PCC Farmland Trust
by Stephanie Taylor, Director, Farmland Trust
This article was originally published in November 2005
Delta Farm joins local activists to save farmland
Nash Huber and the crew at Delta Farm have teamed with Clallam Citizens for Safe Food to pass Proposition 1 on November 8. This proposition will enact the Buyer Excise Tax (BET) to save farmland in Clallam County. By the time you read this, we should know whether this proposition has passed — keep your eye on the local news!
Once again, the movers and shakers at Delta Farm are leading the way for health and sustainability. On October 1, they raised $2,300 at a barn-dance fundraiser for Proposition 1. This is another great example of grassroots organizing for organic agriculture.
The BET will be a one-time, one-half-percent tax paid by property buyers in the county. The revenue generated by the BET, expected to reach about $2.7 million per year, will be used to save local farmland. Local farmland-owners will have the option to sell development rights to the county, who will preserve the land as farmland in perpetuity.
Could a Buyer Excise Tax help save farmland in your county? Visit www.yagottaeat.org for details about BET and Clallam Citizens for Safe Food.
Thank your local organic farmer
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Washington’s farmers have been busy bringing in the fall harvest, helping to keep the spirit of Thanksgiving alive so we can feast on the bounty of our local farms this holiday season. Consider giving thanks to your local organic farmer for all that he or she does to bring us fresh, healthy, local produce.
Let a local organic farmer know how much you appreciate what he or she does for us. Send your contribution to the Farmland Trust and we will mail a thank you card to the farmer of your choice, or we can choose a farmer for you from the Washington Tilth Producers Directory. For a personal touch, tell us what you’d like to say and we’ll include your message in the card.
For all that our local farmers do for us, let’s give thanks! All contributions will be used to preserve organic farmland in Washington state.