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Made in Cascadia

Made in Cascadia is a multipart series highlighting makers and artisans in Whatcom and Skagit counties.

Written by Cocoa Laney // Video by Finn Wendt

Upcycled apparel, jewelry from The Goat’s Coat reflect creator’s principles

Suzanne Lundberg transforms textile waste into wearable art

Read part one, which features Suzanne Lundberg, who transforms secondhand materials and clothing into one-of-a-kind apparel for her textile business, The Goat’s Coat.

Farm to glass: Crafting Skagit-sourced beer, wine, cider and mead

Garden Path Fermentation uses homegrown ingredients

Read part two, which features Amber Watts and Ron Extract, who opened Garden Path Fermentation in Burlington, a brewery that uses spontaneous fermentation resulting in products with a signature funk.

Award-winning Ferndale cheesemaker pays respect to Italian origins

Family-owned creamery makes heritage cheese from local ingredients

Read part three, which features Ferndale Farmstead’s co-founder and cheesemaker Daniel Wavrin, who discusses the family-owned creamery’s award-winning artisan cheeses made with traditional Italian methods and ingredients sourced in Whatcom County.

Master craftsman aims to make Bellingham's Champlin Guitars a ‘welcoming space’

The musician also specializes in repairing, restoring and selling string instruments

Read part four, which features Devin Champlin, a master of all things guitar-related. In addition to his folk music, the Bellingham luthier repairs, sells and even builds string instruments. His downtown Bellingham storefront, Champlin Guitars, feels more like your favorite musician’s living room than a retail shop.

Magical flower farm in foothills of Cascades shows off sustainable growing, creativity

Noctua Florals’ blooms are 'a life force that you can feel'

Read part five, which features florist Carmen Winquist of Noctua Florals, who grows her flowers in the foothills of the Cascades. In her view, locally grown flowers are “a life force that you can feel,” as 80% of cut flowers sold in the U.S. originate overseas. 

Multigenerational jam business in Anacortes carries late mom’s legacy forward

3 Generations Jam owner produces about 30 kinds, from honeyed pear to peach

Read part six, which features Becca Green, who oversees the production of about 30 different kinds of jam, each made by hand with regionally grown, organic or no-spray fruit whenever possible. The company, 3 Generations Jam, was started by Green and her mother, Jan.

Behind every cup of specialty coffee at Fidalgo

Tracing the roasts’ world origins, from farm to consumer

Read part seven, which features Fidalgo Coffee, a company that sources its beans with care and does tangible good in Skagit Valley. Community-minded practices — such as partnering with local businesses, or hiring formerly incarcerated employees — help Fidalgo pay it forward close to home.

From ‘table birds’ to rare purebreds, Bellingham farm raises chickens of many feathers

Spring Creek Heritage Farms specializes in chicken genetics, prioritizes breed preservation

Read part eight, which features Spring Creek Heritage Farms, where meat is secondary to the farmers’ overall mission. The Bellingham farm aims to provide breeders, homesteaders, farmers and “backyard birders” with live chicks — particularly rare breeds that might otherwise be lost.