Friends of the Farms Public Farmland Access Policy
Friends of the Farms manages 60-acres of publicly owned farmland for the benefit of farmers and the greater community and to provide healthy ecosystems for plants, pollinators, and wildlife.
Access is restricted to some areas of the publicly owned farmland to ensure public safety, avoid disruptions to the farmers' work, and to protect property, equipment, and crops from damage. This includes access by drones.
If you wish to visit an area of the publicly owned farmland where access is restricted (see below), please submit a request to info@friendsofthefarms.org ten days before your planned visit. If your request includes permission to cross onto a portion of a property subleased by a farmer, we will provide you with their contact information. Access is strictly prohibited to any portion of the properties subleased by a farmer without express written consent by the farmer.
When submitting your request to Friends of the Farms include:
- The location you wish to visit
- The purpose and date(s) of your visit
- Whether your visit is part of an educational or community based public service organization.
- How many people will be present
- If your visit is for commercial purposes, please identify the commercial activity involved
- If your visit is for commercial purposes, please provide proof of insurance and necessary licensing
Below is a brief description of each of the five publicly owned farmland properties, their uses, and information on public access.
Publicly Owned Properties Managed by Friends of the Farms
Johnson Farm: 14.5 acres
Twin Ponds Road at Fletcher Bay Road
Public access is allowed to the open space, orchard, and trails for passive recreation from dawn to dusk. Access is NOT allowed to parcels subleased by Vireo Farm or Heyday Farm, the P-Patch or to any farm structures.
Johnson Farm a multi-use property for the benefit of many diverse sectors of our community with:
- 2 commercial agricultural leases
- Farm-related infrastructure and storage buildings
- Pump and well house
- Ponds, well, and irrigation systems
- Twin Ponds Road - access to adjacent residential housing
- 14 p-patch plots
- Watershed and habitat conservation
- Historic orchard
- Trail network
- Open space
- Events
- Education
- CSA pickup
9229 Day Road East
Suyematsu-Bentryn Farm is a patchwork of privately owned and publicly owned land. The publicly owned portions of the property are multi-use for the benefit of many diverse sectors of our community with:
- 6 commercial farm subleases
- Farm-related infrastructure
- Complex irrigation system
- Ponds and filter equipment
- Well pumps and well house systems
- Storage buildings, sheds, and barns
- Roads
- Trails
- Public open space/grass
- Historic Water Tower
- Farmstand
- 5-acre designated historic area with farm housing Compost
Access is NOT allowed to parcels subleased by farmers, private property, the Historic Area, or any structures or equipment.
The public may visit areas designated for special events when they occur, such as the Pumpkin Patch, U-pick raspberries and to shop at the seasonal farmstand.
Morales Farm 4.74 Acres8862 Lovgreen Road
Morales Farm is intensively farmed and is not open to the general public.
Morales Farm Uses:
- Farm Intern Housing
- Commercial Farmland – 3 sublease farmers
- Fresh fruit and produce donated to Helpline House
- Mixed use greenhouses
- CSA Pickup
- 2 P-patch gardens
- Roads
- Well/pump house
- Farm infrastructure
Charles Place Road End off Lovgreen Road
The BINFF is open to the public without approval for day-use from dawn to dusk. With trails and open space, the property is ideal for walking, hiking, birding, and enjoying nature.
Friends of the Farms is in the process of converting this property to The Bainbridge Island Native Food Forest to create a thriving, diverse, and sustainable, edible ecosystem fostering the health of all species. Planting is scheduled to begin October 2021.
Crawford 2.3 AcresTrail access via the Bainbridge Native Food Forest
Crawford is treed property purchased by CoBI for agricultural purposes using open space funds. Current use is wildlife habitat, with limited public access available via a trail connecting to M&E. NO Hunting.
