Luxury Island Life
September 26, 2022
Watch an Epic Sunsets
September 26, 2022
Old Crop. New Life.
: “The finest eating strawberry in America,” is making a comeback. After being nearly decimated by disease in the 1940s, the prized Marshall strawberry has been carefully recultivated by the Olga Strawberry Council. The jewel-like fruit has been praised by James Beard as, “exceedingly handsome, splendidly flavored, pleasantly sprightly, aromatic and juicy.”
Touring the island by scout coupe or moped allows you to leisurely soak in the views and stop along the way, as desired.
Old Crop. New Life.
Though discovered in Massachusetts by F. Ewell Marshall in 1880, the Marshall strawberry thrives in the Pacific Northwest. On Orcas Island, it became the bedrock of island’s agricultural industry in the 1930s. At its height, the island’s strawberry fields spanned 450-acres and produced thousands of barrels of strawberries that were shipped all over the country.
Remnants of the strawberry industry can be found at the historic Olga Strawberry Barreling Plant (now commonly known as the Artwork Building). Constructed in 1938, the building has been preserved by the Olga Strawberry Council and today houses a collection of art by local artists. But more exciting than the building are the beautiful fruit the council has helped cultivate throughout the island. In the spring of 2017, a concerted effort to bring the Marshall strawberry back to Orcas was begun. Today, the succulent fruit can be found on the sunny fields at Sunny Slope Farm in Olga, the Inn at Ship Bay, Doe Bay Garden, Warm Valley Farm, Tap Root Farm, and Girl Meets Dirt’s garden.
Photo Credit: Daiga Ellaby
Get There with a Scenic Flight
If you’re already aboard a Kenmore Air flight, this may be old news. But getting to the San Juans doesn’t have to be a slog. In fact, the scenic flight can be half the fun!
