Local government is coming together with leaders and experts in the agriculture community to promote the continued growth of farming in Snohomish County during the fifth annual Focus on Farming Conference Nov. 20, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Lynnwood Convention Center.
Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon said the event started out as a way to bring farmers together to evaluate the ag economy and help identify opportunities for future practices and to begin a process of streamlining reglatuory batrriers farmers faced.
Approximately 250-300 people attended the county’s first Focus on Farming conference, held at the fairgrounds in Monroe.
“At the end of the first conference, the comment from farmers I received was ‘Will we do this again? How long will we stay committed?’. Here we are five years later, and we’ve moved far beyond the original conversation, developing an ag action plan that has been implemented and continues to be refined.”
“Ag land in the county was in rapid decline in Snohomish County over much of the last 20 years,” said Reardon, who added this is the first time in a generation farming has been on the rebound.
Among other highlights of this year’s event is a workshop teaching attendees the basics of SPIN (Small Plot INtensive) Farming, a franchise-ready vegetable farming system making it possible to earn over $50,000 from a half-acre with minimal infustructure, and reliance on hand labor.
Joe Kovach from Oregon State University will cover the theory, design, and practice of a fruit and vegetable polyculture system that mimics natural systems and is environmentally sound and economically viable.
Keynote speeches will be given by Bob Gore, Washington State Department of Agriculture acting director, and David Montgomery, a University of Washington Earth &Space Sciences professor and author of “Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations”.
Additional speakers from throughout Washington and Oregon, as well as experts arriving from Missouri and Maryland, will give lectures in breakout sessions covering topics in six areas, incluidng on-farm production, livestock, nurseries and greenhouses, fresh produce and crops, marketing and business development and “What’s New.”
The Thursday conference features farming workshops, innovative ag products and techniques, industry networking opportunities, wine-and-cheese tasting and a gourmet lunch created by regional chefs using farm-fresh products grown locally.
The Lynnwood Convention Center is located at 3711 196th St SW. Registration is $35 for guests before Nov. 6, $45 if you register Nov. 7-17 or at the event. $10 for youths 18 and younger. Online registration ends 5 p.m. Nov. 17.
For more information, visit www1.co.snohomish.wa.us/County_Services/Focus_on_Farming.
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