Looking for U-Pick Apples or Festive Fall Fun? There’s an Award-Winning Map for That

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BELLINGHAM, Wash. — 10.21.2026 — Seekers of apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and corn maze adventures this fall have a world-class tool to find them. The Washington Food & Farm Finder is a free, statewide map of more than 2,400 farms, fisheries, and local food businesses. It won the World Agritourism Award for Best Agritourism in Digital Innovation, selected by an international jury of 16 agritourism leaders from six continents and presented at the Global Agritourism Conference in Aberdeen, Scotland on June 25, 2026. The World Agritourism Award is a prestigious recognition given annually to organizations and initiatives across the world that demonstrate impact and innovation in agritourism

The Finder lists more than 1,200 agritourism spots, including 845 farms that welcome visitors. Users can search by location, product, or experience, and filter by additional features and practices like those that offer tours or classes as well as sustainable and regenerative practices. Regional trip-planning pages point visitors toward the roads less traveled to discover hidden gems bursting with local, seasonal flavors. 

Small team, global stage 
The Finder was built by the Eat Local First Collaborative, a group of organizations and partners determined to build and support one easy-to-use platform for finding local farms and food. The group has received multiple competitive grants from the USDA and tourism organizations, which have given the tool the support to make a real impact by connecting people to farms, seafood, and local food businesses in Washington. Listings are free for farms, and the site is free to the public. 

“Big tech platforms weren’t built for the family orchard down a gravel road. We built a tool that is. It’s an honor to see a community-built project that started in Whatcom County recognized on a world stage. The real win for me though, is every person that discovers a farm that they didn’t know was just a short drive away.” – Maressa Valliant, Director of Eat Local First

Eat Local First Director Maressa Valliant was joined by colleagues from the Washington State Department of Agriculture, State of Washington Tourism, and Washington State Department of Commerce to receive the award. “We are a small team with big partners! We could not do this work without the Eat Local First Collaborative and Network, which works across sectors to tell the story of local farms and food businesses, and help guide our communities toward the rich and numerous options they have to choose local foods, first.” 

This season on the Finder: 

Search them all at eatlocalfirst.org 

About Eat Local First 
Eat Local First is Washington’s trusted source for finding local farms and the restaurants, markets, and food businesses that source from them. It runs the Statewide Washington Food & Farm Finder and Eat Local First Network. 
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Eat Local First is a program of Sustainable Connections, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Bellingham, Washington. Sustainable Connections advances a regenerative local economy that builds community, strengthens food systems, catalyzes climate solutions, and expands access to housing in NW Washington.

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