Peninsula businesses, farms take part in on statewide Eat Local campaign
Published 4:30 pm Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Dozens of businesses on the North Olympic Peninsula are participating in Eat Local Month, a statewide campaign encouraging people to eat locally produced food.
Tuesday was the start of the fourth year of the statewide Eat Local Month, and between Clallam and Jefferson counties, there are 196 farms, restaurants, businesses and other locations that provide locally produced food.
“The main purpose of Eat Local Month is we want to be the go-to resource for people to find local food in their community but also when they’re traveling around the state,” program director Maressa Valliant said. “I have a kid that plays soccer and we’re traveling around the state all the time. I’m often using these resources to look up where we can find farm stands or farmers markets or fresh food. We want people to have greater awareness of where food shows up in their communities.”
Participating locations in Clallam and Jefferson counties can be found on Eat Local First’s website at tinyurl.com/PDN-Eat-Local-Map.
Eat Local Month originated in Northwest Washington in Whatcom and Skagit counties 16 years ago, Valliant said.
Although the initiative didn’t go statewide until four years ago, Clallam, Jefferson and Kitsap counties have participated in it longer than that through the Small Farms Programs with Washington State University Extension offices. At one point, there was an Olympic Peninsula Eat Local Month.
“We’ve had extensive partnerships with them over the years, so we’ve had good partnerships with farmers and locations in that region,” Valliant said.
A new focus this year is that of the “Get a Taste of Washington State” campaign, which features the Eat Local First window decal at businesses that meet the minimum requirement of regularly sourcing their food from two local producers within Washington state.
“For restaurants, that means menus built around Washington-grown produce, Washington-raised meat and dairy, and Washington-caught seafood,” according to eatlocalfirst.org. “For retailers, it means shelves stocked with products from Washington farms, ranches and food makers.
The decal is a quick, trustworthy signal for diners and shoppers who want to support the state’s food economy with their everyday choices.”
Eating locally sourced food is important because it supports independent businesses, keeps dollars local and keeps communities connected, Valliant said.
It is especially important lately with the multiple food-borne illness outbreaks happening across the United States.
“The recent cyclospora outbreak is an example of what it really means to have a shorter food chain and know where and how your food is produced and transported,” Valliant said.
In a blog post on Eat Local First about the outbreak, the state Department of Health was cited as saying there were 61 cases of cyclospora in Washington, but in most instances, the people affected had traveled to other states where the contaminated lettuce was distributed.
“Washington-grown produce has not been identified as a source of illness in this outbreak,” the health department is quoted in the post. “Whether produce is grown locally or imported, its safety depends on the agricultural, harvesting, packing and handling practices used throughout its lifespan — not geography alone. One advantage of buying local is the opportunity to know your grower, ask questions and better understand the practices used to produce your food.”
Eat Local First Month, which is supported by a proclamation signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson on July 22, also features prize giveaways.
“The giveaways are part of an engagement campaign where we encourage people to take certain actions,” Valliant said. “They can earn more entries into the giveaway in different ways.”
The grand prize is an overnight stay at the SOMM Hotel in Woodinville with a $150 voucher for dining at one of two of the hotel’s farm-to-table restaurants as well as a gift card to be used at a farm stand, farmers market or other local businesses during the visit.
There also will be smaller prizes such as shopping bags, branded camping sporks and stickers.
The giveaway will go live on the website, eatlocalfirst.org/eat-local-month, on Tuesday.
Some of the campaign participants are farmers who are offering tours to visitors, Valliant said.
“We’re always encouraging people, if they can get out onto a farm, this is a great time of year to do it,” she said. “Being able to have that full-body experience can be transformative.”
The Olympic Peninsula region has its own page on the Eat Local First website, which provides more information about farmstands, farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture and locally sourced restaurants. Go to eatlocalfirst.org/region/peninsulas for more information.