Welcome to the 2021 Fall Equinox Edition of the Farm Planners’ Almanac!
Greetings and Happy Fall from KCD’s Farm Team. The fresh chill in the morning air is reminding us that fall is upon us, bringing an end to a record-breaking hot and dry summer. These hot and dry conditions have made our community more aware about the risks that wildfires pose to our homes and farms.
Your KCD Farm Conservation Planning Team,
Carrie, Jay, Liz, Megan, and Matt
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The Farm Team is partnering with our Wildfire Resiliency Services Program to help our community have more access to knowledge about reducing your farm’s risk of damage from fires.
Check out the Q13 Fox Seattle story with KCD's Wildfire Resiliency Coordinator Matthew Axe.
If you missed our recent Wildfire Preparedness for Farms webinar, tune in to the recording on our YouTube Channel.
Reach out to our Wildfire Coordinator, Matt, if you are interested in learning more. He will come out to your property and work with you to conduct wildfire safety evaluations of individual homes sites, as well as communities, including barns and agricultural buildings. Visit our Wildfire Resiliency page to learn more and to sign up for help from Matt.
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Fall Reminders
School is in session. Time to get your soil’s report card. Fall is the best time of year to take annual soil nutrient tests, reseed, and to spread compost and manure. Here are a few tips:
- Remember not to spread manure or compost right before a big rain event! Keep compost on the ground where it is needed.
- For successful germination, be sure to plant or spread seed before October 15.
- Spread compost before October 31 and avoid over-applying material to reduce the risk of runoff getting into water (ditches, streams, wetlands).
- Schedule early to rent KCD’s manure spreader before October 1 to spread your composted manure.
Start thinking about where you will keep your animals in the winter, so you can protect your fields and soil health.
- Do you have a sacrifice area or dry confinement space to keep your livestock in over the winter?
- Reach out to KCD’s farm planners for assistance in planning the best way to keep your animals from damaging fields this winter.
If you have any questions about these topics, be sure to check out the KCD Farm Tour: Mud, Manure and Pasture Management on October 23.
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USDA has announced their Pandemic Response and Safety Grant program, which will provide funding to eligible farms and farmers markets to offset costs incurred between January 27, 2020 and December 31, 2021. The application deadline is November 8.
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Podcasts for the Upcoming Rainy Season
Listen to these podcast while doing barn chores, working on year-end recordkeeping, etc. And if you have a favorite that we haven’t shared, let us know!
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WSU/Tilth Alliance FarmWalks
FarmWalks Podcast
This collaborative effort has two seasons of podcast available for your listening pleasure.
Listen Now
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New from AcresUSA
The Farm Together Investing Podcast
The FarmTogether Investing Podcast, a partnership between FarmTogether and Acres U.S.A. helps you understand how farmland can be an investment tool, and how it can help support sustainability and the regenerative farming movement.
Listen Now
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Also from AcresUSA
TractorTime Podcast
This podcast is published at least monthly and features in-depth interviews with newsmakers and trendsetters in the ecology and agriculture industries.
Listen Now
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Let Us Know What You Think
Did you know that you can rent a no-till drill from KCD?
In 2017, King Conservation District purchased a Kasco Eco-Drill 72 (no-till drill). We would like to increase the use of the drill by our community members, and to reduce any barriers preventing access to the drill.
We would love more feedback from our valued community to help us find ways to make it more accessible.
Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey about our no-till drill to help us improve our services.
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Equipment Share Program
Reservations slots are open for KCD Farm Equipment. Visit each page to find out more and to get signed up for the 2021 season.
And these tools are available for use for free:
- Hay Probe (currently not available) - for testing animal forage nutritional levels
- Weed Wrenches - for removing invasive weeds such as Scotch Broom
- Soil Sampling Probes - for sampling your soil to submit to KCD’s Soil Nutrient Testing Program
Visit Equipment Share Program to check availability and rent or borrow any of the equipment.
Please keep in mind that scheduling and processes have changed due to COVID-19 orders and recommendations by our state and local health agencies.
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SnoValley Tilth Board Seeking New Directors
SnoValley Tilth is an organization run by farmers, for farmers. Farmers and supporters of our local food system are vital to their mission.
SnoValley Tilth’s members will elect new members to serve on their board in December. Those volunteer board members are responsible for making corporate decisions which ensure SVT continues to fulfill its mission, is accountable to our members, and retains fiduciary integrity. The SVT Board is open to any SVT member in good standing who is interested in serving on the board and supporting the organization. The board meets monthly and conducts additional work to support the organization through committees.
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Upcoming Food Safety Training Workshops
Pierce County PPW's Ag Program is working with the Puyallup Watershed Initiative's Ag COI, WSDA, and the Northwest Agriculture Business Center (NABC) to provide a series of Food Safety Training workshops this fall. More detailed information on content and how to register will be available soon, but please mark your calendars for the following dates:
Workshop 1: WSDA Food Safety Planning Overview
October 12, 6-8pm
This will help attendees understand key risk areas and policies around FSMA and GAP certification.
Workshop 2: Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Training
November 9 & 10, 1-5pm (2-day workshop)
NABC is sponsoring this training for up to 30 area farms.
Workshop 3: Write Your Own Safety Plan
December (date TBD)
WSDA and NABC will provide a final workshop for farms that want more training and support to write their own safety plan and/or prepare for GAP certification.
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It’s Weed Season!
Check out the latest news from King County Noxious Weeds.
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Upcoming Events and Webinars of Interest
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Hay Stand Improvement Field Day
Friday, September 24, 1pm-2:30pm
Puyallup
Walk the hay fields of Pete Allison’s farm in Puyallup to see and learn from demonstrations implemented by WSU Extension on improving hay field production and protein content without turning the soil. Demonstrations showcase which variety of legume- fall or spring seeded were the best combination of scenarios to make the most improvement to the hay stand. Five different varieties of legumes were tested and were seeded into the existing hay field last fall and this spring using Pierce Conservation District’s no-till drill. Results from trials in San Juan County looking at varied rates of organic fertilizer application in combination with no-till seeding will also be discussed. Come evaluate the demonstrations for yourself (or watch the video recording later), to learn how to improve your own hay field.
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Tilth Alliance: Composting 101
Online Virtual Class
September 30
Learn how to create rich compost using food scraps, livestock manure and yard waste during this online class. Compost is fundamental to organic vegetable gardening and will improve and enliven any type of garden soil.
Making compost at home can also save you money and reduce the carbon footprint of your garden.
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Key Peninsula Farm Tour
October 2 and 3
Saturday and Sunday
In person
The farms and agriculutral businesses on the Key Peninsula in west Pierce County are hosting their annual Fall Farm Tour. This is something that may be of interest to folks that enjoy events out away from town or for agricultural folks interested in agri-tourism ideas.
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Planning for the Future of the Farm 2021 Webast
October 14, 8:25am-5pm
Cost: $275.00
Washington State Bar Association presents this continuing legal education (CLE) program is to assist professional service providers necessary to the financial planning, estate planning, transfer, and management of agricultural land and family farm businesses within Washington.
Planning for farms and farm assets is a practice that requires specific knowledge and tools to ensure the best client representation. This legal course offers condensed information on the challenges and opportunities unique to agricultural land and agricultural businesses.
Session topics cover farmland succession within the family, estate planning, agricultural conservation easements, and legislative and case law updates, and farmland leasing. Ron Shultz, Policy Director at the Washington State Conservation Commission, will provide the keynote address.
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Growing Groceries Education Series
October 2021 - March 2022
Wednesdays, 7pm-9pm
Online via Zoom
You can grow fresh food in a healthier, more environmentally friendly way. The Growing Groceries Education Series classes starting October 6 are designed to help you learn how to grow your own food.
Have to miss one? No problem! A link to an online recording will be sent to everyone registered along with links to resources and more! Take only the classes you want ($5 per class), or take all fifteen classes for $50.
With an overall focus on limited space, resources, and challenges of western Washington weather and soils, the series of speakers and topics will help beginners and long time gardeners learn more about growing food using healthy and sustainable practices.
Find out more information at snohomish.wsu.edu/growing-groceries
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Orca Recovery Day
October 16
Orca Recovery Day occurs every fall and is your opportunity to contribute to recovery efforts at events across Puget Sound and beyond for these critically endangered Orca whales.
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KCD Farm Tour: Mud, Manure & Pasture Management
October 23, 10am-12noon
In person
Don’t miss our upcoming farm tour! Join us for a farm tour in Enumclaw and learn how to effectively manage mud, manure, and pasture on your farm.
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Winter Pasture Management for Livestock Webinar
November 3, 6pm-7:30pm
Online via Zoom
It’s time to get pastures ready for the upcoming wet, cold, and dark months. Learn what you can do this winter to keep your livestock healthy, reduce mud, manage manure, and lay the groundwork for greener pastures with less weeds next spring.
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KCD Native Plant Sale
Store Opens Mid-November
Put your ordering in early as many items sold out last year. Plant pickup will be in March at the Tukwila Community Center.
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Please watch our website and social media outlets for information about other events and visit kingcd.org/events to register for future KCD-organized Workshops, Farm Tours and Volunteer Events.
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