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At the eighth annual Skagit Ag Summit, on Friday, Feb. 9, about 75 people working or interested in agriculture spent the day learning and sharing critical developments in local agriculture topics at the event hosted by WSU Skagit County Extension. During a panel discussion about economic viability, farmer Jason VanderKooy, co-owner of Harmony Dairy, answered a question about succession planning. It is one of the most difficult things in family farming, said VanderKooy. He recommended hiring...
Skagit County’s Farmland Legacy Program permanently protected another 425 acres of prime agricultural soil, with five farmland preservation projects in 2023. Protected farmland in Skagit County now totals 14,750 acres. The largest commitment is Alex Ball’s 300 acres near La Conner. Richard H. Ball pioneered the land after serving in the Civil War; the acreage reaches back five generations. The land is actively farmed by Jerry Nelson of Double N Potatoes. The decision to sell specific property rights so the land remains farmland no matter who...
Just as regular as the harvest, the time has arrived for the annual Skagit Ag Summit. It will convene Friday, Feb. 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Washington State University’s Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center. The meeting is an excellent place to learn more about the agricultural community in Skagit County and the issues affecting it, said Don McMoran, director of WSU Skagit County Extension. It also is a place to meet professionals from the field. Scheduled speakers include government employees and officials, academic and s...
Did you know that in Skagit County only 2% of the farms in the valley are over a thousand acres? Did you also know that 41% of farms in Skagit County are noted as residential or lifestyle farms, aka hobby farms? The face of farming has changed: There are fewer farms that are operating at a commercial level, or what would be considered financially self-sufficient operations. There are fewer new farmers entering the industry, as there are greater barriers to entry – more so then ever before. It takes years to see a rate of return when you are s...
The article from Nov. 15 about the Skagit County water outlook (“Skagit County water outlook complicated”) pointed out that the challenges related to low water flows on the Skagit River are becoming more complex. This is a big deal for both irrigation and energy production. With droughts and extreme weather events becoming more common, the Skagit River is under increasing pressure to meet the demands for irrigation, electricity, and instream-flows. One solution to ease this pressure is to support local solar power. It’s a quick and easy alterna...
In late autumn on the cusp of cool winter days, snow comes early to Washington when thousands of aloft avians, snow geese, land here in a flurry of white feathers. "We call it a snow storm, they just will move as one," said birder Julie Hagen. "It's just this chaotic whirlwind of birds, they move like a cloud and then they just lift up in the air." In late October, as the snow geese began landing in the Skagit Valley, Hagen went out to enjoy the sight that many Western Washington birders look fo...
Although these days some area fields are muddy with standing water in furrows, Skagit County remains in drought conditions. Future water supply is a critical question. Nick Bond, the state climatologist, visited Skagit County last Wednesday to speak on “Water Supplies in NW Washington State in Future Decades.” Compared with many places, Skagit’s outlook is not dire, yet emerging trends demand attention and adaptive measures. Bond’s key points included likely wetter winters and drier summers, issues stemming from timing for supplying water to ag...
Expect to see an exciting array of art when Art's Alive opens at Maple Hall this Friday at 1 pm. "Northwest Focus," this year's theme, was inspired by poster artist, greater La Conner resident and Town of La Conner Arts Commission member Craig Barber. "Craig's work in photography brought the word focus into it and all our artists are Northwest regional artists," said Sheila Johnson. She is a board member of the La Conner Arts Foundation, the 501c3 organization that plans and produces the show...
October was National Co-op Month, the annual celebration of this alternative way to engage with each other in our business dealings and thus as people in relationship with each other. National Co-op Month offers the time to reflect on and promote a more humane and sustainable way of living. The 2023 theme, “Owning Our Identity,” is, its champions write, “a chance to lift up what makes cooperative businesses unique in the marketplace. Guided by a set of shared principles and values – among them democracy, equity and solidarity – co-ops ar...
Autumn has arrived and settled in. The leaves are falling, the snow geese are returning and farm stand stock is thinning. The fresh produce season is transitioning. The farm stand at Hedlin's Family Farm officially closes on Halloween, but it may open on occasion in the days following. La Conner Gardens remains open all year as long as they have produce available. It also will continue at the Anacortes Farmers Market through their season ending Oct. 28. This season has been good for area...
Southern hospitality La Conner-style was on the menu at the La Conner Marina Friday night. A sold-out crowd enjoyed favorite dishes from farm and sea during the inaugural Skagit Tidewater Boil fundraiser for Genuine Skagit Valley, the organization established in 2013 to recognize the area's unique agricultural heritage. Literally taking a page from the Gulf Coast's famed southern crab boils, with prawns, spicy sausage, sweet corn, red potatoes and Dungeness crab dumped onto the two dozen tables...
I have been a part of our local farming community for sixty plus years now. I’ve seen more than half of the farm history in the region. I was able to observe the demise of peas, sweet corn and carrots. Now I’ve seen the arrival of dry beans, peppers, specialty grains and brussels sprouts. What new crop will we someday learn to grow, perhaps a new variety of quinoa or cauliflower? We could grow fish, but we’d rather grow cows and chickens. When I was young I worked the land, planted and tended the peas until they brought the industry to its knee...
Sometimes, at the center of a community's history is a barber's chair, swiveling this way and that and gathering up stories. Barbers are "always a repository of the past, because so much day-to-day life is part of the barbershop experience," said Mari Densmore, archivist at the Skagit County Historical Museum. Fortunately, two Skagit County barbers collected thousands of photographs that capture decades of Skagit history. The new exhibit at the Skagit County Historical Museum is "Barber...
"We know we're contending with Mother Nature every year," said Michael Hughes, a partner in Hughes Farm. That knowledge does not make farming any easier, especially when the river is low and the rains don't fall. This year's drought has produced mixed effects while forcing adjustments and acceptance. Skagit County has been in a state-declared drought since July 24. The county is also experiencing its sixth driest year to date, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System....
You may not know John Roozen – but you probably know his truck. On any given day, a red F250 Power Stroke diesel truck from the late 1990s may pass you on Calhoun or McLean roads – or may be parked in a field on your route. "John has about 500,000 miles on his Ford pickup," Dave Hedlin told attendees at the Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland auction last Saturday night. "About 100,000 of them are in support of the agricultural infrastructure of Skagit County, whether that's through the Ska...
Skagit County's Farmland Legacy Program has finalized two farmland preservation projects this August, permanently protecting another 60 acres of farmland from development. The La Conner farmland is managed by two families – the Rings and the Lillquists – each of whom are descendants of Isaac Dunlap who served as Skagit County's first County Commissioner in 1889. Together, all 60 acres are leased to Thulen Farms. Landowner Karl Lillquist, along with his nieces, nephews and uncle, John Ring, exp...
First term state lawmaker Clyde Shavers (D, Oak Harbor) brought plenty of energy to a downtown La Conner appearance last Thursday. And for the 10th District Democrat it was a case of substance matching style. That's because Shavers also brought with him to the 75-minute afternoon stop at Ravens Cup Coffee & Art Gallery on First Street a detailed update on clean energy legislation and policy measures both in Olympia and around the country. His audience, primarily founders of the La Conner-based...
An adhoc Agritourism Stakeholder Working Group created in July has submitted agritourism policy concepts to the Skagit County Planning Commissioners. The group's goal is to help the county shape code that lets large and small farmers and venue operators thrive. The group was formed after the Planning Commission's July 25 public hearing on agritourism zoning recommendations made by the county's Agricultural Advisory Board. Those recommendations proposed changing the definition of "agritourism" to...
Since 1990 Skagit County has protected farmland with good planning and county codes. The current Skagit County code prohibits non-agricultural uses on the 90,000 acres of farmland zoned Agriculture-Natural Resource Lands (Ag-NRL). The proposed code changes strengthen farmland protection and do not affect farming and agricultural activities. The code permits farmstands, CSAs, U-pick, farm stays, farmers markets, farm to table meals, processing and sales of value added products, nursery sales, farm tours, hayrides, public education programs and...
More than 500 people crowded Mount Vernon's Riverwalk Plaza last Wednesday, Aug. 9 in response to the Skagit Valley Food Co-op invitation to its 13,000 members and the general public to celebrate its 50th anniversary. There was food, of course, as staff served up bounty from their kitchen and deli, ending with cake and ice cream. The line to their food booth stretched out 30-people long for three hours, until by 7 p.m. the last of cantaloupe and watermelon was lonely in their trays....
Skagit County is officially in a drought emergency – but so far, some area farmers are having a pretty good year. Swanson Family Farm's berry crop was bountiful. "We went from a 10 percent crop and lots of freeze damage last year to a 110% crop this year," said Dean Swanson. He is already picking corn and thinks his cucumber and bean crops will be good. Potatoes "look good," said John Thulen of Pioneer Potatoes, "not lackluster, but not a crasher either, although some plants look stressed." P...
First to last, for 50 years the Skagit Valley Food Co-op has been about its member-owners. That, and the international principles embraced when the cooperative was founded as a buying club in a Presbyterian church basement in Mount Vernon in August 1973. "We would not exist without our members," said Nicole Vander Meulen, the Co-op's marketing and outreach director, Friday. "Let's start at the beginning ... YOU," the 2022 annual report proclaims next to the winding path of milestones depicting...
I attended the meeting of the Skagit County Planning Commission Tuesday, July 25, along with scores of others to express concern regarding proposed increased regulations for local farm families, many whom are already struggling to keep their family farm businesses viable. It is being reported that many limits and restrictions could be put in place to prevent celebration events and would even block new farm stands from opening. Many of the good people in the room have been the backbone of preserving Skagit farmland over the years, leading the...
“I just think food people are the best people,” said Danielle Halstead, Viva Farms development manager, when asked about her favorite thing about working with the organization. “People who grow food in the dirt are authentic and inspiring and anything I can do to help them is wonderful.” Executive Director Michael Frazier, shares that enthusiasm. It was visible as they led a tour last Wednesday evening. Attendees came from all parts of the Skagit Valley to learn more about Viva Farms and getting involved. Viva Farms was founded in 2009 to provi...
"I didn't realize Master Gardeners did so many things!" Skagit County Commissioner Lisa Janicki said as she addressed the standing-room only crowd in the Sakuma Auditorium at the Washington State University Extension Northwest Education and Research Center on Memorial Highway last Thursday. The audience chuckled knowingly, as Janicki listed some of the many community outreach programs handled by the volunteers. She had been reading the 50th Anniversary commemorative Master Gardener magazine...
