Western Washington businesses, restaurants raise money for farmers after historic flood

January 08, 2026 / 3:18 pm

caption: A tree-lined road is shown submerged in flood waters following consecutive atmospheric rivers at Carnation Farms on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, in Carnation.

More than a dozen Seattle restaurants and small businesses from across Western Washington have come together to raise money to help farmers dealing with the aftermath of last month’s historic flood.

Chef Dan Mallahan and his wife had initially planned a celebration of the three-year anniversary of Driftwood, their West Seattle restaurant. Instead, Mallahan says they decided to use the occasion to support local farmers.

“We just kind of felt like it would be a good way to leverage that attention,” Mallahan said, “and try to turn it into something a little bit more impactful for the community we care so much about.”

Mallahan also reached out to the restaurant community that donated gift cards, dinner experiences, and merchandise that will be raffled off. All proceeds will benefit the Good Farmer Fund.

Other organizations are also raising funds for flood relief. The Community Food Co-op in Bellingham raised $30,000 in the last three weeks, said CEO Lisa Sedlar. She adds that funds will be distributed in the coming week.

“We’re very well connected in the community and able to distribute funds quickly as opposed to FEMA or some of these federal relief efforts, they take months, years,” Sedlar said.

Sedlar says farmers have immediate needs that could affect this season’s harvest — such as the ability to buy seeds or livestock feed.

At FarMore WA, a non-profit dedicated to helping farmers, people can donate money or time.

“We have this sweat equity program where we get volunteers together and go out to the farm,” said Executive Director Joy Moody.

At the farm, Moody says volunteers usually help with cleaning or weeding. But more than just farm work, it’s opportunity for people to connect with farmers.

“These are the same people where you get this food that doesn’t come off a shelf in the grocery store,” she said.

Here are some organizations offering flood relief for farmers:

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Ruby de Luna
Reporter

Ruby de Luna is a reporter with a focus on food and how it intersects with health, communities, and culture. She has also reported on health care, and immigrant communities.
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