Other News
Apr 25, 2025: New Daily Service Schedule, Growing Ridership & Other Insights on County’s Pilot Transport Services
Apr 24, 2025: Building and Land Use Permits, Long-Range Planning Projects, & Staff Recruitments: DCD Leadership Provides Spring Update
Apr 4, 2025: 2025 Comp Plan Update: Transportation Element, Plan Intro, & Administration Piece Ready for Review
Mar 19, 2025: San Juan County Establishes Interim Inter-Island Transportation Services as RFP Process Continues
Mar 7, 2025: 2025 Comp Plan Update: Climate Element and Draft Official Map Amendments Available for Review
Mar 6, 2025: Governor Ferguson announces plan to restore Washington State Ferries to full service by this summer
Mar 4, 2025: Public Meeting: Land Bank Using Prescribed Fires to Manage Wildfire Risks & Restore Ecosystems
Feb 19, 2025: San Juan County Seeks Proposals from Transportation Service Providers for Pilot Project
Feb 12, 2025: Call for Candidates: Three-Day Special Filing Period for Lopez Metropolitan Park District Commissioners
Jan 19, 2025: Four districts, six unions, three PTAs, and county leadership all agree: legislators must take action to fully fund education no
Dec 19, 2024: San Juan County Parks and Fair Announces New Camping Software; Delaying Reservation Availability
Dec 10, 2024: County Council Considers Extending Agreement with Lopez Solid Waste to Allow for More Collaboration
Dec 5, 2024: San Juan County to Consider Updated Interlocal Agreement with Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District
Dec 2, 2024: San Juan County Council Sets Public Hearing for Cultural Access Sales Tax at Dec. 10 Meeting
Nov 25, 2024: San Juan County Celebrates Completion of Lopez Skate Park and Calls for Inaugural Skaters
Nov 7, 2024: How Has Extreme Weather Impacted You? Participate in the County’s Climate Resilience Planning Effort
Nov 1, 2024: UPDATE: Sea Wall Repairs Temporarily Close MacKaye Harbor Dock and Boat Ramp on Lopez Island
Oct 22, 2024: DRAFT North Shore Preserve Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
Oct 21, 2024: Reminder: You’re Invited to Attend Open Houses for the 2025 Comp Plan Update This Fall
Oct 1, 2024: LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE SAN JUANS SPONSORS OCTOBER COUNTY COUNCIL VOTER FORUMS ON SJI, ORCAS, AND LOPEZ
Sep 24, 2024: County Hosts Community Meeting on Lopez Island to Discuss Public Safety during Hunting Season
Sep 24, 2024: SJC Reviews Shoreline Habitat & Infrastructure Adaptation Strategies in the face of Sea Level Rise
Sep 23, 2024: DRAFT Watmough Bay Preserve Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
Aug 29, 2024: San Juan County’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging Survey Sets Baseline for Ongoing Change
Aug 27, 2024: 2024 San Juan County WSU Master Gardeners Gardening Workshop Series, October 15-24, 2024
Aug 27, 2024: County Representatives Discuss Solutions to Ferry Service Disruptions with Governor Inslee
Aug 21, 2024: County Council’s Request to Governor for Relief from Ferry Service Disruptions Not Fulfilled
Aug 20, 2024: San Juan County Certifies Primary Election Results & Celebrates Highest Primary Turnout in Years
Aug 13, 2024: WSF Commits Additional Crews to Interisland Route to Ensure Service During County Fair Week
Aug 13, 2024: Ferry Data from Staff and Local Partners Shapes Council Request for ‘Executive Relief’ From WA State
Aug 5, 2024: The Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival returns to Lopez for its 27th Summer Concert Season
May 2, 2024: WA State Governor and Assistant Secretary of WSF Talk Ferry Service & Solar Power with SJC Officials
Apr 11, 2024: Community Meeting: Sea Level Rise Adaptation for Outer Bay and Agate Beach Areas on Lopez Island
Mar 11, 2024: Queers in Unexpected Places: Searching for (and Finding) Gender and Sexual Non-Conformity in the Rural and Early PNW
Mar 7, 2024: DRAFT Richardson Marsh Preserve Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
Dec 5, 2023: County Council Member Jane Fuller and Senator Liz Lovelett to Host Public Meeting on Lopez
Nov 3, 2023: County and Town Send Open Letter to State Officials Regarding Impacts of Poor Ferry Service
Sep 29, 2023: Conservation Land Bank Announces Special Meeting to Discuss Watmough Bay Preserve Addition
Sep 14, 2023: The mobile dental van is coming to Lopez! // ¡La camioneta dental móvil ya llega a López!
Aug 22, 2023: San Juan County Adopts 32-Hour Work Week in the Name of Fiscal Health, Recruitment, and Islander Wellness
May 25, 2023: Recap of Lopez Neighborhood Meeting Regarding the Relocation of Public Works Facilities
May 23, 2023: District 3 Councilmember Jane Fuller Opens Office on Lopez and Hosts Community Conversation
Apr 17, 2023: Give Lopez Starts April 17th - A two week fundraiser benefiting 15 Lopez Island Non-Profits
Sep 22, 2022: Interim Watmough Preserve Addition Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
Land, Legacy, and Food Security on a Small Island
Jan 24, 2024
Barn Owl Bakery & Lopez Community Land Trust
Lopez Community Land Trust and Sage & Nathan of Barn Owl Bakery are embarking on a new collaborative project…
In 2023, Sage Dilts and Nathan Hodges of Barn Owl Bakery approached LCLT to see if we could work together to make their farm and bakery more stable by thinking creatively about land ownership models and community partnerships. LCLT’s founding purposes, of supporting sustainable agriculture and cottage industries, and Sage and Nathan’s philosophy for their farm and business are a near perfect fit. The result is that LCLT has agreed to purchase the 17.5 acres of farm and forest land-only on which Barn Owl Bakery currently resides. In turn, Sage and Nathan will sign a 99-year lease with LCLT, eliminating their land debt burden. In this way, they maintain security, equity and legacy (the right to pass on the business and improvements to their heirs), and LCLT is able to hold the land in trust, ensuring that it is forever in service of the local food system. Sage and Nathan will continue to own the buildings and have full autonomy of how Barn Owl Bakery is operated.
This has proven to be an exciting venture. Sage and Nathan started Barn Owl Bakery on Lopez Island in 2013. In 2019 they took a big leap and purchased 17.5 acres of land, along with an old lumber barn turned hardware store turned art gallery. They brought new life to the building, turning it into their home and a space to expand their already successful bakery. Since then, Sage and Nathan have been busy transforming the buildings and land into a diverse agro-forestry system of managed forests, perennial crops, fruit trees, and an intensive annual garden where they will continue to grow and preserve in situ a diversity of rare and heritage grain varieties from around the world.
While the bakery business continues to thrive, operating a farm and bakery on a small island with high land costs requires creative solutions and additional support. The purchase price for the land is $389,650 which is the 2023 SJC assessed value of the land. LCLT has a $200,000 matching fund to start. On or before June 30, 2024, LCLT needs to complete the purchase by raising $189,650.
Join us in making history by ensuring a lasting legacy where farms are farmed and local food businesses are supported. We encourage you to learn more and donate, (fully tax deductible) by going to www.lopezclt.org/barn-owl. For further info or questions, please contact [email protected] or call 360.468.3723.
This has proven to be an exciting venture. Sage and Nathan started Barn Owl Bakery on Lopez Island in 2013. In 2019 they took a big leap and purchased 17.5 acres of land, along with an old lumber barn turned hardware store turned art gallery. They brought new life to the building, turning it into their home and a space to expand their already successful bakery. Since then, Sage and Nathan have been busy transforming the buildings and land into a diverse agro-forestry system of managed forests, perennial crops, fruit trees, and an intensive annual garden where they will continue to grow and preserve in situ a diversity of rare and heritage grain varieties from around the world.
While the bakery business continues to thrive, operating a farm and bakery on a small island with high land costs requires creative solutions and additional support. The purchase price for the land is $389,650 which is the 2023 SJC assessed value of the land. LCLT has a $200,000 matching fund to start. On or before June 30, 2024, LCLT needs to complete the purchase by raising $189,650.
Join us in making history by ensuring a lasting legacy where farms are farmed and local food businesses are supported. We encourage you to learn more and donate, (fully tax deductible) by going to www.lopezclt.org/barn-owl. For further info or questions, please contact [email protected] or call 360.468.3723.


