From Allen's Desk
Welcome to From Allen’s Desk - a look at what’s happening in the world of Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland.
Our communities have a bevy of needs: housing, water, transportation and commerce just to name a few. It’s no wonder the pressure on our farmlands is so great. We get it!
There’s a lot we have to accomplish and there no easy answers. Our work involves the delicate balance of meeting our needs while also protecting our natural environment and the farmlands that sustain us.
In this latest issue of From Allen’s Desk, we share some of the big picture challenges and our policy work around them. We also share some of the fun things we’re doing – our inFARMation programs underway and under development!
Be Bird Wise
After a year of building a program, we are excited to share that the Be Bird Wise Partner Committee launched our inaugural Be Bird Wise education campaign, with a pilot project on Fir Island, to run the entire month of April, coinciding with the Tulip Festival.
The purpose and mission of the Be Bird Wise program is to promote responsible behavior while viewing migratory birds on the agricultural landscape.
The primary goals for the program at this time are to work to 1.) Reduce instances of unsafe and/or illegal parking alongside roads and private property and 2.) Reduce incidents of trespassing on private lands through public education.
Through social media, printed publications and signage, the Be Bird Wise campaign will be working to reach out to visitors already coming to visit Skagit Valley. It will provide information about how to interact with birds on agricultural fields in a way that is respectful of the privately owned farmland, which tens of thousands of waterfowl annually make their home.
You can read our latest The Dirt blog on Be Bird Wise HERE.
A big Thank You to Skagit County Lodging Tax Fund, HF Sinclair Puget Sound Refinery, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, the Tulalip Tribe and Richard Hartung for providing support to this new initiative.
And a big Thank You to the Be Bird Wise Partner Committee: Ducks Unlimited, La Conner Chamber of Commerce, Skagit Audubon Society, Skagit Conservation District, Skagit Guided Adventures, Skagit Tourism Bureau, Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife and the Western Washington Agricultural Association.
2023 Spring Farm Tour
Our popular 2023 Spring Farm Tour is just around the corner! This year’s Spring Farm Tour will be on Friday, May 19th and will be focusing on the farms nestled into the foothills of the North Cascades. We are excited to be taking guests to Sauk Farm, Eagle Haven Winery, Foothills Farm and Fender Farm.
Your $60.00 per person ticket includes a continental breakfast, lunch and snacks, not to mention a fabulous day visiting four farms.
We only have only have 46 seats available and tickets sell fast! For more information about this year’s Spring Farm Tour and reserve your seats – click HERE.
Our Valley Our Future Breakfast Event
The 2023 Our Valley Our Future Breakfast event is fast becoming a do-not-miss event in Skagit County!
Our breakfast event is a special moment when community can take time to recognize those people whose impact on the past, present and future of agriculture are noteworthy.
This year’s breakfast will be held on Wednesday, June 21st at McIntyre Hall in Mount Vernon and feature Steve Mantle, Founder/CEO of Innov8 Ag as our 2023 Keynote Speaker
This year we are pleased to be recognizing Steve Sakuma as our Community Legacy in Agriculture Award winner and Kirk Damon of Ag West Implement as our Innovation in Agriculture Award winner. Student nominations are being submitted as we speak and the student selection committee will announce our Achievement in Agricultural Award winner very soon!
Learn more about our breakfast event and past award winners HERE.
There will be opportunity to make a gift of support to SPF during the breakfast.
Joint Legislative Taskforce on water
As part of our participation on the Washington State Joint Legislative Taskforce on Water (Taskforce) as one of two agricultural representatives, along with the Skagit County Drainage and Irrigation Districts Consortium (Consortium), we are pleased to report the Taskforce approved an update to the 22-year old study, dubbed the Duke Study, as recommended by the Washington State Academy of Sciences late last year.
You can read their recommendations HERE.
At the time of the original study, the science did not exist to accurately evaluate river flows in the tidally influenced portion of the Skagit River. The decision at the time was to largely rely on information from above the river gauge in Mount Vernon with limited information from the lower river to inform decisions/rule making.
The lower Skagit River is the only place in Washington State where an instream flow rule is applied downstream of a river gauge and in a tidally influenced portion of a river.
Contracts were signed with the Washington Water Research Center at the beginning of July this year to conduct the study. The Washington State Academy of Sciences will conduct a peer review of the study when completed in late 2024.
The Consortium is working with a science panel to help develop the scope of work for the new study along with other stakeholders on the Taskforce.
With the contracts now signed for the updated study, SPF and the Consortium have expanded the local Skagit Ag. Water Advisory Group (SAWAG) to broad representation of agricultural landowners and operators along with irrigation and drainage district commissioners.
The SAWAG is helping SPF and the Consortium to inform the scope of work for the update to the Duke study. This will include helping to determine what water management scenarios the new study should evaluate.
You can stay updated on the progress of SPF and the Consortium’s work on the Taskforce by going to the Studies & Reports page on SPF Website where we are posting information about the Water Taskforce and related information.
You can get to the Task Force page directly by going HERE.
Seattle City Light
SPF is continuing to support and coordinate with local partners as they work with Seattle City Light and the City of Seattle to address local concerns related to the operation of the City of Seattle’s hydro facilities in the upper reaches of the Skagit Watershed.
Late last year SPF, along with local leaders and the farming community, supported Skagit County in the adoption of an ordinance prohibiting off-site compensatory mitigation on Skagit County’s remaining prime farmland.
This past January, SPF joined Tribal leaders, Skagit officials and farmers to provide public testimony directly to the Seattle City Council on Wednesday, calling on the City of Seattle and Seattle City Light to work with local stakeholders in the Skagit and support local and tribal requests that Seattle provide safe flood storage consistent with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommendation, as well as fish passage at the dams. You can see KING 5 News’ story and coverage HERE.
On February 24th both the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS) issued letters to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) supporting Tribal leaders, Skagit officials and local leaders request for additional flood storage and fish passage at the three dams.
You can read the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s letter HERE.
You can read the National Marine Fishery Service’s letter HERE.
Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland is continuing to support local government in calling on Seattle leadership to more effectively address local concerns. It is unacceptable for the City of Seattle to retain all the benefits of cheap Skagit electricity while imposing all the costs and mitigation of their facilities on Skagit residents and property owners.
SPF Perennial Membership
We are excited to announce that this year we have launched our new SPF Perennial Member program. Perennial members support SPF’s work through a sustained monthly gift.
New or existing supporter of SPF? Enrolling into SPF’ Perennial monthly giving program is easy!
For as little as one latte a month, you can give the gift of steady, reliable support to SPF.
Since we know we will be able to count on your monthly support, we are able to decrease our fundraising expenses and put more of your contribution directly into programs and our mission!
How does SPF’s Perennial program work?
It’s simple; your contribution is automatically charged from your credit/debit card each month. Your membership continues uninterrupted but you can increase, decrease or stop your monthly gift at any time.
Enroll today and give a little each month to make a HUGE Impact!
Volunteer Opportunities
From our Crop ID signs and Youth InFARMation programs to Farm Tours and our annual Celebrate Skagit Harvest Dinner & Auction and the Our Valley Our Future business breakfast, we need and count on our volunteers. SPF has been very blessed with the dedication of our community, and are always happy to working with new people.
Among our volunteer opportunities:
We are looking for volunteers to help with tracking the crops and updating the signs as farmers rotate crops in and out of fields along our Crop ID Sign routes.
Our annual business breakfast Harvest Dinner & Auction relies on volunteers to keep the events running smoothly.
Our Youth InFARMation program is a very fun event for our volunteers, engaging with 3rd and 5th graders on farm tours and helping create STEM kits for young learners.
We hope if you have some time on your hands and you would like to engage with SPF that you’ll be in touch!
Please contact Rachel Sorrels by email at rachel@skagitonians.org, or call the SPF office at (360) 336-3974.
Thank you for your continued support!
We are grateful for the support of our SPF members, donors, funders and sponsors - and for the community as a whole as we work together to protect and preserve Skagit farmland and farming—and all that comes with it!
With gratitude,
