Make festival of visiting family farms this weekend

Three greater La Conner family farms will participate in the Skagit Festival of Family Farms this weekend: Roozengaarde, Schuh Farms and Gordon Skagit Farms. Longtime participant Hedlin Family Farms is not on the roster.

Started 20-plus years ago by the Washington State University’s Skagit County Extension program, the event took a break last year, a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Last fall there was no vaccine, so we as a group decided it would be better not to encourage people to come,” said Jen Schuh, chair of the Festival board. “Now we have the vaccine and more knowledge about the virus.”

The Schuhs will offer hayrides, barrel train rides and several daily educational “squash talks”. In addition to their own vegetables and baked goods, their two farm stores will offer potatoes and beets from John Thulen’s Pioneer Potatoes and fresh produce from Ralph’s Greenhouse. La Conner High School junior Hadley Shears is one of many local students helping out at Schuh’s this year.

Both Schuh Farms and Gordon Skagit Farms have U-pick pumpkin fields and corn mazes. At Roozengaarde, visitors can purchase bulbs and watch the display garden being designed. Not planted, though – a shortage of bulb packers means bulbs are running late.

La Conner-area artisans will also participate in the Festival. Rachel Sobczak is hoping that selling her Water Tank Bakery cookies and pastries at Gordon Skagit Farms will draw people to her new Port of Skagit bakery.

Artist Kristin Loffer Theiss of Mount Vernon looks forward to seeing many regulars who come to Gordon’s from Seattle – and sharing how her palette and imagery are influenced by farmlands in the valley. For the twelfth year, she’ll be selling her printed shirts, scarves and masks while husband Chris Theiss sells whirligigs.

Brent Roozen is sorry that the Hedlin farm is not offering its usual farm tours, pony rides and vegetable races. “They did an awesome job,” he said.

“Yes, people could turn their kids loose on the green grass and have a good time,” said David Hedlin. “I miss the festival, but I’m on a tractor harvesting vegetables and we do get tired.”

All venues will encourage masking and social distancing. At Schuh farms, corn maze paths are wider and extra sanitizing measures are in place for the hayrides, pumpkin patch and barrel train.

“It will be nice to see families enjoying themselves,” said Schuh, “and after this week’s rain, the weather will be just great!”