10 Farms in Washington Awarded State Grant Funds

Press Release
April 1, 2008
Contact: Jill Wasberg, 206.748.0082

Seattle – The Legislature approved a total of $4.7 million in state grants for counties to preserve 10 farms, benefiting valuable agricultural land throughout the state. The funding source is the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP), a state grant program that funds wildlife habitat, parks and farmland projects. Those farms include:

• Peoples Ranch, Snohomish County, $750,000
• Glendale Farm, Jefferson County, $546,737
• Ebey's Reserve Farmland - Engle, Island County,    $750,000
• Terry's Berries Farm, Pierce County, $291,370
• Orting Valley Farms, Pierce County, $750,000
• Willie Greens Organic Farm, Snohomish County, $78,210
• Rattlesnake Hills Working Rangelands, Yakima County, $576,650
• Useless Bay East Farmland, Island County, $500,000
• Crown-S Ranch Farmland, Okanogan County,  $213,750
• Biderbost Farm, Snohomish County, $280,710

The WWRP is a nationally recognized grant program that has funded the protection and preservation of over 350,000 acres of parks and wildlife habitat throughout the state since 1990. In 2005, the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, chief advocate for WWRP funding, passed an amendment to expand the grant program to help cities and counties preserve farmland.  The farms are valuable for what they produce, while serving as habitat, buffers against urban expansion, and as a filter for clean water.

Because community support is one of the criteria for these competitive grants, the WWRP Farmland Preservation Program creates a unique opportunity for cities and counties to partner with conservation groups and landowners.  Generally, a local land trust proposes the project to their city or county and partners with them to apply to the state for the grant.

WWRP Farmland Preservation grants can be used for conservation easements to help farmers sell the development rights on their land. This lifts the financial pressure to develop and allows them to continue farming their land. If the landowner chooses to conserve some portion of the farm as wildlife habitat, the grant money can compensate them for this cost.

The WWRP’s competitive ranking system takes into account several criteria including (but not limited to):

• Agricultural value to the region and the state
• Viability of the farm for continued agricultural production well into the future
• Types of wildlife habitat on the farmland and quality of the habitat to fish and wildlife
• Whether or not the farmland habitat is specifically recommended for preservation as part of a watershed plan, habitat conservation plan or other coordinated region wide prioritization effort
• Community support for the project

2008 Farmland Preservation grant recipients include:

Peoples Ranch, Snohomish Co.
Peoples Ranch is in Tualco Valley, an agricultural area that is fertile but threatened by encroaching development. Peoples Ranch is the center of operations for the Hollandia Dairy Farm and milks 500 cows, grows and harvests 130 acres of green chop, and raises milk and heifer cattle. A $750,000 WWRP grant will help preserve 240 acres of farmland at Peoples Ranch.

Glendale Farm, Jefferson Co.
Glendale is an organic beef farm that has been in operation since 1857. Its proximity to the busy Chimicum intersection makes it vulnerable to commercial and residential development. The WWRP grant of $546,737 will help preserve 150 acres of pasture of prime soils, as well as 23 acres of forest and half a mile of Chimicum Creek that provide habitat for salmon, trumpeter swans, eagles, hawks, and many other species.

Ebey’s Reserve Farmland– Engle, Island Co.
Ebey’s Reserve Farmland has been actively farmed for over 155 years and produces alfalfa, wheat, barley, corn and produce. A $750,000 WWRP grant will help protect 83 acres and connect the farm with hundreds of acres of farmland already protected by the National Park Service.

Terry’s Berries Farm, Pierce Co. 
Terry’s Berries Farm hosts hundreds of students every year who want to learn about sustainable farming. A $291,370 WWRP grant will assist in the purchase of Terry's Berries' development rights, allowing the owners' heirs to handle the family property when the farm is passed on to them, ensuring the farm is protected in the future.

Orting Valley Farms, Pierce Co.
$750,000 in funding from the WWRP will help private organic farmers to establish five working farms within the 100-acre Orting Valley farm.  The county will purchase development rights, reducing some of the economic pressure on the farms. Located on the Puyallup River, the farms have been active since the late 1800s and also provide habitat for White River Elk.

Willie Greens Organic Farm, Snohomish Co.
Willie Greens is a valuable component of Snohomish County’s agricultural economy. It produces 50 varieties of organic fruits, vegetables, and berries, and wholesales them to companies in the Seattle area and at regional farmers’ markets. $78,210 in WWRP funding protects 42 acres of historic farmland.

Rattlesnake Hills Working Rangelands, Yakima Co.
Yakima County will use $576,650 in WWRP funds to purchase development rights on 1,229 acres of private livestock grazing land in the rapidly developing Rattlesnake Hills. This protection will help the landowner counteract offers from developers who would have built a golf course on the land. The grant will help preserve a wildlife corridor for sage grouse, jackrabbits and hawks, and it will keep the land in active operation for generations to come. 

Useless Bay East Farmland, Island Co.
Useless Bay East Farmland on Whidbey Island has supported crops and pasture since 1915. The property, which contains agricultural fields, wetlands, and riparian areas, is adjacent to 500 acres of protected wetlands at Deer Lagoon. This makes it a vital component of the watershed ecosystem and valuable wildlife habitat.  It was at immediate risk of development, but a $500,000 WWRP grant will preserve this ecologically valuable farmland from being divided up into six home sites.

Crown S Ranch Farmland, Okanogan Co. 
As the Methow Valley continues to grow more and more popular for residential development, its historic farmlands become more threatened. A $213,750 WWRP grant will help protect 50 acres of the Crown S Ranch Farmland, located two miles south of Winthrop, through a permanent conservation easement that will prevent subdivisions and limit development on the ranch land, whose organic products support the local economy.  

Biderbost Farm, Snohomish Co.
The Biderbost Farm in the Tualco Valley has been a family operated farm for the past 100 years. Snohomish County will use a $280,710 WWRP grant to purchase the development rights on 59 acres of the farm so that it can continue to be highly productive and support the local economy.

The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition leverages public funding for parks, trails and working farms. In the 2007 legislative session, the Coalition was the driving force behind doubling the appropriation for the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) to $100 million.  The WWRP is a government grant program that funds park, wildlife habitat and farmland preservation projects throughout Washington. This victory represents the largest single investment in parks and green space in state history and funds 135 projects all over the state.