This is the presentation about the Pierce Conservation District's Agricultural Assistance Program presented by Sarah Wilcox at the June 18 Nisqually River Council meeting.

1. Agricultural Assistance Program
Sarah Garitone, Program Coordinator for Agricultural Assistance
Pierce Conservation District, Puyallup, WA

2. Welcome to Beautiful Pierce County
SQUARE MILES: 1,790
POPULATION: 805,400
PRINCIPAL CITY: Tacoma
Source: “Pierce County Profile” http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/pc/abtus/profile.htm

3. Rich History of Agriculture
1942 Victory
Garden in
Tacoma
Puyallup berry fields – summer 1916
Source: Price, Lori and Ruth Anderson. “Puyallup: A Pioneer Paradise.” Arcadia Publishing: San Francisco, 2002.

4. Pierce County
What Is Grown Here?
• 2nd in nation for rhubarb production
(2007 Ag Census)
• 9th in WA for vegetables, melons,
and sweet potatoes… including:
pumpkins, cabbage, lettuce,
$84 million radishes, green onions, etc.
agricultural • 2nd in WA for tulip and daffodil
goods sold production
(2007 Ag Census)
• Aquaculture
• Largest egg producer in Western
WA & 3rd in WA
• Many small-scale diversified
operations

5. We have some of the best farmland in the world.
38,940 acres remaining which are well suited to farming (2008).
http://www.piercecountycd.org/images/PierceFinalReport.pdf

6. A Note About Soil…
“A civilization can persist only as long as it retains enough productive soil to feed
its people. A landscape’s soil budget is just like a family budget, with income,
expenses, and savings. You can live off your savings for only so long before you
run out of money.”
- David R. Montgomery, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations (pg. 23)
Estimated that it takes 500 years to make one inch of topsoil
(American Farmland Trust)
American Farmland Trust - Earth as an Apple
http://www.farmland.org/resources/reports/default.asp#

7. Threats
– Conversion of prime soils
– Urban fringe farming
– Regulation barriers and challenges – silo gridlock
– Breakdown of agricultural infrastructure - processing
– Land fragmentation
– Land prices
– Leased land
Fife, WA - Sept. 2008
Before and After

8. Farming on the Edge

9. Farm Trends, Pierce County
• 1945 – 170,000 Acres
– 5,564 Farms
• 1974 – 62,000 Acres
– 1,140 Farms
• 651 Farms = 16% of Farmland
• 44 Farms = 39% Farmland
• 68% farmers worked off-farm
• Major contributor loss of
processors Farm Size, 2007
• 2007 – 47,677 Acres
– 1,448 Farms 44.4% 13.4%
1-9 A
10-49 A
0.3%
• 58 % farmers primary 3.3%
0.4%
50-179 A
180-499 A
occupation off-farm 500-999 A
0.1%
40.2% 1,000 + A

10. Historical Farming Trends, Pierce County
# Farms
6000
5000
4000
3000
# Farms
2000
1000
0

11. Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1985
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/maps/
No Data <10% 10%–14%

12. Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 2007
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%

13. Opportunities
– We have some of the best soil
in the world
– Remaining land base
– Land transfer programs
– Creation of new markets
– Increased consumer demand
38,940 acres for local products
remaining
which are well – New generation of farmers
suited to entering industry
farming (2008)
http://www.piercecount
ycd.org/images/PierceFi
nalReport.pdf

14. Agricultural Assistance Program
With an overall mission to conserve natural resources…
Create
Reconnect
opportunities for
people to food
farm profitability
• Farm Infrastructure & Tools Needed
• Local Product Marketing Campaign
• Capacity Building of Farmers Markets
• Urban Growing & Community Gardens
• Senior Food Box Program
• Partnerships – ex: Tahoma Food Policy Coalition

15. Farm Infrastructure & Tools
• USDA Mobile Meat Processing
Unit
– Run by Puget Sound Meat Producers
Cooperative
– Cattle, hogs, sheep, and goat
• Small-scale poultry processing
equipment
- Since May 15, 2010
- 140 birds processed, estimated value
$2,185

16. Local Food & Farm Marketing
• Branding
– Puget Sound Fresh
– Salmon Safe Certified
• Tacoma Library Book of the Year Promotion
• Community Garden Tour in Tacoma
• Eat Local For Thanksgiving Pledge

17. Our Work with Farmers Markets
Provide technical assistance and funding to markets in
Pierce County:
– Staffing, especially for low-income program support
– Marketing programs & branding
– Consumer education
– Start up costs for new markets

18. Why Farmers Markets?
Creating the space for face-to-face interaction between
producers and consumers…
According to
the USDA AMS
there has been
a 13% increase
in markets 2008
– 2009
Source: USDA AMS-Marketing Services Division, “Farmers Market Growth: 1994-2008,”Jan 2008,
http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateS&navID=WholesaleandFarmersMarkets&leftNav
=WholesaleandFarmersMarkets&page=WFMFarmersMarketGrowth&description=Farmers%20Market%20Growth&acct=frmrdirmkt

19. Community Gardens & Urban Growing
• Organizing community garden
information online
L’Arche/Food • Tacoma Community Garden Tour
Connection 07 & 08!
Orchard
• Community Conversations about
Project:
urban growing
New orchard
will be • Helping to hire new coordinator
planted on for Tacoma/Pierce County!
local farm,
fruit to go to
local food
bank

20. Low-Income Senior Food Boxes
How does it work?
People Served
2006
1300 boxes/433
clients
2007
2,330 boxes/
630 clients
Partners:
2008 Aging and Long Term Care
3,000 boxes/ Pierce County Council
630 clients
Eligible:
Low-Income Seniors who would be eligible
2009
for Senior Farmers Market Nutrition
1,875 boxes/625
Program vouchers
clients

21. Tahoma Food Policy
Coalition
“growing a just, healthy, and sustainable food
system by influencing policies, developing
projects, and sharing resources.”
June 2008 -
stakeholders from
many different
aspects of our
local food system
have met to begin
better
coordinating work,
including; health
department,
parks, farmers,
neighborhood
councils, farmers
markets, etc.
Graphic Source: Laura Raymond, Re-Shaping Seattle’s Food System: Sustaining a Healthy City

22. Stakeholders, Plans & Reports
• Pierce County Agriculture
Strategic Plan (2006)
• Pierce County Agricultural
Production Capacity Study
(2008) – land inventory
• Conservation Futures Lists
• TDR/PDR Identified
properties
Stakeholders:
Planning and Land Services, Economic
Development, City of Tacoma, Cascade Land
Conservancy, Pierce Conservation District, WSU
Pierce County Extension, PCC Farmland Trust,
American Farmland Trust, Watershed Councils,
Master Builders Association, Pierce County FARM
Board, local farmers, and more.

23. Needs and Gaps
• Regulatory review or coordination
• Continued market development
• Continue development of missing
tools farmers need to be
profitable
• Support County PDR/TDR Program
• How to raise or leverage funding
for preservation?
• How to identify priority
preservation sites?
– Possibly choose property that meets
more than one criteria

24. Thank you.
Contact Information:
With
Sarah Wilcox, Pierce Conservation District
sarahg@piercecountycd.org – (253) 845-9770 x108