A look back at our most successful year yet!

🍂 A Look Back at Our Most Successful Year Yet!

Hello Farm Friends,

As the year winds down and the frost settles in, we are taking a moment to look back on what has been a truly incredible year of growth for our farm. It is fair to say that 2025 was our most successful year yet, and we have you to thank for it!

🌸 Farmstand Favorites & Dahlia Gems

We wrapped up our farmstand season on October 1st. On the produce side, tomatoes, peppers, and apples were the most abundant and popular items this year! We also hope you enjoyed the fresh and dried lavender bundles, along with our handcrafted room sprays and sachets that made the stand smell amazing.

While every crop makes the farm special, the Dahlias were absolute gems this year. We loved experimenting with different types, including:

• The Wild Ones: The distinct Myrtle’s Folly and Bloomquist Jean.

• The Local Star: The beautiful Camano Pet.

• The Old Favorite: The classic Kelvin Floodlights, which were absolutely huge this year!

🌱 A Project Like No Other One of the most exciting projects on the farm this year was the addition of two gigantic dahlia beds grown primarily from seed. This means we are cultivating truly unique flower varieties that are exclusive to our farm and cannot be found anywhere else! It has been thrilling to watch these unique blooms develop.

Stay tuned because we love writing about all things plants! We will be compiling and sharing a history of local dahlias, including a deep dive on the 'Camano' named varieties and their detailed physical attributes.

Saffron Crop Success

Our saffron crop came in great this Fall thanks to newly planted jumbo corms from Rocco.  We highly recommend their product as it grows GREAT and they have a guarantee when corms do not bud. We also put in a new planter box for our saffron bed this year which clearly worked out great based on how happy or Saffron plants were.  Not to mention the blooms were a welcomed pop of color late in the season.  Overall we had great success with saffron this year and look forward to their blossoms when fall comes back around again in 2026.

🏆 Community, Cook-offs, & Holiday Markets

We officially joined the Chamber of Commerce this year and had a blast competing in the local Chili Chowder Cook-off. It was a stiff competition against 20 other local businesses, so we were thrilled to take home 4th place for Best Chili and 2nd place for Best Booth Spirit!

A Magical Winter Market On December 6th, we joined the Holiday Market at the South Camano Grange. It was a beautiful, sunny day spent enjoying s'mores with neighbors.

We loved serving as merchants at the market, selling items we grew right here on the farm as well as local artists.. A special highlight was the "Make Your Own Ornament" station, which was a big hit! Excited artistic youngsters created really pretty keepsakes right at our booth. It really felt like Christmas was in the air that day with the crackle of the nearby fire and a pocket full of candy canes, not to mention so many smiling and friendly neighbors and friends we got to know and catch up with.

One truly unique item at our booth was our Blue Ribbon-winning handmade nautical lamps, crafted from Camano Island driftwood by Farmer Megan. As artists, it can sometimes feel bittersweet to part with our work, but the sweetness was definitely louder than the regret this time. We watched the lamps march right down the street to live at a neighbor's house, and knowing they have a good home nearby makes it all worth it!

🐾 Barnyard Bulletin: The "Cozy Winter" Edition

It has been a busy month nestling everyone in for a cozy winter!

• The Ducks: Our 6 Indian Runner ducks are officially tucked in. They just finished a molt and are staying extra warm in their prepared shelter. There are no eggs at the moment, but we are eagerly awaiting warmer weather and those first hints of spring for fresh duck eggs! Check our Instagram for the latest updates.

• The Wooly Ones: The sheep and alpacas all had their nails trimmed this month—and did they need it! They are now heading into winter with happy, healthy feet.

• New Family Member: We adopted a wonderful new dog! She is a 2-year-old Cocker Spaniel and has been the perfect energy boost as winter approaches. Our current dogs are teaching her the rules of the farm, and we can't wait to see her out in the fields with the ducks this spring.

• Cisco Morris: For those asking about our 65-year-old Sulcata tortoise, Cisco has officially gone to bed for the season. He is being pampered in his heated house with his favorite music, movies, and video calls from us to keep him company. Think of him as Camano Island’s groundhog; he will emerge again once temperatures consistently hit the 50s.

🎨 Dreaming of 2026

As we hunker down, our minds are already drifting toward creative projects for next year’s fair—which might eventually become gifts at next year’s holiday market! We are hoping to paint some beach landscapes and perhaps try our hand at pottery or sculpture. Only time will tell what we get up to between now and then.

🔍 THE GREAT GLASS QUEST

We saved the biggest news for last! As proud members of the Chamber of Commerce, our farm will be participating in the Great Glass Quest coming up this February.

This is a huge community event, and we are beyond excited to be part of the fun. It’s going to be an amazing adventure, so keep your eyes peeled on our Instagram—we will be sharing full details on how you can participate soon!

🌿 A Season of Gratitude

Before we close the books on 2025, we want to express how incredibly grateful we are for the new friends and neighbors we met this year. Connecting with this community has been the highlight of our season.

We are also deeply grateful for nature itself and its profound healing properties. Working the land reminds us that this quiet time of rest is necessary for the abundance that follows. As we enter this season of dormancy, we leave you with this thought:

"There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature—the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter." — Rachel Carson

Thank you for supporting our farm, our flowers, and our growing family this year. We can’t wait to see what the new year has in store.

Warmly,

Evergreen Farm