Tuesday was a special day for us! We were one of four farms featured on the Conservation in Action tour, led by the Whatcom Conservation District (WCD). There were about 25 people on this tour, most of which are local and state elected folks, and some who are currently running for local positions.

The purpose of the tour was to showcase farms that are doing a good job implementing Best Management Practices, meaning that they are doing what’s suggested/advised by the farm planners at WCD to protect water quality and other natural resources while still being able to farm their land in a way that’s effective and productive. It is vital for these elected people to see the good work being done by the WCD so that the importance of continued funding for these programs is realized.

Our farm is located directly next to California Creek, which flows into Drayton Harbor, home to hundreds of acres of shellfish farmland. It is imperative for us to do our part in preventing farm manure runoff so as to reduce the amount of fecal coliform (a naturally occurring product found in all feces) present in the water. Continuously high fecal coliform levels close and prevent the harvesting of shellfish by shellfish farmers and tribes because the shellfish are unsafe to eat. This results in the loss of millions of dollars in revenue for these people and the state.

After 5 years of very concentrated efforts by local farms, private residences, and conservation organizations, over 400 acres of shellfish beds were reopened for harvest in 2018!

Over the past four years, we have worked very hard to install, utilize, and execute a heap of Best Management Practices on our farm. This has resulted in drastically reducing fecal coliform counts in the water that runs away from our farm (and is tested weekly!) into California Creek. It feels good to be recognized for the hard work we put into being good stewards of our farmland and animals!