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

WSU 78th St. Master Plan - What's Happening at the Old Poor Farm

For those of you who have been following the somewhat limited and not overly public goings on at the former WSU Extension site on 78th Ave. here is a link that will get you up to speed on the county's proposed plan for the site.

WSU 78th Street Master Plan

This proposed plan has had and will have opportunities for public comment. If you want to give your input on what this site will be used for, please check the web site above for upcoming meetings. I imagine you could also contact Clark County sustainability coordinator, Pete Dubois, for more info.

Pete Dubois (360)397-6118 ext. 4961 or email him at pete.dubois at clark dot wa dot gov

Current proposed uses include:

* 6 acres hosting several hundred community garden plots and a community certified kitchen
* 15 acres of organic Community Supported Agriculture 'incubators', and a working farm
* 25+ acres of wetland conservation, watershed stewardship and forest conservation & habitat demonstrations, including research opportunities and demonstration agroforestry projects
* education opportunities for public schools and colleges in ecology, agriculture, and sustainable forestry as well as sustainable business management
* continuing education, research and demonstration of sustainable systems, including construction, farm scale land use practices, and 'cradle to cradle' food systems
* community open space and recreational opportunities, heritage education
* a clear vision that honors our past while embracing a future that gives our children a knowledge and vision of how to thrive

Sounds great? Right? I think so too. I hope things move along out there. I really like the idea of hundreds of additional community garden plots and a certified community kitchen. With the way the economy is moving, having a facility like this could go a long way towards helping the families of our community feed themselves.

There is one proposed use that isn't mentioned on the county's web site that I have some issues with....the establishment of another farmer's market. I'm not saying the idea doesn't have merit, but don't we have several farmer's markets in the county that already suffer from a severe lack of participating farmers? I'm not counting the large farms from out of state that set up shop at the Vancouver "Farmer's" Market. I'm talking about farmers who are living and working here in Clark County or at least in SW Washington. I also think the folks that operate the existing farmer's markets might have some valuable input on the concept of creating yet another competing market that could possibly be subsidized by county funding. I've always felt that farmer's markets best serve their community when they are located in areas that are well suited for pedestrian traffic and convenient to neighborhoods. I wonder how the idea of a market on the commercially oriented, heavily trafficked 78th Street, which would essentially require folks to drive there, fits in with a model of sustainability?

Another thing that troubles me is the shared use of the land by community gardeners and CSA Farmers. I would think there would need to be a rather strict set of guidelines in place to deal with disease control to prevent community gardeners from potentially transmitting pathogens to the CSA plots. Maybe I'm just thinking about this too hard though...

Despite my musings, this is shaping up to be one of the greatest projects Clark County has undertaken in recent memory in my humble opinion. I look forward to see how things develop out there.

If you're looking for an opportunity to check out the site first hand, don't forget about the FREE permaculture workshop & work party taking place at the 78th Street site on March 21st.

FREE Permaculture Workshop & Work Party 3.21.2009

Polycrop Orchard (aka 'Food Forest') Planting
Free Educational Workparty- Please Forward!

Facilitated by Deston Denniston,
Abundance Consulting

March 21, 2009
10am-3pm

clickable link to map:
WSU EXTENSION / Old Poor Farm
1919 NE 78th Ave
Vancouver Washington

Please join us for a day of polycrop orchard establishment! These systems have shown to the potential to be cornucopia strategy for food production, ecological balance, and economic return. By first addressing local food security, then developing food and craft commerce, many small farms are finding potentials for 20-80K in production per acre/year without need for industrial fertilizers and bio-cides. We will be planting about 10,000 sf (1/4 acre) of terraces with companion guilds of fruit trees, including nitrogen fixers, insectories, beneficial predator habitat, an herbaceous layer, and desirable fungi at the Old Poor Farm. This planting will be established on the terraces which Sepp Holzer led us in constructing March 7-8.

We will discuss irrigation, animal systems, maturation and other aspects of the whole system at a separate volunteer seminar, time and date TBA. Please let us know if you are interested in volunteering for this event, and well have a special training and potluck dinner for those attending the training.

Please plan for inclement weather and hope for sun; please bring warm water proof clothes, gloves, boots, etc.

Deston Denniston will offer an overview of the polyculture planting method early, sharing theory and application from 10am-11am, with planting proceeding through the early afternoon.

Refreshments will be available.

We intend to get the planting done by 3pm, and convene over food at a local eatery afterwards.

Please contact abundancepc at gmail dot com if you have any questions.

--
Deston Denniston, M.S., C.P.I.
Steward, Abundance Consulting LLC
www.abundancepermaculture.com
(360) 673-2124

Modern Organic Farming Class or So You Want to Be a Farmer Take II

This just in....

David Knaus, proprietor of Fresh Earth Gardens and one of Clark County's young agricultural pioneers, just informed me that he will be teaching a ten week course on modern organic farming methods at the old Poor Farm location on NE 78th. The course will run from January-March. This class will be an excellent primer for everyone from veteran farmers looking to learn some new/old tricks to novices who are thinking about starting their own farm. More details will be coming soon...

Cool stuff happening here folks! Stay tuned for further updates!