The Bainbridge Island Native Food Forest

Formerly a Christmas Tree Farm, the BINFF is an educational ecosystem restoration project. We are building community resilience by controlling invasive species and reestablishing native, primarily edible plants to benefit people, pollinators, wildlife, and the planet.

This project showcases responsible agroecological practices like vegetated buffer zones, which reduce the risk that excess nutrients end up in Puget Sound.

While fostering the health of all species, the BINFF is a(n):

• Edible public park open to all ages and demographics.

• Community powered, co-created hub delivering hands-on experiences to grow ideas and inspire curiosity in children and adults.

• Living classroom and shared space to implement regenerative local food production and innovative concepts in habitat preservation and restoration.

• Sanctuary free for all to gather, nourish, explore, and share.

• Replicable model for year-round food security and equitable distribution of locally grown, nutritious, and fresh food.

Pacific NW Horticulture Article

Friends of the Farms Executive Director Heather Burger and Board Chair Becca Hanson were interviewed and provided photos and background for an article on the Food Forest, which was published in January of 2025.

People’s Garden

Friends of the Farms applied through the US Department of Agriculture for federal designation of the Food Forest as a People’s Garden. We were accepted a sign acknowledging the designation is posted at the entry. The Food Forest is also on the USDA’s map of People’s Gardens nationwide.

This designation calls attention to the fact that planting a garden can have big impacts -- from building a more diverse and resilient local food system to empowering communities to address issues like nutrition access and climate change.

The People’s Garden community connects gardens across the country that produce local food, practice sustainability, and bring people together in their community. The gardens must be grown using sustainable practices that benefit people and wildlife and teach about gardening and resilient, local food systems.

Farm Trail

Executive Director Heather Burger joined representatives from CoBI and the Parks & Trails Foundation for the ribbon cutting at the new Suyematsu Farm Trail that connects to the Native Food Forest. Friends of the Farms facilitated conversations with farmers adjacent the trail and worked alongside Parks & Trails to ensure farm operations were not disrupted and public safety concerns were addressed.