Local Food Initiative – Page 2 – Keeping King County Green

More farmers on more farmland: SnoValley Tilth preparing growers for success at Snoqualmie River Farm

January 28, 2022March 31, 2022 kcdnrp

Snoqualmie River Farm – still known to some as Beyers Farm – sits along the Snoqualmie River in the heart of the Snoqualmie Valley’s farming community. When the Beyers family decided to sell the land, they wanted to ensure it stayed in agricultural production. King County purchased the site as part of the Farmland Preservation Program in 2019, and it includes 20 acres of rich farming land that are now available to beginning growers who have their sights set on commercial agriculture.Continue readingMore farmers on more farmland: SnoValley Tilth preparing growers for success at Snoqualmie River Farm

Local Food News

Cultivate South Park: Expanding food access and food justice though neighborhood led projects

January 28, 2022March 31, 2022 ggonzalezzapata

Right along the Duwamish River is a vibrant and resilient neighborhood named South Park, which is full of passionate, caring, and hardworking community members who are dedicated to creating a space for connecting and celebrating the gifts the neighborhood offers.Continue readingCultivate South Park: Expanding food access and food justice though neighborhood led projects

Local Food News

Pacific Coast Harvest and Farmstand Local Foods: Sending out and scaling up local food

October 25, 2021February 11, 2022 kcdnrp

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

Local Food News

Horseneck Farm: Preserved for agriculture, now increasing access for diverse growers

September 27, 2021February 11, 2022 kcdnrp

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

Local Food News

Rainy Day Bees partners with local farms, other hive hosts, in creative approach to local honey production

September 27, 2021October 29, 2021 kcdnrp

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

Local Food News

Matsuda Farm growing food and community on Vashon Island

August 24, 2021October 29, 2021 kcdnrp

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

Local Food News

King County joins West Coast states and cities to reduce food waste

August 24, 2021October 29, 2021 kcdnrp

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

Local Food News

Local food facilities could address gaps in the King County local food system

July 14, 2020September 23, 2020 kcdnrp

Numerous studies across the Puget Sound region have confirmed that there is insufficient kitchen, processing, packaging, storage space, and transportation capacity to adequately and efficiently connect local food producers with target markets. Much of the regional infrastructure needed to grow our local food economy no longer exists, is in need of improvement, or is not adequate to meet the needs of small and medium farms and food businesses in our region.Continue readingLocal food facilities could address gaps in the King County local food system

Land Conservation, Local Food News

Survey says… Washington farmer-landowner relationships are important for on-farm conservation

December 12, 2019 kcdnrp

In November, American Farmland Trust (AFT) released the Washington state fact sheet summarizing results from its Non-Operating Landowners (NOLs) survey that surveyed individually or partnership-owned lands. This survey revealed that there is significant opportunity for increased conservation practices on rented land to improve soil quality.

Since farming on rented land is very common in King County, these results are particularly valuable for our farming community.

“AFT conducted this survey in 11 states to learn more about NOL and renter relationships, communication in those relationships, conservation attitudes and behaviors, and conservation and outreach needs,” said Courtney Naumann, AFT Pacific Northwest Agricultural Stewardship Program Manager. “These results will help us understand who we should reach out to engage in conversations around agricultural stewardship, and how we can best serve demographics who fall into a renter/owner role.”Continue readingSurvey says… Washington farmer-landowner relationships are important for on-farm conservation

Local Food News

Winter is coming: How will you continue eating local foods?

November 8, 2019July 16, 2020 kcdnrp

There are many ways you can continue to eat local during winter months, including shopping at year-round markets, joining a winter CSA, visiting U-Picks and farm stands, knowing what’s in season, and eating at restaurants that source locally. These options not only support local farmers and the local food economy, but also allow consumers to buy farm fresh local food year round in King County!Continue readingWinter is coming: How will you continue eating local foods?