Rainier Beach Farm Stand
Grand Opening
We invite you to visit the Rainier Beach Farm Stand on Saturdays, from 10 AM to 2 PM, beginning on June 16. The stand is part of the Ethiopian Community in Seattle and features healthy and affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. Purchases support the community’s local farmers of color and cultural arts. For more information, email Liya Rubio at liya@rbactioncoalition.org.
The farm stand received a $75,000 grant from the KCD-Seattle Community Partnership and funds farmer engagement to bring local produce to the community, recruitment and training of youth to conduct neighborhood outreach and run the farms, and creation of the weekly farm stand . Other efforts funded by the grant include the formation of a steering committee, partnership development and growing the wider community’s relationship with the Ethiopian Community in Seattle. |
 It’s Time to Think About
Your Winter Veggie Garden
By the first of June, most backyard gardeners have only just finished planting out their beds and are looking forward to summer’s bounty of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. However, KCD’s Community Ag Crew want you to consider the benefits of cover cropping and to make plans to pick up a FREE sample bag of cover crop seed to incorporate into your winter garden.
In addition to improving soil structure by avoiding soil compaction/erosion from winter rains, cover crops help keep valuable nutrients in the soil, suppress weeds and create habitat and food for native pollinators.
Beginning August 1, KCD will be making available FREE cover crop seed to any backyard gardener who has submitted a soil test through KCD (also a FREE service through KCD!). You can pick up your seed and instructions at our office in Renton, our volunteer events or at the following farmers markets (look for the KCD booth):
- Kirkland Farmers Market - Wednesday, August 8
- Auburn Farmers Market - Sunday, August 12
- Issaquah Farmers Market - Saturday, August 25
- Bellevue Farmers Market - Thursday, September 6
- Shoreline Farmers Market - Sunday, September 9
- Ballard Farmers Market - Sunday, September 16
- Wallingford Farmers Market - Wednesday, September 26
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 KCD Helps Install
Native Pollinator Strips
at Highline Community
College's Sonju Orchard
KCD is partnering with Daisy Sonju Community Park Garden and Orchard and Highline Community College to install native pollinator strips in their apple orchard. On June 1, KCD staff and volunteers gathered to prepare the site. Together we mowed, de-turfed and leveled two strips totaling 1,100 square feet. These strips will be solarized with clear plastic over the hot summer months to kill invasive plants and weeds and prepare the site for native plants.
Native meadows provide food and habitat to our native pollinators, from butterflies to bees. In turn, they have been shown to significantly increase yield by attracting an increased number of pollinators and more efficient pollinators to surrounding agricultural crops.
Join us in August (for more information, visit kingcd.org/events) for the final day of installation and education. Learn how to grow a native pollinator meadow from seed, as well as basic pollinator literacy. We will give a tour of the site and seed the two strips with mixes of perennial and annual flowers and grasses, and install some mason bee boxes.
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2018 Washington State
Envirothon Recap
KCD Staff recently attended the 2018 Washington State Envirothon competition in Okangoan. Students from across Washington competed to win a place in the National competition in Idaho this summer. The King County team, Ingraham High School, took second place overall. The winning team from Okanogan High School will represent Washington at the National competition this summer. Click HERE for more information. (Photo credit to Okanogan Conservation District.) |
KCD Equipment
Loan Program
It’s about that time to drop some lime! Did you know that you can rent a new Rhino Limer Drop Spreader from KCD? We also have a poultry processing unit, no-till seed drill, manure spreader, hay probe and two weed wrenches for rent. Please visit the KCD Tools webpage to check availability and rent or borrow any of our equipment. Contact Kevin Watson for more information at farmservicesip@kingcd.org or 425-282-1952.
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Keeping Farmland Active:
Washington FarmLink
June 16, Enumclaw
Our region is losing farmland at an alarming rate and many landowners feel the draw of developers. Meanwhile, aspiring farmers are struggling to get access to farmable land, despite many acres of farmland in our region standing idle.
There are good solutions to these issues! Join Washington FarmLink/Tilth Alliance on Saturday, June 16, from 10 AM to Noon for a tour of a local Enumclaw farm and hear how its owner found innovative solutions to fully utilize the available land. You'll also hear from several other local landowners and the farmers they lease to about how they found funding and creative ways to share farmland and created mutually beneficial lease agreements. The FarmLink program is funded through a KCD Regional Food System Grant.
Click HERE to register. For more information, please contact Julie Kintzi at farmlink@tilthalliance.org or (206) 633-0451, ext. 129. |
 Calendar of Events
June 7: Better Ground Ambassador Orientation, Renton
Train to represent KCD at events like the King County Fair, Vashon Sheepdog Classic or CHOMP Food Festival (training held monthly).
June 9: Building a Riding Arena Tour and Workshop, Hobart
Learn how to make the right choices for you and your horses, land and natural resources.
June 9: KCD Stream Restoration Work Party, Redmond
Help restore a salmon bearing stream by spreading mulch and laying burlap to protect young plants.
June 9: KCD Native Plant Nursery Volunteer Day, Renton
Help KCD staff maintain trees and plants used in King County projects and earn native plants.
June 9: Hour for the Ocean Cleanup, Various Locations
Help Seattle Aquarium celebrate World Oceans Day by joining a one-hour clean-up at a beach near you.
June 10: Pollinator Garden/Tree Stewardship Work Party, Seattle
Help weed, mulch and pick up trash at the Bayview Triangle Pollinator Garden.
June 14: KCD Super Simple Horse Keeping Tour, Maple Valley
Learn super-simple techniques for keeping horses.
June 15: KCD Natural Pest Solutions For Your Farm Presentation, Issaquah
Learn eco-friendly, least-toxic ways to manage weeds, bugs and odors for your farm and horses.
June 15: KCD Native Plant Nursery Volunteer Day, Renton
Help KCD staff maintain trees and plants used in King County projects and earn native plants.
June 16: Keeping Farmland Active - Washington FarmLink Tour, Enumclaw
Learn how a local farmer and others found innovative solutions to fully utilize available land.
June 16: Earth Corps Volunteer Event at Leschi Park, Central Seattle
Help improve the forest and remove aggressive weeds.
June 20: KCD Twilight Tour Stream Walk, Kent
See a shoreline restoration project using native plants to revitalize an area once taken over by invasive weeds.
June 20: Get Your Hands Dirty at the Duwamish Shoreline!, Tukwila
Help combat invasive weeds along the shoreline of the Duwamish.
June 21: Econet Summer Solstice Happy Hour Event at The Woods in SoDo, Seattle
Mingle and network with other individuals working in the field of environmental education, advocacy, and outreach in King County.
June 23: Green Lake/Licton Springs Work Party, North Seattle
Help remove invasive weeds threatening the area’s trees.
June 23: Snoqualmie Ridge Bog Work Party, Snoqualmie
Help remove invasive weeds and learn about the bog.
June 25: Lake Weed Watcher Training, Sammamish
Learn how to identify and survey for aquatic weeds in small lakes in King County.
June 26: KCD Veggie Van Tour of Community Gardens in King County, Renton
Tour 4 garden sites to discover what local schools, parks and places of worship are doing to promote the access of fresh, healthy food within their communities. |
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Building a Riding Arena
Tour and Workshop
June 9, Hobart
So you want to build a riding arena? What considerations are there beyond how big to make it and the location? Join us on Saturday, June 9, from 9 AM to Noon for this FREE tour and workshop at Two Cedars Farm in Hobart.
The first half of this workshop will be a presentation and discussion on considerations, regulations and resources (bring a folding chair if desired). The second part will be a tour of the on-site 20x48 meter covered dressage arena (dress for the weather) where you can see this farm's approach to paddock, pasture and manure management as well as barn organization.
Learn how to make the right choices for you and your horses, land and natural resources. To register, visit KCD's Eventbrite page, call (425) 282-1949 or email signup@kingcd.org.
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June Farm Tour Features
Super Simple Horse Keeping
June 14, Maple Valley
Join us for this FREE tour of Canter Creek Farm in Maple Valley on Thursday, June 14, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Learn how this landowner simplified her life and laid out chore-efficiency plans for this two-horse, two-goat, four-acre property. Some of the super-simple techniques you’ll see include easy-to-maintain fencing; employing goats for chemical-free blackberry and weed control; manure composting next to sacrifice area; hay loading/unloading without specialized equipment needs; a special hay storage platform that preserves hay and minimizes rodent infestation; and much more!
To register, visit KCD's Eventbrite page, call (425) 282-1949 or email signup@kingcd.org.
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Presentation: Natural Pest
Solutions For Your Farm
June 15, Issaquah
Are weeds or flies a problem on your horse or livestock property? Join KCD and Alayne Blickle of Horses for Clean Water for a FREE presentation on Friday, June 15, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at The Grange in Issaquah. We’ll l look at eco-friendly, least-toxic ways to manage weeds, bugs, and odors. Make your place nicer for you, your horses, and the natural world! Join us for light snacks and fun educational tips. Click HERE for registration and more information. |
Twilight Tour Stream Walks
June 20, Kent
June 28, Auburn
Ever been curious about what it takes to return your stream to a more natural state and support fish and wildlife habitat, increase property aesthetics, and decrease maintenance needs? Then join us for one of two FREE upcoming Twilight Tours where you’ll see a shoreline restoration project that's using native plants to revitalize an area once taken over by invasive weeds.
Register for a tour near you:
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Brown Bag Lunch Seminar:
Restoring Land for
Pollinator Health
June 26, Seattle
Join the Xerces Society, EcoNet and the King Conservation District for aspecial brown-bag lunch event on Tuesday, June 26, from 12:30 to 1:30 PM at the Seattle Public Central Library. This workshop was designed specifically for this event and will appeal to restoration professionals, conservationists and landowners interested in implementing pollinator restoration projects.
Pollinators play a critical role in seed set and plant reproduction; fostering them on your restoration site can be an asset for long-term recovery. Learn the basics of pollinator ecology and how to work pollinator recovery into your restoration plan. Discover how you and your team can capitalize on existing work and maximize your impact for multiple species recovery. Click HERE to register.
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Where the Water Begins
June 30, Seattle
July 14, Federal Way
Is your marine bluff or beach property eroding or jeopardizing your house? Do you want to manage vegetation to stabilize slopes while maintaining a beautiful view of Puget Sound? The King Conservation District invites you to attend Where the Water Begins, a FREE workshop developed for property owners along the marine shorelines of King County.
This workshop will provide participants with an opportunity to learn about the ecological, geological and vegetation management issues associated with owning property Where the Water Begins. Hear presentations from local experts and stay for an optional field trip to see examples of all topics discussed. Register for a workshop near you
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Become a
Better Ground Ambassador
Are you interested in going to the King County Fair, farmer’s markets or CHOMP Food Festival? Sign up to volunteer with KCD as a Better Ground Ambassador! Orientation trainings are held each month. Click HERE for more information and to register. |
Looking For a Career in Natural Resource Conservation?
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AmeriCorps
Member & Veteran
Kevin Watson Says Working
with KCD "Amazing"
After serving 5 years with the NAVY, Kevin Watson joined KCD as its Farm Services Projects Coordinator. He is an AmeriCorps member and part of the Mt. Adams Institute VetWorks Environment program, an eleven-month career development internship program for military veterans interested in the natural resources management, public lands, and environment sector.
" KCD has been amazing, like one big family. Having Michael Mendez, a fellow Mt. Adams intern, working at KCD with me has been great." Read more of Kevin's story in his own words at https://mtadamsinstitute.org/vetswork-one-big-family-at-kcd/. |
Meet Andrew Jones, KCD's New Administrative Assistant
Administrative Assistant Andrew Jones recently joined KCD. He has over 15 years of experience in providing office support to various-sized companies, including Seattle City Light and King County Department of Health/Human Services. He enjoys supporting customers and providing excellent office coordination. Andrew has learned many things from working with diverse teams of coworkers and hopes to incorporate that knowledge into his work at KCD. Outside of work, Andrew likes spending time with family and friends, doing Zumba, and learning about marine wildlife.
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Meet Yuliy Makhovitskiy,
KCD's Newest
Finance Coordinator
Yuliy Makhovitskiy joined KCD’s finance team in January and currently serves as Finance Coordinator. Yuliy graduated from the University of Washington – Tacoma in 2017 with a BA in Business Administration. He has lived in the Pacific Northwest for over 20 years. When not working, he enjoys traveling, running and spending time outside.
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