PCC Farmland Trust celebrates 10 successful years

What a ride it has been! PCC Farmland Trust’s 10th anniversary year has been a time of meeting new people, adding new farmland, expanding the trust’s work, and visiting its farms.

In June, we were in Walla Walla at Bennington Place ranch, owned by the trust and home to Thundering Hooves, a producer of grass-fed beef and poultry. The owner of Thundering Hooves, Joel Huesby, performed an experiment filling two Mason jars; one with soil from Bennington Place and the other from a non-organic farm.

A half-cup of water was placed in each jar. The Bennington Place soil sucked up the water because of the abundant humus, while the non-organic soil developed a puddle in the top of the jar and didn’t penetrate the dirt. This simple demonstration illustrates the benefits of organic practices and affirms our commitment to this work.

In September the trust organized the annual Ames Creek Farm tour. This year, the children were treated to a horse-drawn covered wagon ride, and those of us who are kids at heart had fun, too — enjoying samples from PCC Cooks, tossing corn cobs to the pigs, and choosing products to purchase from the three Ames Creek farmers.

The trust’s final anniversary tour is on January 16, 2010, at Nash’s Organic Produce farm, just north of Sequim. The Nash tour was a hit two years ago, especially when we got to pull carrots from the ground, rub off the dirt, and take a bite. Nash and his team will share many insights about the joys and tribulations of farming, and the importance of saving farmland on the Dungeness Peninsula.

Finally, this year would not be complete without mentioning our Orting Valley Farms project in the Puyallup Valley. It adds 100 acres to what the trust has saved. (See PCC Farmland Trust saves Orting Valley Farms, Sound Consumer, December 2009). We look forward to inviting you down to the farm soon.

Thank you for supporting the trust’s work. We could not do it without you!