their experience...

18 of the Best Sandwiches in NW Washington

18 of the Best Sandwiches in NW Washington

It’s spring! And while Sasquatch loves foraging for nettles and chickweed as much as the next Bigfoot, there’s only one food they truly crave during this season – sandwiches! Luckily for Sasquatch, and for you, spring is also when the Sandwich Showdown commences. What...

Long Hearing Farm: Farming for the Future, Listening to the Past

Long Hearing Farm: Farming for the Future, Listening to the Past

Located on 40 acres of Sauk-Suiattle, Upper Skagit, and Stillaguamish lands, Long Hearing Farm grows food to nourish their community and neighbors, listening to the past as well as to the future. As farmer-owner Elizabeth Bragg puts it, “Our mission at Long Hearing...

Whatcom Food System Plan Envisions an Equitable and Resilient Future

Whatcom Food System Plan Envisions an Equitable and Resilient Future

Whatcom County is home to rich and abundant ecosystems, a passionate food and farming community, and engaged citizens. Why, then, do so many people in the local food system still struggle to grow, raise, access, and afford healthy and nutritious food? Why, and how,...

Top Food & Farming Business Conference Returns In-Person

Top Food & Farming Business Conference Returns In-Person

BELLINGHAM, WA, January 19, 2023 – Sustainable Connections invites all food businesses, artisans, and growers to the NW Washington Farm-to-Table Trade Meeting on February 7th, 2023.   The Farm-to-Table Trade Meeting brings together farmers, fishers, food artisans,...