FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sustainable Connections’ Green Building Slam Returns to the Wild Buffalo Bellingham, Washington, August 18, 2025 – Join Sustainable Connection’s for the 7th Annual Green Building Slam. Tickets are on sale now. Sustainable Connections is thrilled to announce that the Green Building Slam will return to the Wild Buffalo House of Music on […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sandwich Showdown Brings Together Local Restaurants and Farms for Eat Local Month August 13th, 2025, Bellingham WA – Sustainable Connections is excited to announce September Eat Local Month’s Sandwich Showdown. This sandwich competition brings together local restaurants, chefs, and food enthusiasts for a month-long celebration of mouthwatering sandwiches that show off “local […]
Contact: Maressa Valliant Phone: 360-647-7093 ext. 103 E-mail: maressa@eatlocalfirst.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Washington State Declares September ‘Eat Local Month’ August 6, 2025, Olympia WA – Washington State has declared September 2025 ‘Eat Local Month’. This declaration affirms and honors the diverse and vibrant community of farmers, fishermen, and food artisans who provide fresh, healthy, and […]
While the Pacific Northwest is home to many traditional farms scattered across the countryside, some entrepreneurs are finding new paths to planting, using hydroponic technology—which relies on nutrient-rich water solutions instead of soil—to grow food year-round in greenhouses and even warehouses. A few are taking the process a step further with aquaponic systems that raise […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Enjoy An Agricultural Adventure on the Whatcom County Farm Tour 7.22.25 BELLINGHAM WA – Sustainable Connections is excited to celebrate September Eat Local Month, a month-long celebration of eating local food and honoring those who grow, raise, harvest, and prepare it to share with this community. One of the highlights of Eat […]
Information about Sustainable Connections’ plan to divest from Cloud Mountain Farm Center was shared in a press release on May 30, 2025. We’ve provided some context below, along with some answers to frequently asked questions. ____________________________________________________________________________ Sustainable Connections entered the merger with Cloud Mountain Farm Center with the best intentions to support the farm, provide the […]
WHATCOM — Visitors and locals alike can plan an outing this summer around the bounty of local harvests with the help of eight Farm to Table Trails put together by Sustainable Connections. Food and Farming Program Manager Jessica Gillis said the trails are put together for visitors to use however they see fit. Some might […]
Farm to Table Trails is a one-of-a-kind agritourism experience in Washington’s Whatcom and Skagit counties. This digital “trail” guides area residents and tourists alike to a variety of locally produced products, highlighting the region’s agricultural richness. Read more here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sustainable Connections Board Votes to Divest from Cloud Mountain Farm Center by December 2025 Bellingham, Washington – May 30, 2025 – The Sustainable Connections Board voted on a motion this week to officially divest from Cloud Mountain Farm Center (CMFC) by December 31, 2025. After careful evaluation, the Sustainable Connections (SC) Board […]
Appetite? Check. Curiosity about the local food system and economy? Double check. Looks like you’re ready to hit Farm to Table Trails, eight experiential itineraries that explore food and farm businesses throughout Whatcom and Skagit counties. The initiative from Sustainable Connections is designed to showcase u-pick berry farms, cheese producers, bakeries, wineries, and markets selling […]
May 7, 2025, Bellingham WA – The food, farming, and fishing culture of Northwest Washington is rich and diverse, and the most delicious way to explore this region’s offerings is by taking a trip on the Farm to Table Trails. Whether you’re a local hoping to learn more about your backyard or a visitor coming […]
Big changes are in store for a community gathering place on South Whidbey.
This week, a total of 33 solar panels were affixed to the roof of Clinton Community Hall. The grid-tiered solar system will provide 100% of the building’s annual electric usage with clean energy. Workers also installed a battery backup system that will keep the lights on in the event of a power outage.
It is with great sadness that Sustainable Connections announces the closure of the Cloud Mountain Farm Center (CMFC) nursery on June 30th, 2025. CMFC, an educational farm center located in Everson, Washington, has been a part of Sustainable Connections since its official merger in 2019.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) connects families and individuals directly with local farmers and fresh, seasonal produce. Eat Local First, Washington’s go-to local food resource is launching its 2025 CSA Finder to help their community find local food subscriptions near them. Eat Local First is also currently running a giveaway for one lucky winner to receive $200 toward a CSA of their […]
March 5, 2025 | Washington State – Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) connects families and individuals directly with local farmers and fresh, seasonal produce. Eat Local First, Washington’s go-to local food resource is launching its 2025 CSA Finder to help their community find local food subscriptions near them. Eat Local First is also currently running a giveaway for one lucky winner to receive $200 toward a CSA of their choice*.
Sustainable Connections is excited to announce the launch of Solarize Whatcom, a solar energy program available now through July 4th. This program will support residents of Whatcom County install solar panels on their homes and businesses. You can reserve your free solar assessment on the program webpage SolarizeWhatcom.org.
In 2025, single-family households in Bellingham will be required to use the FoodPlus food and yard waste collection service, a move that will eventually be mandatory in all larger Washington cities due to recent state legislation.
Whatcom County’s Severe Weather Shelter is open during the cold season between November and March. It can serve about 70 people when overnight temperatures are expected to fall to 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below in Bellingham.
Sustainable Connections is opening its third community refrigerator Tuesday, Nov. 12 at the North Fork Community Library in Kendall, announced by the nonprofit in a news release Monday, Nov. 4.
Whatcom County residents will have the chance to learn where their seafood comes from during a new waterfront festival at the end of September. Day on the Bay will feature tours of fishing vessels, waterfront industries and talks on how the environment and waterfront industry work together across Bellingham Bay. It’s the first year for […]
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — On Sept. 28, Day on the Bay will invite the community to explore and engage with Bellingham’s active waterfront. Day on the Bay is a joint collaboration with Sustainable Connections’ Eat Local Month, Bellingham SeaFeast, and Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County. This free, self-guided tour encourages folks to stop at more […]
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Whatcom County has celebrated Eat Local Month for over a decade, but this year the governor has declared Eat Local Month a statewide festivity. As people all over Washington honor what it means to eat locally, we are reminded of our own local events in our backyard.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BELLINGHAM, WA, September 12, 2024 The Whatcom Housing Alliance is proud to announce the eighth annual Whatcom Housing Week, a week-long event dedicated to addressing the critical housing challenges facing our community. In partnership with local organizations, the Whatcom Housing Alliance is hosting over 17 events, each free and open to the […]
Washington’s annual Eat Local Month is back, celebrating local restaurants, farmers and cooks in Bellingham throughout September. “Eat Local Month celebrates the bounty of Washington’s local food with events and experiences throughout the state, including farm tours, farm-to-table dinners, farm and fish markets, festivals, and more. Eat Local Month connects us on the journey from […]
My Bellingham Now’s Ellie Coberly talks to Jessica Gillis from Sustainable Connections about their Whatcom County Farm Tour events.
The last weeks of summer and early weeks of fall offer some of the best times to seek out good eats on easy drives around the state. Gov. Inslee has declared September 2024 “Eat Local Month” in Washington state, celebrating Washington’s agriculture, fisheries and food production. Various festivals and activities will commence, but you can also […]
OLYMPIA Wash. — Eat Local First and Sustainable Connections are excited to announce that Washington State has declared September 2024 ‘Eat Local Month’. This declaration affirms and honors the diverse and vibrant community of farmers, fishermen, and food artisans who provide fresh, healthy, and sustainably produced food for us all to enjoy.
Washington has declared September as Eat Local Month in the state, according to a press release from Eat Local First. Eat Local Month will celebrate the local farmers, fishermen, and food artisans that make food cultivated in Washington memorable and sustainable. To celebrate, local farm tours, farm-to-table dinners, farm and fish markets, festivals, and more will […]
Visit Whatcom County’s coffee shops in the second annual Sustainable Connections Coffee Crawl, which allows people to sample the county’s best drinks and earn points toward prizes this summer. “The Coffee Crawl is a delicious and caffeine-forward way of exploring Whatcom County. The Pacific Northwest is famous for its coffee, and we’re so fortunate to […]
Sustainable Connections is excited to celebrate September Eat Local Month, a month-long celebration of eating local food and honoring those who grow, raise, harvest, and prepare it to share with this community. One of the highlights of Eat Local Month is The Whatcom County Farm Tour. On Saturday, September 14th from 10am-4pm, seventeen farms in […]
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Sustainable Connections is excited to celebrate September Eat Local Month, a month-long celebration of eating local food and honoring those who grow, raise, harvest, and prepare it to share with this community. One of the highlights of Eat Local Month is The Whatcom County Farm Tour. On Saturday, Sept. 14 from 10 […]
There are nine different farm to table loops to explore for fun and the freshest possible food
Much of Bellingham’s comingled recycling, the unsorted material collected by Sanitary Service Company in the newly introduced single tote, travels south in semitrailers to a state-of-the-art material recovery facility, or MRF, in Woodinville.
An innovative Whatcom County partnership to address climate change and reduce food waste has been awarded a $27,500 Small Communities, Big Challenges Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. Whatcom County Health and Community Services, Sustainable Connections, Washington State University Extension SNAP-Ed and Whatcom County Library System will use the grant and local funding to build […]
Jessica Gillis, Food & Farming Program Manager at Sustainable Connections, highlights the 2024 Farm to Table Trails with Komo News.