Road Tripping: Finnriver Farm & Cidery and Chimacum Grainery, with a Side of Oysters
We just got back from our first road trip of the spring and it was an eye-opener. I'd been invited by Finnriver CEO Amanda Oborne to come up to Finnriver Farm & Cidery in Chimacum, Washington, for the launch of their two new organic ciders in cans, Blush, a dry sparkling cider with black currant, and Bloom, their sparkling cider infused with blueberry.
Expecting a simple cider-making facility similar to a typical winery here in Oregon, I was blown away by the astonishing community gathering place and food hub that Crystie and Keith Kisler have created in the 15 years since they started farming in the area. The 50-acre organic and salmon-safe certified farm and orchard on the Olympic Peninsula just south of Port Townsend is also a Certified B-Corp, utilizing the cider business to reconnect people to the land, the local food system and each other.
On the night we were there, local families were ordering wood-fired pizza from Dented Buoy—the oven is a reclaimed cast iron marine buoy—and brats from the Finnriver Kitchen, with ice cream cones from Fiddlehead Creamery. Live music was wafting from the music and performance pavilion while kids played on the grassy field below and the adults sat at the picnic tables and chairs scattered around the field sipping on ciders, beer and sodas.
A book signing had just concluded in the large event space, with attendees spilling onto the courtyard outside. The cidery premises also includes a commissary kitchen where local producers can make and develop products in a licensed facility. The farm itself shares the land with community-minded groups of farmers and organizations that do agricultural and conservation research, restoration and education, including Olympic Peninsula Prairies, the Organic Seed Alliance, the North Olympic Salmon Coalition (NOSC) and the Jefferson Land Trust, among many others.
But that's not all.
We also got a tour of the Kislers' Chimacum Valley Grainery just a couple of miles down the road, an organic family farm, stone mill, wood-fired bakery and craft micro-brewery that the website describes as "growing and milling heritage and modern landrace grains that are selected and bred for flavor, nutrition and local climate resilience." It also functions as a classroom, offering the community hands-on experiences with renowned local and international chefs and bakers. (Take a look at their upcoming class schedule.)
The weekend included a very comfy stay at the Resort at Port Ludlow featuring a stellar setting on the water’s edge with an eye-popping view of the rugged Olympic Mountains. The resort's Fireside Restaurant overlooks the small marina, and its all-day, farm-to-table menu can be enjoyed in the dining room or on the heated (and pet-friendly) deck that runs the length of the hotel. (The Resort offers a 25 percent discount on room rates for guests who visit Chimacum or Finnriver. Use code CIDER when making a reservation.)
On the way home I insisted that we had to stop at Hama Hama Oyster Company, a place that's been on my "must go" list for years. Located on a winding road along the Hood Canal with spectacular views of the forests and villages along the water, you can't miss the piles of discarded shells, called "middens," and the cluster of wood-sided buildings and tables crowded with happy tourists indulging in trays loaded with shellfish.
A wonderful, quick get-away, the weekend was also an inspiring and energizing example of a community coming together to celebrate a love of food and the land. Talking about their mission in an an interview in the local paper, Crystie quoted John Muir, who said, "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe."