By Jeff Voltz, Executive Director

Well, I finally made it to Skomakawa (pronounced Sko mau ka way). I imagine many folks in this wonderful State don’t have a clue as to where Skomakawa is, let alone that it’s in Wahkiakum County. And then of course, how many would wonder, "Where in the heck is Wahkiakum County?" We’ll get back to this in a moment.

February was a month focused on cultivating key connections for developing Farming and the Environment’s strategic plan to expand market opportunities for its Stewardship Farms with chefs, grocers, & farmers markets. Early February found me, along with 300 other folks, at the Farmer-Chef Connection event in Seattle. This event concept, launched by Eco-Trust in Portland, OR, in 2001, creates a venue for farmers and chefs to meet and is supported by a number of well-done workshops that provide great information on increasing how farmers and chefs can work together to give the public better access to great locally produced foods.

Throughout February, we reached out to locally-owned grocery chains that share our passion for land stewardship. I met with Joe Hardiman, Produce Merchandiser for PCC Natural Markets, Henri Parren, General Manager for Small Potatoes Urban Delivery, and Joe Pulicicchio, Producer Merchandiser for Town and Country Markets, Inc. The meetings were productive and helped me to achieve a better understanding of the merchandising standards and operational needs of these fine companies. We discussed potential gaps in their supply for the upcoming season and where our farms and programs might fulfill their needs.

On the farmers market side, we were thrilled to received unanimous support from Des Moines City Council to launch the Des Moines Farmers Market on the Waterfront this summer. Our Market Organizer, Wendie Dyson, continues to meet with the Des Moines community and attended the Washington State Farmers Market Association’s annual conference hosted by WSU Puyallup Small Farms Program at the end of

February. Wendie soaked up the wisdom of market managers from around the state and market experts, including Vance Corum, during this weekend packed with workshops dedicated to promoting & running a successful market.  

Meanwhile, I met with the Ridgecrest and North City Neighborhood Associations on the possibility of bringing a new farmers market to the City of Shoreline.

February found us engaging with more than 30 conservation districts and agriculture supporting nonprofits seeking nominees for the 2006 Vim Wright Stewardship Award. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Don Stuart and Jane Kirchner of the American Farmland Trust for broadcasting our announcement to their Washington network, as well as Scott Exo and Joe Schaaf of Food Alliance for posting the announcement on their web site.

Throughout the month we met face-to-face with many leaders in conservation including Bob Armine of Lewis County CD; George Boggs and the staff of Whatcom CD; Britt Dudek, Bethany Byington, Kay Fisher, and Marilynn Lynn of Foster Creek CD; Monte Mayhan of Pierce CD; and Kathy Whalen of Thurston CD. In the nonprofit ag support sector we met with David Burger and Larry Nussbaum from Stewardship Partners, and Derek Long and Max Morange from Sustainable Connections.

Other great collaborations included a conference call on February 2nd with the staff of the WSU-UW Policy Consensus Center, where we discussed a draft of the proposed "Agricultural Pilots Program." This program will call for pilot projects that contribute to agricultural viability and environmental stewardship in Washington. On the 7th, I headed south to Chehalis for my morning meeting with Lewis County Conservation District, and then on to Astoria to meet with Diane Moody and Mike Dickerson of Shorebank Enterprise Pacific. They manage some very successful programs that provide access to technical assistance, capital, and markets for coastal communities in Oregon and Washington.

Now, back to Skomakawa on February 8th where Carrie Kennedy and the WSU Extension for Wahkiakum County hosted an event featuring business and market development concepts and information. It was attended by local producers and community development folks. Presenters included myself, John Brugger and Don Wagoner from the USDA Rural Development Department, and Kelli Sanger from WA State Department of Agriculture.

And finally, last but certainly not least, Andrew Stout, of Full Circle Farm, invited me to present Farming & the Environment at Sno-Valley Tilth’s annual meeting which was held in the great old barn at the Carnation Tree Farm. It was a fun gathering where I got to meet all these great producers and a number of collaborators including Colleen Donovan, Heifer International, Mary Embelton, Cascade Harvest Coalition, Steve Evans, King County Agricultural Program, Todd Murray, WSU Extension King County, Linda Neunzig, WSU Extension Snohomish County, and Larry Nussbaum, Salmon Safe/Stewardship Partners.