We’re excited to share some of the great work our organization has done! From inspiring program highlights to big wins for our community, this fall has been full of energy and growth.
Our Food & Farming team held the 18th annual Whatcom County Farm Tour on September 13th. 16 farms participated, opening their barn doors so folks could learn about growing fruit, vegetables, and flowers, as well as raising animals, regenerative practices, and off-grid living. More than 2000 community members attended, and the Farm Tour resulted in $52,000 in on-farm sales – that’s a lot of money invested into the local food system in a single day!
Our Think Local First program highlighted local restaurants and local food during the Sandwich Showdown, a friendly competition between local businesses for the best sandwich in all the land (Northwest Washington). Of course, they had to source 50%+ local ingredients. Hundreds of customers voted on their favorite “local layers” and the winners were Aslan Brewing Co. and Hela Provisions tied for first!
We made big strides towards creative housing solutions with the Whatcom Housing Alliance’s Adaptive Reuse Design Competition! Local architects submitted innovative proposals and 20,000 people viewed their designs. The competition was an integral part of Whatcom Housing Week, during which 250+ people attended educational events on topics such as aging in place, the housing legislative landscape, and cohousing.
200 people attended our Energy & Green Building Program’s ‘Green Building Slam’ at the Wild Buffalo (it’s not just for music… it’s also for green building inspiration!). Experts presented on cutting-edge and important subjects like design for wildfire zones, Tribal energy resilience, and the upcoming Old Town development in Bellingham.
Did you know that 40% of food in the United States goes to waste every year? Our Toward Zero Waste team is on a mission to change that. To date this year, they’ve rescued more than 200,000 pounds of food that would have otherwise ended up in the landfill. They didn’t just rescue it – they, alongside a crew of dedicated volunteers, distributed it to hunger relief agencies and vulnerable folks in our community. They’ve also conducted record-breaking outreach; their team has reached 150+ businesses to support waste reduction.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of the good work we’ve been able to do this quarter. We look forward to sharing even more exciting progress and impact in 2026. Thank you for joining us on this journey toward a more resilient and regenerative community!