Harvestable Riparian Buffers

Harvestable Riparian Buffers

Nick 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 More

Raising Cane Ranch Switched to Solar: Find Out If You Can Too!

Raising Cane Ranch Switched to Solar: Find Out If You Can Too!

Are 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 More

Fruit to Nuts: Raising Cane Ranch’s Food Forest

Fruit to Nuts: Raising Cane Ranch’s Food Forest

Tucked 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 More

Snohomish River Film Festival Held at Luckie Farms

Snohomish River Film Festival Held at Luckie Farms

Back in January/February, a group of brave storytellers joined virtually for a two week training that generated 12 digital stories now known as “Tales of Two Rivers.” This group of stories was split between the Snohomish and the Stillaguamish basins within Snohomish County. On Thursday, June 9, the first of two film festivals was held to feature the Snohomish basin stories.

Read More

Green Solutions for Cleaner Water

Green Solutions for Cleaner Water

It’s no surprise that we get a lot of rain—the Pacific Northwest is a temperate rainforest, after all. How we manage that rain once it hits the ground is important, especially in our region, where we’re experiencing rapid growth. In many places, the pervious soil of forests, farms, and undeveloped land is being replaced with impervious surfaces like roofs, roads, and parking lots, which can lead to increased flooding and water pollution.

Read More

Urban Tree Canopy for Stormwater Management

Urban Tree Canopy for Stormwater Management

Studies have proven what many of us have suspected for a long time: planting trees in urban areas measurably improves quality of life and overall health of the residents living in those spaces. However, these trees have another secret benefit. Urban trees can also play a vital role in addressing stormwater problems.

Read More

Sweet Secrets of Bigleaf Maple

Sweet Secrets of Bigleaf Maple

When 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.

Read More

Farm & Forest: Growing Agroforestry in Puget Sound

Farm & Forest: Growing Agroforestry in Puget Sound

Our resident agroforester Carrie Brausieck has been researching, implementing, and educating on agroforestry in the region for over half a decade, but it’s only been the past two years that agroforestry has become widely noticed.

“We’re the only organization in the state that has an agroforestry program and a person on staff with an agroforestry title,” Carrie said. “Our program is leading the way for this innovative land use within our county and throughout the state.” Read on to learn about the work we've been doing in agroforestry.

Read More

First Bud to Full Bloom: A Local Flower Farm's Success Story

First Bud to Full Bloom: A Local Flower Farm's Success Story

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 More

Regional Foresters Surpass Goals of Pilot Program

Regional Foresters Surpass Goals of Pilot Program

We’re called the Evergreen State for a reason— more than half of Washington is forested. Small forest landowners can play a vital role as stewards of this critical resource and they now have access to education and technical assistance from professional foresters, thanks to the Regional Forestry Pilot Program.

Read More