Grow Skagit Spring 2021 by Skagit Publishing

TULIP GROWERS READY TO REBOUND w County asks public’s help in agritourism study w Trademark boosts awareness of agriculture goods w The benefit of winter cover crops

A S U P P L E M E N T T O T H E S K A G I T VA L L E Y H E R A L D A N D A N A C O RT E S A M E R I C A N

2 - Wednesday, March 31, 2021

GrowSkagit

Ag branding program receives trademark status By JACQUELINE ALLISON @Jacqueline_SVH

Skagit County’s agriculture branding program, called Genuine Skagit Valley, earned federal trademark status in February. The certification mark was developed to increase awareness of Skagit County agricultural goods throughout the nation and benefit Skagit’s agricultural economy. To qualify for the mark, agricultural products must be grown entirely in Skagit County. Processed food products in which 75% of the main ingredients are grown in Skagit County also qualify for the mark, as do agricultural service providers. The Genuine Skagit Valley program, which was launched in 2019, has more than 50 members including farmers, flour mills, cheese makers, seafood producers and brewers. Members pay a $250 annual fee to use the mark in product packaging, promotional materials and on online. Blanchard Mountain Farm, which grows organic produce, herbs and flow-

ers in Bow, is a founding member of the program. Co-owner Linda Versage said the farm displays a Genuine Skagit Valley sign at its farmstand and at farmers and holiday markets, and includes stickers with the mark on product packaging. The farm also plans to add the logo to its website, she said. “It makes us more visible, and I think it increases customer awareness that we are grounded as a business in Skagit County,” she said. “Especially if we go to an event, like a holiday market, there’s people selling stuff from all over.” She said the mark communicates that her business not only operates in Skagit County, but sells Skagit-grown products. Versage said the small farm also benefits from additional marketing by participating in the program. Genuine Skagit Valley held a campaign last summer to promote farmstands throughout Skagit County. Versage said her farmstand became busier than it ever had been. The Genuine Skagit Valley trademark is owned by the Port of Skagit. The mark was developed by the port and other

Agriculture in Skagit County, by the numbers Top crops (dollar value for producers) n Potatoes: $60 million n Nursery, greenhouse, floriculture & sod: $55 million n Dairy (milk): $44 million n Miscellaneous crops (more than 100 commercial crops grown in Skagit County): $35 million n Field crops (alfalfa, barley, corn and grass silage, grass, oats, small grain, wheat): $34 million n Eggs and chickens: $27.5 million n Total value of Skagit County agriculture: $317 million

Photo courtesy of Linda Versage

Blanchard Mountain Farm has incorporated a Genuine Skagit Valley label into its products.

collaborators as part of the Skagit Valley Value-Added Agricultural Innovation Partnership Zone, a strategy that began in 2013 to enhance Skagit agriculture. For more information on Genuine Skagit Valley, visit genuineskagitvalley. com

Food box project supports Latino farms and farmworkers By JACQUELINE ALLISON @Jacqueline_SVH

Skagit County nonprofits teamed up last fall to coordinate a food project that connects Latino-owned farms in Skagit County with Latino and Mexican indigenous farmworker families. The Northwest Agriculture Business Center (NABC) secured grant funding to pur-

ON THE COVER

An aerial view of the Skagit Valley tulip fields on April 26, 2020. Evan Caldwell Skagit Publishing

chase fresh produce from area farms and distribute it to farmworker families in October and December. The Catholic Community Services Farmworker Center helped pack the boxes and distribute them. Alex Perez, project manager at NABC, said in October that the project’s goal was to support local farmers and address the high demand for food, while providing culturally rec-

ognizable foods to families. Many of the farmers who supplied produce for the project are former farmworkers themselves. Farias Farm, an organic vegetable and berry farm east of Burlington, participated in the October food distribution. The farm is run by brothers Juan, Francisco and Sergio. Juan Farias said the three immigrated to Skagit County from Mexico

ONLINE Visit growskagit. com for stories in this issue and similar content.

when he was 5 and his brothers were teenagers. They started their farm in 2018. “I think it’s good to (see farmers) accomplishing what your goals are and knowing they were in your spot, too,” Juan Farias said in October. The Skagit Community Foundation and the state Department of Agriculture provided grant funding for the project.

Top crops, by acreage n Field crops: 34,000 acres n Potatoes: 12,000 acres n Blueberries: 4,800 acres n Misc. crops: 4,000 acres n Vegetable seed (beet, cabbage, swiss hard and spinach): 2,624 acres n Brussels sprouts: 1,750 acres Facts n Skagit and Snohomish counties produce 75% of the U.S. supply of spinach and cabbage seed and 95% of the U.S. supply of table beet seed. Skagit County supplies an estimated 8% of the world’s spinach seed. n Most potatoes grown in Skagit County are sold fresh and include red, white, yellow, purple and fingerling potatoes. n In 2019, the number of dairy farms in Skagit County dropped from 30 to 26. n There were 66 certified organic farms in Skagit County in 2018. Organic production is worth $27 million in Skagit County, the highest of any county in Western Washington. n Seven wineries in Skagit County operate about 100 acres valued at $1 million and produce 25,000 cases of wine a year. – Source: Washington State University Skagit County Extension Agriculture Statistics 2019

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 - 3

GrowSkagit

After difficult 2020, tulip growers hope for fresh start By JACQUELINE ALLISON @Jacqueline_SVH

Throughout April, visitors will once again return to Skagit Valley’s tulip fields. The two growers of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival had to close to visitors last spring after the COVID-19 pandemic reached Skagit County. It was a major hit for the farms, which do most of their business in the spring. The bulb industry in Skagit County averages an estimated $20 million in gross income each year, according to statistics from the Washington State University Skagit County Extension. Bulb sales account for $3 million of this figure. Seventy-five million cut flowers grown in fields and greenhouses represent more than half of overall sales, according to the statistics. The tulips grown in Skagit Valley account for 75% of total U.S. commercial production. The tulip bloom also brings a reliable economic boost to the region, drawing about 400,000 annual guests and generating $65 million in revenue for Skagit County. Both growers — RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town — plan to open at limited capacity for guests. They are requiring online tickets and reservations to space out guests and comply with COVID-19 safety rules. In light of the challenges of the past year, both farms are hoping April will bring a needed boost.

“The silver lining is that (the pandemic) helped us to really focus on why we do what we do, and how powerful tulips are for individual people” – Spinach Bus Ventures CEO Andrew Miller “We need a good spring, it’s the only way to say it,” said Brent Roozen, a grower at RoozenGaarde. He said the farm relies on guests to purchase bouquets and bulbs during their visits and does 80% to 90% of business in the spring. RoozenGaarde will open to the public a 25-acre tulip field, a 20-acre daffodil field and a 5-acre tulip garden. The Roozens also operate Washington Bulb Co., the commercial production side of the family’s business. In total, the family grows about 500 acres of daffodils and 350 acres of tulips in the Skagit Valley. Roozen said Washington Bulb Co. had to throw away millions of flowers last spring after grocery stores around the country canceled their wholesale orders, prioritizing essential items such as toilet paper. He said flower sales did pick back up once people stuck at home started buying bouquets and sending flowers to loved ones. Bulb sales, which typically occur in the fall, have been on par with previous years, if not better, Roozen said. The big question now is how many visitors will come to the farm this spring. “After last year, I don’t think anything is going to

surprise us or catch us off guard,” he said. Tulip Town underwent a change in ownership in summer 2019. Founders Tom and Jeanette DeGoede sold the farm to Spinach Bus Ventures, a venture capital company formed by five friends who are 1994 graduates of Mount Vernon High School. In their first season operating during tulip season in 2020, the owners had to completely change their business model. With tulip fields closed to the public, the farm lost about 95% of its revenue, said Spinach Bus Ventures CEO Andrew Miller. The business pivoted to shipping fresh flowers and selling bouquets locally, both of which Tulip Town had never done. It also launched online bulb sales for the first time. “That was just enough to barely keep our nose above water,” Miller said. The farm also offered ways for people to connect to tulips online, such as creating a virtual reality app for mobile phones. “The silver lining is that (the pandemic) helped us to really focus on why we do what we do, and how powerful tulips are for individual people,” Miller said. On April 1, Tulip Town will open a 5-acre tulip field, a barn with an indoor tulip display and

Skagit Valley Herald file photo

art show, a retail shop with local goods, a café, and beer and wine garden. “We cannot wait for people to come out and

to share the tulips,” Miller said. Tickets to visit Skagit Valley’s tulip farms are required and must be

purchased online. To buy tickets at RoozenGaarde, visit tulips.com. To buy tickets at Tulip Town, visit tuliptown.com.

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4 - Wednesday, March 31, 2021

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WSU Skagit extension addressing suicide, stress in agriculture By JACQUELINE ALLISON @Jacqueline_SVH

The Washington State University Skagit County Extension is leading a program throughout 13 Western states and four territories to address high rates of suicide and stress in agricultural communities. The extension has a $7.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network to run the program for three years. The program includes staffing the national Farm Aid hotline with two new operators to field calls from farmers primarily in the Western U.S. The operators will be based in Skagit County. A new website, farmstress.us, has a database of services for those in the agricultural community throughout the 50 states and four territories. Extension Director Don McMoran said in January he got involved with the issue of suicide in agriculture after three

ag-related suicides in Skagit County. The extension began a pilot program in 2019 to provide resources and reduce stigma about the topic. The program included workshops, distribution of written materials and a website with bilingual resources. The extension applied for the grant funding to expand the reach of the program. “We felt like we were doing a good job in the local area, but that there was a bigger need,” McMoran said. He said farmers have faced higher levels of stress in recent years due to consolidation in agriculture and taking on more debt. In rural communities, there is often a stigma talking about mental health. In a national poll released in January by the American Farm Bureau, two-thirds of farmers/farmworkers reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their mental health, and more than half said they are experiencing more mental health challenges than a year ago.

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Co-op building new facility for meat processing By JACQUELINE ALLISON @Jacqueline_SVH

The Island Grown Farmers Cooperative is building a new meat-processing facility at the Port of Skagit. The co-op is made up of 80 members in Skagit, Whatcom, San Juan, Island and Snohomish counties. Its current operations include a U.S. Department of Agriculture-inspected mobile slaughter unit that travels to members’ farms and a USDA-inspected cut and wrap facility for further processing on D’Arcy Road in Bow. The co-op’s planned facility at the Port of Skagit will be 2½ times larger than its current plant, allowing it to double the number of animals processed over the next several years, Phil Shephard, the co-op’s board president, said last fall. “The demand for locally grown USDA-inspected meat has been consistently growing over the last decade, and the pandemic has increased that demand even more,” Shepherd said. He said it is difficult for farms and ranchers in the region to find processors in Northwest Washington, especially those offering USDA-inspected services.

Oliver Hamlin / Skagit Valley Herald file

Jim Wieringa, manager at the Island Grown Farmers Cooperative, walks through the mobile slaughter unit at the cut and wrap facility in Bow in July 2019. The co-op is building a new processing facility at the Port of Skagit.

USDA inspection is required for farms wishing to sell packaged meats in small quantities. The cost of the new facility is about $1.3 million. The Port of Skagit received a $60,000 grant and a $180,000 lowinterest loan from the state Community Economic Revitalization Board to help with initial site work. Supporting businesses in value-added agriculture and food processing is one of the port’s priorities. “I’m excited; it’s good fit for the port,” Port Commissioner Steve Omdal said last fall. “It helps a lot of the smaller farmers, and we want to keep those smaller production business models viable.” The co-op broke ground on the new facility early this month.

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Maegan Ashby, an employee of Schuh Farms, grabs a bunch of rhubarb for a customer in May 2020 on the opening day of the Mount Vernon Farmers Market. Jacqueline Allison Skagit Valley Herald file

Local farmers markets adapt to COVID-19 times By JACQUELINE ALLISON @Jacqueline_SVH

Physically-distanced vendor booths, masks, hand sanitizer and no-contact purchases were what farmers markets looked like in 2020. While farmers markets were vastly limited last year due to COVID-19, organizers found ways to move forward in modified formats. The Anacortes Farmers Market offered an online shopping experience, allowing customers to pay in advance and pick up orders at the market, in addition to making purchases from on-site vendors. Even at limited capacity, farmers markets remained a lifeline for local farmers. “We’re not big enough to sell in (grocery) stores, so farmers markets are the best way to bring products to customers,” Miriam Garrote, owner of Baldham Farm, said in May 2020 on the opening day of the Mount Vernon Farmers Market. She said her Sedro-Woolley ranch had seen increased interest in local products, in part because of challenges with the

supply chain early in the pandemic. All four Skagit County farmers markets participate in SNAP Market Match, a program for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program / EBT customers. Markets will match what customers spend at the market with additional dollars to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. The 2021 schedule for farmers markets: n Anacortes Farmers Market, the Depot and R Avenue, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday, May 1 to Oct. 30. anacortesfarmersmarket.org n Mount Vernon Farmers Market, Riverfront Plaza on Main Street between West Gates and Montgomery streets, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday May 15 to Oct. 9. mountvernonfarmersmarket.org n Sedro-Woolley Farmers Market, Hammer Heritage Square, 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, May 19 to Oct. 13. sedrowoolleyfarmersmarket.com n Concrete Saturday Market, Concrete Community Center off Highway 20, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. mid-May through Labor Day weekend. concretesaturdaymarket. com

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6 - Wednesday, March 31, 2021

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Farmworkers would receive overtime pay under state bill

Winter cover crops benefit farmers and environment

By JACQUELINE ALLISON

@Jacqueline_SVH

Proposed state legislation would allow agricultural workers to receive overtime pay for working more than 40 hours a week, removing the agricultural industry’s longtime exemption from overtime pay standards. The legislation, which passed the state Senate on March 9, also includes protections for dairy farmers from retroactive overtime pay lawsuits. A recent state Supreme Court case first raised the question of overtime pay in agriculture. In a case involving dairy workers, the court ruled 5-4 on Nov. 5 that exempting agricultural workers from state and federal overtime standards was unconstitutional. Dairy farmers began paying workers overtime — which is 1.5 times their regular hourly rate — in January. However, the court did not rule on the issue of retroactive overtime pay — whether dairy farmers could be sued for up to three years of overtime back pay. Skagit County dairy farmers said in February that retroactive pay lawsuits would unfairly punish them for following the state’s rules at the time and could potentially devastate their businesses. Republican lawmakers proposed legislation to provide a standalone

fix for the issue. During negotiations, Democrats added sections to extend overtime pay to farmworkers across all agricultural industries. Senate Bill 5172 notes that farmworkers who are currently excluded from overtime pay are some of the state’s poorest workers and have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the bill, agricultural employers would be required to start paying overtime to workers over a threeyear phase-in period starting in 2022. Labor advocates have stated that the legislation would help right a historic wrong. Farm industry groups have stated that farms faced with increased costs may reduce workers’ hours and increasingly turn to technology to replace them. However, groups have also stated that the threeyear phase-in period will make the change more manageable for farms. Farm groups are pushing to add a section that would give employers more flexibility in paying overtime during busy harvest times. As of March 24, the proposal is to allow farms to select a 12-week period during which they would not be required to pay overtime until after 50 hours. The House has until April 11 to pass the legislation.

Triticale, a cover crop, blankets a field west of Mount Vernon. A Skagit Conservation District pilot program aided 10 Skagit farmers in planting 439 acres of cover crops over the winter.

@Jacqueline_SVH

Planting cover crops over the winter can help farmers improve soil health, while also playing a role in protecting the environment. A Skagit Conservation District program that began last year aimed to help farmers offset the cost of planting cover crops in fields after the harvest of a cash crop. Emmett Wild, senior farm planner with the conservation district, said recently that the program paid farmers for the purchase of seed, at an average of $44 an acre. Farmers planted seeds between July and October, before the fall rains. In total, 10 farmers planted 439 acres of cover crops in the first year of the program. Jason Vander Kooy, a Skagit County dairy farmer and program participant, said planting cover crops helps recycle nutrients in a field, compared to if the field was left bare over the winter. “If there are leftover nutrients — fertilizer or manure — the plant will capture the nutrients,” he said. He said cover crops also slow water runoff, keeping nutrients in the soil and helping protect water quality, and suppress weeds. Vander Kooy said this spring he will cut off the top of his cover crop, a rye/wheat mix called triticale, and feed it to his cows. A potato farmer

Oliver Hamlin Skagit Valley Herald

renting his land this season will work the rest of the crop into the soil. Wild said the conservation district is waiting for a new round of funding to offer the program again this summer and fall.

Funding comes from Skagit County’s Voluntary Stewardship Program through the Washington Conservation Commission. ”We would absolutely like to build on the huge successes the conservation

district had in their first year in the program,” Kara Symonds, watershed planner with Skagit County Public Works, said recently. “It’s a multibenefit program to the soil, landowners and our environment.”

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GrowSkagit

Skagit County reviewing agritourism, seeks public’s help By JACQUELINE ALLISON @Jacqueline_SVH

What is agritourism?

Skagit County is inviting the public to participate in discussions about agritourism and what it means for the Skagit Valley. Agritourism is defined by the University of California, Davis as “a commercial enterprise at a working farm, ranch or agricultural plant conducted for the enjoyment of visitors that generates supplemental income for the owner.” Agritourism can include outdoor recreation, educational experiences, entertainment, hospitality services, and on-farm direct sales, according to an FAQ sheet from Skagit County. The county’s study on agritourism, which is expected to take 12 to 18 months, will help inform proposed amendments to the county’s comprehensive

n Outdoor recreation (fishing, hunting, wildlife study, horseback riding) n Educational experiences (cannery tours, cooking classes, or wine tasting) n Entertainment (harvest festivals or barn dances) n Hospitality services (farm stays, guided tours or outfitter services) n On-farm direct sales (u-pick operations or roadside stands) – Source: Skagit County Planning & Development Services

plan, land use map and development code. The public can participate by answering a 15-question survey, which can be found at skagit county.net/SkagitAGT Online discussion sessions on

agritourism were held in March. There may be additional meetings, digital open houses and opportunities to comment at Skagit County Planning Commission meetings in the future. Don McMoran, director of the Washington State University Skagit County Extension, said he encourages the public to participate in discussions on agritourism. “Our valley is changing, so people need to have a say in that change,” he said. He said many businesses have proposals for agritourism, and there is potentially a lot of money to be made. “We’re kind of at this crossroads where there’s new ideas and the old guard,” McMoran said. “And somewhere in between those two, we have to make a decision on what the valley is going to look like. Everyone’s participation is needed.”

Oliver Hamlin / Skagit Valley Herald file

Olivia Ruiz, 7, and Armando Ruiz pick blueberries in July 2019 at Bow Hill Blueberries on the farm’s opening day for U-pick. U-pick operations are considered a kind of agritourism.

Skagit Valley produces some of the best agricultural products in the world. The Genuine Skagit Valley Mark will be a valuable tool for local farmers, to build demand and preference for their products. Steve Omdal Commissioner, Port of Skagit

Family farms are the fabric of our local economy. They provide jobs and create a beautiful community network that produces good food, activities, traditions and things that keep people connected. Amy Frye Boldly Grown Farm

We moved to Skagit Valley because of the abundance of natural resources here. We wanted to source everything for our products in our own backyard and 99% of our ingredients come from within 20 miles of our brewery.

The Skagit Valley itself, this ag land, produces grains that are truly unique to this area.

Genuine Skagit Valley

provides a value-added opportunity that helps support local agriculture.

Supporting Skagit Agriculture Since 1964

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www.portofskagit.com | www.genuineskagitvalley.com

Photo by Colby Mesick

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