A New Model of Development For Clark County?

The suburban sprawl method of development. Embraced by countless communities across the nation, including our fair community. It doesn't work. It's been proven countless times. It creates homogeneous landscape of franchised businesses, big box stores, and cookie-cutter subdivisions. It paves over countless acres of critical wetlands, priceless farmlands, and much needed green space. In the long-term, it's an economic failure. The tax revenue generated is outpaced by the cost of community services. In the short-term, we the taxpayers are subsidizing a method of development that is doomed to failure and creates a generally unhealthy environment for all living things. And yet we keep on truckin' down that same road that leads us off the edge of the cliff every time...

Why?

Developers, realtors, and business industry associations are notoriously large campaign contributors. The windfall of development fee dollars , construction permit fees, and business licensing at the beginning of the development process are great for pet projects and the government balance sheet if you're an elected official holding office at that moment. BUT when the development dollars dry up...well, you know. Look where we are right now. Clark County doesn't have a pot to piss in and the current incarnation of the BOCC has little hope of bestowing any financial incentives on their friends, supporters, and business associates.

So what's a politician to do if he want to make an impression on his constituents and bolster his chances for re-election?

Pay attention to his community, not just a few influential individuals and special interest groups. Get back in touch with who we are and what we value. Look towards the future, think outside the box, and be willing to take chances. Clark County has an amazing agricultural history. WE were a breadbasket of the nation decades before southern California figured out how to steal enough water to plow the desert and investment by American agribusiness in foreign agricultural ventures utilizing wage slavery and American taxpayer dollars to subsidize their operations and pulled the rug out from under us. However, we do have a growing number of smaller farms setting up shop in Clark County again these days. And despite the continuous spewing of politispeak and disinformation by government officials and their cronies, agriculture is alive in Clark County, the folks that are working the soil here are passionate, honest, and dedicated (despite the fact they don't make the wages of home builders and elected officials), and "hobby farms" will play an increasingly important role in food production and food system security in the very near future.

I propose we look forward to future development in our community with an open mind and a pro-agriculture policy attitude. We need to demand development that works towards farmland preservation and the support of local agriculture. There's no reason why farm folks and city folks can't live together side by side and mutually benefit from their proximity. We'll all be glad we made the decision to change our attitude about "urban" development and our children will be thankful for generations to come.

And the really nice thing is, we don't have to reinvent the wheel. Let's follow the path already being blazed by a number of forward thinking individuals around the nation.

Check out this article recently published in the NY Times.

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. — The bewildered Iowan who converted his farm into a ballpark in “Field of Dreams” in 1989 might reverse the move today. From Vermont to central California, developers are creating subdivisions around organic farms to attract buyers. If you plant it, these developers believe, they will buy.

Increasingly, subdivisions, usually master-planned developments at which buyers buy home sites or raw land, have been treating farms as an amenity. “There are currently at least 200 projects that include agriculture as a key community component,” said Ed McMahon, a senior fellow with the Urban Land Institute.

To read the entire article, click on the link below:

Organic Farms As Subdivision Amenities

Wishing You Had Signed Up For A CSA This Season?

Well you're in luck! The growing season is just starting to ramp up and there is plenty of time left to enjoy the bounty of our awesome Southwest Washington CSA farms. Here is a short list of a few CSAs that still have space for one or two more shareholders.


Dancing Crane - Battle Ground - SHARES AVAILABLE
Bernie Crane - 360-687-1210
incana@teleport.com


Gee Creek Farm - Ridgefield - SHARES AVAILABLE
Lyle Stanley - 360-887-0463
www.geecreekfarm.com

Gus & Co. - Ridgefield - SHARES AVAILABLE
April Jones - 360-601-6671
www.gusandco.org

Providence House Farm - LaCenter - SHARES AVAILABLE
Tammy Woltersdorf - 360-904-2578
providencehousefarm@gmail.com

Red Basket Farm - Battle Ground - SHARES AVAILABLE
Kate Rae - 360-687-7030
bkaterae@comcast.net

Rosemattel’s CSA - Vancouver - SHARES AVAILABLE
Brenda Millar-Stanton - 360-576-9767
otbgsm@yahoo.com

Wisteria Gardens, Inc. - Vancouver - Brush Prairie - SHARES AVAILABLE
Kevin & Jo Lyn Cornelsen - 360-907-1151
www.wisteriaphotos.com

Call around to a few farms and talk to the farmers. They all have different personalities, different crop varieties, and different programs. I know you'll find one that feels like a good fit for you. These folks are some of the most passionate growers you'll ever meet and they are all dedicated to providing you and your family with the healthiest, freshest food available ANYWHERE. If my little, amateur, urban plot is any indication of how productive this season is going to be, I am confident that the pros will have you up to your ears in outstanding food for the next few months.

Now go and git yer CSA on!!

Summer Solstice in the County Farm Tour - 6.20.2009

Summer Solstice in the Country Farm Tour - Hosted by Garden DElights

June 20th, 2009
10am to 3pm

Save the date for our annual summer farm tour with two other farms in Brush Prairie, Half Moon Farms and Scented Acres, on a short loop for a fun and easy family trip.

Garden DElights
15417 NE Parkinen Road
Brush Prairie, 98606
Phone: 360-892-4479
Contact name: Erin Harwood or Eloyce O'Connor
E-mail

Price: FREE

Three farms in Brush Prairie showcasing unique offerings will be open for visitors on June 20th, the summer solstice. A short loop through Brush Prairie will take you to Scented Acres Lavender Farm on Highway 503, then a turn to the right through “downtown” Brush Prairie and off towards Hockinson on 159th St will take you to Half Moon Farm then just a quick ride to Parkinen Rd gets you to Garden Delights. Scented Acres offers a multitude of lavender products, goats and chickens for viewing while Half Moon Farm brings you a large variety of plants, honey and chickens, too and lastly Garden Delights has a great many herb products for people and pets, horses and cows and classes for parents on herbs and farm fresh food for babies. Get out into the country and see what local farms have to offer.

Check out the Google Map of the farm loop

Join us for the following events at the farm:

10:30 am and 1:30 pm
Compost Tours - see our aerated compost system and meet the Chief Composter, Al

11:00 am - $5 for those wanting to make & take home samples. Bring a picnic and stay for lunch!
Herbs for Babies - Join Erin & Kieran (our newest addition!) and learn how you can use herbs and some common household ingredients to easily and quickly create your own natural soothing skin products.

1:00 pm - free recipes
Farm Fresh Baby Food - Erin & Kieran will discuss how to utilize the upcoming farm fresh bounty to easily make your own baby foods, cheaper than you can buy from the store. We'll cover making, storing, and flavoring common farm foods appropriate for baby. Best of all you'll know exactly where you food is coming from when you buy local and what's in your baby's food when you make your own.

Soulless, Bloodsucking Pigs From Miller Nash Are Pimps for Sprawl In Clark County

Just a little followup to the post I made yesterday about the pro-development ruling on the Futurewise appeal of the expansion of the county urban growth boundary. Someone from Miller Nash LLP, a local law firm, was trolling this blog today and reading the aforementioned post. Miller Nash represented the pro-development camp in this legal battle.

I wish I had said this earlier, but just in case anyone from Miller Nash stops back by here anytime soon, let me just go on the record as saying you subhumans of the law firm of Miller Nash LLP are a bunch of soulless, bloodsucking pigs, are pimps for sprawl, and couldn't give a damn about the health and welfare of our community. Please consider moving yourselves and your families to someplace like Dallas, Phoenix, or Los Angeles, where your ignorant ideas and values about unchecked development and a total lack of concern about preserving natural resources and priceless farmland are appreciated and will inevitably lead you to the misery and suffering you deserve once you run out of natural resources and the riots begin. I am quite certain that you all have an especially, horrible place waiting for you in Hell when you die.

Judge Rules Farming is Dead in Clark County

I guess all of our efforts have been in vain. Close the farmers' markets and refund the CSA shares. Turn 78th Street into playing fields and parking lots. Shutter the Urban Farm School and forget local agriculture pioneers like David Knaus and Jim & Diane Hunter. And let's not even think about the wonderful Locavore Delivery service provided by Dee Creek Farm. Judge Harris has decreed that farming is dead in Clark County. Long live the developers...we don't need no fresh, healthy food 'round here.

I say over my dead body. What about you? I say we rally at the County Courthouse, farmers and cityfolk standing side by side, and let Judge Harris know what we think of his rather ignorant opinion and poor judgment.

Judge rules in favor of growth plan
Friday, May 22 | 9:15 a.m.

BY MICHAEL ANDERSEN
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER

A Clark County judge knocked back an environmental challenge to the county's 2007 urban growth plan Thursday, increasing the chance that hundreds of acres of current and former farmland will be developed.

Even on the county's remaining patches of high-quality soil, commercial farming is close to dead, Superior Court Judge Robert Harris wrote in an eight-page decision.

Harris' ruling, which is subject to appeal, would permit annexation on the outskirts of Camas, La Center and Washougal, including La Center's interchange on Interstate 5.

It would also allow eventual urban development in an area north of Washington State University Vancouver.

However, Harris seemed to prohibit urbanizing 780 acres of agricultural land south of Brush Prairie, which county commissioners had hoped to convert to a huge industrial park, and 343 acres at the northernmost tip of Camas, northwest of Lacamas Lake.

When county commissioners unanimously approved the plan in 2007, they fended off protests from environmentalists and the state commerce department, who said so many new roads and sewers would burden taxpayers.

The 19-square-mile urban expansion was the biggest on state record. Futurewise, a Seattle-based anti-sprawl group, appealed it.

On Thursday, environmentalists called Harris' ruling a "split decision" but said it might prove favorable enough for them not to risk appealing to the state Court of Appeals.

"The baby's been cut in half," said John Karpinski, a Vancouver environmental lawyer working with Futurewise.

La Center to expand

A county commissioner applauded the ruling Thursday. So did advocates for affected landowners and the city of La Center.

James Howsley, a development attorney who represents several affected landowners, said he thinks Harris might issue a clarification that would allow development south of Brush Prairie and northwest of Lacamas Lake.

"We are extremely happy for our clients," Howsley, of Vancouver law firm Miller Nash, wrote in an e-mail. "This is a wonderful thing especially for the small cities. This decision affirms the right of a community to decide for itself, based on historic and predicted conditions, where it is most appropriate to grow."

Thursday's decision is a big win for the city of La Center, which has spent years trying to expand west to Interstate 5.

Harris' ruling gives the city a chance to annex 665 acres along the highway.

La Center depends heavily on its four nontribal cardrooms, the city's biggest employers and taxpayers. Mayor Jim Irish and others want to broaden the city's economy.

"We just got a lot more industrial land," Dale Miller, La Center's planner, said Thursday. "It bodes well for future economic diversity in the town."

Thursday's decision will have no bearing on the federal review of a proposed tribal casino outside La Center.

Commissioner Steve Stuart said that if Harris' ruling stands, it means "greater economic development in the county, more opportunity for business to site here."

"I have no expectation that this will have an immediate impact, but it will have a long-term impact on the future economy of our county," Stuart said.

Harris: farming dying

In his ruling, Harris echoed the judgment of a 2005 economic study by the county, which concluded that professional farming in Clark County is in permanent decline.

The rising demand for locally grown food is "not sufficient to reverse the long-standing trends of declining farm activity" in the county, the study found.

In 2002, the study noted, only 170 local farms brought in more than $25,000 a year.

"It is fairly obvious that an annual income of $25,000 is not sufficient to support a family," Harris wrote.

Farming on 5-acre rural parcels, Harris wrote, "would be more likened to a hobby farm rather than representing long-term productive growth of agricultural product."

But Karpinski, the environmental lawyer, said the public has an interest in protecting small farms, too.

"What's wrong with a hobby farm?" he asked. "It's a second job for them. There's a lot of people working two jobs nowadays. … If people want to be growing locally grown food, we should be doing everything we can to encourage that activity."

Harris' ruling drew on the 2002 U.S. Census of Agriculture.

The 2007 Census of Agriculture, released this winter, showed continued decline in the number of Clark County farms grossing more than $100,000 a year. The value of big farms' output fell 10 percent over five years.

But the 2007 Census also showed an explosion in the number of local farms making less than $25,000 and also those making between $25,000 and $100,000.

The value of crops produced on small farms in the county jumped 33 percent from 2002 to 2007. For midsize farms, the growth was 11 percent.

Michael Andersen: 360-735-4508 or michael.andersen@columbian.com.

Staff writer Jeffrey Mize contributed reporting.

Food Security in Clark County, Part 3 - Deston Denniston

Once again, I am pleased to bring you the latest installment in Deston Denniston's series of articles on Food Security in Clark County. Here's a teaser and a click on the link at the bottom of this post will take you to Deston's blog and the entire article.

Food Security in Clark County, Part 3

“The history of every nation is eventually written in the way in which it cares for its soil.”
-Franklin Roosevelt

Every farmer knows that the health of the soil is the key to productivity in the long run. Most are aware that industrial practices such as tilling, fertilizing, and bio-cide spraying, lead to the decline of soil health. However, lack of funds and free time to experiment with holistic methods keeps them trapped in negative feedback practices: in order to produce marketable goods, farms must provide volumes which are demanded by produce distributors and market collectives. If the farmer's volume is low, or the price high, these buyers will pass the farmer, and so force his or her hand to commit to practices which are known to be undesirable, even degenerative. The cumulative effects of this trend show up in our riparian zones and fisheries as silt, in our forests and fields as erosion, and in our production units as lower profit margins and losses. It shows up in our children as weak immune systems, and in our elders as cancer. It shows up in our air as pollution from the fossil fuel consumption and in our pocketbooks as a gouge.

You can read the rest of the article by clicking here.

A Long Overdue Thank You

About a month ago I was exchanging e-mails with a gentleman named Justin who had questions about purchasing meat. We discussed the ins and outs of the process and I related to him a number of the mistakes & errors I had made when I was first starting to buy meat direct from the farm. As usual, I'm sure that I went way overboard with some of my answers and lengthy explanations. But at least I felt like I gave Justin honest and thorough answers to his questions.

Buying whole animals and dealing with a butcher can be a bit daunting the first few times you go through the process. Communicating with the butcher about meat cuts and what you want and/or don't want to keep from your animal is difficult when you don't have much experience or knowledge with butchering technique and types of cuts. You can always throw caution to the wind and hope that the butcher will cut up your animal pretty much the way you'd like it done, but if you're the least bit particular, it's unlikely that you'll get much satisfaction going that route. A good example would be the first time I bought a pig. I let the butcher handle everything and gave very minimal input on my wants & needs. The end result was the entire loin portion was made into chops, I didn't get any of the offal (despite my asking for it), the ribs were trimmed down to "baby backs" and I have no idea where the rest went. No leaf lard, no tail, no ears, no jowls, no feet (I had requested all of these as well). I basically lost a fair portion of the animal I had paid for and had no way of retrieving it. A number of things I had carefully planned to use my pig for were not going to happen. I was crushed, but much smarter for the experience.

Anyways, back to Justin. A couple of weeks ago I was yakking it up with Summer & Anita from Dee Creek Farm at their stand at the Vancouver Farmer's Market and a young couple was standing nearby. The young man overheard our conversation and asked if I was the guy who had the blog. It was a bit of an ambiguous question, but I hesitantly told him I did have a blog, but so did many other guys. We quickly figured out that he was indeed talking about Clark County Food & Farm and that he was the fella who had communicated with me via e-mail about buying meat. He thanked me for my time and told me that he had already gone in on a beef with a friend and was going to get a pig from Dee Creek this year too. Those words were like music to my ears.

One of the main reasons I continue to rant and ramble here is with the hope that folks will realize that there are significant opportunities to purchase locally produced food that is, in the words of Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini, "Good, Clean, and Fair". Supporting our local agricultural families and businesses is one of the best ways we can support our local economy and ensure a secure food system for our community. Although I never expect to hear that what I do is actually making much of a difference, when I do...man it feels good.

So thank you, Justin. You really made my day when we spoke at the VFM. I'm happy to hear that you're purchasing locally raised meat, even happier that you're patronizing one of our finest farm families at Dee Ceek Farm, and I hope your experience is a good one.

Food Security in Clark County, Part 2 - Deston Denniston

I'm pleased to present to you the second part in Deston Denniston's report, Food Security in Clark County. You can read an excerpt here and a link at the bottom of the post will take you to Deston's blog and the entire article.

Food Security in Clark County, Part 2

How will Clark County Feed itself in 20 years?

What employment sector/s will be established to support the population, and how will development be managed so that current trends do not unfold into disaster?

The Clark County Comprehensive Plan 2003-2023, Draft 2004 [1], Chapter 9, lists employment sectors and population of workers in each sector. Curiously, the absence of Agriculture from the plan is complete; 'food' is only mentioned in relation to a few business names, and neither terms are included in any discussion of the counties economic stability and long term vision. The NASS, on the other hand, notes that Clark County was home to over 1500 farms in 2002, and that nearly 3000 people were employed on these farms. If these small farms were a single company, that company would be among the top five employers in the County. 2007 economic data shows that these farms generated $54M in gross product. That this kind of income and employment is written out of the Counties Economic Development plan demonstrates a sad lack of oversite. Those were different Comissioners, so given the current climate, I'll suggest that this matter be immediately addressed and trust the farm community to voice a concern over past patterns, and change them. I'd be happy to act as a point of contact and an advocate.

You can read the rest of the article by clicking here.

WSU CSNAR Profile of Organic Agriculture in Washington State

A few months ago I posted some information regarding the recent release of the latest USDA Agricultural Census data. Well now I want to present you with some cool and interesting data from the WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources 2008 profile of organic crops in Washington state report. Here's a link to the actual report:

2008 Profile of Organic Crops in Washington State

As I mentioned in my previous post on the USDA Census, one of the most significant pieces of data is related to the number of organic acres under cultivation in Washington state relative to total organic product farmgate sales. Washington State ranked 18th in total acres (64,830) managed for organic production nationally. However, the state was second in the nation for organic product farmgate sales value ($159.8 million) behind California ($656.8 million). Now if you look at the WSU report you'll see some individual county data. Although Clark, Cowlitz and Skamania are grouped together, you'll notice that the total famgate sales went from about $226k in 2004 to about $1.2 million in 2007! WOW!! And this census only takes into account the farms that are certified organic. There are many, many farms that have not paid for the organic label privilege, but still maintain organic standards or better. A number of them are CSAs right in our own back yard.

I said it before and I'll say it again. Agriculture is dead in Clark County? Really? Are you sure?

Food Security in Clark County - Deston Denniston

Deston Denniston has just started posting a series of reports on food security in Clark County over on his blog, Gardens in the Forest. This is some serious writing on a serious subject here folks. If you are someone who cares about food security, local agriculture, Clark County, the health of our community, or the safety of your family this is a must read. It's only too bad that our mainstream journalists have not been so outspoken about these issues. However, to give some credit to our local fishwrapper, the number of pro-local ag articles they've published over the last couple of years has substantially increased. Let's hope that one or two of them read Deston's food security series, pick up the ball, and run with it. This is a subject that we as a community cannot afford to ignore any longer.

Here's a little teaser from Deston's report for you:

Food Security in Clark County
an essay in parts, this being the first, the others above....

Preface

The report "Exploring the Clark County Food System" (1) clarifies in the exhaustive detail the situation and trends of Clark County food systems. They are, in many cases, failing to meet basic nutrition needs. As the recession escalates, these systems are prepared to deliver products which decrease the health of county residents, compound environmental degradation, and ship $700M out of the local economy annually. In other words, these systems will continue, barring some drastic and immediate changes, result in an overall and potentially catastrophic decline in quality of life. The good news is that these trends have leverage points and can be addressed and reversed; jobs can be created, our relative economy can prosper and ecology can be invigorated. The following essay, delivered in multiple installations, will look at current and key Clark county indicators, policy and practices, and follow up with input on strategies and key potentials which will provide opportunity for a halt and reversal of these disturbing trends.

Read the rest of the report by clicking here.

Agriculture is Dead in Clark County? Really? Are you sure?

So I went to the 78th Street workshop last night and all I can say is WOW. What a turnout and what an awesome, intelligent, thoughtful, and community-conscious group of folks who participated. Looks like the TAC report got some heavy support thrown behind it by participants of the workshop (God bless you Deston) and people had all sorts of excellent ideas about how the property could be developed as a catalyst for the future of agriculture in Clark County and yet stay true to the historical, agricultural use of the site. Seems like we've come a long way from the relatively recent comments and reports that agriculture was dead in Clark County. Looks like it's time for a few folks to pull their chair up to the table and eat some crow...

I want to express my most sincere thanks to Commissioner Marc Boldt, the county planning staff, and the many volunteers who helped facilitate last night's workshop. Great job everyone!

And I'd like to let the members of the 78th Street Aggies how much I love you folks for all you did last night and for everything you do for our community every day. I know that many, many of the folks were there last night because of you. You are the lifeblood of the sustainable agriculture revolution taking place in our community. Here's to making the 78th Street site the heart of the revolution!

It was so cool to see folks from the Farm Bureau Clark County agriculture's "Old Guard", earthy young folks, CSA farmers, Master Gardeners, Vancouver Food Co-op members, Tom Wagner of Tater-Mater Seeds (independent plant breeder and educator extraordinaire) and the 2009 Tom Wagner Great Tater Mater Grow Out, the WSU Extension, folks who are just plain passionate about local agriculture and farming, young professionals, folks from the Clark County Food Bank Coalition, permaculture enthusiasts, Clark County's very own cowboy poet Boyd Johnson and ag geeks like yours truly all together and all working towards a common goal.

I am positively stoked about the energy that filled the Gaiser Middle School cafeteria. And at the end of the night, as we all strolled around the room and stuck our dots on the uses for 78th Street that we were in favor of, it was rapidly apparent that we have given our county government and WSU a mandate to develop the site as a center for agriculturally focused sustainability, education, research, community programs, and agriculture/food related recreation & business. development. Woo-Hoo!

We are on the verge of raising the national bar for what community supported sustainability and agriculture means. The 78th Street site has a long way to go before it represents the dreams of the participants in last night's workshop, but we're off to a strong start. Let's keep the momentum going!

If you missed the workshop or if you have never heard of the 78th Street/former WSU Extension/Old Poor Farm site, click on the links below and you can get up speed.

http://www.clark.wa.gov/78WSU/
http://www.abundancepermaculture.com/papers.html
http://clarkfoodfarm.blogspot.com/2009/03/wsu-78th-st-master-plan-whats-happening.html
http://clarkfoodfarm.blogspot.com/2009/03/wsu78th-street-project-update.html
http://clarkfoodfarm.blogspot.com/2009/03/comment-regarding-wsu78th-street.html
http://clarkfoodfarm.blogspot.com/2009/03/78th-street-aggies.html
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=59654344791&ref=nf
http://clarkfoodfarm.blogspot.com/2009/03/78th-street-project-april-9th-workshop.html

Why Should YOU Fill Out the Farm Survey?

Those of you who occasionally peruse this blog are probably the type of folks who have received requests from a number of sources to fill out the Clark County Legacy Lands Farm Preservation Survey...but in case this survey is news to you or you just need a little more prodding to actually take the survey, please read the following post from Marilyn Holt of Abundantly Green Certified Organic Vegetables in Poulsbo, WA. The post is located at buylocalfoodinkitsap.org:


Why I Fill Out Those Farm Surveys
Marilyn Holt
November 4th, 2008

I completed the Kitsap Community Agriculture Survey for Abundantly Green Certified Organic Vegetables as soon as I received it last week. In the past several weeks, I completed two other surveys, including the big national agricultural census sent out every few years.

Why would I do this? It exposes my farm to scrutiny (”you shouldn’t let them know you exist”), it takes time (”I’m busy farming, I don’t have time for this c***”), and it makes me think about what we are doing (”I don’t even want to think about this”). I do this because I want the people who allocate money, designate zoning, and set public policy to recognize our farm and our customers. If they don’t know we are here, we will most certainly be run over by progress.

I cannot count the number of times that I have been told that there are no farms in Kitsap County. In the summer of 2000 (what a way to start a new century and a new millennium), we (my husband Cliff and I) had to really take over from my father. I called everyone who claimed they had something to do with farming about what my options were and where we could get some help. I swung between being disappointed to being outraged by the responses.

One state group promised to send me information on hiring farm workers: that never came. The job of the county extension agent was in flux at that point (things have gotten better), after a bizarre conversation (”6 acres is not a farm.” “I said 60 – six zero – acres.” “There aren’t any farms that size in Kitsap.” “We have owned and farmed this property since 1892. Mr. Peterson in Silverdale has more land and farms it.”) that fellow never got back to me (I think he was losing his job at that moment, to cut him some – what – slack?).

Since our first frustrating experience with the WSU Extension for Kitsap County, we now have Arno Bergstrom as our Extension Agent. His classes on farming are popular and helpful. This year they produced a beautiful and interactive Kitsap County Farm Map.

The other people who did help were the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) who knew we existed, and sent me to some websites (come on State Legislators give these hard working people some money), and answered some questions. They knew we were here. They knew my father was declining in health and farming, and they cared that we kept on farming. My parents and before them my grandparents had filled out the state farm census every time it was out. I had one buried in my father’s unopened mail (several feet of it), and they sent us another copy and then interviewed us on the phone. It really was not much, but it gave us a little boost.

A few years later we discovered the Kitsap Conservation District. What wonderful people. They have been here in Kitsap County since 1949. They don’t have much money, but they are doing a great deal to help landowners take care of their property, preserve the integrity of steams, and help animal owners control the mud problems that are inevitable every winter. These may seem like trivial issues, but maintaining a clean and healthy planet, county, or farm is like washing you dishes or sweeping your floor: either you can live in a nice home or in a pit; it’s your choice.

The Kitsap Conservation District and members of the Kitsap 20/20 Agriculture Task Force sponsored the Kitsap Community Agriculture Survey. If you are a farmer, and I don’t care if your grow vegetables on top of your garage in town and sell or give them to your neighbors, or if you have 20,000 acres of forest land, or something in between, fill it out. Federal, State, and County budgets depend on it.

I ask you this, if you are hesitating to fill out the survey: where would you prefer your taxes to be spent, on farms, ranches, and local food, or more those things that destroy local farms, forests, and land?

We, as a community, must take this opportunity being offered by the governing body of Clark County to show them that we honor, desire, and respect the idea of preserving local agriculture. Although the Farm Preservation initiative is merely a committee with some good ideas at this time, it can grow into something tangible and valuable with our support. We must not let the future of our farmland and our local food system be decided by developers and their political cronies. We must not allow further compromise of our local food system. This is YOUR chance to make YOUR voice heard. I implore you to take a few minutes to gather your thoughts and take the online survey as soon as possible. The deadline to submit your comments is November 17th. Let our elected officals know that our community supports it's farms and farmers and we expect them to do the same!

SURVEY LINK