Enjoy Eat Local Month in Whatcom County with farm tours, restaurant specials and markets

Washington’s annual Eat Local Month is back, celebrating local restaurants, farmers and cooks in Bellingham throughout September.

“Eat Local Month celebrates the bounty of Washington’s local food with events and experiences throughout the state, including farm tours, farm-to-table dinners, farm and fish markets, festivals, and more. Eat Local Month connects us on the journey from farm to table and sea to plate,” a news release states.

Communities across Washington state are celebrating the month-long event, including Whatcom County. Whatcom County’s Eat Local Month celebration is split up with different focuses each week, such as farm week, restaurant week, market week and seafood week.

“So often the hard work of those who grow, raise, and harvest our food goes unseen and unrecognized. This proclamation celebrates what we all know to be true – that the labor of farmers, ranchers, and fishermen is the backbone of this state. It’s so exciting to see these communities rightfully honored,” Maressa Valliant, Eat Local First Director wrote in the news release.

Here’s what you can enjoy during each week of Eat Local Month:

Restaurant Week: Sept. 1-8

▪ Participating restaurants will offer menu specials comprised of 50% or more local ingredients.

▪ Enter an online contest to win a $200 gift card to a local restaurant of your choice.

▪ Participating restaurants include Admiralty Lounge, Pure Bliss Desserts, Aslan Brewing Co., Selkie Scoop Ice Cream, Avenue Bread, Makeworth Coffee Roasters, Bantam, Bellingham Cider Company, Boundary Bay Brewery and more.

Farm Week: Sept. 9-15

▪ You can visit local farms during the free Whatcom County Farm Tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 14. Sixteen participating farms will welcome guests to meet the farmers and learn how their food makes it from the farm to your plate.

▪ Visit a local farm or U-pick apple and pumpkin patch.

Market Week: Sept. 16-22

▪ Enter an online contest to win a $200 gift card to a local market of your choice.

▪ Visit local farmers markets and vendors, such as The Barkley Market, Bellingham Dockside Market and the Bellingham Farmers Market, as well as neighboring markets like the The EN (Everson Nooksack) Valley Farmer’s Market, The Lynden Farmers Market, Lummi Seafood Market and Twin Sisters Farmers Markets.

Seafood Week: Sept. 23-30

▪ Day on the Bay , a free self-guided event, runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 28. Participants can visit locations along the Bay to tour boats, meet fishermen, learn to fish and crab, and visit the Marine Life Center.

▪ Visit the Whatcom Maritime Heritage Museum .

▪ Visit the Bellingham Dockside Market or Lummi Seafood Market.