Community Corner

King County Harvest Celebration is Saturday

East King County farms are opening to the public this weekends to celebrate small, family farms.

The King County Harvest Celebration is on Saturday, Sept. 24, giving the public a chance to visit local farms and talk to farmers about sustainable practices for growing food locally. There are also art and historical exhibits at some of the farms.

This is the thirteenth year the tours are coordinated by Washington State University Extension with support from King Conservation District, Tremaine Foundation, King County Agriculture Program, Cascade Harvest Coalition, Puget Sound Fresh, King-Pierce County Farm Bureau and others.

“Visiting farms on the tour helps support local businesses so our communities stay strong and local food dollars keep circulating in our local communities,” said Brad Gaolach, WSU Extension director for Pierce and King counties. “Also, with so many enjoyable attractions on each farm, this event is a fun way for families to learn about how our food is grown and how our farmers are stewards of the environment.”

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A free PDF guide with information about the King County Harvest Celebration and Pierce County HarvestFEST is available as a download at: http://county.wsu.edu/king/agriculture/harvestcelebration/

Here are the farms participating in King County:

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Carnation Tree Farm:

Canoe carving, songs and stories with members of the Snoqualmie Tribe will be at the farm.

In the historic barn, a unique photo and sound scape installation in celebration of Jerry Mader's new book Saving the Soil: The New American Farmer. The exhibit features photographs of 16 organic farmers in the Snoqualmie Valley.

The installation contains over two dozen 2’ X  4’ photo collages (300 plus images) presenting a kaleidoscope of  each of the nine farms covered in the project; Jubilee Biodynamic Farm, Changing Seasons Farm, Local Roots Farm, Two Sisters Dairy, Game Haven Farm, Growing Things Farm, Oxbow Center, Blue Dog Farm, and The Root Connection. The photo collages are arranged in a “virtual” tour of each farm’s placement in the Valley. Mader, a classically trained musician and composer, prepared a 30 minute “sound scape” for the installation which runs continuously during the exhibition.

In addition to the photo documentary, Mader interviewed each of the farmers, 16 in all, plus eight of their workers and nine individuals from the wider King County community who are involved in agriculture, food production and distribution. Mader assembled all the interviews plus his commentary and research into a new book “Saving the Soil—the New American Farmer”, published by his company, Tolt River Press. The book will be formally released at the exhibition with copies available for sale.

The interviews are in the form of oral histories to be archived in Historical Society collections throughout King County. “These new farmers are at the threshold of an agricultural renaissance here in the valley and the U.S. generally,” Mader said. “Their stories have enormous historical value, especially since they have in large part revived the agricultural tradition which was the foundation of Snoqualmie Valley history.” King County 4Culture Heritage Special Projects provided a grant to assist Mader in the transcription and archival preparation of the photographs and oral histories for the project as well as preparation of materials for the exhibit/installation.”

Oxbow Center and Organic Farm

The living playground will be open with leafy tunnels, sorghum spiral, and the Creepy Teepee.  Oxbow offers “Farm Burrito” scavenger hunts will be at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for kids of all ages.

Stop by the WSU Extension and Stewardship Partners booth to fill out a short farm tour survey about your experience on the farm tour. Surveys are entered to win a prize of your choosing. Must be 18 to fill out the survey, need not be present to win. The growing prize list includes:

  • $25 gift certificate for PCC Natural Markets (King County)
  • One year subscription to Backyard Poultry Magazine
  • One year subscription to Countryside and Small Stock Journal
  • Two tickets to the Woodland Park Zoo (Seattle)
  • Rodale Press hardback book by Ben Hewitt: The Town That Food Saved, How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food.
  • Set of three tools from Diggit Garden Tools

Alpacas at Legacy Ranch

Little known fact: Sept. 24 is National Alpaca Day! The ranch will be open to the public and visitors and can meet the alpacas and shop the ranch store.
 
Baxter Barn

Tour the 2.5 acre property and historic barn: learn why native plants and animals are as important as domesticated plants and animals. Visit the horses, cows, turkeys, chickens, pheasant, quail, bunnies and miniature donkeys. See the Fall City Historical Society displays and a special exhibit of original artwork by Baxter Barn's neighbor, nationally collected Northwest painter, Miska.

Dog Mountain Farm

Visit the wonderful heritage breed livestock including chickens, guinea fowl, ducks, geese, Gloucestershire Old Spots pigs, and Icelandic sheep. Also the Dog Mountain / School of the Lost Arts also offer a farm dinner in the evening after the farm tour. Farm dinners support The School of the Lost Arts agricultural training programs. See their website for details http://www.dogmtnfarm.com 

Jubilee Farm (see video)

Tour the farm, learn about sustainable farming methods. At 11 a.m. there will be a "Keep Farmers Farming": Talk and Q&A with a King County Agriculture Commissioner. On Saturday there is also a Sno-Valley Tilth Pig Roast and Fundraiser at Jubilee Farm from 3-9 p.m. after the farm tours. Contact Sno-Valley Tilth for more information http://www.snovalleytilth.net.


Fall City Farms

At Fall City Farms you can pick your own winter squash and pumpkins or buy from the farm store. The farm store is full of apples, apples and more apples, potatoes, beets, carrots, etc. … also local honeys, butters, jams and cheeses. Tour the farm and learn how the farm has recovered after the January 2009 flood.

Visit the King County Agriculture Commission booth.

  • Noon: chef demo with Herban Feast
  • 1:30 p.m. "Keep Farmers Farming": Talk and Q&A with a King County Agriculture Commissioner

Stop by the King County booth to fill out the farm tour survey to be entered to win a prize of your choosing (see prize list abov


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