The Center for Local Self-Reliance (CLSR)   teaches gardening, food preservation, seed saving, medicinal plant preparation, and other self reliance skills. We are Bellingham neighbors, builders, gardeners, business owners, and educators who care about our community and see opportunity at the Caretaker’s House.

The City of Bellingham has granted CLSR a long-term lease for the Caretaker’s House and grounds. Our goal is to renovate the house in order to offer gathering and teaching spaces, including a commercial kitchen where canning, food preservation, medicinal plant preparation, and other domestic arts will be taught.

The Caretaker’s Garden will include beautiful food gardens, orchards, berry patches, medicinal plant and herb gardens, and a small outdoor amphitheater for intimate home made music gatherings. Community members of all ages will gather at the Caretaker’s House to teach and learn from one another. Join us as we create a new vision of a resilient and self-reliant community at the Caretaker’s House!