Location: FairWinds Winery & Farm, 1984 Hastings Ave W, Port Townsend, WA 98368
Size: ~7200 sq ft of allocated space
Garden Type: twelve 80+ ft in-ground beds, some hugelkultur, plus two basins and a native plant hedge around 2 perimeter edges
Gardening Style: Regenerative/permaculture with a focus on perennial food plants
Irrigation Type: ¾” poly and drip tape setup with two zones - one for deeper rooted berries/shrubs/trees and one for shallow rooted veg
Origination: April 2024
Work Party Hours: Every Thursday and Saturday, 9 AM - noon plus harvest most Wednesday mornings 8ish AM
FairWinds and Following Seas — both a promise and a blessing for all who benefit from the food grown here
The Fairwinds Food Bank Garden is nestled in a wide open space of farmland where community roots have grown deep over generations. The view of Eagles, geese, and the not-so-far-off Olympic Mountains remind us of our connection to the natural world.
Our gardens’ regenerative practices are based on those of Indigenous stewardship, the resurgence of interest in organic food, and some integration of modern permaculture. They incorporate regenerative agriculture and permaculture principles including keeping roots in the ground, mulching, composting, planting for pollinators and more. We build our own compost by accepting food scraps from the community and heavily utilizing our own plant matter. Wood chips, straw, grass and cut plant matter are all used for mulch to help retain soil moisture and feel soil microbes. We enjoy tending our perennial plants that will grow and produce for many years as well as starting and growing annuals, and look forward to more winter food production over time. Learning, collaborating and experimenting are embraced at our garden — we never give up! Volunteer investment is high — there is personal pride in seeing the results of our and our fellow volunteers' work.
Our quirky fun mascott, Stan the Scarecrow, was constructed by the team in the fall of 2025 and, with his donated clothes and a sturdy old pair of workboots, watches over the garden when we’re not there. A large donated picnic table provides a place to gather, discuss strategies, troubleshoot challenges, laugh, and plan.
The partnership of the FairWinds Food Bank Garden with its adjacent Following Seas garden, both growing on the land of a winery and lavender farm land, is a glowing example of community in Port Townsend. The beautiful eclectic shed was built by students at the Community Works (formerly Community Boat Project) who also donated a small structure used for potting plants, and the wash station was funded by the local Master Gardener foundation and built by volunteers. The wash station included four 50 gallon barrels we use to capture rainwater which supplements our irrigation by helping mitigate water usage when tending seed starts and brand new plantings. Most recently two large hoop house structures were donated in honor of Roy Swords of the recently closed Roy’s Japanese Maples. Volunteers have dismantled and moved the structure and look forward to building them in place for growing starts, propagating, and winter growing. When there's a need, someone fills it. This is how our beloved PT community works.
We believe everyone should have access to highly nutritious food and are passionate about producing as much as we can including some lesser well known but native adapted foods. Our passion for growing food for the community motivates our dedication to this garden that we love. Extra hands are always needed in our large garden so please join us if you can!
Garden Managers: Gayle Petrick and Milly Lierman
If you'd like to learn more about volunteering with the Food Bank Growers and the many ways to get involved, please email contact us. We'd love to welcome you to the team and help you grow something good.
contact@foodbankgrowers.org
