SAVOR THE LAND TOUR SHOWCASES SKAGIT VALLEY’S AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION, AND CULINARY EXCELLENCE

Leaders from Washington’s agriculture, conservation, and policy sectors will gather in Skagit County for the Savor the Land Tour, an immersive two-day event celebrating the region’s agricultural heritage, innovation, and environmental stewardship. The program will open Tuesday evening, August 26, with a welcome reception at Christianson’s School House, set among the historic glasshouses and gardens of Christianson’s Nursery & Greenhouse in Mount Vernon. Owners John and Toni Christianson have led the nursery for 35 years, fostering pollinator habitats, promoting native plantings, and supporting regional tourism and employment. The evening will feature farm-to-table cuisine from The Skagit Table, where Chef-owner Courtney Bourasaw sourced ingredients exclusively from local farms, showcasing the valley’s rich food network. Washington State Department of Agriculture Director Derek Sandison will be on stage to deliver the keynote address, underscoring the importance of local agriculture in sustaining rural economies and global food trade.

Day Two: Farms, Fisheries, and Floodgates

Wednesday, August 27, 2025 will begin with a sunrise visit to Boldly Grown Farm in Bow, WA. Owners Amy Frye and her husband demonstrated their certified organic, Salmon-Safe farming practices, highlighting winter and storage crops that help maintain year-round food access. From its beginnings on one acre in 2015, Boldly Grown has expanded to over 40 acres of production, operating a winter CSA, self-serve farmstand, and wholesale distribution. The group will tour Cairnspring Mills in Burlington, where CEO Kevin Morse will share how the mill partners with local farmers to revive regional grain growing and stone-milling traditions. Cairnspring’s nutrient-rich flours preserve the full wheat kernel and traceability from field to loaf. At Taylor Shellfish Farms on Chuckanut Drive, participants will learn about the nation’s largest producer of farmed shellfish and the critical link between clean water and aquaculture. Director of Public Affairs Bill Dewey and Department of Ecology Deputy Director Heather Bartlett will discuss environmental challenges and regulatory solutions affecting shellfish farming.

The tour will continue to Joe Leary Slough Tidegate, an essential piece of infrastructure balancing agricultural drainage, salmon recovery, and flood protection in the Skagit Delta. Presenters Norm Hoffman, Jenna Friebel, and Owen Peth will detail how upgraded tidegates protect farmland while improving fish passage for ESA-listed species. Participants will then visit Thulen Farms, a multi-generational family potato farm in Mount Vernon. John and Wylie Thulen will showcase modern precision agriculture tools, GPS-guided equipment, variable-rate nutrient application, and crop rotation to maintain productivity while reducing environmental impact. The day will conclude at the Fir Island Farm Estuary Restoration Project, where presenters Jenna Friebel, Ron Wesen, David Hawkins, Michael Hughes, and others will discuss how farmers, tribes, and conservation groups collaborate to restore over 130 acres of estuarine habitat while safeguarding productive farmland. This site exemplifies how salmon recovery, flood management, and agriculture can coexist.

Celebrating a Regional Model for the Future

From greenhouse propagation to regenerative grain milling, sustainable shellfish farming to tidal infrastructure, the Savor the Land Tour will provide an in-depth look at how Skagit Valley integrates economic vitality, environmental voluntary stewardship, and community leadership. The event will reinforce the region’s national reputation as a model for working landscapes where farming traditions, natural resource protection, and thriving rural communities go hand in hand.

Savor the Land Tour Itinerary and Presenters

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The Skagit Ridge Hotel
18444 Bow Hill Rd
Bow, WA 98232