Submitted by the Grange
Overmarsh Farm Commons is a shared land access project of San Juan Island Grange #966. The Farm Commons is an exciting opportunity for San Juan Islanders to work together to cultivate food for themselves and the community on publicly owned land.
Granted a lease from the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank, the Grange recently assumed management of 35 acres of Beaverton Marsh Preserve, near Friday Harbor along Roche Harbor Road. Christened Overmarsh Farm Commons, the farm includes five acres of land that is irrigated and deer-fenced, with the rest preserved for crop and livestock production.
The goal of Overmarsh Farm Commons is to cultivate a resilient and thriving agricultural community on San Juan Island, utilizing cutting-edge soil science alongside regenerative agricultural practices. The project will enhance biodiversity, strengthen food security, and bolster community resilience in response to the climate crisis. The Grange sees the farm commons as an embodiment of our shared natural resources and values. The land is precious, irreplaceable, and worthy of stewardship.
Overmarsh Farm Commons was selected by the San Juan Island Community Foundation as one of 30 projects featured as part of its fundraising campaign at the San Juan County Fair this year. The campaign raised all funds needed for a greenhouse for the Overmarsh Farm Commons Community Garden. San Juan Island Grange extends its heartfelt gratitude to the community and the Community Foundation for their generous support.
Looking ahead to the 2025 growing season, the Grange is offering a range of parcel sizes to gardeners and farmers interested in working the land at Overmarsh Farm Commons:
Community garden patches: 100–200 square feet
Allotments: 1,000–2,000 square feet
Commercial plots: up to half an acre
Collaborative farms: up to one acre
Custom arrangements are available—just ask!
For more information, please visit the Grange website at https://sanjuangrange.org/overmarsh-farm-commons.html or contact Amanda Zee at amanda@sjiagguild.com.
San Juan Island Grange #966 is a grassroots, non-partisan advocacy group dedicated to building a resilient community on San Juan Island. Grange programs and policies are consistent with federal and state laws on nondiscrimination regarding race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, and sexual orientation.
