“Share the Bounty” Produce Stands!

Note: our stands ended on October 30 to be stored for use again next year!

Transition Fidalgo and Friends has established three “Share the Bounty” stands offering free, fresh produce to our local community. Gardeners are encouraged to drop off surplus fruits and veggies to help those who would welcome the food.

Where were the stands?
— 2509 H Avenue, the Warren Carr residence
— Entrance to the Library on 10th St.
— Harbor House at 719 Q Ave.

Our thanks to Tony Idczak for building the first stand and to Dave Steele and Kris Abshire of the Northwest Corner Woodworkers Association for building the other two.

Thanks, too, to local artists who donated their time and talents. The H Ave stand was painted by Zack Bowman and Marissa Carr, mentored by Jennifer Bowman. The Library stand was painted by Carla Seaton. And the Harbor House stand was painted by Anne Schreivogl and Al Currier. 

To our Transition Friends,

            In these deeply challenging times, the Board of TF&F has been thinking about how our group can best serve the Fidalgo community.

            We’re currently in a situation that we’ve long expected to face, perhaps not as a pandemic, but as some type of upheaval that would force a re-thinking and re-structuring of our lives. A Transition, if you will.

            It’s been said, “To experience a crisis is to inhabit a world that is temporarily up for grabs.”

            Although somewhat restricted by the coronavirus in what we can do and how, now is a prime time to model the kind of community we imagined in our Vision 2030 document.

            We’re looking into continuing our monthly gatherings online for the present. We had our first one April 28 via Zoom, and hope to have more in the near future.

            The main thing we’ve chosen to focus on at the moment is food, which has long been one of our strongest areas. We started the first community garden in Anacortes, ran several years of free Eat Your Yard classes, and gave rise to a local gleaning program.

            Many of us are worried about food supply chains that may falter in a pandemic. As well, there may soon be many among us unable to afford healthy, home-grown food as the economy shrinks. Not surprisingly, nurseries are seeing “unheard of” sales of edible seeds and plants.

            What better time for TF&F to once again ramp up support for local gardeners? Our Eat Your Yard classes brought together new and expert gardeners and were one of our most popular offerings. Due to the need for social distancing, we can’t revive the actual classes, but we’re considering “virtual” garden presentations. Even better, we’re excited to report that we have a garden blog, “Fidalgo Grows,” where experienced local gardeners will post their tips and tactics for successful growing.

            Want to know what plants require less water in our hotter, drier summers, or the best way to care for your soil? Wondering about perennial crops such as asparagus and sunchokes? What about seeds or starts? Till or no-till?

             Take a breath, we’ve got you covered. Fidalgo has a wealth of gardeners whose experience we can tap into.

            “Garden guru” Peter Heffelfinger is one of them. Known and loved by many, Peter has grown food here for over 40 years, noting that “Fidalgo Island has been rated by Seattle Tilth as the best site in the Maritime Northwest for growing vegetables year-round.” Check it out at https://www.transitionfidalgo.org/fidalgogrows,

            Other food projects are percolating…and we’re looking to you for help! What inspires you in the list below? What other ideas can you come up with in this time so rich with need, and opportunity? Let us know!

            Here are some possibilities we’re excited about….

• Set up a seed/plant exchange so those who have extra can share with those who may not have been able to obtain seeds or plants.
• Plant for others. Encourage seeding extra rows, so that the harvest can be shared with those in need, and set up roadside stands where free produce can be taken as needed.
• Plant for the Earth. Encourage gardeners to link up with the Climate Victory Garden effort and care for the soil in ways that will help sequester carbon.
• Match those with yards who can’t garden for whatever reason, with those who’d like to grow food but don’t have the land to garden.
• Plant more fruit trees, berry bushes, and “pollinator pathways” around the island.
• Help people learn how to save their seeds to insure future plantings. Sequoia Ferrel of TF&F and Gaia Rising Farm will head up this project. Is a seed library something to aim for?

            TF&F is looking forward to increasing both personal and community resilience by fostering greater food security, and to giving our community something worthwhile and life-affirming to do in a time when it’s all too easy to feel vulnerable and helpless.

            As we move toward the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day, let’s fill our hands with soil and our hearts with resolve to live more lightly and lovingly on this planet that so generously sustains us.

            Be well,

            TF&F Board of Directors

Our 2020 Annual Report:

TF&F 2020 Annual Report

published January 6, 2021

What we are doing:

Anacortes Community Forest Lands Forest Monitoring   

“Fidalgo Grows” blog

Fix-It Days

High School Scholarships

Monthly Gatherings presentations

Produce Stands

The Pathfinder Newsletter

Vision 2030

and more!