Harvest isn’t just for autumn. There’s enough growing on the island that some crops are already ready to eat. You don’t need a farmer’s wisdom to know so. Just watch the roadside boards announcing farmers’ markets, farm stands, and impromptu opportunities to pick up freshly picked food. Some effort may be required.

Thanks to the people who organize Slow Food Whidbey Island (appropriate considering how ‘slow’ and ‘island’ pair well) there is a good list of farmers’ markets and farm stands, and CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) opportunities. They’ve compiled a list of dozens of places to buy food that could only be more local and fresh if you picked it yourself – and that’s probably available, too.

For those who want to visit the farms and maybe get an idea of what it takes to grow food in the area head over to WhidbeyCamanoIslands.com for a list of farm tours and farm-to-table dining experiences.

Want to get dirty? For those who want to become the one who grows the crops, runs the farm, and make it sustainable (and hopefully profitable), there’s a place for that, too. The Organic Farm School trains folks how to really farm. You can also find them in a variety of places and ways that they list on their site.

There’s more. There’s always more. Whidbey Island is a rural island with food on land and food from the sea. Mushroom foragers forage. Others scout out wild herbs and berries. There’s enough here to keep a foodie very busy and well fed. Enjoy.