PCC Farmland Fund report

USFWS grants $1 million to partnership for Meadowbrook project

The Farmland Fund is one of nine partners in a Dungeness River estuary project boosted by a grant of just under $1 million ($987,500) from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency is funding 20 projects in eight states. Six projects — totaling $5.1 million — are in Washington.

Our project entails purchase and conservation of coastal farming/wetland habitat properties in the lower 1.5 miles of the Dungeness River and Meadowbrook Creek systems. The source of Meadowbrook Creek is on our Delta Farm. (See “The Farmland Fund partners to protect the Meadowbrook Farmland” and “Organic farming saves this butterfly” Sound Consumer, September 2003.)

A patchwork quilt of parcels represents the landowners, tribe, organizations, government agencies and land trusts (including the Farmland Fund) working together to preserve Meadowbrook estuary farmland and habitat.

“This is a very positive sign of the intensive cooperation that exists in our region,” said U.S. Rep. Norman Dicks, D-Belfair, of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. Our partners are Clallam County, Ducks Unlimited, Dungeness River Center, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, National Wildlife Refuge Coordinated Volunteer Program, North Olympic Land Trust, Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Watch this space

The Farmland Fund has saved another farm. No longer in danger of becoming view lot ranchettes, the Bennington Place, 174 acres of deep silt soil in the Walla Walla Valley, is now leased to the Huesby family, doing business as Thundering Hooves: www.thundering hooves.net. They raise pasture-ranged and pasture-finished livestock and poultry in an open, natural and low-stress environment with no growth hormones or antibiotics. The cattle eat only pasture grass and alfalfa. The land and operations are in transition to organic certification. Look for a cover story in the March Sound Consumer.

Donor Roster (December 1-31, 2003)

Anonymous: 24
Diane & Steve Adam
Carol Appel
E. Bartfeld & R. Wynne
Anthony & Rachel Bearon
Lisa K. Belden
Barbara Chin
Carolee Colter
Julie Coryell & Seelye Martin
James & Therese Cushing
Suzannah Dalzell
Chuck Davies
Elise B. DeGuiseppi
The Engelstein Family
Lisa Friede
Karen Gardner
Rosalyn Gerstein
Beryl Goldfarb
Alicia & George Guy
Raymond M. Gwinn
Jo Hadlock-King
David A Heitmiller & Jacqueline Blix
Mary Jane Helmann
Tony & Carol Henderson
Donna Cross Hengeveld
Elaine Hickman
Michael P. Hilty
Betty H. Hughes
Pamela Hughes & Robert Munoz
Barbara O. Jackson
David & Ellen Jenner
Ami Karnosh
Mary E. Keils & Ronald L. Carnell
Virginia A. Kelley
Marilyn Mashburn Lewis
Will Lockwood
Ronald D. Long
Monica Lu
Sara Magee
Nancy Martinez
Gail & Michael McCormick
Marilyn McCormick
Kate McNenny
Simone Mercer
Robert Messina
Carol Anne Modena & Dana Roberts
Pamela Murphy
Heidi Neff
John & Lee Neff
Tobey Nelson/Gardensmith
Paul Newman
R.A. O’Donnell
Lyn Brighid O’Doran
Julia Paulsen & Kevin O’Connor
Grace & Ollie Oliver
A. Roxanne Scott & Randall R. Omel
Debora Petschek
Linda Shultz
Mary G. Simon
Stephani Siudmak
Elizabeth Sloss
Elin & David Smith
Ingrid Sparrow
Patricia Stimac & Kent Buttars
Erik Swanson
Judy Lyn Sweetland
Loretta H. Taylor
Terri Ann Taylor
Mark Thomas & Beverly Mand
Barbara F. Tice
Katherine Tighe
Barbara Tubb
Mark & Nancy Tucker
Karen Wasserman
Cynthia D. Wold
Jane Yadav

In honor
Barbara, Jason, Areana & Buster
Jack & Erma Fahlstrom
Penelope Guy
Ken Karnosh

PCC Staff
More than one hundred PCC staff members make voluntary payroll deductions twice a month. The office staff raised $76 with a holiday basket raffle and camera auction.

Foundations
The Phoebe W. Haas Charitable Trust
The Seattle Foundation, Gardow-Bradlee Family Fund
The Starr Family Fund of the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation

Businesses and Organizations
Choice Organic Teas
Clean Earth/PureAyre
Employees of the State of Washington
Microsoft Matching Gifts
The Monterey Pasta Company
Small Changes
Starbucks Matching Gifts Program
TalkingRain Beverage Company
Wildwood Harvest Foods

The PCC Farmland Fund works to secure and preserve threatened farmland in Washington State and move it into organic production. For more information, see the PCC Farmland Fund web page.