Season of Thanks

As the days grow shorter, our minds turn to farmers putting their fields to bed for the winter, and we find ourselves taking stock of all for which we are thankful. First and foremost, we are grateful to YOU, our steadfast supporters, who understand the importance of our mission, and support our long-term vision for preserving more farmland, in 2015 and beyond.

For some seasonal words of wisdom and inspiration, we look to the always eloquent Wendell Berry:

"It's mighty hard right now to think of anything that's precious that isn't endangered... There are no sacred and unsacred places; there are only sacred and desecrated places. My belief is that the world and our life in it are conditional gifts. We have the world to live in on the condition that we will take good care of it. And to take good care of it we have to know it. And to know it and to be willing to take care of it, we have to love it."

As we work to save local organic farmland forever, we endeavor to do our part; to take good care of our world; to value our conditional gifts of fertile farmland, hard-working farmers, and nourishing food.

Soon, you will receive an Annual Campaign letter from us in the mail. We're excited to share with you our call to action toward preservation work concentrated in the Puyallup Valley. You can also learn more here about why we're focusing on this region of Washington.

The most immediate and efficient form of support remains a donation. We ask that you consider joining us during this time of thanksgiving.

Together, we can protect that which is both sacred, and threatened.

Some last chances to get On the Farm in 2014!

Next weekend we have back-to-back opportunities for you to be out on the farm. Volunteer with us in Puyallup as we continue our important restoration of Ball Creek on the Historic Reise Farm with partners Pierce Conservation District and the Washington Conservation Corps.

And / or...

Join us at Jubilee Biodynamic Farm in the Snoqualmie Valley for educational birding. Led by local expert Alexia Allen, we'll walk the farm looking for feathered friends, learn identification techniques and discuss how healthy bird populations play a vital role in sustainable pest management.

Learn more & register for REISE FARM (NOV 8)
Learn more & register for JUBILEE BYODYNAMIC FARM (NOV 9)
 

Supporter Spotlight: Susan Henderson

As we move into our Annual Campaign season, we take a moment to recognize one of our loyal donors. Susan Henderson has been supporting the Trust since the very beginning- that's right, since 1999.  We were a one-person organization back then, and we were just about to help Nash Huber hold on to a precious piece of farmland in the Dungeness Valley. 

These days, we haven't just grown in size; we're dreaming bigger too. Learn more about the background of our current campaign, and then learn a little more about one of the donors who has supported us throughout our 15-year journey:
 
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m an ESL teacher at Edmonds Community College, and have been for 26 years.  I was born and raised in Seattle.  I lived in Japan for 3 years, where I first taught, and returned to Seattle to start my career here.

Please tell us why organic farming is of interest to you.
Organic farming and food are important all along the line of connection: from farmers and farmworkers to food sellers to consumers.  It’s healthier for all of us – and for Mother Earth.

What are your experiences with farms, growing up?
Back in the 60’s, when I was in elementary school, I remember going out to Carnation to the Dairy Barn.  For us city kids, it was fun to see cows on a real working farm.  And the visit always included an ice cream bar!  Off and on for about 20 years, my best friend and I would go to the Baylor Farm on the Skykomish River to get Halloween pumpkins.  Those were always magical visits.

What is your hope for farming and food production in the state of Washington?
I hope we can realize how precious our farmland—and farmers—are.  We need to protect the land, and the people who till it thoughtfully, from the mindless development that sees monetary gain as the deciding factor in all things.

Are you a PCC Farmland Trust supporter that would like to tell us why YOU care about saving local organic farmland forever?  We'd love to hear from you; please contact us at farmlandtrust@pccfarmlandtrust.org.

October Food & Farms in the News

From Modern Farmer:  5 writers who farmed.  Some usual suspects, some not.  A teaser:

“There is a flower that bees prefer,
And butterflies desire;
To gain the purple democrat
The humming-birds aspire.”

Speaking of authors, and Wendell Berry, Grist offers us a really lovely piece about our “modern-day Thoreau“.

People tend to assume that the Amish would farm using methods similar to those used in organic farming.  Turns out that’s generally not true at all.  However, Amish farmer Samuel Zook, who recently eschewed the use of pesticides and fungicides, talks about how he can smell the difference between healthy plants and unhealthy ones.

If we want to save the bees, we can’t only worry about banning the neonicotinoid pesticides proven to be of harm; we need also look at agriculture as a whole system. Other elements that make for happy bees include encouraging other complimentary pollinators, and providing more canopy cover and ground vegetation.

McDonalds reveals what’s actually in a Big Mac.  Click if you dare.

Its terrible name alone might have alerted them to trouble, but the EPA went right ahead and approved Dow’s new weed killer formula “Enlist Duo”. Many environmental groups issued exasperated responses, but the one that pretty much encapsulates why this is so troubling is from Mary Ellen Kustin, of the EWG, who declared, “this continued arms race between chemical companies and superweeds is a threat to sustainable farming and public health. EPA’s decision to up the ante of Roundup by approving Enlist Duo is unconscionable.”

Labels, labels, and more labels.  Organic, grass-fed…how about an environmental impact label specifically for beef?

In local news and opportunities, Washington State University will be offering an online graduate certificate in sustainable agriculture in the Spring of 2015.

And in our tradition of signing off on a light note, we give you Modern Farmer’s somewhat debatable “8 Farm Animals That Can’t Stop Laughing“.  Pretty sure that llama is, in fact, not feeling humorous.