North Olympic Land Trust launches farmland conservation campaign

Published 4:20 am Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Recognizing both the community importance of farmland and the dramatic loss of these lands across Clallam County, the North Olympic Land Trust is spearheading a targeted effort to conserve the critical acres that remain.

In working toward this goal, the Land Trust is launching a “Friends of the Fields” campaign on Thursday, Sept. 1. Thanks to a small number of lead donors, 60 percent of the $125,000 campaign goal already has been met, but full community support is critical in achieving success.

Late last year, the Land Trust secured state funding toward the permanent preservation of the 60-acre Historic Ward Farm. Upon success, this community campaign will raise the additional funds needed to not only ensure the Historic Ward Farm is forever available for agriculture, but other farmland in the hopper for possible protection.

“There are a lot of pressures leading to the conversion of our remaining farmland into other purposes,” said Tom Sanford, North Olympic Land Trust executive director.

To date, the Land Trust has conserved 460 acres of local farmland, such as Dungeness Valley Creamery, Finn Hall Farm and Freedom Farm. Although great strides have been made to protect the local farmland resource, Clallam County has lost over 75 percent of its farmland since 1950.

“The work to conserve the remaining rural landscape from Agnew to Sequim Bay is not yet complete,” Sanford said. “Thousands of acres of rich fertile soils and critical habitat remain unprotected.”

The Historic Ward Farm is among those unprotected lands. Located at the heart of the Sequim-Dungeness Valley, along the Dungeness River, the farm is one of the oldest farms intact and in production since 1858. Currently farmed by Nash’s Organic Produce to grow seed and vegetable crops, the land continues to provide for the community.

“This land is a keystone piece of property … It’s situated in the middle of the valley, it’s right next to the river, it has really great soils and it has two wells on it,” said Nash Huber, owner of Nash’s Organic Produce. “During the 2015 growing season, the water on this farm was extremely important to us because we weren’t sure what our irrigation situation was going to be like.”

Because of conserved farmland, Huber is able offer young and aspiring farmers a career in agriculture, he said.

“Continuing to protect farmland like this (Historic Ward Farm) will strengthen the future of farming in Clallam County,” Huber said.

Local farmland helps to support the billions of dollars in food and agriculture products exported annually from Washington.

Despite its relatively small average farm size of 44 acres when compared to many counties east of the Cascades, Clallam County’s agricultural production value is $11 million and provides nearly 550 jobs with a payroll of $4.8 million, according to Washington State Department of Agriculture. (Figures based on the most recent 2012 Census of Agriculture by the U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Maintaining access to local farmland, however, is a pivotal part in ensuring the industries economic importance, food security, as well as the open space it provides, benefiting the overall community while creating essential wildlife habitat.

In 2016, the community has the opportunity to ensure some of the area’s most vulnerable, yet key pieces of farmland remain available for agriculture forever. This opportunity requires individuals within the community to invest in the land base that helps to sustain their daily quality of life on the North Olympic Peninsula.

To make a donation to the Friends of the Fields Campaign, visit www.northolympiclandtrust.org, call 471-1815 or mail a check to North Olympic Land Trust, 602 E. Front St., Port Angeles, WA. 98362.

About the North Olympic Land Trust

The North Olympic Land Trust is dedicated to the conservation of open spaces, local food, local resources, healthy watersheds and recreational opportunities. Its long-term goal is to conserve lands that sustain the ecological and economic vitality of the communities of Clallam County. Founded by community members in 1990, the Land Trust has conserved more than 3,200 acres of land across the North Olympic Peninsula by working with willing landowners to conserve the area’s farms, fish and forests.