“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” —Margaret Atwood

Welcome to the premier issue of Grow Northwest, a new magazine celebrating local food, farms and community in northwest Washington. Like many local business owners, we love what we do! And like many families and residents in the Northwest, we love what local farmers, food producers and artisans do! So we have taken our passion for community publishing (we also operate What’s Up! Magazine and the Foothills Gazette in Whatcom County) and love of local food, farms and living, and combined them to create Grow Northwest.
Our mission is to bring readers an abundance of information, resources and seasonal content about local food, farms and life, and offer an advertising outlet for farmers, businesses, artisans, organizations and others who take pride in bringing their goods and services to the community at large.
There is real passion in the Northwest for supporting the local economy and those who grow, make, produce and create. We intend to make this magazine a go-to guide for those who enjoy living locally.
Initially, the magazine’s general focus will be within a 100 mile radius of the Bellingham area – mostly Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan counties, but also including some information from neighboring areas. Our corner of the Northwest abounds with locally grown and produced food – it is staggering what you can find within 100 miles! Combine this bounty with the equally impressive community organizations, DIY spirit and artistry in the Northwest, and we have amazing content to share with you. All over the Puget Sound-North Cascades region, there are both producers looking to market their items and residents wanting to know more about what’s out there. As is evident in the community, the desire and practices of living and eating local, and getting back to the basics, are strong and growing.
We have wanted to launch this magazine for some time, and are excited to finally be here. Given the economic state, we are launching on a budget – meaning, like any good garden or home project, this is a work in progress. Initially, we will publish every two months, but aim to go monthly in the future.
We will also feature additional content and columns, coming both in print and online. One addition, for example, will be the “Ask the Experts” section, in which local growers, producers and knowers will answer Northwest-related questions from readers. Have a question? Send to info@grownorthwest.com.
Stay tuned to our website, as we’ll post new items, blogs and information. Our website is under construction, so please pardon the mess. Most of the site should be completed by the end of the month, including an online store to purchase t-shirts and more!  Also, anyone interested in following the magazine via Facebook can visit the Grow Northwest fan page.
Grow Northwest is free to the public, and we ask that each person take just one copy each. We look forward to being sustained by advertising revenue, and are also offering subscriptions by mail ($18 per year) for readers who wish to do so. Anyone interested in advertising or subscribing, please contact our office! Advertising in Grow Northwest brings your business directly to those across the Northwest who care about community.
We’d like to send many thanks to all the businesses and organizations who believed in the concept of Grow Northwest to advertise in our very first issue – thank you! Readers, please support the businesses you find within these pages. Many thanks as well to all those who contributed words and photos, and to our printer who patiently worked with us. We had some waves getting this first issue out, so thanks to everyone for your support and patience!
Please join us at our magazine launch party on Saturday, May 29 at Boundary Bay Brewery in Bellingham. The family-friendly party will start around 3 p.m., just as the Bellingham Farmer’s Market is closing. There will be plenty of local prizes and live music by The Librarians and Thimble vs. Needle. The party is free and open to the public, but we will be taking donations. We’ll also have t-shirts for sale and other items. Stop on by and say hello, our whole family will be there, and we’d love to meet you. Our two children, Harrison and Ruby, often “work” alongside us, so this has been an amazing experience so far and a pleasure meeting and working with people who love what they do.
We love living and working here, and are excited to share information with Northwest readers and beyond, and to meet all of you who provide these wonderful, quality items, services and ideas. In addition, we are working on a compilation (a “bible”) of local food sources!
Thank you for reading and supporting our first issue, see you next time.
—Becca & Brent