Vashon Island Growers Association

Mission

The Vashon Island Growers Association (VIGA) promotes growing, farming, and food production on Vashon Maury Island, while working to build a local agricultural economy that is equitable, accessible, and sustainable.

Description

 The Vashon Island Growers Association (VIGA) began in the 1980s with a desire to create on-island jobs in farming. What started as a small Farmer’s Market near the Post Office has grown into a multi-faceted organization that supports the full spectrum of island agriculture.

Grow

Viga supports island farmers with its C.R.A.F.T. program, a network for education and collaboration. Get Growing is tailored to home and backyard gardeners, whose goals are to feed their families and share the abundance with neighbors. In addition, volunteers have helped the Vashon High School develop a horticulture program focusing on raising fruits and vegetables organically. VIGA also hosts workshops and supports cooperative initiatives to share emerging and traditional knowledge and techniques.

Preserve

VIGA is developing systems to preserve the island’s abundance and create year-round access to a community larder. VIGA was able to secure grant funding in 2021 and named the program the Food Preservation Initiative. We collect, preserve, and store donated island produce that will be available through various avenues for community use.

Share

VIGA provides the infrastructure to get food to every islander. There are three primary means for this1. VIGA produces and updates a weekly 

FARM STAND MAP. The growers report their availability weekly and VIGA updates the information for easy dissemination through the community. We make this available online, in our weekly newsletter and with a physical copy of the farm stand map through the growing season.

THE VIGA FARMER'S MARKET is hosted at the Village Green, a small park in the middle of Vashon town. The community raised over $200,000 to purchase the Village Green and make it the Market’s permanent home. The Market increases access to local food, provides educational opportunities as well as drives increased production of local food and goods.

VIGAs FOOD ACCESS PARTNERSHIP works to increase access to fresh food for all while supporting local farmers. The Partnership’s primary strategy to achieve this goal is the VIGA Farm Bucks program. Through the generosity of the community, the Food Access team distributes tens of thousands of dollars from local donors to neighbors so that they can buy produce from local farms. This simultaneously supports our local growers and decreases food insecurity.

Thank you for supporting local agriculture! 

It's better for the planet, better for our bodies, better for the local economy, and best of all, it's better tasting!