Tips, tricks, and a quick peek into the everyday life of the conservation district.
Twenty years ago, Eric Lee-Mäder found a strange-looking bottle in a wine shop that would end up changing the course of his life. The French cider inside was unlike anything he’d ever tasted.
“It was much more complex than sweet,” Eric said. “I got a sense of the whole orchard, from the bloom of the apple tree to the fungus growing in the understory.”
Read MoreAgroforestry can provide major benefits for farms—it also presents unique challenges. Unlike traditional monocultures, agroforestry requires farmers to understand the needs of multiple plants and how they interact with each other. It takes planning, adaptation, and patience to create a successful system. It also isn’t static. Many agroforestry practices incorporate trees that affect shade conditions as they grow. That means crops may need to shift over the years.
So why bother with all the trouble?
Read MoreNick Pate, owner of Raising Cane Ranch in Snohomish, has incorporated several agroforestry practices on his farm. His food forest also serves as a harvestable, multi-functional, or working buffer. The trees and shrubs in the food forest essentially act as a second layer to his native forest riparian buffer, which borders the Snohomish River.
Read MoreAre you interested in renewable energy for your farm or rural small business? Snohomish and Pierce Conservation Districts have teamed up with Spark Northwest to help farms and rural small businesses apply for grant funds for renewable energy and energy efficient projects through the Rural Energy Development Program.
Read MoreTucked towards the back of Raising Cane Ranch, beyond their farm stand and Highland cows, you’ll find a food forest filled with chestnut, walnut, and hazelnut trees, black currants, evergreen huckleberries, and aronia berries.
“It’s one of the most peaceful places on the property,” says farm owner, Nick Pate. “I just love working out there.”
Read MoreToday, we often think of forests as places to harvest trees, pass through, or leave untouched for wildlife. But growing and harvesting crops within a forest in a sustainable way doesn't just add the possibility of new income streams.
Read MoreWhen you think of our native bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), you might picture a mossy trunk with delicate licorice ferns. You probably don’t think of maple syrup. Particularly, one with a “bold and buttery flavor that has hints of vanilla and molasses.”
But that's how Patrick Shults, Extension Forester for Southwest Washington—along with many others—describe the taste of this specialty syrup.
Many new farmers start with a dream and a willingness to work hard. However, transforming those dreams into a successful reality is often the challenge. Kari Parks is now the proud owner of Flourish Organic Farms, but like many of her fellow farmers, figuring out how to build a profitable, sustainable business has been a journey.
Read MoreImagine three farms, each very different, but all with something in common... Read on to learn about a unique approach to agroforestry that will give you even more reasons to love native plants!
Read MoreHow do you manage your forest for both economic and ecological benefits? Snohomish Conservation District partnered with the Northwest Natural Resource Group to provide a comprehensive and hands-on day of learning about ecological forestry, a holistic system of forest management that encompasses the health of not just the trees, but the health and biodiversity of all aspects of the forest.
Read MoreSnohomish Conservation District | 528 91st Ave NE, Lake Stevens, WA 98258 | 425-335-5634
