Task Force Farm Tour Agenda: Public Invited!

The May meeting of the Farmland Preservation Task Force will include a tour of King County agriculture. The tour will feature three full stops and two roadside pauses to take in what onboard speakers are discussing.
The first full stop will be the Kirkland Farmers Market, an urban farmers market that runs May through October in beauti-ful downtown Kirkland on the shores of Lake Washington. Here we will hear from market manager Stefeny Anderson. Ste-feny wears many hats as she also manages the Renton Farmers Market and is the secretary of the Washington State Farmers Market Association. She will be discussing among other things the role the Kirkland Market has in being an outlet for area farmers and the connection it has to the local community.
Next we will head over to Full Circle Farms. Full Circle Farms currently cultivates organically over 50 crops and 200 varie-ties of produce on 400 acres employing around 125 people. Their produce can be found in Seattle restaurants, farmer's mar-kets, and specialty grocers. An incredible fact about Full Circle Farm is their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) cus-tomers which total about 8,000. Farmer Andrew Stout will discuss with us his growing operation and how the county farm-land preservation has enabled him to expand acreage.
Finally we will stop at West Valley Beef. West Valley Beef is a grass fed beef operation located in the Snoqualmie Valley near Duvall. A certified Salmon Safe Farm, West Valley Beef is managed by Chuck and Bobbi Lindemulder. Chuck was born and raised in the Snoqualmie Valley, and Bobbi has lived there since 1974. Both feel strongly about maintaining the family farm and supporting local agriculture.
Roadside stops will include Children‟s Garden and Two Sister‟s Farm.
Children’s Garden Farm is a 28 acre farm which produces vegetables, herbs and fresh cut and dry flowers, which are sold at Pike Place Market and other farmer‟s markets around Seattle. The farm, established in 1993, has two names— “Children‟s” was the name attached to the goal of the farm supporting the family‟s children to earn their college money while working on the farm. Almost 10 years ago, grandfather Shongchao passed away, and in his honor, the farm was named after him.
Located just north of Carnation, Two Sisters Dairy, which the sisters Anne Marie and Lena Magnochi own with their par-ents, is one of four dairies left in Snoqualmie Valley, and has even survived Carnation Farms — the town„s namesake — which closed in 2001.
If you would like to sign up for the tour which begins from the Kirkland La Quinta Inn and Suites May 12 promptly at 1pm and concludes between 5:00 and 5:30 (depending on traffic) please contact Lori Gonzalez at lgon461@ecy.wa.gov or Josh Giuntoli at jgiuntoli@scc.wa.gov.

Bike to Work Day May 21!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2010

Bike to Work Day is May 21
Kick-Off Event April 29

Snohomish County, Wash. - Converting car trips to bike trips is an easy
way to get healthy while getting somewhere at the same time. Burn
calories instead of fuel as Snohomish County celebrates National Bike to
Work Day on Friday, May 21

Event organizers encourage creative commutes that combine biking and
buses, biking to your carpool or vanpool instead of driving, or driving
part way to work and biking the rest.

Last year, more than 900 people stopped by Bike to Work Day
“celebration stations” in Snohomish County and Bothell. This
year, organizers hope to provide refreshments, free bike safety checks
and goodies to 1,000 people on bicycles.

Bike to Work Day Celebration Stations will be open the morning of
Friday, May 21 at: Edmonds Train Station, Lynnwood Transit Center,
University of Washington Bothell, Everett Station, Boeing Everett,
Marysville’s Comeford Park and McCollum Park in Mill Creek.

Bike to Work Day is the kickoff for the Snohomish County Bike Commute
Challenge. The challenge is to organize a team of co-workers or friends
who will continue biking to work at least once a week for a month.

To learn more about Community Transit Bike to Work events, stop by the
Bike to Work Kick-Off between 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 29 at the
Everett Public Schools’ Longfellow Building Annex located on 3715
Oakes Avenue, Everett or visit www.communitytransit.org/biketowork.

Local Bike to Work events are coordinated by Community Transit with
support from Everett Transit, Boeing, Clif Bar, B.I.K.E.S. Club of
Snohomish County, Harvy’s Bike Shop, Seattle Children’s Hospital
and many other community sponsors.

Did you know?
It takes about 30 minutes to bike five miles at an easy pace. That
burns about 300 calories - and gets you your daily exercise while
getting somewhere at the same time.

2009 Bike Commute Challenge Stats
145 Teams
817 Participants
564 Completed the Challenge
14,433 Total Trips
113,820 Total miles
30% New Participants

Come and Visit us at VEGFEST!

What: Vegfest, a Seattle tradition! Vegetarian Food Festival hosted by Vegetarians of Washington, featuring all kinds of Vegetarian food producers, local restaurants, and markets. Try over 500 different kinds of food!

When: April 10th & 11th, 10 am - 6pm

Where: Seattle Center Exhibition Hall

Other info: $8.00 admission for adults. Kids 12 and under for free. You will walk out full! Learn a LOT and find out what is available! There are also cooking and health demonstrations
For more information go to www.vegfest2010.org

Washington State Grape Society Scholarship available

The Washington State Grape Society is proud to offer
a scholarship to a deserving young person who
plans to attend Washington State University and engage
in a field of study relating to the growing of
grapes. This scholarship is targeted towards graduate
students, but undergraduate students may also apply.
To apply for a scholarship you will need to complete all forms. Click here to go to SCHOLARSHIP FORM. The completed Personal Information Sheet will need to be returned to the Washington State Grape Society, along with a Letter of Application,
as outlined in the guidelines. Three letters of recommendation or completed and confidential reports on applicant
forms must also be submitted.
The deadline for receiving applications is April 15, 2010. A decision will be made by the scholarship trustees and the award
will be announced at our Annual Meeting held in November. If you have any questions or comments, we would encourage
you to call (509) 786-7888 or e-mail the Washington State Grape Society.

Farmland Preservation Grant News Update

Conservation Commission Accepting Applications for Farmland Preservation Grant Sponsorship

The Washington State Conservation Commission will begin accepting applications for proposals seeking Commission sponsorship of Farmland Preservation Program grants. Applications will be accepted by the Commission beginning February 23 and concluding on March 12 at 5:00pm for grants to protect farmland.

In 2009, the legislature amended the Farmland Preservation Program (FPP) within the larger Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) to include the eligibility of the State Conservation Commission (SCC) to apply for funds through the program. According to the new statutory language, a match is not required for proposals from the SCC.

Grants may be used to buy conservation easements to protect valuable farmland from being converted to another use. Portions of grants may also be used to enhance the agricultural production of preserved farmland or to help restore or enhance ecological functions, including providing benefits to wildlife. Eligible farmland may include ranch land and irrigated or dry cropland.

The pre-proposal process is open and competitive. Pre-proposals are reviewed and scored by SCC staff based on criteria established by the SCC. Staff will submit a prioritized list of projects to the SCC commissioners who will then determine how many projects to advance.

To download the announcement, go to: 2010 WWRP-SCC Announcement

To download a pre-proposal form, go to: 2010 SCC Pre Proposal

For information on the WWRP Farmland Preservation program, please see: RCO WWRP Farmland Preservation Policy Guide

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Josh Giuntoli at jgiuntoli@scc.wa.gov 360-407-7474, or Ron Shultz at rshu461@ecy.wa.gov or 360-407-7507

Cider Making - Principals and Practices

The Northwest Agriculture Business Center is bringing internationally-recognized cider production expert Peter Mitchell to lead an intensive week-long class in cider and perry production. Mitchell has over 25 years of practical experience in hard cider production. He is a certified UK and USA cider competition judge and an award-winning producer in his own right. If you have wanted to develop your skills in hard cider and perry making this is the course to attend.

“Cider Making-Principles and Practice” will be held at the Skagit Valley College campus in Mount Vernon, WA. The course will run 8:00am - 5:00pm daily, June 28 - July 2, 2010. Mitchell will cover industry foundations such as the cider market, business opportunity, orcharding, production methods and management, and quality control. The class will provide practical processing and laboratory work along with lectures. The week will also be filled with cider making workshops and a field-trip visit to commercial cideries. The format and content of the class is suitable for beginners, new businesses and existing producers (large & small-scale) alike.

You may register for “Cider Making-Principles and Practice” online at the NABC website, www.agbizcenter.org or contact Jake Fowler at NABC (360-336-3727). Registrants will be sent directions and schedule prior to the class.

snopes.com: Determining Product Origins by Bar Code

snopes.com: Determining Product Origins by Bar Code

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