A thanksgiving feast from Skagit county. With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, you may be planning your dinner menus and deciding which family member is making the stuffing this year and who is cooking the Turkey. While doing the big thanksgiving grocery haul can seem overwhelming, it doesn’t have to.
Unfortunately, with a valley full of local resources and struggling farmers, many people don’t know just how much of their thanksgiving feast they could find right here in Skagit County. From veggies to the dessert and the rolls to the turkey, nearly everything on your thanksgiving menu grows locally during the fall months.
While there are always more small farms and roadside stands to add to this list, the below guide is meant to help you find all of the main ingredients for your Thanksgiving feast somewhere local. Your quest for fresh finds may take a bit longer than a traditional trip to the grocery store; the work will be well worth it.
At every stop, you are sure to find farmers and families with stories on where their produce comes from and how it gets to your table. You will find fresh, local ingredients that haven’t traveled across the county or the world to get to you. You’ll be able to see the fields or talk to the baker, and maybe you’ll find a new favorite spot in Skagit County. Thanksgiving Dinner in Skagit County can and should be sourced locally!
The Turkey
Starting with arguably the most prominent part of a Thanksgiving spread, several local farms raise turkeys in Skagit County. While you may pay a premium for a local turkey, the benefits are significant. You will know where the turkey was raised, what it was fed, and if it is organic or not. You will know that your purchase came from a small-scale farm and not a bird mill. And, you will be able to support a great local meat place.
Skagit River Ranch is a Sedro Woolley Farm that is certified organic. They are a grass-fed family business that has been around for over 17 years. They believe in sustainable farming, clean food, and healthy living. Their certified organic turkeys are not filled with antibiotics, steroids, growth hormones, or animal by-products. They do not use chemicals or pesticides on their pastures, and their animals spend their entire lives on organic fields.
They require a $50 deposit on their Turkeys and the rest when you pick your turkey up. If you want a particular size bird, make sure to head to their turkey sign-up and deposit page to reserve your turkey.
Baked Goods and Pies
After the turkey, arguably the most essential part of a thanksgiving feast is the pies and desserts! Everyone eats a bit less turkey than they could stuff in every year to save room for pie! If you aren’t a world-class baker or simply want to leave it up to someone else this year, there are so many good bakeries in Skagit County.
For berry pies, check out Schuh farms. Steve and Susan Schuh have been farming in Skagit Valley since the 1960s and know a thing or two about berries. They grow seven varieties of berries, pumpkins, squash, corn, and more. They pride themselves on fresh-baked pies for the holiday season. Stop in or go online to place an order for your favorite kind of pie. They offer vegan and gluten-free options. If you want homemade tasting pies made with local ingredients, Schuh Farms is the place to stop.
The Calico Cupboard Café and Bakery offers up all kinds of delicious fall treats to add to your Thanksgiving table. This made from scratch bakery prides itself on a high standard of food quality and looks for opportunities to source locally. While their baked goods can be found in all three locations, the bakery itself is located in Anacortes.
In addition to breads of all kinds that you may need for stuffing or bread pudding made at home, the Calico has pies, scones, bars, cookies, and cakes. All of which can be pre-ordered to make sure you get the one you want. The Calico is known for their pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, enormous cinnamon rolls, and specialty pies like Peanut butter pie during the Fall months.
Also available at the Calico is key lime pie, lemon sour cream pie, chocolate milk, coconut cream, fruit pies, apple dumplings, danishes, and more. You can always stop in to browse the dessert cases and make your pick before placing your order for Thanksgiving. They also offer a wide range of gluten-free options. The Calico was first opened in 1981 and has been serving up baked goods ever since.
If you are in need of local bread and cookies, head to the Bread Farm in Edison. The bread farm was opened in 2003 and is an artisan bakery. They source local ingredients and believe in sustainable agriculture and stewardship of the land. They source ingredients free from harmful chemicals and pesticides and do not use additives or preservatives.
You can utilize curbside ordering to ensure they have what you need to add to your harvest table. They often sell out of bread and cookies before the day ends, so plan ahead and call if need be. Thanksgiving Dinner in Skagit County needs pies and desserts so why not let the local bakeries do the leg work!
Potatoes
No Thanksgiving would be complete without potatoes. Whether you like them bakes, mashed or scalloped, they are a critical component of most thanksgiving tables. Skagit county grows 95% of Washington’s red potatoes, so why not buy your potatoes from local farms.
Knutzen farms was founded in 1894 and are still run by the fifth generation of family members. Deeply rooted in family and farming, the Knutzen’s would love to share a bit of their pride and joy and send you home with some potatoes for your table. While this farm is a larger scale farm that sells commercially, they are always happy to make sure the locals have local potatoes.
Call the farm ahead of time to make sure they have what you want. If you are in the grocery store, look for “Chuckanut Valley,” “Naturally Healthy,” and “Highland View” for their private labels. Thanksgiving Dinner in Skagit County wouldn’t be complete without local potatoes.
Veggies
There are vegetables galore that are ready for harvest in November. Skagit Valley grows Brussel sprouts, chard, pumpkins, potatoes, kale, apples, squash, shallots, onions, and lettuce that all are harvest-ready in time for Thanksgiving. There are several places through the Skagit Valley that provide year-round crops.
If you are interested in having vegetables during the winter months, consider signing up for a CSA winter farm box. This will provide you with a box of fresh vegetables and other goods every other week for a certain amount of time. Many winter boxes run from November 3rd through March.
If you are only looking for vegetables for your Thanksgiving feast, a few places are open year-round or until Thanksgiving.
Schuh farms are one of the most reliable stands that are open year-round for vegetables. It is worth calling to farms like Swanson Family Farms and Hedlin farms, both in La Conner, as they both harvest winter vegetables but do not always have winter farm stands.
If you cannot find what you are looking for by either of those options, check out the CO-OP in Mt. Vernon, as they sell local, fresh and organic vegetables year-round.
Appetizers and Wine
Every good thanksgiving meal has a table full of appetizers before dinner even begins. For those who love oysters, Taylor’s shellfish is a true gem. Not only are the oysters delicious, but the views are incredible. Locals describe it as a quintessential PNW experience.
Located on Chuckanut drive on a rain line, Taylor’s Shellfish is a destination stop for tourists worldwide. When you stop by to grab your oysters for your Thanksgiving appetizer, make sure to sit down and eat a few while you watch the sunset over the San Juans.
Cheese is another staple of Thanksgiving. Cheese is essential whether you are whipping into your mash potatoes or serving it up at an appetizer. Samish Bay cheese is a farm run in Skagit Valley that produces organic, local cheese. Their cows are fed 100% organic feed, no hormones or antibiotics, and are given plenty of access to the outdoors. They believe that their animals live a good life on the farm and are excited to share their products with you. They have dozens of cheeses and cheese dips ranging from mild cheddar to Salmon dip.
For many, wine is a must at Thanksgiving. From reds to white, rose to sparkling, you will be hard-pressed to find a thanksgiving celebration without at least a few bottles of wine. There are many wineries in Skagit County, and no matter where you are, you shouldn’t have to drive far to find a local winery.
Eagle Haven Winery in Sedro Woolley is just one of the many great wineries in the county. Located in the foothills of the north cascades, they pride themselves on grapes grown in the fertile Skagit soil. The Eagle Haven winery began as an orchard in 1968 and today is a space for visitors of all ages to enjoy music, community, and wine if you are over 21.
Skagit County truly has so much to offer for your holiday season. Your traditional Thanksgiving spread can be entirely sourced from the county with a bit of leg work. Thanksgiving Dinner in Skagit County is truly a community effort from local farms and vendors.
Check back into the Skagit County Clever Neighbor for more local finds!
