EVERETT – Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon will host the county’s fifth annual Agriculture Roundtable on April 25, bringing together agricultural organizations, local and state governments and nonprofits related to farming to discuss pressing ag issues of the day and how they can better serve farmers.
The roundtable has become an informal opportunity for agencies from Whatcom to Pierce counties to share what they are working on as well as to better network and collaborate with each other.
“This is a hands-on opportunity to tackle issues that are pertinent to and affecting agriculture in the Puget Sound region,” said Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon. “The roundtable builds off what we hear from regional farmers during the annual Focus on Farming events in the fall as well as current issues.”
During last year’s session, topics included fish and wildlife habitat restoration, regional sustainability, buffer requirements and transfer of development rights programs.
This year, topics are expected to include the U.S. farm bill, budget cuts to the state Department of Agriculture, marketing programs and meeting farmers’ needs for processing facilities. Started four years ago and facilitated by the county’s agriculture coordinator, the outcomes have been better planning and coordination between agencies and nonprofits whose services often cross paths.
“Many new partnerships have formed as a result of each organization sharing their work plans and goals for the year,” Reardon said. “We’ve also seen organizations meet to collaborate on new projects and grants – all of which benefit regional agriculture.”
The roundtable will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be held in the first floor conference room of the Robert J. Drewel Building, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett.
For more information, contact Linda Neunzig at 425-388-7170 or linda.neunzig@snoco.org.
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