Wild Foods of the Salish Sea

Nettles Farm | Lummi Island
Thursday to Sunday, June 9-12

This is a weekend of celebrating, procuring, preparing and dining on the wild foods of the Salish Sea. It is hosted by Maria Finn of Flora and Fungi Adventures, with the assistance of Chef Ona Lee, who has created the menu and will prepare the food, with your assistance, and Riley who brings a multitude of skills including cooking over a live fire. 

  • A day of kayak foraging with Elakah Kayak Tours

  • Prepare a meal of wild salmon on an isolated beach

  • Eat local bivalves, shellfish and cheeses

  • 3 nights at Nettles Farm

  • And much more!

Lummi Island, part of the San Juan archipelago off the coast of Washington, is a locavore’s fantasy land with abundant and diverse seaweed, along with waters rich in salmon, crab and spot prawns. Riley, your Nettles Farm host, is a pioneer in the sustainable, local food movement here, and  a life-long fisherman, and a co-founder of Lummi Island Wild Seafood, a salmon reef net fleet that operates on solar power Patagonia Provisions purchases the bulk of Lummi Island salmon. He has recently started a seaweed farm and a non-profit, Salish Center for Sustainable Fishing Methods, to support not just the salmon but all the other creatures of the Puget Sound that rely on them. Riley also was owner of the renowned Willows Inn, bringing it to the world stage before selling it in 2012. He now owns and operates Nettles Farm Bed & Breakfast, where along with raising chickens and growing food, he finds truffles with the help of his truffle dog, Stella. He’s made this place not just a destination for great food, but also for hands-on culinary experiences and learning about stewardship of the natural world.  

Chef Ona Lee is a 5th generation Washingtonian. She’s a private chef focusing on hyper local ingredients and scratch preparations. She is great granddaughter to Lloyd Lovegren, one of the original architechs of the 520 floating bridges in Seattle, as well as the designer for the Trader Vics restaurants. Ona was born and raised on Pacific Northwest seafood and local produce. She trained at the Michelin starred Spotted Pig under April Bloomfield in New York City.

Contact Maria to reserve your spot at finn.maria1@gmail.com or (415) 306-2773.
Cost

Prices include eight chef prepared meals, three nights at Nettles Farm, a full day of kayaking, a day on Clark Island eating wild salmon and a donation to the Salish Center for Sustainable Fishing. See rooms under Rooms & Reservations.

Master Bedroom with queen size bed, private deck, and a walk-in double shower with full steam:
$1685 per person based on double occupancy.

Farmhouse Suite with queen bed, private bathroom and steam shower:
$1685 based on double occupancy.

Bedrooms in Farmhouse with queen size beds (One room with Twin beds available):
$1625 based on double occupancy. 

Camping:
$1495 per person.

*Farmhouse rooms are double occupancy only but camping is available to all.

Register Now
Time & Location
June 09, 3:00 PM to June 12, 11:00 AM
Nettles Farm, Lummi Island
Itinerary
  • Thursday: Arrive at Nettles Farm and check in between 3:00-6:00 pm
  • 6:00 Local oysters, welcome drinks and introductions
  • 6:30 Local bi-valve and shellfish dinner in outdoor kitchen by Chef Ona Lee
    • Steamers in natural white wine from Siefert & Jones, with herbs from Nettles farm, local young garlic, Clara’s scratch made butter, and some with dried local chilies from Slanted Sun Farm. 
    • Fire grilled clams served as is with a saucy gremolata to spoon on to
    • Both ways served with Rufous Sourdough, naturally leavened made with local grains in Bellingham
    • Sides: Local skillet roasted potato wedges seasoned with salt from Full Bloom Farm on Lummi Island
    • Sweet pea salad with scallion, sesame, and mint
    • Full Bloom Farm greens and flowers salad with charred onion vinagrette
  • After dinner bonfire and fishing stories
  • Friday: Breakfast by Chef Ona Lee, including eggs from Nettles, fresh pastries, fruits, Clara’s butter, scratch made jams & hot sauces
  • Kayaking and seaweed foraging. Lunch in the field
  • Friday Dinner: Chef Ona Lee 
    • Scratch made pasta made with Nettles Eggs & Shepard’s Grain semolina, tossed in Clara’s Butter, coal roasted seaweed, tomato confit
    • Nettle’s Farm chickens, brined and roasted over fire
    • Salad of local greens from Full Bloom Farm and wild edibles foraged on sight
    • Rufous Sourdough, for sopping sauce and chicken juices
  • Saturday: Breakfast at Nettles Farm, including eggs from Nettles, fresh pastries, fruits, Clara’s butter, scratch made jams & hot sauces
  • Tour Lummi Island Wild salmon reefnetting site. Learn about how vital wild salmon are to the ecosystem, economy and culture of the region.
  • Take boat to Clark Island for traditional wild salmon cook out on the beach. 
  • Boat back to Lummi Island 
  • Sauna stoked
  • Saturday Night: Dinner at Nettles Farm by Chef Ona Lee 
    • If Available: Spot Prawns served 3 ways:
    • Shrimp boil fashion, with potatoes and artichokes 
    • Sashimi with harmonious soy and salmon caviar
    • Aguachile style, dressed in mild peppers, with cucumber and cilantro served with a steamed corn tamale made with Fairhaven Mills dent corn, nixtamalized and ground on site mixed with stock made from Riley’s chickens, and Clara’s butter.
    • Served with assorted salad
  • Sauna and bonfire
  • Sunday: Breakfast at Nettles Farm
  • Depart: 11am

Note: We will observe Covid 19 protocols for the event by requiring vaccinations and booster shots for all participants, or 2 consecutive daily negative rapid tests. Most of our activities will be done outside.