The San Juan Islands Conservation District provides free information, technical assistance plus farm and forest planning to all landowners within the County with assistance from the Natural Resource Conservation Service office in Mount Vernon. Farm and forest planning consists of a site visit, natural resource inventory, a discussion of property owner goals, and recommendations in the form of a conservation plan to achieve those goals.
These recommendations are voluntary with no implementation obligation. If you are a landowner in San Juan County and would like information regarding your property (soils, land cover, parcels, aerial photographs), or would like technical assistance in creating a farm or forestry plan, contact our certified Farm and Forest Planner Bruce Gregory at 360-378-6621 or email him at info@sanjuanislandscd.org.
Farm and Forest Planning
Do you own a farm and/or forest? If so, consider getting a farm/forest plan to help you with your natural resource challenges. Here is a link to a sample of a farm/forest plan (these plans also contain soil maps and aerial photos of your property).
Farm Plan Example SAMPLE_RMS_Farm_Plan
Cost Share options:
Conservation Commission Livestock Funding (must make over $10,000 per year)
Fill out the following sheet: Livestock TA Request
Farm Bill Programs-EQIP: USDA-NRCS Program for landowners
Governor Signs Ruckelshaus Bill - A Voluntary Stewardship Program Created for Agriculture in Washington State
May 17, 2011- Governor Gregoire signed ESHB 1886, known as the Ruckelshaus Process bill. You can view a copy of the legislation here. The legislation creates the Voluntary Stewardship Program at the Conservation Commission, a program intended to address the contentious issue of the protection of critical areas on agricultural lands while maintaining viable agricultural production. The San Juan County Council decided to Opt-In to the Voluntary Stewardship Program on January 10, 2012.
Best Management Practice (BMP) Fact Sheets from Western Washington
Confinment Areas
Composting Livestock Manure
Horses for Clean Water Manual
Filterstrips
Pasture Management
Reducing Mud
Small Farm Tips
Wetlands
Agricultural Resources Committee (ARC) of San Juan County
Helping encourage and support agriculture in the San Juan Islands as part of the San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC). Please call Peggy Bill the San Juan County ARC Coordinator at (360) 378-6621 or 378-2906. You can learn more about the ARC by visiting www.sjcarc.org
Articles
Sustainable Agriculture 01-09 Sustainable Agriculture Kinsey
Eco Shopping 3-09 EcoShopping Kinsey
Low Impact Gardening 10-08 Conservation Gardening Kinsey
Reduce, Reuse and Composting 09-08 Reduce and Reuse Kinsey
Topsoil 02-08 Topsoil Kinsey
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) 06-08 EQIP for SJC
Sustainable Lawn and Garden Products for Natural Lawn and Garden Care
Market Gardens
WSU Extension Manual EM032E
Poultry
The following is great information from the Kitsap Conservation District for starting farmers and those who raise chickens.
Poultry Management-1
Links to Useful Agriculture Resources
Alternative Farming Systems Information Center: http://afsic.nal.usda.gov
American Farmland Trust: www.farmland.org
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy: http://www.albc-usa.org/breeddir/
Biodynamic Farming & Gardening Association: www.biodynamics.com
Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems: www.zzyx.ucsc.edu.casfs
Center for Food Safety: www.centerforfoodsafety.org
Center for Rural Affairs: www.cfra.org
Community Alliance with Family Farmers: www.caff.org
Community Food Security Coalition: www.foodsecurity.org
Farming & the Environment: www.farmingandtheenvironment.org
Food & Agriculture Organization of the UN: www.fao.org
Food Security Learning Center: www.worldhungeryear.org/fslc
Holistic Management International: www.holisticmanagement.org/
Horses For Clean Water: www.horsesforcleanwater.com
Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy: www.iatf.org
Land Institute: www.landinstitute.org
Land Stewardship Project: www.landstewardshipproject.org
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture: www.leopold.iastate.edu
National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service: http://attra.ncat.org
Northwest Agricultural Business Center: www.agbizcenter.org
Office of Farmland Preservation http://ofp.scc.wa.gov
Organic Farming Research Foundation: www.ofrf.org
Pasture and Grazing Management in the Northwest: University of Idaho Extension
Polyface Farms: www.polyfacefarms.com
Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland: www.skagitonians.org
Small Farm Center: www.sfc.ucdavis.edu
Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education: www.sare.org
UC Sustainable Agriculture & Research Program: www.sarep.ucdavis.edu
US Department of Agriculture: www.usda.gov
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service: www.nrcs.usda.gov
Washington State Conservation Commission: http://www.scc.wa.gov
Washington State Department of Agriculture: http://agr.wa.gov
Weed Free Hay and Straw: http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/WWHAM/WWHAM_suppliers.htm
Wild Farm Alliance: www.wildfarmalliance.org
WSU Agriculture weather stations www.weather.wsu.edu/awn.php
WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources: http://csanr.wsu.edu
WSU Extension: www.sanjuan.wsu.edu/agriculture