Barn-to-Beach: An Immersive Island Experience
You are invited to participate in a special pre-release field test of a blend of immersive nature experiences, community engagement, and sustainability practices. The focus is on fostering environmental stewardship and showcasing grassroots initiatives which aim to create positive change. From exploring farmlands to scouting shorelines, this Island Experience is crafted to provide not only a connection with the environment and our community on a deeper level, but also opportunity for personal relaxation and reflection. This is an invitation to enjoy the beauty of the island while coming to understand this place, your plate, and possibilities for action.
Your hosts are:
Organic Farm School: is a Regenerative Learning Center, offering community learning experiences and beginning farmer training tracks to cultivate healthier food systems via closer relationships between eaters and growers.
Whidbey Island Kayaking: We strive to help people nurture their nature, create meaningful memories for themselves and loved ones, and learn about Whidbey’s unique identity by offering safe, fun, and active ways to experience the island through outdoor engagement and experiential learning.
The Whidbey Camano Land Trust: The mission of the Whidbey Camano Land Trust is to protect, restore and create access to forests, shorelines, farmlands and other habitats in Island County and the Salish Sea, for ecological and community resilience and the benefit of all living things.
Whidbey Island Distillery: Craftsmanship and ownership is at the heart of every bottle produced at Whidbey Island Distillery. As a licensed craft distillery, we support local farmers and businesses by partnering with them to source only the freshest and highest quality ingredients into everything we produce.
We are looking for two groups of 8 people for these dates:
July 19/20/21 & Sept 20/21/22
Itinerary Overview
Your retreat begins as you settle into the well-appointed home nestled in the woods above The Organic Farm School, aptly called the ‘Feed & Seed’. This private 4- bedroom, 4-bath house includes a chef’s kitchen, warm gathering spaces, and a running porch. The large windows bring the outside in and you are drawn to explore. A path leads down to the farm where on your arrival day, you will enjoy a pot-luck dinner along with a tour of the farm and the opportunity to pick your own produce.
Saturday morning’s adventure takes you kayaking on the beautiful waters of the Salish Sea. Nature and wildlife surround you on this journey along Whidbey’s dramatic shores. No experience required as this private tour brings you and everything you need for this adventure.
Saturday afternoon’s outing is an exclusive guided tour of the Keystone Farm and Forest Preserve: a 216-acre preserve encompassing one of Whidbey Island’s oldest farms, surrounded by 165 acres of forest and 2/3 of a mile of natural shoreline.
Sleep in Sunday morning and wake gently to birdsong. Sunday’s low tide will offer you an extra opportunity to explore tide pools on a guided sea-life safari at the southernmost tip of the island, with expansive views of both the Cascade and Olympic ranges.
Toast to your time here on Sunday afternoon at the renown Whidbey Island Distillery, with a private tour of their operations and a tasting of their award-winning liqueurs and spirits before your dinner plans.
These experiences allow you to immerse yourself in the awe and stillness of the island yet, there is time for unstructured exploration and rest. The itinerary allows time for exploring the woods for fungi, hiking along trails, getting lost in a bookstore, enjoying the farmer’s markets, or checking out the local scene with shops, cafes, pubs, music, and theatre. The community is bursting with life for us to share with you.
What’s Included: 3-nights/4-days accommodations for up to 8 guests, Friday evening potluck dinner for eight(8) at The Organic Farm School, hand-picking food from the OFS with a tour, a Whidbey Island Kayaking excursion, guided tide pool exploration also from WIK, Keystone Farm and Forest Preserve tour with Whidbey Camano Land Trust, a Whidbey Island Distillery tour and tasting, free delivery of local foods purchased through Whidbey Island Grown Cooperative (whidbeyislandgrown.com), optional transportation to kayaking and the distillery tasting, and concierge planning before and during your stay, cleaning fees and taxes. A detailed itinerary will be provided once your group makes decisions regarding arrival, transportation, and dining preferences.
Exclusive Offer:
Be one of the first to experience this Barn-To-Beach Experience with a special price of $2000, plus WA State sales tax, available for two weekends only this year: July 19th-21st, 2024 and September 20th-22nd 2024. This heavily discounted price is offered in exchange for providing feedback in surveys, allowing photos and videos on site as well as during excursions, and photo/video releases from all guests.
