A South Whidbey farm invites locals to taste all that Whidbey has to offer — all for a good cause.
From 4-7:30 p.m. on Sept. 13, the table will be set for Fainting Goat Farm’s first-ever fundraiser, “Frolic on the Farm,” an intimate evening featuring dinner and hearty discussion on the farm’s scenic property in Langley, hopefully awash — should the weather obey — in the glow of golden hour.
“We’re at the peaking of harvest and the bounty of Whidbey Island,” said Marie Fiore, president of Whidbey Island Grown Cooperative’s board of directors. “And there’s no better time than a golden hour on our farm in September.”
Marie Fiore and her husband, David Tsujimoto, started Fainting Goat Farms and Whidbey Island Honey about five years ago. Both are located on a 10-acre property near Langley, home to an apiary, 50 laying hens and 25-50 broiler chickens, orchards of hazelnuts, Asian and European pears, apples and figs, a garden of herbs and potatoes and a field growing pumpkins and dahlias.
Three fainting goats — Peanut, Butter and Jelly — also reside on the farm, giving it its name.
Forty guests will dine on a meal prepared by James Beard-nominated Chef Becky Clark, who specializes in whole animal butchery and cooking with fire, according to Fiore. On the menu for the evening are Penn Cove mussels prepared in “cast iron pots over a wood fire,” “herb-roasted chicken from our farm” and “sustainably-caught salmon from Slangin’ Salmon.”
“(Clark) has strong ties to the farm and food community on the island,” Fiore said. “She recently moved off-island, but she wants to make sure she maintains her connections here on the island, really supports us.”
Fiore said many of the island’s more than “80 farms and producers” are supplying the event with beverages and baked items. Cocktail hour will even feature honeycomb with cheese and charcuterie and the musical styling of Window Goya, who plays with the Island Jazz Collective.
Most importantly, Fiore hopes the event — which is “riding the enthusiasm of Eat Local Month” — can provide an opportunity for guests to connect with the people sustaining Whidbey’s agriculture. Several farmers as well as members of the cooperative’s board of directors and its executive director will be in attendance.
“As part of our community and our culture on Whidbey Island, it’s really important to support our local food economy, keep your food miles low and support all of the farms that make Whidbey Island so bucolic and such a special place,” Fiore said.
Proceeds from the event will fund several programs at the cooperative, such as helping to expand its Food Hub, a small business incubator for farms and producers, and continuing such initiatives as the Food Access Program, responsible for donating over $4,000 this year to those struggling with food insecurity, Fiore explained.
Fiore said the cooperative also wants to expand its home delivery and wholesale options — adding more refrigerator trucks and a small van is part of accomplishing this goal. The cooperative transports Whidbey Island produce and goods to the Puget Sound Food Hub for “wider distribution at a wholesale level,” in addition to delivering products to “restaurants and boutiques and grocery stores” on the island, she said.
“We just want to keep it a sustainable vibrant program for our local food economy on Whidbey Island,” she added.
Tickets to the event are limited at 40, and cost $268.61. Search “Frolic on the Farm” on Eventbrite to purchase tickets.
