Although the Coast Salish and other Native American tribes had practiced a form of agriculture in the San Juan Islands for hundreds of years, the beginning of farming that involved barns began with the arrival of the Hudson’s Bay Company in December, 1853.  Since then, farmers have built barns to shelter their livestock, crops, and feed.  The history of farming in the San Juan Islands is explained in three sections:

• Physical features
• Climate, and
• Agriculture.

For specific crops that influenced the uses of barns, see:

• Hay
• Grain
• Sheep
• Dairy
• Horses & Mules
• Poultry
• Social Uses