We grew out of a simple, recurring conversation:
We should be growing a lot of food here--
so why does it still feel hard to access, coordinate, and sustain?
Over the past year, Mayne Island growers, eaters, and micro-producers began comparing notes—through surveys, informal check-ins, shared meals, and a community potluck.
What emerged wasn’t a single project, but a shared need: better coordination across what already exists, and a way to plan food production that actually reflects island realities.
Mayne Island Growers is a community-based initiative working to strengthen local food access, support growers, and build a more resilient, place-based food system—one that’s practical, collaborative, and rooted in relationships rather than scale.
How This Took Shape In 2025: we gathered detailed input from growers and eaters across the island—what people were growing, what they wanted to grow more of, how they preferred to buy food, and where the gaps were.
Those conversations continued at the fall potluck and in one-on-one follow-ups with farmers and producers.
That shared input directly shaped what we’re building now:
What We’re Building—A Community CSA
Our CSA brings together multiple Mayne Island growers and producers under one shared program.
As the season unfolds, members will see:
Transparency & ChoiceWe’ll share:
Learning Along the Way
Food systems only work when people know how to use what they receive.
We’ll include:
A Wider Local Food Network
Mayne Island Growers also connects with:
Community Support
This work is strengthened through collaboration and shared values.
We’re grateful for support, conversations, and alignment with:
Get Involved
Mayne Island Growers is coordinated by Susheela Kundargi, alongside island growers and collaborators. This is intentionally a porous, evolving project—and there’s room for many kinds of participation.
We’re always glad to hear from:
If you feel aligned—or simply curious—we’d love to hear from you.
👉 Contact us here
so why does it still feel hard to access, coordinate, and sustain?
Over the past year, Mayne Island growers, eaters, and micro-producers began comparing notes—through surveys, informal check-ins, shared meals, and a community potluck.
What emerged wasn’t a single project, but a shared need: better coordination across what already exists, and a way to plan food production that actually reflects island realities.
Mayne Island Growers is a community-based initiative working to strengthen local food access, support growers, and build a more resilient, place-based food system—one that’s practical, collaborative, and rooted in relationships rather than scale.
How This Took Shape In 2025: we gathered detailed input from growers and eaters across the island—what people were growing, what they wanted to grow more of, how they preferred to buy food, and where the gaps were.
Those conversations continued at the fall potluck and in one-on-one follow-ups with farmers and producers.
That shared input directly shaped what we’re building now:
- a community-coordinated CSA
- clearer planning for farmers market offerings
- better alignment between growers, processors, and eaters
- space for surplus, experimentation, and learning
What We’re Building—A Community CSA
Our CSA brings together multiple Mayne Island growers and producers under one shared program.
As the season unfolds, members will see:
- Which growers are participating
- What’s included in each week’s share
- What add-ons and extras are available
- How seasonal abundance is being distributed across the island
Transparency & ChoiceWe’ll share:
- Weekly CSA contents
- Optional add-ons (eggs, meat, specialty crops, value-added products)
- Farmers Market extras and surplus availability
- Opportunities for bulk or specialty purchases (pickling cucumbers, surplus fruit, “seconds,” and blemished produce)
Learning Along the Way
Food systems only work when people know how to use what they receive.
We’ll include:
- Simple recipes for unfamiliar vegetables
- New ways to prepare everyday staples
- Preservation ideas for surplus weeks
A Wider Local Food Network
Mayne Island Growers also connects with:
- Other local food producers (meat, eggs, honey, value-added goods)
- Community food initiatives
- The local food bank, where appropriate, to help direct surplus responsibly
Community Support
This work is strengthened through collaboration and shared values.
We’re grateful for support, conversations, and alignment with:
- Mayne Island Agricultural Society
- Gulf Islands Food Co‑op
- Mayne Island Collective
Get Involved
Mayne Island Growers is coordinated by Susheela Kundargi, alongside island growers and collaborators. This is intentionally a porous, evolving project—and there’s room for many kinds of participation.
We’re always glad to hear from:
- Growers and farm helpers
- Volunteers and coordinators
- Grant writers and funders
- Chefs and community cooks
- Composters, soil-builders, and systems thinkers
- Innovators with ideas that support local food resilience
If you feel aligned—or simply curious—we’d love to hear from you.
👉 Contact us here
April 2025
Thank you!
This space is still growing—just like our local food movement!
We’re deeply grateful to our amazing community partners who are helping bring this vision to life.
A big shoutout to the Mayne Island Agricultural Society, our key collaborative support, whose generosity and enthusiasm are helping us create a vibrant, shared presence at the Farmers Market. Thanks to them, you'll soon be seeing more fresh, local food and more friendly faces at the market again!
Stay tuned as we highlight all the wonderful non-profits and community champions who are making this possible.
We’re deeply grateful to our amazing community partners who are helping bring this vision to life.
A big shoutout to the Mayne Island Agricultural Society, our key collaborative support, whose generosity and enthusiasm are helping us create a vibrant, shared presence at the Farmers Market. Thanks to them, you'll soon be seeing more fresh, local food and more friendly faces at the market again!
Stay tuned as we highlight all the wonderful non-profits and community champions who are making this possible.