King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks Blog
From Director True: Producing lasting results under extraordinary circumstances Protecting and restoring the natural environment in one of the fastest-growing metropolitan
Continue readingProducing lasting results under extraordinary circumstances
From scorching summertime heat to sustained seasonal flooding, climate change isn’t a theoretical exercise in King County: It’s real, and it’s happening now. King County is taking action to lessen the harmful impacts of climate change to people and our shared environment.Continue readingClimate actions: At home, at work, and everywhere in between, King County is delivering integrated solutions for a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable future
“I want to see small gardens all over the city,” says Victoria Plumage, coordinator at Sovereignty Farm. The farm launched this year with the goals of providing a space for Native American residents of King County to grow culturally significant foods and employing several members of the Chief Seattle Club as apprentices.Continue readingSovereignty Farm’s Victoria Plumage reflects on the project’s first year
As many farmers markets across King County wind down until next summer, the Local Food Initiative team wanted to share another way you can source fresh, local produce, and even have it delivered to your doorstep. We spoke with Chris Teeny, co-owner of Pacific Coast Harvest (PCH) and Farmstand Local Foods, about what these brands are doing to make it easy for individuals – and for larger customers such as restaurants – to support local growers.Continue readingPacific Coast Harvest and Farmstand Local Foods: Sending out and scaling up local food
Rows of kale, eggplant, corn, and other late summer vegetables extend for nearly 5 acres across one corner of Horseneck Farm in early September, located just a few miles south of downtown Kent. On a clear day, Mt. Rainier towers behind the trees in the distance. This setting – a small, green retreat within a hub of manufacturing – is just one of five King County-owned farms leased to area farmers through its Farmland Leasing Program. The goal is for marginalized and beginning farmers to have land access to grow their agricultural businesses despite increasingly expensive property prices across the county.Continue readingHorseneck Farm: Preserved for agriculture, now increasing access for diverse growers
epartment of Agriculture. While beekeeping is often done in rural areas, with some hives being transported farm to farm to foster pollination, a small company is supporting local farms and bottling honey produced in the Seattle metro area through a network of beehive hosts.Continue readingRainy Day Bees partners with local farms, other hive hosts, in creative approach to local honey production
On a typical day, you can find Caitlin Ames harvesting vegetables, guiding interns and volunteers, and generally keeping tabs on the ever-evolving to-do list at Matsuda Farm, where they have been manager for five years.Continue readingMatsuda Farm growing food and community on Vashon Island
According to the nonprofit ReFED, over a third of food products in the U.S. went to waste in 2019. From crops that are unharvested, to grocery stores that stock excess inventory, to shoppers who buy more than they can use, food waste propels climate change and harms the budgets of key players in our food system.Continue readingKing County joins West Coast states and cities to reduce food waste
As temperatures spiked above 100 degrees last month, many Pacific Northwest residents struggled to keep cool, seeking respite in the water or in air-conditioned spaces such as cooling centers. For farmers across King County, these extreme temperatures presented additional challenges of working safely outdoors and protecting vulnerable livestock and crops.Continue readingPreparing King County farms for extreme summer conditions
Don’t miss this free event at Marymoor Park on Aug. 21! Enjoy a farmers market, live music, local food vendors and booths with interactive, sustainability-themed activities.Continue readingKing County Parks cancels Aug. 21 food celebration CHOMP! to protect health as delta variant COVID-19 cases surge