Vashon Island is a sheltered place of natural beauty that has fresh farm to table food. When visiting you will find there are many fun activities to do and places to see. Located southwest of Seattle, Vashon Island has the best little known – off the beaten path farm stands just waiting for you to find.
On Vashon, you will find an assortment of local farm stands all with their own unique twist on fresh organic food. The local farmers on the island offer tantalizing fresh fruits, veggies, fish, dairy, eggs, meats, cheeses, wine, flowers, and so much more. Below are five island favorites to fill up your senses.
Lavender Hill
Lavender Hill has a half acre field with rows of fragrant organic lavender flowers. Open in June and July they are a great choice for summer activities. You can stop and cut some bunches of these aromatic flowers and check out the store. They offer a collection of essential oil, soap, wreaths, sachets, and many other creations made from home grown lavender. The house and acreage can be rented out for weddings and family get togethers.
Pacific Crest
Nearby and close to the island is Maury Island where you can visit with Pacific Crest. This orchard is 18 acres of berries, veggies, fruits and nuts. They also have pigs, sheep, turkeys, and hens. Owned by a Montessori School in Seattle, the children frequently visit and learn about the orchard. They have summer camps and overnight visits as well as day trips to Pacific Crest.
Maury Island Winery
Close by is Maury Island Winery. Wine tasing activies here should be on your things to do list of the island! They make lovely Pino Noir, Pino Gris, and crisp Rose estate wines. Family owned, their passion for making wine has been an endeavor since 1980. Thier well known wines have consistently won the Seattle Wine Awards Double Gold, Silver and Bronze over the last six years. They open on Memorial Day and are open all summer for visiting and enjoying a great wine tasting experience right on the vineyard!
Harbor Home
Nearby Harbor Home pasture has Nubian and Saanen goats along with cross breeds called Snubians. Harbor Home is owned and operated by a mom and daughter partnership. Visiting the goats is one of the fun acivities here. They are very friendly and love people. Thier milk is very fresh and sweet. This comes from keeping the females away from the male goats except when mating. Harbor Home specializes in French cheeses along with fresh yogurt and milk.
Viga Saturday Markets
The close by Viga Saturday Markets uptown has plenty of things to do on the island. This Farmer’s Market has plenty of shopping activities with fresh produce from the best orchards and farmlands on the island. Viga supports local agriculture and produce for people near you! The Market is open every Saturday from 10-2pm during the months of April through December. They are also open with things to do on Wednesdays from 3-6pm during the months of June through September.
With so much fresh produce, meats, eggs and cheeses available near you it’s easy to buy healthy food. Living a healthy lifestyle also includes supporting local growers and ranchers. When you buy local products, you are also helping the environment. Local growers take thier responsibility to the next level by using sustainable practices with the soil, plants and animals and by using healthy organic methods. Get out on the island and explore all that the local growers have to offer.
FYI, I visited all the farm stands I could find last summer and wrote it up here: https://getthemapout.com/farm-stands-on-vashon-island-the-complete-list/
Many are seasonal but it’s great to check and support them whenever open!